Lattice-Theoretic Foundations of the Consumer's Problem.

This paper provides an introduction to and discussion of the application of lattice-theoretic methods to classic problems in consumer theory. General characterizations of income effects with two goods, and with an arbitrary number of goods, as well as examples of comparative statics over densities and consumer types are also presented.consumer's problem; income effects; lattice programming; super-extremal

In Construing Sufficient Cause of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 329b(5), the Requisites for Equitable Relief in a Garnishment Default Judgment Are (1) A Meritorious Defense, (2) Lack of Fault by Garnishee in Failing to Answer, (3) and Fraud or Wrongful Act of the Other Party in Preventing Garnishee from Defending the Action.

Abstract Forthcoming

A Reduced Complexity Cross-correlation Interference Mitigation Technique on a Real-time Software-defined Radio GPS L1 Receiver

The U.S. global position system (GPS) is one of the existing global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provides position and time information for users in civil, commercial and military backgrounds. Because of its reliance on many applications nowadays, it's crucial for GNSS receivers to have robustness to intentional or unintentional interference. Because most commercial GPS receivers are not flexible, software-defined radio emerged as a promising solution for fast prototyping and research on interference mitigation algorithms. This paper provides a proposed minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) interference mitigation technique which is enhanced for computational feasibility and implemented on a real-time capable GPS L1 SDR receiver. The GPS SDR receiver SW has been optimized for real-time operation on National Instruments' LabVIEW (LV) platform in conjunction with C/C++ dynamic link libraries (DLL) for improved efficiency. Performance results of said algorithm with real signals and injected interference are discussed. The proposed SDR receiver gains in terms of BER curves for several interferers are demonstrated

Evaluation of fixed sources of variation and estimation of genetic parameters for incidence of bovine respiratory disease in preweaned calves and feedlot cattle

The primary objective of this study was to estimate variance components and heritability of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) incidence in beef calves before weaning and during the finishing phase. The second objective was to investigate the impact of BRD incidence and treatment frequency on performance and carcass traits. Bovine respiratory disease is the biggest and most costly health challenge facing the cattle industry. The 2 populations used consisted of 1,519 preweaned calves and 3,277 head of feedlot cattle. The incidence rate of BRD in preweaned calves was 11.39%, and among treated cattle, 82.1% were treated once, 13.9% were treated twice, and 4.0% were treated 3 times or more. The incidence of BRD (P = 0.35) and the number of treatments (P = 0.77) had no significant effect on weaning BW. Heritability estimates of the entire preweaned population for BRD resistance and number of treatments were 0.11 ± 0.06 and 0.08 ± 0.05, respectively. The genetic correlation estimates for BRD incidence with weaning BW and birth BW were low (−0.02 ± 0.32 and 0.07 ± 0.27, respectively). The same estimate for the number of BRD treatments with weaning BW and birth BW was 0.25 ± 0.35 and 0.30 ± 0.27, respectively. The observed BRD incidence rate for feedlot cattle was observed at 9.43%. Incidence of BRD significantly (P \u3c 0.01) decreased overall and acclimation ADG by 0.06 ± 0.01 kg/d and 0.28 ± 0.03 kg/d, respectively. Carcass traits were also significantly (P \u3c 0.05) affected by BRD incidence; untreated cattle had a 9.1 ± 1.7-kg heavier HCW. Results were similar in the analysis of treatment frequency. The heritability estimate of BRD incidence and the number of treatments were 0.07 ± 0.04 and 0.02 ± 0.03, respectively. Estimates of genetic correlations of BRD incidence with production traits were −0.63 ± 0.22 for acclimation ADG, −0.04 ± 0.23 for on-test ADG, −0.31 ± 0.21 for overall ADG, −0.39 ± 0.21 for final BW, −0.22 ± 0.22 for HCW, −0.03 ± 0.22 for LM area, 0.24 ± 0.25 for fat, and −0.43 ± 0.20 for marbling score. Similar results for the number of treatments and production traits were −1.00 ± 0.68 for acclimation ADG, −0.04 ± 0.39 for on-test ADG, −0.47 ± 0.41 for overall ADG, −0.66 ± 0.40 for final BW, −0.58 ± 0.45 for HCW, −0.12 ± 0.38 for LM area, 0.42 ± 0.50 for fat, and −0.32 ± 0.37 for marbling score. Because of the high economic cost associated with BRD incidence, even these modest estimates for heritability of BRD resistance should be considered for incorporation into beef cattle breeding programs

