COMPARISON OF TEXAS RAMBOUILLET SHEEP WITH MERINO F1 CROSSES AND THEIR WOOL AS IT UNDERGOES MANUFACTURING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES APPAREL INDUSTRY

Due to rising feed and labor costs, producers raising range sheep prefer less management-intensive operations. This study aimed to increase income from traditional Texas Rambouillet ewes by increasing wool production and improving wool quality without causing a reduction in lamb production and without incurring increased inputs in the form of labor or nutrition by crossbreeding Texas Rambouillet ewes with Australian Merino sires. Additionally, the wool produced by both the Rambouillet (R) offspring and the Merino x Rambouillet (MR) offspring underwent additional testing throughout production and manufacturing of garments suitable for active wear clothing. Fiber diameter was decreased and total wool production and staple length were increased by the MR offspring compared to the R control animals. The R offspring exhibited greater weaning weights. In the fabric and garment testing, the MR and R wool performed very similarly and both are highly suitable for use in garments within the active wear market

A pilot study of law ernforcement officer (LEO) anthropometry with applications to vehicle design for safety and accommodation

Law enforcement officers (LEO) are at relatively high risk of back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. The risk is exacerbated by the poor accommodation provided by their vehicles, which are usually modified civilian vehicles. LEO are also involved in vehicle crashes at a higher rate than most other occupations, yet officers report difficulty in wearing a safety belt due to interference with their body-borne equipment. To begin to address these issues, a pilot study was conducted to demonstrate the application of three-dimensional anthropometric techniques to quantifying the influence of body-borne gear on space claim and posture in vehicles. The results demonstrated that three exemplar vehicles accommodated the officers poorly due to interference between the seat or other vehicle features and the body-borne gear. Belt fit was also adversely affected, and vehicle modifications and additions, such as the now-common center-mounted laptop computer, create awkward postures for driving, in-vehicle work, and ingress and egress. A large-scale, population-based study aimed at developing seat and vehicle design guidelines using three-dimensional anthropometric techniques is needed.Anthrotech, Inc.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116202/1/103221.pdfDescription of 103221.pdf : Final repor

Road Vehicle Passenger Behaviors: A Video Study

Technical Report FinalPassenger car cabin videos obtained in a previous naturalistic driving study of part-time belt users were coded to characterize front-seat passenger attributes and behaviors. Among the 959 passenger trips, the median trip duration was 10 minutes; the 95th percentile was 52 minutes. Frames from the beginning, middle, and end of trips longer than 5 minutes in duration were extracted for coding, along with a middle frame from trips shorter than five minutes. Front-seat passenger characteristics, postures, and activities were coded in a total 2438 frames. In approximately 72% of frames coded, the passenger was male and 77% of the passengers were estimated to be less than 30 years of age. In 33% of frames, the passenger did not wear the seatbelt. The most common passenger activity was talking (57%); phone interactions were observed in 10% of frames. Passengers were most often looking out the windshield (57%), followed by facing the passenger window (17%), their lap (14%), or the driver (10%). The passenger’s torso was rotated away from a neutral posture in more than 25% of frames, including pitched forward (17%), rotated left (6%), or rotated right (4%). The seat back was recorded as reclined beyond normal in 13% of frames, but very reclined in only 1.3% of frames.Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Centerhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154028/1/Reed Passenger Behavior Pilot UMTRI-2019-20.pd

CubeX: A Compact X-ray Telescope Enables Both X-ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation

This paper describes the miniaturized X-ray telescope payload, CubeX, in the context of a lunar mission. The first part describes the payload in detail, the second part summarizes a small satellite mission concept that utilizes its compact form factor and performance. This instrument can be used for both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy and X-ray pulsar timing-based navigation (XNAV). It combines high angular resolution (\u3c 1 \u3earcminutes) Miniature Wolter-I X-ray optics (MiXO) with a common focal plane consisting of high spectral resolution (keV) CMOS X-ray sensors and a high timing resolution (\u3c 1 μsec) SDD X-ray sensor. This novel combination of the instruments enables both XRF measurements and XNAV operations without moving parts, in a small form factor (~1×1×6U

