Tweeting with Authority: Identifying Influential Participants in Agriculture-Related Water Quality Twitter Conversations

In August 2014, Toledo, Ohio, experienced a dangerous algae bloom that led to a citywide water ban. News media coverage of the incident was widespread, as was social media conversation. Opinion leadership has been linked to news media agenda setting, and social media users are capable of generating considerable social influence within the sphere of their social networks. To better understand the dynamics of the conversation—especially as it pertained to agriculture—both during and after the water ban, the researchers used a social media analysis platform to identify high-influence Twitter users who participated in water-quality discussions about the Toledo water ban. Narrowing the search to agriculture-related discussion, the researchers revealed a dearth of agriculture-related content and also identified three categories of Twitter users in the conversation, including news sources, activists, and agriculture advocates. The researchers also found that Ohio users in post-ban discussions tended to be more influential than those who participated during the water ban. Identifying these users allows practitioners to monitor influential accounts for emerging issues and to engage with authoritative users in their geographic regions. The researchers also recommend that agriculture advocates exercise restraint in publicly speaking out about the industry’s involvement in environmental issues

Reliability of Electronics

The purpose of this research is not to research new technology but how to improve existing technology and understand how the manufacturing process works. Reliability Engineering fall under the category of Quality Control and uses predictions through statistical measurements and life testing to figure out if a specific manufacturing technique will meet customer satisfaction. The research also answers choice of materials and choice of manufacturing process to provide a device that will not only meet but exceed customer demand. Reliability Engineering is one of the final testing phases of any new product development or redesign

Where I Come From: Exploring Regional Differences in California Consumers’ Attitudes and Beliefs About Fluid Milk

Guided by the theory of reasoned action and social cognitive theory, this study was conducted to better understand how decisions to purchase organic or conventional milk are influenced by norms and attitudes established via human interactions and how those norms and attitudes vary by geographic region. An online Qualtrics survey was used to gain insight into behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of 308 milk consumers in various geographical regions of [State]. The findings indicate that urban, suburban, and rural consumers differ in some ways in their interactions related to milk information, as well as their perceptions of organic versus conventional milk. Based on the findings of the study, differences in personal networks and exposure to certain messaging in varying regions might perpetuate a more positive, confident, and informed view of organic or conventional milk products in some areas more so than others. The researchers recommend using the results of the study to tailor messages to the specific information needs of consumers in urban, suburban, and rural regions of [State]

Toe Pressure and Toe Brachial Index are Predictive of Cardiovascular Mortality, Overall Mortality, and Amputation Free Survival in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

Objective/Background: Peripheral haemodynamic parameters are used to assess the presence and severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The prognostic value of ankle brachial index (ABI) has been thoroughly delineated. Nonetheless, the relative usefulness of ankle pressure (AP), ABI, toe pressure (TP), and toe brachial index (TBI) in assessing patient outcome has not been investigated in a concurrent study setting. This study aimed to resolve the association of all four non-invasive haemodynamic parameters in clinically symptomatic patients with PAD with cardiovascular mortality, overall mortality, and amputation free survival (AFS). Methods: In total, 732 symptomatic patients with PAD admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery for conventional angiography at Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, between January 2009 and August 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic factors, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and above foot level amputations were obtained and assessed in relation to AP, ABI, TP, and TBI by means of Kaplan-Meier life tables and a multivariate Cox regression model. Results: The haemodynamic parameter that was associated with poor 36 month general outcome was TP <30 mmHg. Univariate Cox regression analysis of stratified values showed that TP and TBI associated significantly with mortality. In multivariate analysis both TP and TBI were associated with a significant risk of death. For TP <30 mmHg and TBI <0.25 the risk of cardiovascular mortality was hazard ratio [HR] 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-4.61 [p Conclusion: Among non-invasive haemodynamic measurements and pressure indices both TP and TBI appear to be associated with cardiovascular and overall mortality and AFS for patients with PAD presenting symptoms of the disease. (C) 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Consistent Surgeon Evaluations of Three-Dimensional Rendering of PET/CT Scans of the Abdomen of a Patient with a Ductal Pancreatic Mass.

