bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A regret theory-based GEDM method with heterogeneous probabilistic hesitant information and its application to emergency plans selection of COVID-19
Authors: Lv Jian , Mao Qinghua , Li Qingwen , Chen Shudong
Published: May 2022

Emergency events are happening with increasing frequency, inflicting serious damage on the economic development and human life. A reliable and effective emergency decision making method is great for reducing various potential losses. Hence, group emergency decision making (GEDM) has drawn great attention in past few years because of its advantages dealing with the emergencies. Due to the timeliness and complexity of GEDM, vagueness and regret aversion are common among decision makers (DMs), and decision information usually needs to be expressed by various mathematical forms. To this end, this paper proposes a novel GEDM method based on heterogeneous probabilistic hesitant information sets (PHISs) and regret theory (RT). Firstly, the PHISs with real numbers, interval numbers and linguistic terms are developed to depict the situation that decision group sways precariously between several projects and best retain the original assessment. In addition, the score functions, the divergence functions and some operations of the three types of PHISs are defined. Secondly, the normalization model of PHISs is presented to remove the influence of different dimensions on information aggregation. Thirdly, group satisfaction degree (GSD) based on the score functions and the divergence functions is combined with RT for completely portraying the regret perception of decision group. Then, we introduce Dempster-Shafer (DS) theory to determine the probabilities of future possible states for emergency events. Finally, an example of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation is given as an application for the proposed GEDM method, whose superiority, stability and validity are demonstrated by employing the comparative analysis and sensitivity analysis.
Optimal rating and placing of numerous distributed generators in distribution network applying spider monkey optimization
Authors: Sreedevi S. , Angeline Ezhilarasi G.
Published: May 2022

The optimal location and rating of distributed generators in the distribution network is important role in the incremental consumer load. Proposed research determines a novel approach for the optimal placement rating of distributed generators. To achieve the multi-objectives of expanded work is to minimize the power loss, reduce operating cost, and development of magnitude output voltage. At present, the objectives are achieved by using spider monkey optimization algorithm (SMOA). Design and prescribed optimization is considered various constraints such as voltage limit, dg (Distributed Generator), real power generation limit, current limit, and power equality constraint estimated. The losses sensitivity factor involves the best selection of the optimal locations to fix dg units. In this context proposes to determine the optimal rating of dg units based on the searching behavior of spider monkeys. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering) 33-bus, and IEEE 69-bus distribution systems with various load levels are tested the validation of presented method. The entire work is done by MATLAB/Simulink program, and the SMOA is also compared with familiar algorithms to show the efficiency for an optimal rating of the power system.
RETRACTED: Analysis of developments and hotspots of international research on sports AI
Authors: Li Jian , Li Meiyue , Lin Hao
Published: May 2022

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219328.
Unsymmetrical basic uncertain information with some decision-making methods
Authors: Jin LeSheng , Yager Ronald R. , Chen Zhen-Song , Mesiar Mesiar , Bustince Humberto
Published: May 2022

Motivated by a specific decision-making situation, this work proposes the concept and definition of unsymmetrical basic uncertain information which is a further generalization of basic uncertain information and can model uncertainties in some new decision-making situations. We show that unsymmetrical basic uncertain information in some sense can model linguistic hedges such as “at least” and “at most”. Formative weighted arithmetic means and induced aggregations are defined for the proposed concept. Rules-based decision making and semi-copula based integral for this concept with some numerical examples are also presented.
A plant disease image using convolutional recurrent neural network procedure intended for big data plant classification
Authors: Gopinath S. , Sakthivel K. , Lalitha S.
Published: May 2022

The recent advancement of big data technology causes the data from agriculture domain to enter into the big data. They are not conventional techniques in existence to process such a large volume of data. The processing of large datasets involves parallel computation and analysis model. Hence, it is necessary to use big data analytics framework to process a large image datasets. In this paper, an automated big data framework is presented to classify the plant disease condition. This framework consists of a series operations that leads into a final step. When the classification is carried out using novel image classifier. The image classifier is designed using a Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network Classifier (CRNN) algorithm. The classifier is designed in such a way that it provides classification between a normal leaf and an abnormal leaf. The classification of plant images over large datasets that includes banana plant, pepper, potato, and tomato plant. Which is compared with other existing big data plant classification techniques like convolutional neural network, recurrent neural network, and deep neural network, artificial neural network with forward and backward propagation. The result shows that the proposed method obtains improved detection and classification of diseased plants compared to other the convolutional neural network (94.14%), recurrent neural network (94.07%), deep neural network (94%), artificial neural network with forward (93.96%), and backward propagation method (93.66%).
Creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue crack growth behaviours of P92 steel at 600 °C
Authors: Alang N.A. , Nikbin K.
Published: May 2022

High-temperature components in power generation plant are exposed to creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue environment during service. The components are usually under multiaxial state of stress condition. Understanding how the material behaves under these loading and environment is essential in order to sustain and keep the plant safe. The present paper aims to investigate the creep rupture and crack growth behaviours of P92 steel at 600 °C. For creep rupture test, notched bars with two different notch radii were prepared and tested under creep condition between 250 and 3500 hours at 600 °C, while the C-shaped specimen was prepared for fatigue and creep-fatigue crack growth tests. The material tested under creep condition showed notch strengthening effect where the life of notched bar specimen increased compared to smooth specimens when the net stress against creep time data was plotted. The effect was more significant as the notch radius decreased. It was also observed that the rupture life of all specimens was von-Mises stress controlled. Based on the fatigue test, it was found that the frequency in a range of 0.1 Hz–10 Hz was insignificantly affecting the crack growth rate. Under creep-fatigue, however, the material showed frequency-dependent behaviour. Observation on the fracture surface revealed that the ductile dimple associated with plasticity was dominant for all creep specimens. In addition, frequency independent specimen was associated with the transgranular fracture, thus flat appearance was evident, while fracture surface of frequency dependent specimen was roughly associated with intergranular fracture.
Sickness absence from work in the footwear industry: A longitudinal study
Authors: Leite Wilza Karla dos Santos , Araújo Anísio José da Silva , da Silva Luiz Bueno , de Souza Erivaldo Lopes , Silva Jonhatan Magno Norte da , Bolis Ivan , Silva Merlayne Pâmela de Oliveira e , Neves Robson da Fonseca , Colaço Geraldo Alves
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND: Studies on illness in the footwear industry have prioritized specific work sectors and diseases. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the main factors related to sickness absence and the indicators of illness in terms of recurrence and workdays lost among workers at a footwear company, ranging from storage of raw material to distribution of the final product. METHODS: A total of 9072 cases of absence from work were investigated in shoe production units from 2014 to 2017. Univariate models estimated the risk of bodily dysfunction (physiological and psychological) and the severity of recurrence and work days lost. RESULTS: (1) Most production units and work sectors were related to one or more affected bodily functions; (2) Neuromusculoskeletal and movement-related functions and the work sectors of prefabrication; cutting, assembly and finishing; and quality inspection of the final product required a longer recovery time before return to work and had a greater recurrence of leave; and (3) Women seemed to be more affected than men in terms of the reappearance of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Illness differs according to occupational sectors. The production sectors present more serious situations due to physical overload, intense rhythm and concentration, monotony and low autonomy.
Dessecação de forrageiras do gênero Urochloa com herbicida glifosato
Authors: Santos Fenelon Lourenço de Sousa , Da Silva Walisson Tavares , Calil Francine Neves , Da Cunha Patrícia Pinheiro , Da Costa Rommel Bernardes , Ximenes Paulo Alcanfor
Published: May 2022

As espécies de forrageiras, em especial as do genêro Urochola tem sido uma importante alternativa para utilização no Sistema de Plantio Direto (SPD) devido a boa produção de biomassa e alta relação C/N. Essas características favorecem a persistência da palhada na área, principalmente em regiões como o Cerrado, onde as condições climáticas aceleram a decomposição da palhada. Contudo, para o bom desenvolvimento da cultura subsequente, deve-se realizar a dessecação dessas forrageiras de maneira eficiente, com a utilização de herbicidas. Deste modo, objetivou-se nesse trabalho a investigação da cinética de morte das forrageiras Urochola brizantha cv.Piatã, a U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás, U. spp cv. Ipyporã e U. ruziziensis submetidas a diferentes doses do herbicida glifosato. Os tratamentos consistiram na combinação de quatro espécies forrageiras (Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás, U. ruziziensis, U. brizantha cv. Piatã e U. spp. cv. Ipyporã) submetidas à aplicação de quatro doses do herbicida glifosato (250; 500; 1000 e 2000 g de equivalente ácido de glifosato ha-1). Foram realizadas avaliações visuais do efeito fitotóxico aos 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias após a aplicação (DAA) do herbicida. Os resultados demonstram que as espécies possuem sensibilidade diferente ao herbicida glifosato, sendo que as U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás e U. ruziziensis as mais susceptíveis ao herbicida. A cinética de morte das forrageiras é afetada pela dose aplicada do herbicida.
Using photo-elicitation to explore challenges and creativity in self-managing breast cancer-related lymphedema and work by U.S. Hispanic/Latina survivors : a case study approach
Authors:   , Anderson Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2022

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a sequela of breast cancer treatment. Women diagnosed with breast cancer have a lifetime risk of developing this incurable condition. A growing ethnic population in the United States, Hispanic/Latina women have been shown to experience lower breast cancer incidence rates, but poorer survival outcomes. For survivors, BCRL can have a profound negative impact on economic, psychosocial, emotional, and functional treatment outcomes. Its impact on the ability to work touches all these factors. Little is known or documented about the impact of BCRL self-management on work for Hispanic/Latina survivors. The specific aim of this study was to explore the impact of BCRL self-management on work for Hispanic/Latina survivors. The research questions addressed: How work and BCRL-self-management change as a result of BCRL; is there a reciprocal relationship between work and BCRL as experienced by survivors; and how work and BCRL self-management impact each other. This qualitative study uses a secondary analysis of a Hispanic/Latina return-to-work dataset in combination with a photo-elicitation interview case study to explore the challenges of BCRL self-management and how it impacts and shapes work activities for the Hispanic/Latina survivor. The themes of importance of support relationships, family adaptation, and obstacles encountered in self-managing BCRL and work activities were identified. These findings: 1) shed light on the challenges faced by this ethnic population; 2) provide the lived community, families, and healthcare professionals with a glimpse of the survivorship experience; and 3) communicate cultural beliefs and health behaviors that may support effective survivorship care for a lifetime.
Short-term weekly effects of ethnic-racial discrimination on academic outcomes : ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity as moderators
Authors:   , Berkley Steven
Published: May 2022

African American and Latinx undergraduate students who attend historically white institutions continue to face incidents of discrimination which have been associated adverse health and academic outcomes (Del Toro & Hughes, 2019). Given the challenges associated with growing up as an ethnic-racial minority in society, many African American and Latinx young adults are often equipped with important culturally responsive familial and individual resources that may function as protector factors. Through ethnic-racial socialization messages received from parents, children learn how to navigate racialized contexts and develop an ethnic-racial identity, or an individual belief regarding the significance of their ethnic-racial group membership (Sellers et al., 1998). Ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity are multidimensional constructs and certain domains of both have been found to moderate the effects of ethnic-racial discrimination on health outcomes (Sellers & Shelton, 2003). However, most of this work has been conducted using cross-sectional data on adolescent samples and surprisingly few studies have investigated the moderating roles of ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity on the academic outcomes of college students who may frequently encounter ethnic-racial discrimination. In response to the gaps in literature, this study used a sample of 145 Black/African American and Hispanic/ Latinx (63 percent; 37 percent respectively) college students attending a historically white university in the Midwest to examine the short-term weekly effects of ethnic-racial discrimination on weekly academic outcomes (i.e., academic belonging, academic stress, negative academic behaviors). Weekly discrimination and academic data were reported over the course of 4 weeks. Additionally, this study examined the roles of key ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity domains as moderators on relationships between discrimination and academic outcomes. Findings highlight that on weeks when individuals reported higher than usual ethnic-racial discrimination, they also reported lower than usual academic belonging, and higher than usual negative academic behaviors. Further, the impact of ethnic-racial discrimination varied according to the type and frequency of ethnic-racial socialization and ethnic-racial identity domains. There were no significant associations between ethnic-racial discrimination and academic stress.
Risk prediction and an injectable collagen material for intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors:   , Bradley Janae
Published: May 2022

This research primarily focuses on early prediction and treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). In Phase 1, machine learning algorithms were evaluated to predict the risk of intervertebral disc degeneration in patients. This was done by using factors associated with IVDD and taken from patient medical history. Several classification algorithms were utilized to develop predictive models. Results demonstrated that machine learning algorithms could be used to predict IVDD risk and also the potential for developing an app from these predictive models. Phase 2 focused on the development of a collagen-based, gold nanoparticle material for intervertebral disc regeneration. Gold nanoparticles were conjugated to viscoelastic collagen using a natural crosslinker, genipin. This material was then characterized to evaluate its ability to serve as a treatment for chronic back pain caused by IVDD. Results demonstrated successful attachment of the gold nanoparticles to the collagen using the genipin crosslinker. Overall, the characterization studies of the collagen composite were successful and demonstrated potential for further application in IVDD treatment.
Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm and atherosclerosis
Authors:   , Cai Dunpeng
Published: May 2022

The main focus of this dissertation is the role of Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and atherosclerosis. This first chapter of this document presents a review of the literature, while the second chapter focuses on experimental studies defining the contribution of ADAR1 to the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The principal outcome of this study includes: 1) ADAR1 expression is induced in abdominal aortic smooth muscle cell in both mouse and human AAA tissues. 2) Heterozygous knockout of ADAR1 diminishes the Ang II-induced AAA/dissection in ApoE-/- mice. 3) Mouse aortic transplantation indicates that ADAR1 in vascular cells is essential for AAA formation. 4) SMC-specific ADAR1 deficiency reduces experimental AAA formation/dissection. 5) Mechanistically, ADAR1 physically interacts with human antigen R (HuR) to increase the stability of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) mRNA, leading to increased MMP levels and activities. Thus, ADAR1 is a novel regulator of AAA development/dissection, and thus may represent a potentially new therapeutic target to prevent AAA growth and rupture. The third chapter focuses on defining the role of ADAR1 in the development of atherosclerosis and plague stability. In these studies, ADAR1 protein expression is found to be significantly induced in vascular SMCs in human and mouse atherosclerotic plaque and mediate MMP2 expression via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. ADAR1 further promotes flexible transcription of MMP2 via disinhibiting Z-DNA. Our data suggest that endogenous ADAR1 is an important and previously unrecognized regulator of VSMC MMP expression and atherosclerosis. Thus, ADAR1 represents a novel and promising drug target for potential treatment of atherosclerosis. In summary, our studies highlight the significance of ADAR1 in exacerbating the formation of both abdominal aortic aneurysm and atherosclerosis. Ongoing and future studies are aimed at exploring therapeutic methods by targeting ADAR1.
Proteomics and condensed tannin : an optimized method to characterize grape protein and the relationship to wine condensed tannin content
Authors:   , Fredrickson Alex
Published: May 2022

Condensed tannin extraction and retention have long been a problem for cool climate grape growing and winemaking regions where Vitis interspecific hybrid cultivars are grown. Recently, the link has been made between pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins and low condensed tannin retention in red wine cultivars. At the time of this research, no agreed-upon method for grape juice and wine protein precipitation, quantification, and proteome characterization had been determined. After method optimization, we determine with a coefficient of variation below 15 percent that the precipitation with acetone/trichloroacetic acid (TCA), solubility buffer of 6M Urea/100 mM ammonium bicarbonate, and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) protein assay for quantification to be most appropriate. For characterization, the use of shotgun-based proteomics with UPLC-ES-TIMS-TOF was used for the characterization of the proteome. Using the optimized method, seven different cultivar's juice and wine were analyzed for protein and condensed tannin. Also, condensed tannin content and proteome from Vitis interspecific hybrid cv. Chambourcin wine from 2018 and 2019 was studied more extensively with traditional and novel winemaking methods (exogenous condensed tannin additions early and late, accentuated cut edges), along with the wine and lees of micro fermentations (50 mL) with increasing levels of exogenous condensed tannin additions during fermentation (800-6400 mg/L). The addition of exogenous condensed tannin at 1-month post-press resulted in condensed tannin retention above 100 percent and the use of ACE (accentuated cut edges), a practice involving using a blender after crush to increase the skin to juice ratio, increased native condensed tannin content 2.5-fold higher than the control. Total protein does not correlate to condensed tannin concentration, but proteomic data and individual spectrum count do indicate that specific proteins may have more impact on the condensed tannin content in wines. There are many proteins (PR and other groups) that impact condensed tannin retention and is not a select handful that was previously hypothesized.
Dynamic analysis of complex panel count data
Authors:   , Guo Yuanyuan
Published: May 2022

Panel count data occur in many fields including clinical, demographical and industrial studies and an extensive literature has been established for their regression analysis. However, most of the existing methods apply only to the situations where both covariates and their effects are constant or one of them may be time-dependent. In the first part of this dissertation, we consider a situation where both covariates and their effects may be time-dependent and an estimating equation-based approach is developed for estimating those time-varying effects. In the method, B-spline functions are employed to approximate time-dependent coefficients and the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are established. To assess the performance of the proposed approach, an extensive simulation study is conducted and suggests that it works well in practical situations. An application to the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) study is provided. In practice, there could exist more than one type of event of interest, such as two types of tumor recurrence, leading to multivariate panel count data. The second part of this dissertation considers marginal mean model for multivariate panel count data with time-dependent coefficient and covariate effects, which has limited previous research. Based on the conditional estimating equation method developed for time-dependent covariates, we approximate the coefficients by B-splines, hence allow both coefficients and covariates to be time-dependent. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimation procedures work well for practical situations. The methodology is again applied to the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) study. When we consider time-varying covariates and coefficients effects, most of the previous study focused on the proportional mean model because the likelihood function under the rate model involves intractable integration. However, the rate model is more realistic and efficient. Hence, in the third part of this dissertation, we propose a semi-parametric MLE method under the rate model for panel count data with time-dependent covariates and time-varying effects. B-spline functions are employed again to approximate time-dependent coefficients and an efficient Expectation-Maximization-type algorithm is developed to overcome the computational difficulty. The resulting estimators are shown to be consistent and asymptotically efficient. Monte Carlo simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed method enjoys desirable finite-sample properties. An application to The Young Women's Project (YWP) is provided.
Academic capitalist regime in Colombia : discourses from national research policies and professors
Authors:   , Montes Gutierrez Isabel Cristina
Published: May 2022

