Effect of scan time on resting state parameters

In the past decade the interest in studying the spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations (LFF) in a resting-state brain has steadily grown. By measuring LFF (\u3c 0.08 Hz) in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has proven to be a powerful tool in exploring brain network connectivity and functionality. Rs-fMRI data can be used to organize the brain into resting state networks (RSNs). In this thesis, rs-fMRI data are used to determine the minimum data acquisition time necessary to detect local intrinsic brain activity as a function of both the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in BOLD signals in healthy subjects. The data are obtained from 22 healthy subjects to use as a baseline for future rs-fMRI analysis. Voxel-wise analysis is performed on the whole brain, gray matter volume, and two previously established RSNs: the default mode network (DMN) and the visual system network, for all the subjects in this study. Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r-values) are calculated from each subject. The entire time series for one subject is divided into 31 subsections and the r-values are calculated between each consecutive subsection in a subject. In total, there are 30 r- values. To better understand what the results mean across subjects and within subjects Fisher transformations are applied to the 30 calculated r-values for each subject to get a normal z-distribution. The mean across 22 subjects’ z-values is calculated for group analysis. In the end, there are 30 mean values. Finally, an exponential curve fit model is calculated across the 22 subjects using the calculated mean values, and an asymptotic growth model is used to detect the minimum data acquisition time required to obtain both ALFF and fALFF of the BOLD signals at rest. The results show that the minimum time required to detect an ALFF and fALFF of the BOLD signals at rest is 12 and 13.33 minutes respectively. Future studies can focus on determining the minimum scanner time using similar analysis for different physiological states of the brain

Session B-6: The Power of Water

Get energized and quench your knowledge in this dynamic session which will include the basic introduction to hydro power generation! Participants will become knowledgeable about the concept of basic fluid dynamics and the potential energy stored in water, which converts to kinetic energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy

Bringing Work-Life Balance to Extension

Throughout its one hundred plus years of history, the Cooperative Extension System has experienced many changes. Since its beginning, the Extension System has revolutionized nonformal educational approaches and outreach methods. However, these changes have also created issues such as role ambiguity, work-life conflict, work-life spillover, burnout, stress, and work-life imbalance among Extension professionals. There are very few currently existing publications that identify present day work-life balance issues in Extension. Most of such information is dated and irrelevant to current workings of Extension. To give more in-depth insights on this subject, a number of well-established theories, such as compensation, spillover, inter-role conflict, and role enhancement theories, are discussed in this publication. These theories are selected based on their relatability with Extension. Hence, this article was created with an intent to encourage a dialogue concerning current work-life balance issues within Extension. The article also illustrates a conceptual theoretical perspective–a three-tier approach to work-life balance in Extension. This approach discusses elements, such as individual awareness, environmental factors, and organizational policies, to inculcate positive work-life balance practices. This proposed approach could be a guide to creating a more positive work culture, improving work-life satisfaction among Extension employees, and boosting organizational competence and productivity

Policing Corporate Conduct Toward Minority Communities: An Insurance Law Perspective on the Use of Race in Calculating Tort Damages

Courts commonly use U.S. Department of Labor actuarial tables, which explicitly take into account the race of the tort victim, to determine average national wage, work-life expectancy, and life expectancy. This practice has led to wide discrepancies between average damage awards for minority plaintiffs compared to white plaintiffs even if both plaintiffs are similarly situated. While recent legal scholarship criticizes the use of race-based tables and addresses the Equal Protection and incentive concerns such tables present, few courts have deviated from the explicit use of race in determining tort damages. Though the use of demographic features, such as race, to predict future lost earnings is viewed as a way to calculate more accurate damage awards, a closer look at the effects of race-based tables shows the practice does more harm than good. Specifically, this Note considers the intersection of corporate liability insurance and tort law and how race-based tables affect the deterrence and oversight objectives of the relationship. The first Part of this Note provides an overview of how insurance and tort law work together, as well as the recognized issues with the use of race-based tables. The second Part focuses on how race-based damage awards inhibit deterrence of corporate tortious misconduct by not allowing insurance providers to accurately price premiums. Further, race-based damage awards also prevent insurance providers from adequately policing corporations and mandating certain precautions, which leads to an increased likelihood of tortious harm. The final Part proposes that state legislatures rectify the negative consequences race-based tables create by outlawing the use of race-based tables and establishing a minimum damage award using blended actuarial tables

