Camera-Based Distance Sensor

While working on a robotics project at the electrical contracting company for which we work, we discovered a gap in the electronic distance sensor market in terms of range, accuracy, precision, and cost. We designed and constructed a prototype for an electronic distance sensing component which utilizes a camera, laser, and image processor to measure distances. The laser is pointed at a surface and an image of the laser dot is captured. An image processing algorithm determines the pixel position of the dot in the image, and this position is compared to a lookup table of known values to determine the distance to the dot. In measuring our prototype’s performance, we found that it was capable of measuring distances up to 5 meters with greater than 90% accuracy. We also discuss some possible ways to improve the viability of the technology, including ways to improve the refresh rate as well as the reliability

Handle with care: the significance of caring in academic advising

textThis qualitative study explores the nature of caring and its significance in college and university academic advising. Although care has often been mentioned in academic advising literature as a key component in the process, no effort has been made to define what is meant by “caring” or to describe what caring looks like or what it entails. The focus of this inquiry was to examine caring as expressed in the practices of professional advisors in their relationships with the undergraduate students they advise. Guided by Nel Noddings’s (1984) exploration of the ethic of care and its implications in the caring encounter, the work of ten professional academic advisors was examined to provide a rich description of the characteristics of caring advising. Constructivist-based research methodology utilized for this study included purposeful sampling, videotaped participant observation, and advisor and student interviews. Multiple data sources and collection methods established trustworthiness and ensured the rigor of the study. Constant comparative analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) was used to identify patterns, code data, and categorize findings. Respondents’ voices are expressed through rich, descriptive vignettes to reveal the qualities and characteristics that define the important role caring plays in academic advising. The findings indicated that caring is enacted in the meaningful relationships professional advisors build and sustain with students. Findings also revealed that caring advisors practice maternalism and mentorship in their work with students and also balance power in these significant relationships. Caring advising is characterized by an advisor’s preparation for the encounter, and his or her commitment to trust, sincerity, accuracy, and knowledge. Caring cannot be achieved by formula and is, at times, inconsistently present in advising practice. The conclusions indicate that the caring relationship between an advisor and his or her students greatly enhances students’ educational experiences. This study will make a significant contribution to the academic advising profession as well as scholarship in the field. By studying experienced caring advisors, the existing theory of the ethic of care is enhanced to offer a better understanding of the impact caring has in advising practices.Educational Administratio

VISUAL DETECTION OF RESPONSE TIME IN ATHLETICS: A “GOLD STANDARD”?

The response time (RT) in the sprint start in athletics is determined automatically from sensors on the blocks but the final decision on whether an athlete is disqualified is determined by visual inspection of the sensor data. This study explored the level of uncertainty of the visual detection of athletes’ RT in the sprint start. Fifteen sprinters performed six sprint starts while forces from the front block, rear block and hands were recorded. Two experimenters performed visual RT detection on two consecutive occasions using two sizes for the analysis window. Intra- and inter-reliability analysis indicated that the mean level of uncertainty of the visual detection was approximately 20 ms for the starting block data. More research is needed to formally assess the precision of the visual detection, which may result in changes in the current false start regulation

ECONOMICALLY OPTIMAL WILDFIRE INTERVENTION REGIMES

Wildfires in the United States result in total damages and costs that are likely to exceed billions of dollars annually. Land managers and policy makers propose higher rates of prescribed burning and other kinds of vegetation management to reduce amounts of wildfire and the risks of catastrophic losses. A wildfire public welfare maximization function, using a wildfire production function estimated using a time series model of a panel of Florida counties, is employed to simulate the publicly optimal level of prescribed burning in an example county in Florida (Volusia). Evaluation of the production function reveals that prescribed fire is not associated with reduced catastrophic wildfire risks in Volusia County Florida, indicating a short-run elasticity of -0.16 and a long-run elasticity of wildfire with respect to prescribed fire of -0.07. Stochastic dominance is used to evaluate the optimal amount of prescribed fire most likely to maximize a measure of public welfare. Results of that analysis reveal that the optimal amount of annual prescribed fire is about 3 percent (9,000 acres/year) of the total forest area, which is very close to the actual average amount of prescribed burning (12,700 acres/year) between 1994-99.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Subsurface Biogeochemical Heterogeneity (Field-scale removal of U(VI) from groundwater in an alluvial aquifer by electron donor amendment)

Determine if biostimulation of alluvial aquifers by electron donor amendment can effectively remove U(VI) from groundwater at the field scale. Uranium contamination in groundwater is a significant problem at several DOE sites. In this project, the possibility of accelerating bioreduction of U(VI) to U(IV) as a means of decreasing U(VI) concentrations in groundwater is directly addressed by conducting a series of field-scale experiments. Scientific goals include demonstrating the quantitative linkage between microbial activity and U loss from groundwater and relating the dominant terminal electron accepting processes to the rate of U loss. The project is currently focused on understanding the mechanisms for unexpected long-term ({approx}2 years) removal of U after stopping electron donor amendment. Results obtained in the project successfully position DOE and others to apply biostimulation broadly to U contamination in alluvial aquifers

Publisher Correction: The genome of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, reveals potential mechanisms underlying reproduction, host interactions, and novel targets for pest control (BMC Biology, (2021), 19, 1, (41), 10.1186/s12915-021-00975-9)

Following publication of the original article [1], it was reported that the article copyright was incorrect. The correct copyright statement is: © This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply 2021. The original article [1] has been corrected

Chronic Activation of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Type 2 Receptors Reveals a Key Role for 5-HT1A Receptor Responsiveness in Mediating Behavioral and Serotonergic Responses to Stressful Challenge

BackgroundThe corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptor (CRFR2) is suggested to play an important role in aiding recovery from acute stress, but any chronic effects of CRFR2 activation are unknown. CRFR2 in the midbrain raphé nuclei modulate serotonergic activity of this key source of serotonin (5-HT) forebrain innervation.MethodsTransgenic mice overexpressing the highly specific CRFR2 ligand urocortin 3 (UCN3OE) were analyzed for stress-related behaviors and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses. Responses to 5-HT receptor agonist challenge were assessed by local cerebral glucose utilization, while 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content were quantified in limbic brain regions.ResultsMice overexpressing urocortin 3 exhibited increased stress-related behaviors under basal conditions and impaired retention of spatial memory compared with control mice. Following acute stress, unlike control mice, they exhibited no further increase in these stress-related behaviors and showed an attenuated adrenocorticotropic hormone response. 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content of limbic nuclei were differentially regulated by stress in UCN3OE mice as compared with control mice. Responses to 5-HT type 1A receptor challenge were significantly and specifically reduced in UCN3OE mice. The distribution pattern of local cerebral glucose utilization and 5-HT type 1A receptor messenger RNA expression levels suggested this effect was mediated in the raphé nuclei.ConclusionsChronic activation of CRFR2 promotes an anxiety-like state, yet with attenuated behavioral and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress. This is reminiscent of stress-related atypical psychiatric syndromes such as posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain states. This new understanding indicates CRFR2 antagonism as a potential novel therapeutic target for such disorders

American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research

McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies