Distributed allocation of mobile sensing swarms in gyre flows

We address the synthesis of distributed control policies to enable a swarm of homogeneous mobile sensors to maintain a desired spatial distribution in a geophysical flow environment, or workspace. In this article, we assume the mobile sensors (or robots) have a "map" of the environment denoting the locations of the Lagrangian coherent structures or LCS boundaries. Based on this information, we design agent-level hybrid control policies that leverage the surrounding fluid dynamics and inherent environmental noise to enable the team to maintain a desired distribution in the workspace. We establish the stability properties of the ensemble dynamics of the distributed control policies. Since realistic quasi-geostrophic ocean models predict double-gyre flow solutions, we use a wind-driven multi-gyre flow model to verify the feasibility of the proposed distributed control strategy and compare the proposed control strategy with a baseline deterministic allocation strategy. Lastly, we validate the control strategy using actual flow data obtained by our coherent structure experimental testbed.Comment: 10 pages, 14 Figures, added reference

eBooks are a life saver vs. I\u27m not a fan of eBooks : Discerning Student Attitudes Towards Academic eBooks as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Librarians from four different institutions of higher learning partnered to create a survey to ascertain student attitudes towards eBook use in academic libraries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey results have revealed students experienced greater exposure to eBooks in their academic programs as a result of remote learning during the pandemic. Additional student responses will help librarians determine what kinds of investment should be made in eBook collections going forward, and what kinds of support can be provided to enhance academic eBooks experiences

COVID-19 Pandemic and Student Perceptions and use of eBooks Survey

This survey was created and administered in the spring of 2022 by the CARLI Counts eBook Team to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student perceptions and use of eBooks. This survey is a supplement to the ACRL 2023 Contributed Paper, eBooks are a life saver vs. I\u27m not a fan of eBooks : Discerning student attitudes towards academic eBooks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuse and adaptation of this survey are encouraged. This document is licensed under CC BY NC 4.

Poster Session: I know they are very popular, but they still have issues. Student eBook Preferences & COVID-19

COVID-19 impacted access to collections at all libraries, and the urgency of patron needs precluded the ability to ask our users about their opinions and preferences. In response to the pandemic, some libraries initiated an eBook-preferred model, some invested in e-textbooks, and others maintained the status quo for collection strategies. As part of CARLI Counts, four librarians at various institutions investigated the attitudes and preferences of students at their campuses by surveying them about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their experiences with eBooks. This poster will share the findings from the survey and describe its implications for different types of libraries. The poster findings will be offered in the different contexts of the participating institutions, and the researchers will share the survey instrument for others to implement at their campuses

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023

Report of Milner Library\u27s activities and initiatives related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in Fiscal Year 2023.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/mlp/1035/thumbnail.jp

Factors affecting glomerular filtration rate, as measured by iohexol disappearance, in men with or at risk for HIV infection

Objective: Formulae used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) underestimate higher GFRs and have not been well-studied in HIV-infected (HIV(+)) people; we evaluated the relationships of HIV infection and known or potential risk factors for kidney disease with directly measured GFR and the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design: Cross-sectional measurement of iohexol-based GFR (iGFR) in HIV(+) men (n = 455) receiving antiretroviral therapy, and HIV-uninfected (HIV(-)) men (n = 258) in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Methods: iGFR was calculated from disappearance of infused iohexol from plasma. Determinants of GFR and the presence of CKD were compared using iGFR and GFR estimated by the CKD-Epi equation (eGFR). Results: Median iGFR was higher among HIV(+) than HIV(-) men (109 vs. 106 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively, p = .046), and was 7 ml/min higher than median eGFR. Mean iGFR was lower in men who were older, had chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, or had a history of AIDS. Low iGFR (≤90 ml/min/1.73 m2) was associated with these factors and with black race. Other than age, factors associated with low iGFR were not observed with low eGFR. CKD was more common in HIV(+) than HIV(-) men; predictors of CKD were similar using iGFR and eGFR. Conclusions: iGFR was higher than eGFR in this population of HIV-infected and -uninfected men who have sex with men. Presence of CKD was predicted equally well by iGFR and eGFR, but associations of chronic HCV infection and history of clinically-defined AIDS with mildly decreased GFR were seen only with iGFR. © 2014 Margolick et al

Spirit, mind and body: the archaeology of monastic healing

Archaeology and material culture are used in this chapter to consider how monastic experience responded to illness, ageing and disability. The approach taken is influenced by the material study of religion, which interrogates how bodies and things engage to construct the sensory experience of religion, and by practice-based approaches in archaeology, which examine the active role of space and material culture in shaping religious agency and embodiment. The archaeology of monastic healing focuses on the full spectrum of healing technologies, from managing the body in order to prevent illness, through to the treatment of the sick and preparation of the corpse for burial

Effects of Impact and Target Parameters on the Results of a Kinetic Impactor: Predictions for the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft will impact into the asteroid Dimorphos on 2022 September 26 as a test of the kinetic impactor technique for planetary defense. The efficiency of the deflection following a kinetic impactor can be represented using the momentum enhancement factor, β, which is dependent on factors such as impact geometry and the specific target material properties. Currently, very little is known about Dimorphos and its material properties, which introduces uncertainty in the results of the deflection efficiency observables, including crater formation, ejecta distribution, and β. The DART Impact Modeling Working Group (IWG) is responsible for using impact simulations to better understand the results of the DART impact. Pre-impact simulation studies also provide considerable insight into how different properties and impact scenarios affect momentum enhancement following a kinetic impact. This insight provides a basis for predicting the effects of the DART impact and the first understanding of how to interpret results following the encounter. Following the DART impact, the knowledge gained from these studies will inform the initial simulations that will recreate the impact conditions, including providing estimates for potential material properties of Dimorphos and β resulting from DART’s impact. This paper summarizes, at a high level, what has been learned from the IWG simulations and experiments in preparation for the DART impact. While unknown, estimates for reasonable potential material properties of Dimorphos provide predictions for β of 1–5, depending on end-member cases in the strength regime

A truncated DNA-damage-signaling response is activated after DSB formation in the G1 phase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the DNA damage response (DDR) is activated by the spatio-temporal colocalization of Mec1-Ddc2 kinase and the 9-1-1 clamp. In the absence of direct means to monitor Mec1 kinase activation in vivo, activation of the checkpoint kinase Rad53 has been taken as a proxy for DDR activation. Here, we identify serine 378 of the Rad55 recombination protein as a direct target site of Mec1. Rad55-S378 phosphorylation leads to an electrophoretic mobility shift of the protein and acts as a sentinel for Mec1 activation in vivo. A single double-stranded break (DSB) in G1-arrested cells causes phosphorylation of Rad55-S378, indicating activation of Mec1 kinase. However, Rad53 kinase is not detectably activated under these conditions. This response required Mec1-Ddc2 and loading of the 9-1-1 clamp by Rad24-RFC, but not Rad9 or Mrc1. In addition to Rad55–S378, two additional direct Mec1 kinase targets are phosphorylated, the middle subunit of the ssDNA-binding protein RPA, RPA2 and histone H2A (H2AX). These data suggest the existence of a truncated signaling pathway in response to a single DSB in G1-arrested cells that activates Mec1 without eliciting a full DDR involving the entire signaling pathway including the effector kinases