On the Geometry of the Moduli Space of Real Binary Octics

The moduli space of smooth real binary octics has five connected components. They parametrize the real binary octics whose defining equations have 0, 1, ..., 4 complex-conjugate pairs of roots respectively. We show that the GIT-stable completion of each of these five components admits the structure of an arithmetic real hyperbolic orbifold. The corresponding monodromy groups are, up to commensurability, discrete hyperbolic reflection groups, and their Vinberg diagrams are computed. We conclude with a simple proof that the moduli space of GIT-stable real binary octics itself cannot be a real hyperbolic orbifold.Comment: 23 page

Common diseases of conifers in Oklahoma

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Performance management in context: formative cross-functional performance monitoring for improvement and the mediating role of relational coordination in hospitals

Recent research suggests that to fully realise its potential, performance management should be bespoke to the social context in which it operates. Here we analyse factors supporting the use of performance data for improvement. The study purposively examines a developmentally oriented performance management system with cross-functional goals. We suggest that these system characteristics are significant in interdependent work contexts, such as healthcare. We propose and test that (a) relational coordination helps employees work effectively to resolve issues identified through formative and cross-functional performance monitoring and (b) that this contributes to better outcomes for both employees and patients. Based on survey data from management and care providers across Irish acute hospitals, the study found that perceptions of relational coordination mediated the link between formative cross-functional performance monitoring and employee outcomes and partially mediated the link between formative cross-functional performance monitoring and patient care respectively. Our findings signal potential for a more contextually driven and interdependent approach to the alignment of management and human resource management practices. While relational coordination is important in healthcare, we also note potential to identify other social drivers supporting productive responses to performance monitoring in different contexts

Adolescent brain cognitive development (ABCD) study: Overview of substance use assessment methods.

One of the objectives of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (https://abcdstudy.org/) is to establish a national longitudinal cohort of 9 and 10 year olds that will be followed for 10 years in order to prospectively study the risk and protective factors influencing substance use and its consequences, examine the impact of substance use on neurocognitive, health and psychosocial outcomes, and to understand the relationship between substance use and psychopathology. This article provides an overview of the ABCD Study Substance Use Workgroup, provides the goals for the workgroup, rationale for the substance use battery, and includes details on the substance use module methods and measurement tools used during baseline, 6-month and 1-year follow-up assessment time-points. Prospective, longitudinal assessment of these substance use domains over a period of ten years in a nationwide sample of youth presents an unprecedented opportunity to further understand the timing and interactive relationships between substance use and neurocognitive, health, and psychopathology outcomes in youth living in the United States

Early corn stand count of different cropping systems using UAV-imagery and deep learning

Optimum plant stand density and uniformity is vital in order to maximize corn (Zea mays L.) yield potential. Assessment of stand density can occur shortly after seedlings begin to emerge, allowing for timely replant decisions. The conventional methods for evaluating an early plant stand rely on manual measurement and visual observation, which are time consuming, subjective because of the small sampling areas used, and unable to capture field-scale spatial variability. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based imaging system for estimating early corn stand count in three cropping systems (CS) with different tillage and crop rotation practices. A UAV equipped with an on-board RGB camera was used to collect imagery of corn seedlings (~14 days after planting) of CS, i.e., minimum-till corn-soybean rotation (MTCS), no-till corn-soybean rotation (NTCS), and no-till corn-corn rotation with cover crop implementation (NTCC). An image processing workflow based on a deep learning (DL) model, U-Net, was developed for plant segmentation and stand count estimation. Results showed that the DL model performed best in segmenting seedlings in MTCS, followed by NTCS and NTCC. Similarly, accuracy for stand count estimation was highest in MTCS (R2 = 0.95), followed by NTCS (0.94) and NTCC (0.92). Differences by CS were related to amount and distribution of soil surface residue cover, with increasing residue generally reducing the performance of the proposed method in stand count estimation. Thus, the feasibility of using UAV imagery and DL modeling for estimating early corn stand count is qualified influenced by soil and crop management practices

Phonologic Rehabilitation of Anomia in Aphasia

The single most common feature of aphasia is impairment in ability to name, whether it involves naming seen objects, or producing nouns, verbs and other words conveying meaning in spontaneous language. The traditional treatment approach to this problem is to explicitly train aphasic patients in naming. Controlled studies have shown that this approach may be quite effective. However, typically generalization is very limited, that is, the knowledge gained by the patient tends to be limited to the words actually trained, and there is at best very modest improvement in performance with untrained words (limited mainly to those that are semantically related to the trained words). Because generalization is can be limited with this approach, there currently exists no viable means of training patients on the full corpus of words (perhaps several thousand) they are likely to need in daily life. Two approaches might be taken to solving this problem: 1) develop cost effective means for providing training on several thousand words; and 2) develop alternative training methods, e.g., phonological therapy, that potentially could intrinsically generalize widely. The focus of this proposal is the second of these two approaches. Thus, the primary purpose of this Phase II clinical rehabilitation study was to examine the effect of a phonologic based treatment on confrontation naming by individuals with anomic aphasia. We used a single-subject ABA design replicated across ten participants. The primary research question asked if phonologic treatment would improve confrontation naming. Secondary research questions addressed the impact of treatment on 1) generalization to untrained behaviors such as discourse production; 2) retention effects at 3-months; 3) phonologic production and 4) nonword repetition (potential evidence of phoneme sequence knowledge acquisition)