This dissertation is centered on whether and how the production (research) and transmission (education) of knowledge are considered public or private goods. Drawing on the theories of academic capitalism and neoliberalism as an important underlying ideology, this dissertation analyzed national research policies that shape professors' work as well as professors as the 'users' of these policies. Particularly, the first phase of this dissertation examined four national research policies: Quality of National Publications, Faculty Promotion, Research Groups and Researchers' Classifications, and Spin-off Policies. The second phase was based on a multicase study that examined the link between these four national research policies and professors' actions. This study found that the academic capitalist regime was reflected and accepted in Colombian national research policies and, with some resistance, among professors. The final analysis demonstrates that the academic capitalist regime generated a growing stratification at country, field and individual levels that was reproduced and perpetuated through the creation of a common sense among national research policies and professors. Theoretically, this dissertation also extended the theory of academic capitalism by adding the commercial for-profit model of academic publishing as a new layer and essential component of the academic capitalist regime that generates prestige behavior among professors.
Perceptions of benefits, barriers, and cues to aciton for physical activity : a case study of African American students at a hisorically black college and university
Authors:   , Moseley Crystal Cooper
Published: May 2022

Physical activity offers many benefits, yet the majority of college students do not meet the recommended weekly amounts. This study investigated African American students' perceptions of barriers, benefits, and cues to action at Lincoln University. There was a gap in the literature because no qualitative studies regarding African American students' physical activity had been conducted. This qualitative study discovered that most students do not feel physical activity is supported on campus. In addition to reporting barriers, benefits, and cues to action, participants also offered recommendations for increasing physical activity. Recommendations for future research include conducting another case study using all races of students who attend this institution of higher learning. A quantitative study could provide a broader perspective of physical activity and usage of the campus recreation center. Conducting this same study at multiple institutions would also be a good idea to add to the research. If the cues to action were put into place, another study could be done to see if physical activity rates increase.
Investigations of Mississippi valley-type mineralizing fluids via analytical geochemistry, numerical modeling, and experimental geochemistry
Authors:   , Smith Sarah Elisabeth
Published: May 2022

Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits represent enrichments of base metals and other elements up to 1000's of times greater than their average concentrations in the Earth's crust. These enrichments most commonly consist of Zn and Pb as the minerals sphalerite and galena, but Ba and F, as the minerals barite and fluorite, can be abundant and even predominate over Zn and Pb in some deposits. Key to understanding how MVT deposits become enriched in the above elements is knowledge of the concentrations of these elements in the mineralizing fluids and how the fluids interact with host rocks. This dissertation consists of three studies that address this knowledge gap. The first was a case study of the Hansonburg, New Mexico MVT district, in which barite and fluorite are the principal ore minerals. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that anomalously F-rich fluids formed fluorite-rich MVT deposits by analyzing the composition of fluid inclusions in ore stage minerals. The study showed that the Hansonburg mineralizing fluids were very F-rich, with F concentrations of 100's to 1000's of ppm. The fluids would have been very acidic, which would have suppressed metal sulfide mineral precipitation. The second was a numerical reactive transport modeling study of the Illinois-Kentucky district, a fluorite dominant atypical MVT district. The aim of the study was to assess the importance of F-rich ore fluids in producing the features of the deposits observed in the field. These models showed that silica-armoring of conduits along which the F-rich fluids ascended was critical for allowing the fluids to retain their F-rich, acidic profile until the fluids entered the limestone host rocks. Further, the models showed that high ore fluid F concentrations of 100's to 1000's of ppm were necessary to form the spatial distributions of fluorite mineralization and limestone host rock dissolution observed in the field, and to form the fluorite mineralization within a geologically reasonable time period. The final experimental geochemistry study was undertaken with the goal of producing a tool for determining aqueous Zn concentrations from solid solution Zn concentrations in dolomite using element partitioning theory. Dolomite easily incorporates Zn into its crystal lattice and is a common ore-stage mineral in MVT deposits, thus it has a high potential for this purpose. However, experimental distribution coefficients (D) for the partitioning of Zn between dolomite and aqueous solution are unknown. A series of dolomite precipitation experiments was performed at temperatures between 125 and 200 degrees C, 10 MPa pressure, and aqueous Zn concentrations from about 10 to 1000 ppm for periods of time ranging from 10 to 80 days. The D values calculated from these experiments have applications in hydrothermal ore formation, sedimentary diagenesis, and low-grade metamorphism.
Effects of instructional format and mastery criteria on the acquisition of teaching targets to children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors:   , Hernandez Marla
Published: May 2022