Naturalistic Passenger Behavior: Posture and Activities

Technical Report FinalVideo cameras were installed in the passenger cabins of 75 vehicles to monitor the postures and activities of front-seat passengers. Video frames from a total of 2733 trips were coded for 306 unique front-seat passengers. During these trips, a total of 13638 frames were coded; each frame represents about four minutes of travel time. The median trip duration was 12.2 minutes and 5% of trips were longer than 54 minutes. The distribution of trip durations was similar to that for the general population of US travelers. The front seat passenger was female in 72% of frames and most often judged to be between 17 and 30 years of age. The seat belt was worn 97% of the time, with visibly poor fit (belt on belly or lateral to the clavicle) in about 30% of frames. The most common passenger interaction was talking with the driver, while interactions with hand-held devices (typically phones) occurred in 26% of frames. Phone use was associated with a downward pitched head. The head was rotated left or right in 33% of frames, and the torso was rotated left or right about 10% of the time and pitched forward in almost 10% of frames. The front of the thighs was lifted off the seat due to the feet being shifted rearward about 40% of the time and the legs were crossed in about 5% of frames. Resting behavior was observed more frequently in longer-duration trips and when traveling at higher speeds, while phone use increased and talking with vehicle occupants decreased with increased sitting time. No seat position or seat back angle change was noted in 40 (53%) of vehicles. In the remaining 35 vehicles, seat back angle and seat position were observed to change only 16 and 61 times, respectively, so that the distributions of seat position and seat back angle on arrival were essentially unchanged during travel. The seat was positioned full-rear on the seat track about 23% of the time and rearward of the mid-track position in 81% of frames. The mean seat back angle was 25.4 degrees (standard deviation 6.4 degrees); seat back angle was greater than 30 degrees in 15% of frames and greater than 35 degrees in less than 1% of frames. Seat back angles greater than 30 degrees were more common on longer trips and associated with a greater likelihood of the head touching the seat, lower phone use, and slightly greater frequency of resting behavior. When a second-row passenger was present behind the front-seat passenger, the seat was 5 mm further forward and 1.4 degrees more upright, on average. This study is the first to report distributions of seat positions and seat back angles for front-seat passengers and the first to provide details of passenger posture and activities from a large sample of individuals. The findings have implications for the design of current vehicles and also provide insight into the likely postures and activities of the occupants of future driverless vehicles.Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Centerhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154855/1/UMTRI-2020-2.pdfDescription of UMTRI-2020-2.pdf : Technical Report Fina

Vehicle Occupant Nationality Study: Japanese

Few previous studies have compared postures for drivers of different nationalities. In the current study, 73 Japanese citizens who were licensed to drive in Japan participated in a laboratory study of driving posture, belt fit, and body shape using methods identical to those used in an earlier study of US drivers. The data from the two studies were pooled for analysis. As expected, the Japanese study population was shorter in stature and lower in body weight than the US study population. In general, the effects of nationality were small compared to the residual variance in the regressions. After accounting for body size, the Japanese study population placed their seats 13.5 mm further rearward than the US study population and were an average of 1.2 degrees more reclined. Importantly, no significant differences between study populations in the effects on posture of steering wheel position or seat height were found. The lap belt placement was much closer to the pelvis in the Japanese study population; most of this difference could be accounted for by lower body mass index. Statistical body shape models for standing and seated postures were developed using pooled data from 235 US and Japanese subjects. The results showed differences in body shape after accounting for stature, body weight, sitting height and age that were primarily concentrated in the torso. The results of the study are limited by the lack of Japanese individuals with high body mass and age greater than 60 years.Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Centerhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138006/1/UMTRI-2017-3.pd

Cubex: A Compact X-Ray Telescope Enables Both X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation

This paper describes the miniaturized X-ray telescope payload, CubeX, in the context of a lunar mission. The first part describes the payload in detail, the second part summarizes a small satellite mission concept that utilizes its compact form factor and performance. This instrument can be used for both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy and X-ray pulsar timing-based navigation (XNAV). It combines high angular resolution (<1 arcminutes) Miniature Wolter-I X-ray optics (MiXO) with a common focal plane consisting of high spectral resolution (<150 eV at 1 keV) CMOS X-ray sensors and a high timing resolution (< 1 Amp-microsecond) SDD X-ray sensor. This novel combination of the instruments enables both XRF measurements and XNAV operations without moving parts, in a small form factor (volume approximately 1 by 1 by 6 Units, and mass, < 6 kg). In this paper we illustrate one potential application for a lunar mission concept: The elemental composition of the Moon holds keys to understanding the origin and evolution of both the Moon and the Earth. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), induced either by solar X-ray flux or energetic ions, carries decisive signatures of surface elemental composition. In between XRF observations, CubeX also leverages the technology of high resolution X-ray imaging and time series measurements to conduct XNAV operations and evaluate their performance

The Exstrophy-epispadias complex

Exstrophy-epispadias complex (EEC) represents a spectrum of genitourinary malformations ranging in severity from epispadias (E) to classical bladder exstrophy (CEB) and exstrophy of the cloaca (EC). Depending on severity, EEC may involve the urinary system, musculoskeletal system, pelvis, pelvic floor, abdominal wall, genitalia, and sometimes the spine and anus. Prevalence at birth for the whole spectrum is reported at 1/10,000, ranging from 1/30,000 for CEB to 1/200,000 for EC, with an overall greater proportion of affected males. EEC is characterized by a visible defect of the lower abdominal wall, either with an evaginated bladder plate (CEB), or with an open urethral plate in males or a cleft in females (E). In CE, two exstrophied hemibladders, as well as omphalocele, an imperforate anus and spinal defects, can be seen after birth. EEC results from mechanical disruption or enlargement of the cloacal membrane; the timing of the rupture determines the severity of the malformation. The underlying cause remains unknown: both genetic and environmental factors are likely to play a role in the etiology of EEC. Diagnosis at birth is made on the basis of the clinical presentation but EEC may be detected prenatally by ultrasound from repeated non-visualization of a normally filled fetal bladder. Counseling should be provided to parents but, due to a favorable outcome, termination of the pregnancy is no longer recommended. Management is primarily surgical, with the main aims of obtaining secure abdominal wall closure, achieving urinary continence with preservation of renal function, and, finally, adequate cosmetic and functional genital reconstruction. Several methods for bladder reconstruction with creation of an outlet resistance during the newborn period are favored worldwide. Removal of the bladder template with complete urinary diversion to a rectal reservoir can be an alternative. After reconstructive surgery of the bladder, continence rates of about 80% are expected during childhood. Additional surgery might be needed to optimize bladder storage and emptying function. In cases of final reconstruction failure, urinary diversion should be undertaken. In puberty, genital and reproductive function are important issues. Psychosocial and psychosexual outcome depend on long-term multidisciplinary care to facilitate an adequate quality of life

Apparent selective advantage of leucism in a coastal population of Southern caracaras (Falconidae)

ABSTRACT Background: Southern caracaras are medium-sized raptors with a large range stretching to the southern tip of South America. An aberrant, leucistic plumage is found commonly along the coast of Chubut Province (Patagonia, Argentina). Leucistic birds do not produce dark melanin in their feathers. However, they are not albinos because their eyes are not red. No genetic studies of caracara plumages are known. Hypothesis: The high frequency of leucistic birds in Chubut Province arises because of natural selection. Methods: Map the distribution of leucistic individuals relative to normal individuals. Combine a variety of anecdotal natural history observations, collected over 20 years, into a logical inference. Observations: Leucistic caracaras were found only along a 250-km stretch of rocky oceanic islands and continental outcrops with large seabird colonies in Chubut Province. In the rest of their range, Southern caracaras have dark plumage. Where they do occur, leucistic birds are frequent and co-occur with dark-plumaged birds. Intermediate individuals, presumabl

Toll-like receptor 4 and high-mobility group box-1 are involved in ictogenesis and can be targeted to reduce seizures

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