Statistical Analysis in Art Conservation Research

Evaluates all components of data analysis and shows that statistical methods in conservation are vastly underutilized. Also offers specific examples of possible improvements

A knowledge based software engineering environment testbed

The Carnegie Group Incorporated and Boeing Computer Services Company are developing a testbed which will provide a framework for integrating conventional software engineering tools with Artifical Intelligence (AI) tools to promote automation and productivity. The emphasis is on the transfer of AI technology to the software development process. Experiments relate to AI issues such as scaling up, inference, and knowledge representation. In its first year, the project has created a model of software development by representing software activities; developed a module representation formalism to specify the behavior and structure of software objects; integrated the model with the formalism to identify shared representation and inheritance mechanisms; demonstrated object programming by writing procedures and applying them to software objects; used data-directed and goal-directed reasoning to, respectively, infer the cause of bugs and evaluate the appropriateness of a configuration; and demonstrated knowledge-based graphics. Future plans include introduction of knowledge-based systems for rapid prototyping or rescheduling; natural language interfaces; blackboard architecture; and distributed processin

The Effects of Core Affect, Emotion, and Self-Efficacy on Physiologic Response to Social Stressors

Cardiovascular health is affected by many factors including biological aspects such as heredity and overall health, as well as by environmental factors. Social stress, socioeconomic status, family environment, and coping skills have all been shown to contribute increased risk for cardiovascular disease. In an effort to further elucidate past findings in this area, this study, conducted on 36 college-age students, examined the connection between physiological response (blood pressure, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure) to laboratory social stressors in correspondence to emotional, affective, and arousal levels, as measured by self-report. The results yielded a significant relationship between physiologic response to social stimuli and response measured by other factors, including emotion, affect, and arousal, during recovery baselines. This study implicates the great importance of possession of social coping skills among youth, to promote good health later in life

Cyclosporine treatment of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome: a case report and brief review of the literature

Systemic corticosteroids are often considered the treatment of choice in the management of severe drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS), also known as drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. However, in instances when systemic steroids are contraindicated, when there is an inadequate response to steroids, or when a prolonged course of steroids is not ideal, alternate therapies may be considered. Cyclosporine has been reported as a successful alternative immunosuppressive therapy; however, only a few cases have been reported in the literature. This observational case report presents an instance where cyclosporine was successfully used to treat DRESS syndrome in a patient where systemic steroids were ineffective

Fingermark initial composition and aging using Fourier transform infrared microscopy (μ-FTIR)

This study investigated fingermark residues using Fourier transform infrared microscopy (μ- FTIR) in order to obtain fundamental information about the marks' initial composition and aging kinetics. This knowledge would be an asset for fundamental research on fingermarks, such as for dating purposes. Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) and single-point reflection modes were tested on fresh fingermarks. ATR proved to be better suited and this mode was subsequently selected for further aging studies. Eccrine and sebaceous material was found in fresh and aged fingermarks and the spectral regions 1000-1850 cm-1 and 2700-3600 cm-1 were identified as the most informative. The impact of substrates (aluminium and glass slides) and storage conditions (storage in the light and in the dark) on fingermark aging was also studied. Chemometric analyses showed that fingermarks could be grouped according to their age regardless of the substrate when they were stored in an open box kept in an air-conditioned laboratory at around 20°C next to a window. On the contrary, when fingermarks were stored in the dark, only specimens deposited on the same substrate could be grouped by age. Thus, the substrate appeared to influence aging of fingermarks in the dark. Furthermore, PLS regression analyses were conducted in order to study the possibility of modelling fingermark aging for potential fingermark dating applications. The resulting models showed an overall precision of ±3 days and clearly demonstrated their capability to differentiate older fingermarks (20 and 34-days old) from newer ones (1, 3, 7 and 9-days old) regardless of the substrate and lighting conditions. These results are promising from a fingermark dating perspective. Further research is required to fully validate such models and assess their robustness and limitations in uncontrolled casework conditions