Discrete trial training (DTT) has been effective at teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) social, communication, and academic skills. Educators who implement DTT procedures present teaching targets in a structured, rapid-paced format of instruction that is conducted on a one-on-one manner with the learner at a table. However, educators have many options to select DTT procedural variations based on the learner's prerequisite skills. Comparative research is beginning to demonstrate how isolating these procedural selections, such as teaching format or mastery criteria, affect the efficiency of learning (Majdalany et al., 2014; Richling et al., 2019). The current study assessed the efficiency and maintenance of teaching targets across a combination of two instructional formats (e.g., massed trial instruction [MTI] and task interspersal [TI]) and mastery criteria (e.g., 100 percent and 60 percent). Researchers used a multiple baseline across participants with an embedded alternating treatment design to evaluate the relative efficiency of each teaching combinations across four children with ASD. Preliminary results indicated that MTI was more efficient than TI for all four participants, although when combined with a more stringent criteria (100 percent) it is less efficient than the 60 percent mastery. A review of limitations and future extensions will be discussed.
Cardiorespiratory abnormalities in early and advances stage mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors:   , Obi Susan Ada
Published: May 2022

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked severe muscle disease caused by dystrophin gene mutations affecting 1 in 3,500 newborn males worldwide every year. DMD is characterized by progressive skeletal muscle degeneration and weakness. In advanced disease, respiratory insufficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy limit life expectancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the time course of myocardial fibrosis and respiratory decline in a mouse model of DMD. The extent of fibrosis was determined in histological sections using planimetry. We found that 16-month-old DMD hearts were in early stages of myocardial fibrosis, with 9.6 +/- 0.04 percent in the RV (n=3) and 2.1 +/- 0.01 percent in the LV (n=3). In contrast, the dystrophic changes in the diaphragm at 16 months of age were severe (52.1 percent fibrosis). Using wholebody plethysmography and pulse oximetry, we assessed respiratory function and blood oxygen saturation (SaO2). At 12 months of age, Dmdmdx4cv mice exhibited significantly lower respiratory frequency and oxygen consumption. However, ventilation (Ve) and ventilatory equivalent (Ve/VCO2) were not different compared to wild-type littermates, in part due to slightly increased tidal volume. Likewise, there was no effect of genotype on SaO2. These data suggest that while the dystrophic changes in the diaphragm were severe, overall respiratory status is not severely compromised in 12--16-month-old DMD mice. Altogether, these data provide a framework for determining the time course of cardiorespiratory decline in DMD mice. In the future, this could lead to new therapeutic approaches to minimize DMD-induced heart and respiratory failure at early-stage disease.
Study of energy efficiency comparison between smooth V-belt and cogged V-belt for power transmission
Authors:   , Peruri Venkata Naga Likhith
Published: May 2022

In the United States, annually about 0.4 Trillion kWh of electricity is used in electric motors or mechanical drives. A good majority use belt drives for power transmission between the electric motor and mechanical load. The power transmission efficiency of the belt drives, according to most references and manufacturers in their catalogues, varies between 90 and 98 percent [1,2]. The aim of this study is to identify the key parameters to be measured, to determine the change in the efficiency of a cogged v-belt-driven motor over a smooth v-belt-driven motor. Cogged v-belts are typically estimated to improve power transmission by 3-6 percent in efficiency over smooth V-belt-driven systems [2,3]. Since there is no generally accepted theory on power transmission in belt drives, it is hard to obtain reliable efficiency values from theoretical models [1]. The outcome of this research will be an empirical approach to determine the potential increase in the energy efficiency of the system by replacing the smooth v-belt with a cogged v-belt. In addition, the belt drive parameters which affect the power transmission such as pulley diameter, belt tension, belt length, angular speeds of the pulleys, the motor speed [1,2,4-7] are evaluated as well. The approach will be developed with input from the tests done by varying the centre distance between the pulleys, pulley diameters, length of the belts, belt tension, motor speeds, and runtime of the system. The final objective of this research would be to develop a scheme to measure parameters during an assessment and use those to make an informed decision on the potential improvement in the energy efficiency of the system using a cogged v-belt over a smooth v-belt.
Effects of partially decoupled payments on production decisions and their relation to farmers' demographics
Authors:   , Stringer Mitchell
Published: May 2022