Additively Manufactured Carbon Fiber- Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Mold Plates For Injection Molding Process

Polymer injection molding processes have been used to create high-volume parts quickly and efficiently. Injection molding uses mold plates that are traditionally made of very hard tool steels, such as P20 steel, which is extremely heavy and has very long lead times to build new molds. In this study, composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) was used to create mold plates using long-fiber carbon fiber and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). These mold plates were installed in an injection molding machine, and rectangular flat plates were produced using Lustran 348 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Tensile and flexural testing was performed on these parts as well as parts produced using traditional P20 steel mold plates with the same geometry to compare the performance of the different mold plates. The parts produced using the carbon fiber mold plates were within 5% of the tensile strength and 10% of the flexural strength of the traditionally manufactured parts. However, the parts produced using the carbon fiber mold plates required additional cooling time due to the lower conductivity of the carbon fiber composite compared to the P20 steel. This allows additively manufactured composite molds to be a good substitute for conventional molds in low-volume injection molding production

Pro-active Meeting Assistants: Attention Please!

This paper gives an overview of pro-active meeting assistants, what they are and when they can be useful. We explain how to develop such assistants with respect to requirement definitions and elaborate on a set of Wizard of Oz experiments, aiming to find out in which form a meeting assistant should operate to be accepted by participants and whether the meeting effectiveness and efficiency can be improved by an assistant at all. This paper gives an overview of pro-active meeting assistants, what they are and when they can be useful. We explain how to develop such assistants with respect to requirement definitions and elaborate on a set of Wizard of Oz experiments, aiming to find out in which form a meeting assistant should operate to be accepted by participants and whether the meeting effectiveness and efficiency can be improved by an assistant at all

Perceptions and Practices of Key Worker Stakeholder Groups in Hospital Animal- Assisted Intervention Programs on Occupational Benefits and Perceived Risks

Background: Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs, used widely for patient benefit, have increasingly been used for healthcare workers (HCW) to reduce occupational stress. However, there are barriers to these programs which limit their utilization, for both patients and HCW, specifically infectious disease concerns. The aim of the research project is to identify barriers and facilitators to AAI program use for healthcare worker benefit, and determine knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding infectious disease risk and control policies, in order to understand the contextual parameters of program implementation. Methods: We collected perceptions of key stakeholders involved with hospital AAI programs (HCW and AAI workers) through semi-structured in-depth interviews. We used framework analysis to guide thematic coding, completed independently by three researchers. Results: We interviewed 37 participants in this study. We divided our themes into two topic areas: program use for HCW and perceived infectious disease risk. Use for healthcare workers included perspectives on the benefits for HCW and program barriers and facilitators (specifically collaboration and leadership). Perceived risk included opinions on infection concerns with AAI, thoughts on control measures to reduce this risk, and responsibility for safety during these programs. Conclusions: While significant benefits were reported for HCW, they were limited by administrative barriers and hazard concerns. Facilitators to surmount these barriers are best implemented with collaboration across the hospital and appropriate leadership roles to direct safe program implementation. By addressing these barriers through targeted facilitators in the form of evidence-backed guidelines, AAI programs can be used to benefit both patients and HCW

Access to Autism Spectrum Disorder Services for Rural Appalachian Citizens

Background: Low-resource rural communities face significant challenges regarding availability and adequacy of evidence-based services. Purposes: With respect to accessing evidence-based services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this brief report summarizes needs of rural citizens in the South-Central Appalachian region, an area notable for persistent health disparities. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data during focus groups with 33 service providers and 15 caregivers of children with ASD in rural southwest Virginia. Results: Results supported the barriers of availability and affordability of ASD services in this region, especially relating to the need for more ASD-trained providers, better coordination and navigation of services, and addition of programs to assist with family financial and emotional stressors. Results also suggested cultural attitudes related to autonomy and trust towards outside professionals that may prevent families from engaging in treatment. Implications: Relevant policy recommendations are discussed related to provider incentives, insurance coverage, and telehealth. Integration of autism services into already existing systems and multicultural sensitivity of providers are also implicated