Finding lumbar vertebrae by evidence gathering

Low back pain is a very common problem and lumbar segmental instability is one of the causes. It is essential to investigate lumbar spine movement in order to understand instability better and as an aid to diagnosis. Digital videofluoroscopy (DVF) provides a method of quantifying the motion of individual vertebra. In this paper, we apply a new version of the Hough transform (HT) to locate the lumbar vertebra automatically in DVF image sequences. At present, this algorithm has been applied to a calibration model and to the vertebra L3 in DVF images, and has shown to provide satisfactory results. Further work will concentrate on reducing the computational time for realtime application, on developing a spatiotemporal sequences method and on determining the spinal kinematics based on the extracted parameters

Effects of Simulated Student Interaction on Student Perceptions of Teaching Presence

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the instructor posting in online discussions as a simulated student; particularly the impact simulated student interaction (SSI) had on the instructor/student relationship. Student perceptions were examined using a modified version of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey to determine what impact SSI had on teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence within the online classroom. The full 34 item CoI Survey was piloted in the summer of 2014 at a small comprehensive university located in northeast Texas. A factor analysis was conducted on the data and the top items from each factor in the instrument extracted. The resulting 17 item instrument demonstrated both validity and reliability. This modified CoI Survey was used in the fall of 2014 with three special education courses making up a control group and an intervention group in a pre-post experimental design. An ANOVA was performed to compare the results of the pre-course and post-course surveys by group. The ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference for all three factors for the intervention group between the pre- and post-course survey, while no significance between surveys was shown for the control group

Potential use of remote sensing to assess effects of wave action on plant re-establishment

Evaluation of the potential for remote sensing to detect a relationship between wave action factors and plant re-establishment after a habitat enhancement at Lake Kissimmee, Florida. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, wave action factors were found to be inversely related to the probability of plant re-establishment. However, correlation of wave action factors with areal coverage of aquatic plants based on field measurements, were unable to detect a significant relationship. Other factors aside from wave action, including littoral slope and the presence of offshore vegetation, may have influenced plant re-establishment in these sites. Remote sensing techniques may be useful to detect large changes in plants communities, however small changes in plant coverages may not be detectable using this technique

Back-flow ripples in troughs downstream of unit bars: Formation, preservation and value for interpreting flow conditions

Back-flow ripples are bedforms created within the lee-side eddy of a larger bedform with migration directions opposed or oblique to that of the host bedform. In the flume experiments described in this article, back-flow ripples formed in the trough downstream of a unit bar and changed with mean flow velocity; varying from small incipient back-flow ripples at low velocities, to well-formed back-flow ripples with greater velocity, to rapidly migrating transient back-flow ripples formed at the greatest velocities tested. In these experiments back-flow ripples formed at much lower mean back-flow velocities than predicted from previously published descriptions. This lower threshold mean back-flow velocity is attributed to the pattern of velocity variation within the lee-side eddy of the host bedform. The back-flow velocity variations are attributed to vortex shedding from the separation zone, wake flapping and increases in the size of, and turbulent intensity within, the flow separation eddy controlled by the passage of superimposed bedforms approaching the crest of the bar. Short duration high velocity packets, whatever their cause, may form back-flow ripples if they exceed the minimum bed shear stress for ripple generation for long enough or, if much faster, may wash them out. Variation in back-flow ripple cross-lamination has been observed in the rock record and, by comparison with flume observations, the preserved back-flow ripple morphology may be useful for interpreting formative flow and sediment transport dynamics

Changing the operation of small geometrically complex EBG-based antennas with micron-sized particles that respond to magneto-static fields

As the usage of wireless technology grows, there are evermore demands on the antennas that support these platforms. This need has led to the design of unique antennas with improved bandwidth, agile frequency capabilities, compact size and greater efficiencies. In part though, the trade-off for such capabilities is antenna complexity. This paper presents a new technique for simplifying the method of changing the operation of a printed antenna using micron-sized silver coated particles that respond to magneto-static fields. More specifically, a structure consisting of a low-loss dielectric material with a cylindrical cavity containing micro-sized particles is developed. The overall size of the dielectric material is 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm × 0.5 mm and the cavity has a diameter of 0.9 mm. Furthermore, the top and bottom of the cavity with the micron-sized particles is capped with copper foil. Then, to manipulate the enclosed particles, a static magnet is placed near the structure. The enclosed particles columnize and orientate in the direction of the field-lines, connecting the top and bottom copper foil plates. To disconnect the plates then, the field is simply removed and the columns collapse. Macroscopically, the structure has the behavior of a switch. The structures presented in this work are denoted as Magneto-static Field Responsive Structures (MRSs). The MRSs have an additional benefit of not requiring a direct connection to a biasing circuit. This is very useful because there are many antenna designs that make it difficult to embed biasing circuitry to reconfigure printed antennas using MEMS and PIN diodes, for example. Finally, a new frequency reconfigurable Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) antenna is presented. This design is unique because the complex layout does not allow for traditional biasing circuitry and the operation is changed using the new MRSs presented in this paper