This thesis examines how farmers' production decisions are affected by policy scenarios involving a base acreage update, an increase in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments, and an increase in market receipts. Moreover, the study investigates whether farmers' socio-demographics and farm characteristics have a role in production decision making. A survey with 500 commercial producers across 36 U.S. states was implemented by the agricultural marketing research firm Kynetec from May through June of 2019. Of the 500 responses, 473 correspond to farmers who had base acres eligible for ARC or PLC payments and were therefore used in the analysis. The survey contained questions related to farmers' demographic characteristics, their risk attitudes, and production decisions made upon scenarios related to crop insurance and partially decoupled payments. This thesis focuses on three scenarios which asked the farmers if they would change acreage planted to the crop for which they have the most base acreage in response to: 1) a base acreage update in 5 years that would be affected by current planted acreage; 2) a $25 increase in ARC/PLC payment per base acre; and 3) a $25 increase in market receipts per acre. The results from multinomial logistic regressions show that the majority of the farmers (74.6 percent) responded that they would not change current acreage when they expect an update to base acres in 5 years. For a $25 increase in ARC/PLC payments per base acre, the majority of respondents (68.7 percent) indicated no change in acreage, but more respondents (28.8 percent) reported they would increase acreage than reported they would reduce acreage (2.5 percent). Likewise, 65.9 percent of farmers reported they would keep the same number of acres for the largest crop following a $25 increase in market receipts per acre, while 31.9 percent (2.1 percent) would increase (decrease) acreage. In all three scenarios, we found that farmers' willingness to accept risk was the most important factor when making their decisions. The most surprising finding is that the surveyed producers say they would make approximately the same adjustments in acreage planted in response to changes in either ARC/PLC payments or market receipts. This suggests that ARC and PLC payments may be more coupled to production decisions than is commonly assumed, even though the payments are made on base rather than planted acreage. This thesis adds a new perspective to the literature by looking at how partially decoupled payments and market incentives affects production decisions and how farmers' demographics interact with their decisions.
Paternal effects on pre-implantation embryo development in cattle
Authors:   , Clark Kelsey
Published: May 2022

Currently, sire fertility is measured using sire conception rate (SCR), which is not always indicative of embryo development. Since the majority of pregnancy loss in dairy cattle occurs during the early embryonic period, it is important to determine the effect of sire during this time period. Therefore, the goal of this research is to identify sires with high and low capacities to produce embryos and elucidate the effect of sire on early embryo development. To investigate this, 65 Holstein sires with SCRs ranging from -14.2 to 5.3 were run through an in vitro embryo production system and embryo development was monitored. Based on their in vitro development performance, eight high performing (HP) and 9 low performing (LP) sires were identified. The average blastocyst rate (BL) was 48 percent for HP and 14 percent for LP sires, respectively. In this dataset, there was no correlation between SCR and BL. However, there was an increase in embryos arrested at the 5-6 cell stage in LP sires compared to HP sires. Next, embryos were produced from HP and LP to determine autophagy levels, and blastocyst cell number. LP sires had a higher rate of autophagy than high performing sires, with no effect of SCR. However, the ratio of trophectoderm to inner cell mass cells in blastocysts did not differ between sire performance groups. RNA-Seq on 4-cell embryos identified 687, and 1411 genes with increased expression in HP and LP sires, respectively. Genes with increased expression in HP sires were involved in mRNA and cell cycle regulation, chromosome segregation, and sperm mitochondria clearance. Genes with increased expression in embryos from LP sires were indicative of sperm mitochondria retention, and an increase in DNA damage and apoptosis. Lastly, embryos were produced in vivo from HP and LP sires. Interestingly, LP sires generated twice the number of degenerated embryos as HP sires. In conclusion, this research demonstrates a clear effect of sire on preimplantation embryonic development, where LP sires produced a higher proportion of embryos with developmental delays, increased autophagy and expression of DNA damage and pro-apoptotic genes, resulting in embryonic arrest at the 5-6 cell stage. Interestingly, SCR was not indicative of preimplantation development in this study. The in vitro model used in this study to identify sires with negative effects in embryo development represents a useful tool to build a robust predictor of sire fertility that accounts for the sire's influence on the early stages of pregnancy.
Intersubjective understanding of violence: the lifeworld of tajik immigrant workers in post-soviet russia
Authors:   , Abdusamadov Abdusabur
Published: May 2022

