Climate change is an important and contentious issue that has far-reaching implications for our future. The authors here compare primary temperature and precipitation data from almost 200 years ago against the present day. They find that the average annual temperature in Brooklyn, NY has risen significantly over this time, as has the frequency of precipitation, though not the amount of precipitation. These data stress the need for more ecologically-conscious choices in our daily lives.
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The Effect of Music on Heart Rate
Different songs can seem to evoke different emotions. Here the authors demonstrate that different songs can have a significant effect on the heart rate of listeners. A slower song slows heart rate, and a faster song increases it.
Read More...An alternative to textile dyes: Synthesizing and applying PMMA nanoparticles to create structural coloration
The authors looked at developing a PMMA nanoparticle fabric dye that would be more sustainable compared to traditional fabric dyes. They were able to create PMMA based dyes in different colors that were also durable (i.e., did not fade quickly on fabric).
Read More...Do self-expression values affect global jazz popularity? An analysis of postmaterialism and political activity
Jazz music is a unique American art form that has spread around the world. Iyer and Iyer study this spread through a computational sociology project examining how jazz popularity is correlated with postmaterialism (an ideology that values self-expression) and political activity.
Read More...Vineyard vigilance: Harnessing deep learning for grapevine disease detection
Globally, the cultivation of 77.8 million tons of grapes each year underscores their significance in both diets and agriculture. However, grapevines face mounting threats from diseases such as black rot, Esca, and leaf blight. Traditional detection methods often lag, leading to reduced yields and poor fruit quality. To address this, authors used machine learning, specifically deep learning with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), to enhance disease detection.
Read More...Cardiovascular Disease Prediction Using Supervised Ensemble Machine Learning and Shapley Values
The authors test the effectiveness of machine learning to predict onset of cardiovascular disease.
Read More...The effects of plasticizers on the mechanical properties and chemical composition of a gelatin biopolymer
Here, in an effort to identify alternatives to oil-based plastic, the authors sought to investigate the effects of plasticizers on the mechanical properties and chemical composition of gelatin bioplastic matrices. Through measurements of their tensile strength and elongation at break, along with FTIR spectroscopy, they identified 3% w/v polyethylene glycol film as having the best performance in their study..
Read More...Nature’s reset: The effect of native and invasive plant forage on honey bee nutrition and survival
The authors looked at survival of honey bees over the winter in regards to native and invasive plant availability. They found that native plants provided greater survivability and overall health compared to environments where there was an abundance of invasive plants.
Read More...The effect of common food preservatives on the heart rate of Daphnia magna
The authors test the effects of common food industry preservatives on the heart rate of the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna.
Read More...The effect of activation function choice on the performance of convolutional neural networks
With the advance of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is now applied widely in society. In the study of AI, machine learning (ML) is a subfield in which a machine learns to be better at performing certain tasks through experience. This work focuses on the convolutional neural network (CNN), a framework of ML, applied to an image classification task. Specifically, we analyzed the performance of the CNN as the type of neural activation function changes.
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