Universal Large Deviations for the Tagged Particle in Single File Motion

We consider a gas of point particles moving in a one-dimensional channel with a hard-core inter-particle interaction that prevents particle crossings --- this is called single-file motion. Starting from equilibrium initial conditions we observe the motion of a tagged particle. It is well known that if the individual particle dynamics is diffusive, then the tagged particle motion is sub-diffusive, while for ballistic particle dynamics, the tagged particle motion is diffusive. Here we compute exactly the large deviation function for the tagged particle displacement and show that this is universal, independent of the individual dynamics.Comment: 6 pages including supplementary material, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Let\u27s get hairy : women, body hair and stigma in arts education

A woman who is visibly hairy might be viewed as masculine, dirty, unprofessional, or as a radical feminist. There are variations on what it means to be a woman; feminine does not have to be synonymous with “hairless”. Body hair is a stigma because it is a physical characteristic that is undesirable and shamed when exposed. Body hair as stigma can be explored in terms of creativity and pedagogy. How can creativity work to dismantle stigma? Talking about stigma gives one the chance to express themselves in a way that is exploratory, sparking new ways of understanding. Arts education already possesses qualities that are beneficial to stigma—how can educators and students take advantage of all that creativity has to offer? Creating artwork about women and body hair and analyzing existing works can deepen one’s knowledge of body hair; as a societal form of control and as a lens to look more closely at stigma in arts education. Creativity can be the outlet to find new ways to accept and appreciate the hair on women’s bodies. Creativity can be a valuable tool to address topics that are controversial or simply overlooked. Let’s get hairy

Characterization of anti-proteolytic and anti-proliferative activities of pentagalloylglucose; its potential application as a therapeutic agent in vascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality in the United States and will cost around $500 billion this year alone. Elevated proteolytic activity, increased proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells are hallmarks of atherosclerosis, stenosis and aortic aneurysms. These diseases often manifest the transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells into osteoblast-like cells followed by deposition of hydroxyapatite–like mineral in the arterial walls. Currently, there are no standard treatments available for vascular calcification or aneurysms. Atherosclerosis treatment options are limited to statins while balloon angioplasty and stenting – surgical procedures for stenosis, often end in restenosis. Therefore, we investigated pentagalloylglucose (PGG), a polyphenolic compound, as a therapeutic agent that can inhibit excess proteolytic activity, mitigate proliferation and disrupt the transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells into osteoblast-like cells. Previous experiments conducted in our lab have shown that PGG has elastoprotective properties in a rat aneurismal model. Studies conducted by other researchers have shown that PGG also has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Our results show that PGG effectively decreased the level of cathepsins K, L and S, and the activity of MMP-2 in tumor necrosis factor activated rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) in vitro. Transcription levels of cathepsins K and S were dramatically decreased by PGG. Scratch test assay showed that PGG treatment resulted in visibly reduced migration and proliferation. PGG treatment also reduced the expression of osteogenic markers in activated RASMCs. Gene expressions of CBFA–1 and MSX–2 were downregulated. Alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly reduced at days 1, 3 and 6. Addition of PGG 3 days past activation of RASMCs also resulted in decreased alkaline phosphatase activity, signifying that PGG could potentially reverse osteogenic differentiation of RASMCs. We also conducted studies to verify if PGG could possibly increase elastin production in primary RASMCs by potentially inhibiting proteolytic activity. We found that levels of both tropoelastin and insoluble elastin were significantly increased in cells treated with PGG. In order to deliver PGG locally to a diseased vascular site, we investigated the possibility of using nanoparticles. Poly(lactic–co–glycolic acid) nanoparticles encapsulated with PGG were prepared and their in vitro release profiles were studied. Sonication times during emulsion steps were varied and resulting encapsulation efficiencies were studied. We conclude that PGG could potentially be a valuable therapeutic agent in vascular pathologies. Excess proteolytic activity, migration and proliferation of RASMCs were effectively controlled by PGG. PGG also inhibited the osteogenic signaling in smooth muscle cells through potentially affecting cell cycle progression by down regulating the gene expression of c–Fos. PGG could be used alone or with other existing treatments to control or reverse vascular diseases discussed above. Further optimization needs to be performed in order to determine the dose and mode of PGG delivery in vivo

Testing Environmental Sensors to Reduce Heat Ailments among First Responders

Abstract Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of deaths of the hazmat first responders mainly due to cardiac arrest, heat stroke, heat stress, lack of oxygen in the blood and inhalation of hazardous chemicals. National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) statistics reveals the following: There were more than 30,000 firefighter injuries between 2010-2016 42% of fatalities were caused due to physical stress and overexertion The hazmat first responders face a 14 percent increase in cancer-related deaths (NIOSH) Past research and interviews with various focus groups have indicated that there is a lack of real time health monitoring for first responders during a hazmat response. It is extremely important to monitor the health and environmental parameters surrounding the hazmat first responders in order to improve their safety and mitigate their deaths. A decrease or an increase in the core body temperature of a hazmat first responder when exposed to extreme environmental conditions can result in adverse health effects such as heat stroke, cardiac arrest and heat exhaustion. Thus, my primary research goal is to monitor the core temperature inside and outside the personal protection suit of first responder in order to improve their health and reduce risks associated when they are subjected to potentially harmful emergency hazmat situation. This can be achieved through Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology. The purpose of this research is to: Monitor the health parameters of the first responders in an emergency hazmat response through IoT sensors Improve their safety and reduce adverse heath effects Visualize the IoT sensor data for effective decision making Comments Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration. (2011, October 1). Code of Federal Regulations Title 49 (Transportation) Caldwell, J. N., Engelen, L., van der Henst, C., Patterson, M. J. & Taylor, N. A.S. (2011). The interaction of body armor, low-intensity exercise, and hot-humid conditions on physiological strain and cognitive function National Fire Protection Association. (2017, June). Firefighter activities, injuries, and deaths

INVESTIGATION OF STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF NOVEL MULTI-LAYER CLAY NANOCOMPOSITE FILMS PRODUCED CONTROLLABLY BY CONTINUOUS CHAOTIC ADVECTION BLENDING

Polymer nanoclay composites have been studied extensively in the past decade due to the excellent combination of properties they can offer at low loadings of clay. Despite robust research, the potential enhancements that nanoclays are theoretically predicted to offer have not been achieved. Such potential improvements in mechanical and gas barrier properties are realized only when the internal structure of the nanocomposite is optimized in terms of arrangement and orientation of nanoclay within the matrix. The mixing-based approach and the accompanying complex flow fields of conventional processing techniques widely used to produce nanoclay composites are unable to control the internal structure. This has also impeded the documentation and verification of the effect of orientation and arrangement of clay platelets on the matrix and the nanocomposite properties. Hence, a unique processing technique based on chaotic advection developed at Clemson University and shown to controllably produce structured materials in the past was employed to produce structured nanocomposites with a high degree of clay orientation as well as localization of platelets within layers of nanoscale thicknesses. Continuous lengths of nanocomposites with different clay contents were extruded in the form of films by feeding separately melts of virgin polyamide-6 polymer and polyamide 6-clay masterbatch into a continuous chaotic advection blender. A variety of composite structures were producible at fixed clay compositions. The internal structure was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Nanocomposites with novel in-situ multi-layered structures and a high degree of platelet orientation were formed by the recursive stretching and folding of the melt domains due to chaotic advection. Clay platelets were localized within discrete regions to form alternating virgin and platelet-rich layers leading to a hierarchical structure with multiple nano-scales. The thicknesses of the layers reduced with prolonged chaotic advection, eventually leading to nanocomposites in which the multi-layering was no longer discernible. The oriented platelets appeared to be homogenously dispersed through the bulk of the nanocomposite. Investigation of the morphology of the matrix by XRD showed that the homogeneity of the crystalline phase and the orientation of polymer chains parallel to the film surface increased with increased chaotic advection. Also, as the layer thickness reduced, the number of polymer chains restricted by clay platelets increased causing the γ-crystalline fraction to increase. While XRD results suggested a change in total crystallinity with chaotic advection and clay content but without a specific trend, no change in crystallinity was measured by DSC. Such contradictions are consistent with results of other investigators. Concentrating and orienting the clay platelets within layers increases the path length of the diffusing molecule and hence may improve barrier properties. The effect of multi-layering and platelet orientation on the gas permeability of the nanocomposite films was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Experimental measurements of 2% clay films showed that a multi-layered structure with oriented clay platelets gives a 40% greater reduction in oxygen permeability compared to a structure with a homogenous dispersion of oriented clay platelets. Also, the nanocomposite films with homogenous dispersion of platelets produced by chaotic advection due to their high degree of platelet alignment exhibited improved barrier properties than nanocomposites produced by mixing. The combination of high degree of orientation and multi-layering conferred to the 2 wt% clay film produced with the chaotic advection blender a relative permeability lower than a 6 wt% clay film produced with a single screw extruder. A theoretical model was formulated to explore the barrier properties of nanocomposites comprising a wide range of clay contents and platelet aspect ratio. The model showed the importance of orientation and layered structure. Permeabilities close to the intrinsic platelet permeability (i.e., near zero) can be realized by localizing and orienting a relatively low volume fraction (4%) of very high aspect ratio platelets (≥350) in the matrix or high volume fractions (20%) of platelets with aspect ratios around 100 (typical of the montmorillonite (MMT) clay). The chaotic advection blender was unable, however, to process such masterbatches due to limitations of available screw extruders intended for polyolefins. Experiments considered low volume fractions of MMT clay less than 4%. Other physical properties of the films important for packaging applications were also evaluated. The presence of die lines, particulate contaminations and variations in thicknesses of the films led to data scatter of measured properties. However, even with film quality substantially less than obtained in industry, the nanocomposites of this study showed a slight increase in tensile strength with clay content without sacrificing impact toughness and resistance to tear. In addition, due to the high degree of orientation parallel to the film surface, the clay platelets were able to reinforce the material in both machine and transverse directions. The nanocomposites also retained the optical clarity of the pure polymer matrix. Experimental and modeling results suggest that high barrier properties may be attainable if improvements to the chaotic advection blending system are made such that higher quality films can be produced with only slightly higher clay content or higher aspect ratio clay platelets than considered in this study

Large- Scale Content Based Face Image Retrieval using Attribute Enhanced Sparse Codewords.

