Visioning the Allen Creek Greenway: Designing a Path, Creating a Place

This report describes background, analysis, layout and design for the Allen Creek Greenway in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The authors define the greenway land use form as a linear park which fits within a large network of regional green infrastructure; examine the history of greenways and their strong public appeal; and describe the significant ecological, social, and economic benefits which the Allen Creek Greenway could bring to Ann Arbor. The report describes the preliminary layout and design for the Allen Creek Greenway along the Ann Arbor Railroad as well as conceptual open space designs for three city-owned parcels that occur along its length: the parcels at First St. and William St., 415 W. Washington St., and 721 N. Main St. GIS software was used to analyze existing site conditions so that the designs take into account the full complexity of the context including current land use, topography, and water movement. The proposed route is almost entirely within the Ann Arbor Railroad ROW, running from just south of the University of Michigan stadium to the Huron River, where it will connect to Washtenaw County’s Border to Border trail, giving residents better access to regional greenspace. The greenway approximately follows the historic path of Allen Creek; the creek is now buried in a pipe. Because of this, most of the greenway is within the floodplain and a significant portion is within the floodway of the creek. There are federal restrictions on development within this designated flood area and thus the greenway is ideal because it is one of the few permitted uses. Because of the complexity of the greenway project, this report details a phased implementation plan, beginning with the creation of designated on-street routes. The Allen Creek Greenway, mentioned by name increasingly in city plans, has the capacity to serve as an anchor and a green amenity to the downtown core and provide a catalyst for economic and sustainable development in the surrounding area along its entire length.Master of Landscape ArchitectureNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90880/1/AllenCreekGreenwayPracticumFinalReport.pd

Comparing Subsurface Trespass Jurisprudence—Geophysical Surveying and Hydraulic Fracturing

This article examines the basics of two types of subsurface activity— geophysical prospecting (and the myriad of different surveys that comprise same) and hydraulic fracturing (or “fracing” sometimes herein)—describing the purpose of both, comparing the physical science background, field activities necessary, and data gathered in both, and analysis of the motivations of the parties conducting the activities. The article also contains an examination of selected germane subsurface trespass jurisprudence from New Mexico, Texas, and beyond. The article ends with thoughts and about what ought to be the state of subsurface trespass jurisprudence related to geophysical surveying and fracing and whether any uniformity exists between the two that could be applied to other activities. Ultimately, this article concludes that regulated fracing, which is currently less controllable than similar subsurface activities such as seismic reflection surveys, should not be liable for common law trespass claims in order to strengthen domestic energy security, prevent waste, and promote responsible self-development by mineral owners

Dreamer Technologies\u27 Home Automation System

The home automation market has been growing rapidly over the course of the last few years, and it is expected to grow by 143% between 2015 and 2022.1 In the next few years, the connected home automation system will come to fruition and there will be home automation systems for sale that allows users to control any home device seamlessly from an easy to use interface. While there are many home automation companies already in the market, none of them have truly captured the idea of the connected smart home. All of the systems are lacking in some area, whether it be dependence on internet connectivity, or slow response time. And to this date there is no consumer-friendly system that is regarded as the standard for home automation. This market is growing quickly and we hope to use our knowledge of computer systems and computer programing to change and advance the home automation market

Habitual Instinct

Habitual Instinct challenges the predefined expectations participants hold with their relationship to technology and data by exposing anthropomorphic projections onto autonomous systems. The role Habitual Instinct has with its participants is to instigate continual reflection after participants leave the installation and interact with technology in their day-to-day activities. By creating a speculative scenario that is counter-intuitive to everyday experiences with interactive technology, the installation helps participants identify themes and behaviours that have become habitual by acknowledging the effect surrounding their experience and potential feelings. Recurring themes that materialize during interaction with the artwork include: challenging the status quo on how technology acknowledges and responds to interactions; autonomous systems and “alien agency”; digital data collection; connection between the self and digital representation through data visualizations; and data transparency and user privacy. These themes promote an open discussion surrounding their relationship with the power structure between society and corporate or governmental interest

Binary black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds

We investigate the formation of intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) through hierarchical mergers of stellar origin black holes (BHs), as well as BH mergers formed dynamically in nuclear star clusters. Using a semi-analytical approach which incorporates probabilistic mass-function-dependent double BH (DBH) pairing, binary-single encounters, and a mass-ratio-dependent prescription for energy dissipation in hardening binaries, we find that IMBHs with masses of $\mathcal{O}(10^2)$~--~$\mathcal{O}(10^4)\,\rm M_\odot$ can be formed solely through hierarchical mergers in timescales of a few $100$\,Myrs to a few\,Gyrs. Clusters with escape velocities $\gtrsim400$\,km\,s$^{-1}$ inevitably form high-mass IMBHs. The spin distribution of IMBHs with masses $\gtrsim 10^3M_\odot$ is strongly clustered at $\chi\sim 0.15$; while for lower masses, it at $\chi\sim 0.7$. Eccentric mergers are more frequent for equal-mass binaries containing first- and/or second-generation BHs. Metal-rich, young, dense clusters can produce up to $20\%$ of their DBH mergers with eccentricity $\geq0.1$ at $10\,\rm Hz$, and $\sim2$~--~$9\%$ of all in-cluster mergers can form at $>10$\,Hz. Nuclear star clusters are therefore promising environments for the formation of highly-eccentric DBH mergers, detectable with current gravitational-wave detectors. Clusters of extreme mass ($\sim10^8$\,M$_\odot$) and density ($\sim10^8$\,M$_\odot$pc$^{-3}$) can have about half of all of their DBH mergers with primary masses $\geq100$\,M$_\odot$. The fraction of in-cluster mergers increases rapidly with increasing cluster escape velocity, being nearly unity for $v_{\rm esc}\gtrsim 200$\,km\,s$^{-1}$. Cosmological merger rate of DBHs from nuclear clusters varies $\approx0.01-1$\,Gpc$^{-3}$yr$^{-1}$.Comment: submitted to MNRA