EquiTect: Solving the Lack of Internet and Computer Access During Online Learning

Around the world, nearly 1.3 billion children are unable to access the internet, hindering their ability to engage with digital learning and converse with one another (US Census Bureau, 2020). This problem has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where most students were forced to move online to learn. The problem presents itself in three ways. First, a lack of accessible connection — traditional internet connections are far too expensive, costing thousands of dollars on average. Second, a lack of internet access — certain locations, specifically rural entities, do not have reliable internet access available, and even if they do, connections are oftentimes weak and lackluster. Students are often provided with computers from schools, but not with access to the internet. This problem is also a problem in equity, with the need for internet and computer access varying greatly amongst different family incomes. Families making under $10,000 in income have the greatest need for computer and internet access (about 45$100,000 or more have about 8 times less need for internet and computer access. In addition, around 35% of American Indian/Native Alaskan individuals and 20-30% of African Americans lack access to computers and reliable internet, while around 1/3 of White individuals lack access. EquiTect works to battle these imbalances and create equity in the online learning environment by providing all students, especially those who cannot afford their own internet or computer, proper internet and computer access. Our idea utilizes white space technology, social enterprise, and philanthropy. We plan to balance both our business goals and our social ones, pursue partnerships with internet service providers as well as other companies who specialize in white space connectivity, and hold fundraisers for schools or areas that could not otherwise afford our product/services. White space is essential the radio band that lays in between the unused frequencies normally used by Television providers. These frequencies are long-range, stable, and also almost never obstructed as there is very little activity happening in those frequencies. The novel technology provides promise in solving the equity problem in internet and computer access. Compared to MiFi, both MiFi and Equitect are accessible because they easily allow users to access the internet cheaply and efficiently. EquiTect will work similarly to Mifi in the sense that it will allow multiple users to access the internet. This will be very efficient since oftentimes, an entire family with multiple students needs internet and computer access. At the moment, most MiFi mobile broadband provides standard 3G or 4G connection speeds, depending upon network coverage, with 5G options just entering the market. On 3G and 4G connections, there can be a considerable slowdown when sharing MiFi connections across multiple devices and users. In contrast, white space relies on stable, long-range frequencies which is far more reliable. Finally, with MiFi, when more devices connect, the speed gets reduced and the battery drains faster, which causes the frequency of the wifi to get poor. This is a disadvantage that EquiTect must also battle. In the future, we plan to branch out to adult remote workers, satellite connectivity, and optimizing our devices

Fashion trends in dentistry

Younger generations follow their self made rules for looking fashionable and it applies to dentistry as well. As a dentist, we might come across to people who demand something more from us than treating only diseases e.g. piercings, mutilations, tattoos, jewellery. So being a dentist of 21st century, we should have knowledge of these newer advances in addition to regular therapeutic procedures

Our Children’s Homestead

Our Children’s Homestead is a specialized foster agency that attempts to provide stable housing to youth that have cases opened with the Department of Child and Family Services. As a specialized agency, OCH receives intake from DCFS for those that meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental illness. The demographic that describes the population served includes youth of all ages under 18, all racial/ethnic categories, and all sexual and gender identities. All youth served are placed in foster homes throughout most northern counties in Illinois. Asides from their goal of achieving permanency for youth in foster care, OCH offers a mentoring program in which clients have access to connect with and communicate with professional or volunteer mentors. OCH also offers a program called L.E.A.P. in which the agency builds partnerships with recreational facilities and organizations within the community to allow clients to have the option of accessing activities outside of home and school.https://via.library.depaul.edu/psychologynight/1041/thumbnail.jp