“It doesn\u27t need to be equitable”: Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Gender Equity

Despite federal legislation (e.g., Title IX), gender equity has yet to be achieved, specifically within sport spaces. Although nearly half (47%) of NCAA (2022) Division I athletes are women, men are viewed as superior athletes and often given more opportunities and resources than their female counterparts (Coakley, 2016). Therefore, we investigated NCAA Division I college athletes’ perceptions of gender equity. Using convenience sampling, 4 female and 4 male college athletes participated in semi-structured interviews. The data from the interviews divulged 3 themes: (not) discriminating, opportunity and fairness, and lack of exposure. In their own words, the participants revealed that despite efforts to enhance opportunities for women through collegiate sport participation, women are still at a disadvantage in collegiate sports. Specifically, women were seen being disadvantaged in the areas of media coverage, amenities, and equipment. All of the participants also described that football received exorbitant resources in comparison to all other sports. In fact, all non-football athletes felt inferior to football, with some participants even using football to justify inequitable conditions. The results of this study can assist athletic departments in better serving all athletes through equitable means, ensuring this population feels valued

Testing the predictive validity of the healthy eating index-2015 in the multiethnic cohort: Is the score associated with a reduced risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality?

The Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) was created to assess conformance of dietary intake with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) 2015–2020. We assessed the association between the HEI-2015 and mortality from all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC). White, African American, Native Hawaiian, Japanese American, and Latino adults (n > 215,000) from Hawaii and California completed a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire at study enrollment. HEI-2015 scores were divided into quintiles for men and women. Radar graphs were used to demonstrate how dietary components contributed to HEI-2015 scores. Mortality was documented over 17–22 years of follow-up. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using Cox proportional hazards models. High HEI-2015 scores were inversely associated with risk of mortality from all-cause, CVD, and cancer for men and women (p-trend <0.0001 for all models). For men, the HRs (CIs) for all-cause, CVD, and cancer comparing the highest to the lowest quintile were 0.79 (0.76, 0.82), 0.76 (0.71, 0.82), and 0.80 (0.75, 0.87), respectively. For women, the HRs were 0.79 (0.76, 0.82), 0.75 (0.70, 0.81), and 0.84 (0.78, 0.91), respectively. These results, in a multiethnic population, demonstrate that following a diet aligned with the DGAs 2015–2020 recommendations is associated with lower risk of mortality from all-cause, CVD, and cancer

Assessment of Geological Storage Capacity of the Southeastern U.S. for CO2 in Brines and Economic Use for EOR

Bureau of Economic Geolog

Groundwater depletion and sustainability of irrigation in the US High Plains and Central Valley

Aquifer overexploitation could significantly impact crop production in the United States because 60% of irrigation relies on groundwater. Groundwater depletion in the irrigated High Plains and California Central Valley accounts for ∼50% of groundwater depletion in the United States since 1900. A newly developed High Plains recharge map shows that high recharge in the northern High Plains results in sustainable pumpage, whereas lower recharge in the central and southern High Plains has resulted in focused depletion of 330 km3 of fossil groundwater, mostly recharged during the past 13,000 y. Depletion is highly localized with about a third of depletion occurring in 4% of the High Plains land area. Extrapolation of the current depletion rate suggests that 35% of the southern High Plains will be unable to support irrigation within the next 30 y. Reducing irrigation withdrawals could extend the lifespan of the aquifer but would not result in sustainable management of this fossil groundwater. The Central Valley is a more dynamic, engineered system, with north/south diversions of surface water since the 1950s contributing to ∼7× higher recharge. However, these diversions are regulated because of impacts on endangered species. A newly developed Central Valley Hydrologic Model shows that groundwater depletion since the 1960s, totaling 80 km3, occurs mostly in the south (Tulare Basin) and primarily during droughts. Increasing water storage through artificial recharge of excess surface water in aquifers by up to 3 km3 shows promise for coping with droughts and improving sustainability of groundwater resources in the Central Valley