Two-dimensional (2D) positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) are used for diagnosis and evaluation of cancer patients, requiring surgeons to look through multiple planar images to comprehend the tumor and surrounding tissues. We hypothesized that experienced surgeons would consistently evaluate three-dimensional (3D) presentation of CT images overlaid with PET images when preparing for a procedure. We recruited six Jefferson surgeons to evaluate the accuracy, usefulness, and applicability of 3D renderings of the organs surrounding a malignant pancreas prior to surgery. PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT abdominal scans of a patient with a ductal pancreatic mass were segmented into 3D surface renderings, followed by co-registration. Version A used only the PET/CT image, while version B used the contrast-enhanced CT scans co-registered with the PET images. The six surgeons answered 15 questions covering a) the ease of use and accuracy of models, b) how these models, with/without PET, changed their understanding of the tumor, and c) what are the best applications of the 3D visualization, on a scale of 1 to 5. The six evaluations revealed a statistically significant improvement from version A (score 3.6±0.5) to version B (score 4.4±0.4). A paired-samples t-test yielded t(14) = -8.964,

Fine Sands in East-Central Iowa

General information on fine sand near the Iowan drift border in east-central Iowa is available in previous work (5) on soils and geologic deposits. Since little detailed work on engineering and geological properties has been done on these sands, the Iowa Engineering Experiment Station is now making such a study. The objectives of the first phase of the. study are: (1) to determine the occurrence of sand deposits considered economically workable for engineering usage and, (2) to determine properties and property variations of the sands. This report covers the occurrence, method of sampling, field description, classification, and particle size analysis of the sands included in the east-central Iowa study

Stencil Printing-A Novel Manufacturing Platform for Orodispersible Discs

Stencil printing is a commonly used printing method, but it has not previously been used for production of pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study was to explore whether stencil printing of drug containing polymer inks could be used to manufacture flexible dosage forms with acceptable mass and content uniformity. Formulation development was supported by physicochemical characterization of the inks and final dosage forms. The printing of haloperidol (HAL) discs was performed using a prototype stencil printer. Ink development comprised of investigations of ink rheology in combination with printability assessment. The results show that stencil printing can be used to manufacture HAL doses in the therapeutic treatment range for 6-17 year-old children. The therapeutic HAL dose was achieved for the discs consisting of 16% of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and 1% of lactic acid (LA). The formulation pH remained above pH 4 and the results imply that the drug was amorphous. Linear dose escalation was achieved by an increase in aperture area of the print pattern, while keeping the stencil thickness fixed. Disintegration times of the orodispersible discs printed with 250 and 500 mu m thick stencils were below 30 s. In conclusion, stencil printing shows potential as a manufacturing method of pharmaceuticals

In vitro prediction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioavailability of 14 different incidentally ingested soils in juvenile swine

Predicting mammalian bioavailability of PAH mixtures from in vitro bioaccessibility results has proven to be an elusive goal. In an attempt to improve in vitro predictions of PAH soil bioavailability we investigated how energetic input influences PAH bioaccessibility by using a high and low energetic shaking method. Co-inertia analysis (COIA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were also used to examine PAH-PAH interactions during ingestion. PAH bioaccessibility was determined from 14 historically contaminated soils using the fed organic estimation of the human simulation test (FOREhST) with inclusion of a silicone rod as a sorption sink and compared to bioavailability estimates from the juvenile swine model. Shaking method significantly affected PAH bioaccessibility in the FOREhST model, with PAH desorption from the high energy FOREhST almost an order of magnitude greater compared to the low energy FOREhST. PAH-PAH interactions significantly influenced PAH bioavailability and when these interactions were used in a linear model, the model predicted benzo(a)anthracene bioavailability with an slope of 1 and r2 of 0.66 and for benzo(a)pyrene bioavailability has a slope of 1 and r2 of 0.65. Lastly, to confirm the effects as determined by COIA and SEM, we spiked low levels of benzo(a)anthracene into historically contaminated soils, and observed a significant increase in benzo(a)pyrene bioaccessibility. By accounting for PAH interactions, and reducing the energetics of in vitro extractions, we were able to use bioaccessibility to predict bioavailability across 14 historically contaminated soils. Our work suggests that future work on PAH bioavailability and bioaccessibility should focus on the dynamics of how the matrix of PAHs present in the soil interact with mammalian systems. Such interactions should not only include the chemical interactions discussed here but also the interactions of PAH mixtures with mammalian uptake systems