Interaction between lateral sorting in river bends and vertical sorting in dunes

Sediment is sorted in river bends under the influence of gravity that pulls the heavier grains downslope and secondary flow that drags the finer grains upslope. Furthermore, when dunes are present, sediment is also sorted vertically at the dune lee side. However, sorting functions are poorly defined, since the relation to transverse bed slope and the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting is not yet understood for lack of data under controlled conditions. The objective of this study is to describe lateral sorting as a function of transverse bed slope and to gain an understanding of the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting in river bends. To this end, experiments were conducted with a poorly sorted sediment mixture in a rotating annular flume in which secondary flow intensity can be controlled separately from the main flow velocity, and therefore transverse bed slope towards the inner bend and dune dimensions can be systematically varied. Sediment samples were taken along cross‐sections at the surface of dune troughs and dune crests, and over the entire depth at the location of dune crests (bulk samples), which enabled comparison of the relative contribution of vertical sorting by dunes to lateral sorting by the transverse bed slope. The data show that lateral sorting is always the dominant sorting mechanism in bends, and bulk samples showed minor effects of vertical sorting by dunes as long as all grain‐size fractions are mobile. An empirical bend sorting model was fitted that redistributes the available sediment fractions over the cross‐section as a function of transverse bed slope. Comparison with field data showed that the model accurately reproduces spatially‐averaged trends in sorting at the bend apex in single‐thread channels. The bend sorting model therefore provides a better definition of bend sorting with conservation of mass by size fraction and adds to current understanding of bend sorting. The implication for numerical modelling is that bend sorting mechanisms can be modelled independently of dunes, allowing the application of the active layer concept

Criticism Against Human Rights Violations In C. Hope Flinchbaugh’s Novel Daughter Of China (2002)

Purianingtyas, Allen Rufaida. S200110034. 2014. Criticism Against Human Rights Violation in C. Hope Flinchbaugh’s Novel Daughter of China (2002). Thesis. Magister Program of Language Study. School of Postgraduate. Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. Advisors: (1) Dr. Moch. Thoyibi,M.S , (2) Dr. Phil. Dewi Candraningrum, M.Ed. This research deals with the following aims: (1) describing the context of Daughter of China, (2) explaining the criticism of the author against violation of human rights, (3) describing the author’s evangelical mission. The qualitative research is outlined by the descriptive method. The writer of the thesis collected and categorized the data obtained. The first step was exposing the context of United States of America and People’s Republic of China Society at the end of the twentieth century. Then it was followed by the analysis of the author’s criticism against human right violation and the author’s evangelical mission. The result of this research are as follows: (1) there was correlation between author’s social background and intention and the social context of People’s Republic of China and United States of America, (2) author’s criticism about human rights violation can be categorized into upper class intimidation, social disparity, the rigid government rules which consist of One Child Policy and loyalist communist obligation, gender inequality which consist of abandoned baby girl and attitude toward girls’ education, starvation of children’s orphanage, the limitation of religious freedom, and the peasants’ obligation to the government, (3) The evangelical mission conveyed by the author which had been identified was based on the following principals: (1) faithful, (2) loving and confident, (3) tolerant and respectability, (4) recognizing others, (5) religious freedom, (6) peace, (7) exemplification, and (8) dialogu

Short-range antiferromagnetic correlations in Kondo insulators

We study the influence of short range antiferromagnetic correlations between local $f$-electrons on the transport and thermodynamic properties of Kondo insulators, as first proposed by Coqblin et al. for metallic heavy fermions. The inter-site magnetic correlations produce an effective bandwidth for the $f$-electrons. They are treated on the same footing as the local Kondo correlations such that two energy scales appear in our approach. We discuss the competition between these two scales on the physical properties.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. To be published in Physics Letters

Dilution effects on magnesium efflux from the rumen

Factors affecting magnesium absorption from the rumen are integrally involved in grass tetany because most of the absorbed Mg passes through the rumen wall. Recent work has shown that ruminal Mg absorption occurs by a sodium-linked active transport following saturation kinetics. The dilution effects on Mg absorption were evaluated by a dynamic simulation of Mg flow in the rumen. As several factors in the rumen influence Mg availability, a simple rumen submodel was developed to predict rumen parameters (fiber content, microbial mass, liquid dilution rate, particulate passage rate) for different conditions. Cation-exchange capacity of fiber and the microbial mass as well as insoluble Mg complex formation reduce the available Mg pool for absorption in the model. Preliminary results for 500 kg cattle grazing crested wheatgrass (DMI = 1.2 % BW / day), indicate that efficiency of magnesium absorption from the rumen was greatly affected by liquid dilution rate. Without considering insoluble Mg precipitate formation, the efficiency of Mg absorption from the rumen ranged from .41 to .31 as the rumen liquid fractional passage rate varied from .08/h to .14/h. Factors affecting the rumen liquid dilution rate include rumen water holding capacity, saliva secretion, rumen osmolarity, and water intake from drinking and eating. Kinetic factors may be responsible for the poor efficiency of absorption of Mg under conditions when rumen liquid dilution rates are high