Antibacterial drug utilization study in patient of sepsis due to Staphylococcus aureus

Background: Sepsis is the most common and highly fatal clinical syndrome due to infection. Gram-positive organisms as a cause of sepsis have increased in frequency over time more common than gram-negative infections. S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) is one of the most prevalent and difficult to treat infections associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Aim was to study antibacterial drug utility, sensitivity and resistance pattern of antibacterial drugs in S. aureus infective septic patient in medicine department. Methods: A prospective observational study was done in medicine department of SSG hospital, Vadodara over a period of 9 months. Results: Total 50 S. aureus were tested for their sensitivity and resistance pattern towards ten antibacterial agents in microbiology department by disc diffusion method. The antibiogram of S. aureus indicated widespread resistance antibacterial agent ranging from a minimum resistant to vancomycin (4%) to a maximum of 90% against penicillin G. Total 142 antibacterial agents were prescribed in 50 patients. Metronidazole, ceftriaxone and piptaz were the most frequently prescribed antibacterial agents with DDD/1000 patient days 2.44, 3.55 and 2.62 respectively. 30 out of 50 patients needed a change in antibacterial agents during their course of treatment either due to antibacterial agent failure or after culture sensitivity report. 60% of the patients were prescribed ≥3 antibacterial agents at any point of time during treatment. Mean DOT/LOT was 2.22±0.84. Conclusions: There is a need of antibacterial agent usage guidelines and restriction policies for the rational prescribing of antibacterial agent in critically ill patients

Remote sensing

© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Remote sensing is defined as the art, science and technology through which the characteristics of object features/targets either on, above or even below the earth’s surface are identified, measured, and analyzed without direct contact existing between the sensors and the targets or events being observed, see e.g., Jensen (Remote sensing of the environment: an earth resource perspective, 2009), Lillesand et al.(Remote sensing and image interpretation, 2010), Richards (Remote sensing digital image analysis: an introduction, 1994), Murai (GIS work book: fundamental and technical courses, vols 1 and 2, 1999) etc.This allows for information about such object features to be obtained by sensing and recording reflected or emitted energy and processing, analyzing, and applying that information

Effect of backpack loading on cervical and sagittal shoulder posture in standing and after dynamic activity in school going children

Background: Adolescent age group as school going children who experience a period of accelerated growth and development of skeletal and soft tissue. Any daily physical stresses external forces such as load carrying may also influence alignment of the human body. It is assumed that daily intermittent abnormal postural adaptations could result in pain and disability. Objectives: To know the effect of backpack loading on cervical and sagittal shoulder posture (SSP) in standing and after dynamic activity in school going children. Materials and Methods: The research project was conducted after getting clearance from Human Research Ethics Committee of the H M Patel Institution for Education and research center. Study was conducted on 160 school going children, and measurement were taken to know the loading over the cervical region along with their bagpacks were weighed. Results: Total 160 students were enrolled in the present study. Study found that average value of the subject's body weight was 34.83 kg, and subjects backpack weight was 6.42 kg that was equivalent to 18% of the subject's body weight. The mean value of cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) without school bag was 40.62. The mean values of cranio-horizontal angle (CHA) while standing with 18% of body weight and after dynamic activities with 18% of body weight were 24.51 ± 10.3 and 28.93 ± 4.34, respectively. The mean value of SSP without school bag was 39.39 ± 4.31, whereas the mean values of SSP while standing with 18% of body weight and after dynamic activities with 18% of body weight were 54.38 ± 21.19 and 77.62 ± 17.50, respectively. Conclusions: Study revealed that there is a significant reduction in the CVA (or increased forward head position), increase in CHA, and SSP were found while carrying a backpack weight 18% of body weight over both shoulders