This dissertation analyzes the phenomenon of violence in the context of labor migration from Tajikistan to Russia. It examines the legal framework for migration policy and asks how sociology can understand the experience of violence and how social phenomenology can contribute to this understanding. I apply Alfred Schutz's theory of intersubjectivity to understand migration violence. Migration violence in Russia has been interpreted as an abstract phenomenon rather than the experience of labor immigrants. It is a reductive understanding of violence that ignores the perspectives of the immigrants themselves. Such interpretation of violence is incompatible with its intersubjective understanding. The understanding of migration violence in this thesis is not only what is recognized as the violence of one subject against another, but the essence of this violence and its real picture which lie deeper in state policies and the stories of labor immigrants themselves. In studying these stories and the relationship between labor migration and violence I show how Tajik labor immigrants experience institutionalized and noninstitutionalized violence. An intersubjective understanding that I propose in this thesis is founded upon the relationship between the perspective of labor immigrants and the social context. Moreover, I show how understanding is constituted in infusion of mass media information into a social context. In this sense, the lifeworld perspective of immigrants or, as Schutz notes, their 'biographical situation' provides a basic frame of orientation that guides me to generate understanding in a complex lifeworld of labor migration.
The influence of ancestors: kinship and cooperation in iban ancestor worship
Authors:   , Clark Kyle Joseph
Published: May 2022

This work explores, extends, and tests a novel evolutionary theory put forth and refined by Lyle Steadman, Craig Palmer, and Kathryn Coe. The approach is the descendant-leaving strategy theory, which outlines how ancestors influence their descendants through the traditions they begin and transmit to future generations. In order for this theory to be valid, traditions must be sustained over long periods of time so that ancestors' influence descendants in generations long after the ancestors' lifetimes. Here I test whether four ritual behaviors are traditional, using data from the Iban of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Traditional behaviors may include forms of ancestor worship that reinforces ancestor authority while also creating recognition systems for large numbers of kin. I describe the evolutionary implications of ancestor worship with examples from the Iban. Finally, I empirically evaluate a model of altruism based on the descendant-leaving strategy literature. I find that many Iban ritual behaviors are traditional, and argue that Iban ancestor worship extends kinship networks. However, the evidence that Iban individuals will favor closer kin over distant kin is mixed, so the statistical tests find little support for the prediction. Generally, Iban ancestors appear to influence their descendants' behavior, especially in a ritualistic sense, even if there is little current evidence supporting their influence on cooperation outside of rituals.
An examination of the causes of underrepresentation of african-american male educators in public urban schools
Authors:   , Fields Ernest James
Published: May 2022

While the demographic composition of classrooms is changing to reflect the cultural diversity of the communities' urban core, the vast majority of the teachers are White and female. Nationally, less than 2 percent of all public-school educators are African American males. This study examines the causes of the underrepresentation of African American male educators in urban public schools. The study's results were organized into three themes: mentoring, which was divided into coaching, inspiring, and encouraging; purpose regarding one's calling and commitment; and salary.This study provided information that contributes to the body of knowledge significant to the field of study of the underrepresentation of African American male educators in public urban schools, including recommendations for school districts and suggestions for future research on the subject. The study revealed the absence of African American male educators removes teaching as a potential career choice for African American male students. Boosting representation has to begin with initiatives to increase African American students' interest in the profession, increasing salaries, and incentives to attract new graduates.
Multi-objective network optimization: models, methods, and applications
Authors:   , Gholamialam Ashkan
Published: May 2022

There can be an array of planning objectives to consider when identifying alternatives for using, modifying, or restoring natural or built environments. In this respect, multi-objective network optimization models can provide decision support to both managers and users of the system. While there can be an infinite number of feasible solutions to any multi-objective optimization problem in large networks (e.g., urban transportation systems), the efficient ones are usually more desirable in the decision-making process. However, identification of efficient solutions can be challenging in practical applications. To address this issue, this dissertation details mathematical formulations and solution algorithms for a range of real-world planning problems in the context of intelligent transportation systems, vehicle routing problem, natural conservation and landscape connectivity. While the combination of objectives being optimized is unique for each application, the underlying phenomena involves modeling movement between origins and destinations of a networked system. To demonstrate the type of insights that can be achieved using these modeling approaches, the location and number of times solutions appear in different realizations of system and given different solution approaches (e.g., exact and approximate methods) are visualized on network using a commercial geographic information system.