A critical literature review of the effectiveness of various instruments in the diagnosis of dementia in adults with intellectual disabilities

AbstractIntroductionCurrently, there is no consensus on dementia diagnostics in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). There are three types of assessments available: direct cognitive tests, test batteries, and informant reports.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in four databases yielding 9840 records. Relevant studies were identified and selected using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and then coded and classified according to assessment type. This was completed by two independent researchers, with a third consulted when discrepancies arose. The review collates diagnostic instruments and presents strengths and weaknesses.ResultsOverall 47 studies met the search criteria, and 43 instruments were extracted from the selected studies. Of which, 10 instruments were classified as test batteries, 23 were classified as direct cognitive tests, and the remaining 10 were informant reports.DiscussionThis review can recommend that cognitive test batteries can offer the most practical and efficient method for dementia diagnosis in individuals with ID

Effect of Imagined Support on Perceptions of Stress

Social support is known to help buffer the effects of stress (Uchino et al., 1996). However, in many situations social support is unavailable, and imagining social support may help to reduce the impact of stress. Although imagined physical touch has been shown to be an effective stress buffer, little research has compared it to other types of imagined support (Feldman et al., 2010). Additionally, women tend to seek emotional support, whereas men tend to seek tangible support, but it is unknown if imagining those types of support will reduce stress (Reevy & Maslach, 2001). To gain greater insight into these processes, the purpose of this project was to identify whether imagining supportive touch, emotional social support, or giving emotional support is best at moderating stress during an impromptu speech task that was conducted over zoom. Participants completed initial measures of perceived stress, personality, and social support. Next, they indicated their stress levels after the manipulated social support condition and the stress task. Initial results showed that changes in perceived stress did not significantly vary by support condition. However, the control condition had the highest increase in stress during the speech task. Future research is needed to determine whether imagining social support can be effective in helping people cope with stressful situations

Sustainability of Glyphosate-based Weed Management: The Benchmark Study

One key to improved global crop production efficiency is the effective management of weeds, which are ranked as the number one crop pest by a majority of farmers1. This is no great surprise, as weeds are constantly evolving within the man-caused agroecosystems by adapting to high selection pressures imposed by crop production practices and, importantly, developing resistance to herbicides. Genetically engineered (GE) herbicide resistant (HR) crops facilitate better weed management and thus improved yields and more efficient use of resources, while minimizing risks to the environment (e.g., soil erosion). Since the commercial introduction of glyphosate resistant (GR) crops in 1996, this technology has likely been the most rapidly-accepted agronomic production practice in the history of agriculture. Farmers in the United States plant an estimated 50% of the GE GR crops grown globally, and in 2009 the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that 85% of corn, 88% of upland cotton, and 91% of soybean hectares were planted to GE GR varieties. The rapid adoption of GE GR crops occurred because glyphosate controls most economically important weeds and simplifies weed management. The consistent and high level of weed control provided by glyphosate facilitated the widespread adoption of no-tillage systems that conserve soil and energy resources as well as improve time management efficiencies for farmers. However, the wide-spread adoption of GE GR crops, resulting in the grower decision to simplify weed management to the applications of glyphosate, imposed considerable selection pressure on weed communities. This pressure predictably resulted in weed population shifts, including the inevitable evolution of weeds with resistance to glyphosate2

The experiences of medical students with dyslexia: an interpretive phenomenological study

This article explores the experiences of UK medical students with dyslexia, using an interpretive phenomenological approach. This project began with a review of the literature, highlighting a void of qualitative research. We then conducted a collaborative autoethnography. This paper forms the next stage in this series of research. We aimed to to elicit meaning and understanding from the lived experiences of our participants. Eight UK junior doctors with dyslexia were interviewed over the telephone in an in-depth, unstructured manner. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed with the aid of a template analysis. Experiences of helplessness and hopelessness were common. These may be a result of a fear of stigmatization, and personal feelings of inadequacy. They may also be fuelled by the incidents of bullying and belittling from other medical students that were reported. An important meta-theme was of fear and lack of understanding. A lack of pastoral support was also reported. Their experiences of medical school assessments are also reported. More may need to be done to educate teachers and clinical supervisors on dyslexia

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of of community diagnostic centres: a rapid review

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of community diagnostic centres as a potential solution to increasing capacity and reducing pressure on secondary care in the UK.Methods: A comprehensive search for relevant primary studies was conducted in a range of electronic sources in August 2022. Screening and critical appraisal were undertaken by two independent reviewers. There were no geographical restrictions or limits to year of publication. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse data and present findings.Results: Twenty primary studies evaluating twelve individual diagnostic centres were included. Most studies were specific to cancer diagnosis and evaluated diagnostic centres located within hospitals. The evidence of effectiveness appeared mixed. There is evidence to suggest diagnostic centres can reduce various waiting times and reduce pressure on secondary care. However, cost-effectiveness may depend on whether the diagnostic centre is running at full capacity. Most included studies used weak methodologies that may be inadequate to infer effectiveness.Conclusion: Further well-designed, quality research is needed to better understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community diagnostic centres