Content based image retrieval (CBIR) have turn into majority dynamic exploration regions within previous couple of existence. Numerous index strategies be in light of worldwide component circulations. Be that as it may, these worldwide circulations have restricted segregating force since they are not able to catch nearby picture data. Photographs with individuals are the foremost attention of users. Consequently with exponentially increasing pictures, huge size contented base features representation recovery is a facilitating knowledge in favor of various developing applications. The main objective is to apply automatically spotted human characteristics that comprise semantic cue of facade pictures toward increase gratified base facade recovery through creating semantic codeword pro effectual huge size countenance recovery. With leveraging person characteristics into scalable as well as methodical structure, suggest and offer two orthogonal systems named attribute improved meager code and attribute entrenched upturned index toward develop facade recovery. We compare proposed method with other three methods namely LBP, ATTR and SC methods. The results illustrate that the proposed methods can attain qualified enhancement in Mean Average Precision (MAP) associated to the existing methods. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15084

Inter-vehicular communication for collision avoidance using Wi-Fi Direct

Inter vehicular collision avoidance systems warn vehicle drivers of potential collisions. The U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in February 2014 has decided to enable vehicular communication among lightweight vehicles to exchange warning messages to prevent accidents. Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) is a communication standard that allows short-range communication between vehicles and infrastructure, exchanging critical safety information to avoid collision. DSRC safety applications include forward collision warning, sudden brake warning and blind spot warning among many other warnings. It is also important to exchange location information between vehicles and pedestrians to avoid accidents. To exchange safety messages using DSRC, dedicated equipment is required. Pedestrians may not benefit from DSRC, as they may not carry dedicated DSRC safety equipment with them. Wi-Fi Direct technology can be used as an alternate to DSRC to exchange safety messages. Wi-Fi Direct enabled smartphones can exchange important safety information without the need of additional equipment. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connections are formed between Wi-Fi Direct devices to exchange safety information. The Group Owner acts as the access point through which all clients communicate. This work examines how Wi-Fi Direct can be used in vehicular environment to exchange basic safety information between smartphones of vehicle drivers. Wi-Fi Direct and DSRC transmission delays are calculated are calculated. The results show, with more devices in a Wi-Fi Direct group the congestion in the network increases due to unnecessary retransmissions through the group owner. As mitigation, a broadcast method is proposed to reduce the delay. The results illustrate that the P2P group can now accommodate more vehicles and the delay is lesser. The calculations are extended to compute the transmission delay when P2P groups of same size exchange safety messages. The results help analyse the limitations of the system

An autoregressive approach to house price modeling

A statistical model for predicting individual house prices and constructing a house price index is proposed utilizing information regarding sale price, time of sale and location (ZIP code). This model is composed of a fixed time effect and a random ZIP (postal) code effect combined with an autoregressive component. The former two components are applied to all home sales, while the latter is applied only to homes sold repeatedly. The time effect can be converted into a house price index. To evaluate the proposed model and the resulting index, single-family home sales for twenty US metropolitan areas from July 1985 through September 2004 are analyzed. The model is shown to have better predictive abilities than the benchmark S&P/Case--Shiller model, which is a repeat sales model, and a conventional mixed effects model. Finally, Los Angeles, CA, is used to illustrate a historical housing market downturn.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS380 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Job motivation in high-tech knowledge work- the unintended detrimental role of management

Title: Job motivation in high-tech knowledge work- the unintended detrimental role of management Seminar Date: 4th June 2015 Course: FEKH49 Author: Chaitra Harish Bhat Supervisor: Sverre Spoelstra Key Words: Knowledge Worker, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Priority Task, Recognition. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to critically examine the role of intrinsic motivation in knowledge work. It intends to investigate the managerial attempt to motivate knowledge workers and examines the role of the management from the knowledge workers’ perspective. Methodology: This research has taken the interpretive viewpoint. It is a qualitative study with an abductive approach. Eight semi-structured interviews have been conducted and analyzed. Theoretical Perspectives: The theoretical framework is focused mainly on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the context of knowledge work. The knowledge worker’s work ambiguity is presented. And the equity theory of motivation is and analyzed as to how it affects motivation in knowledge work. Empirical foundation: The empirical foundation of this research consists of eight semi-structured interviews conducted in a knowledge intensive firm, Motiv AB. Conclusion: This research shows that even though intrinsic motivation is important, the role of extrinsic motivation is also found to be vital in knowledge workers. In this context, the role of the management can also be detrimental at times (though unintentional) in affecting the knowledge worker motivation