Do different psychological types look for different things in sermons? A research note

A sample of 76 Evangelical Anglican churchgoers completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales and rated the importance that they attribute to a sermon speaking to their imagination. The data demonstrated that sermons speaking to the imagination were rated more highly by intuitive types, feeling types, and perceiving types than by sensing types, thinking types, and judging types. Different psychological types look for different things in sermons

Check Valve Design

Check valves are a form of backflow prevention devices that are used in the utility services industry. Our group has been assigned the task of designing a check valve for Zurn Wilkins that has a smaller pressure drop while in use than the current Zurn 350XL model. A smaller pressure drop will allow for more efficient water systems and will benefit the end consumer by allowing them to size down in piping. Zurn Wilkins chose to do this project as a senior project to get outside opinions on how to accomplish the goal of improved performance. The purpose of this report is to outline our design process up to this point. This includes summarizing our background research, discussing our ideation and decision making processes, describing our final design with analysis justifying our choices, and explaining the results of the testing performed on our prototype

PentoRob: A Puzzle-Playing Robot for Dialogue Experiments

Hough J, Schlangen D. PentoRob: A Puzzle-Playing Robot for Dialogue Experiments. In: Hunter J, Simons M, Stone M, eds. Proceedings of JerSem: The 20th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue. New Brunswick, NJ; 2016: 114-115

Ανάπτυξη Web εφαρμογής για συσχέτιση γονιδίων

Frost, during reproductive developmental stages, especially post head emergence frost (PHEF), can result in catastrophic yield loss for wheat producers. Breeding for improved PHEF tolerance may allow greater yield to be achieved, by (i) reducing direct frost damage and (ii) facilitating earlier crop sowing to reduce the risk of late season drought and/or heat stress. This paper provides an economic feasibility analysis of breeding options for PHEF tolerant wheat varieties. It compares the economic benefit to growers with the cost of a wheat breeding program aimed at developing PHEF tolerant varieties. The APSIM wheat model, with a frost-impact and a phenology gene-based module, was employed to simulate direct and indirect yield benefits for various levels of improved frost tolerance. The economic model considers optimal profit, based on sowing date and nitrogen use, rather than achieving maximum yield. The total estimated fixed cost of breeding program was AUD 1293 million, including large scale seed production to meet seed demand, with AUD 1.2 million year(-1) to run breeding program after advanced development and large scale field experiments. The results reveal that PHEF tolerant varieties would lead to a significant increase in economic benefits through reduction in direct damage and an increase in yield through early sowing. The economic benefits to growers of up to AUD 4841 million could be realised from growing PHEF tolerant lines if useful genetic variation can be found. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the benefits are particularly sensitive to increases in fixed costs, seed replacement, discount rate, and to delays in variety release. However, the investment still remains viable for most tested scenarios. Based on comparative economic benefits, if breeders were able to develop PHEF tolerant varieties that could withstand cold temperatures -4 degrees C below the current damage threshold, there is very little further economic value of breeding total frost tolerant varieties

How COVID-19 has reshaped library services

ALIA Darling Downs is a regional professional community in its infancy. It exists to provide a platform for library practitioners in the regional Darling Downs area to network with other library professionals, stay up-to-date with library practices and attend professional development events. This group has members from a wide geographically dispersed area where the librarians are usually the only information professionals in their local communities. Our focus is to facilitate discussions and build our community. We aim to ensure the continuing involvement of Darling Downs library staff in matters pertaining to the profession. One of the biggest issues impacting the industry at the moment is COVID-19

Economic assessment of wheat breeding options for potential improved levels of post head-emergence frost tolerance

Frost, during reproductive developmental stages, especially post head emergence frost (PHEF), can result in catastrophic yield loss for wheat producers. Breeding for improved PHEF tolerance may allow greater yield to be achieved, by (i) reducing direct frost damage and (ii) facilitating earlier crop sowing to reduce the risk of late-season drought and/or heat stress. This paper provides an economic feasibility analysis of breeding options for PHEF tolerant wheat varieties. It compares the economic benefit to growers with the cost of a wheat breeding program aimed at developing PHEF tolerant varieties. The APSIM wheat model, with a frost-impact and a phenology gene-based module, was employed to simulate direct and indirect yield benefits for various levels of improved frost tolerance. The economic model considers optimal profit, based on sowing date and nitrogen use, rather than achieving maximum yield. The total estimated fixed cost of breeding program was AUD 1293 million, including large scale seed production to meet seed demand, with AUD 1.2 million year−1 to run breeding program after advanced development and large scale field experiments. The results reveal that PHEF tolerant varieties would lead to a significant increase in economic benefits through reduction in direct damage and an increase in yield through early sowing. The economic benefits to growers of up to AUD 4841 million could be realised from growing PHEF tolerant lines if useful genetic variation can be found. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the benefits are particularly sensitive to increases in fixed costs, seed replacement, discount rate, and to delays in variety release. However, the investment still remains viable for most tested scenarios. Based on comparative economic benefits, if breeders were able to develop PHEF tolerant varieties that could withstand cold temperatures −4 °C below the current damage threshold, there is very little further economic value of breeding total frost tolerant varieties

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Molecular excitation in the Interstellar Medium: recent advances in collisional, radiative and chemical processes

We review the different excitation processes in the interstellar mediumComment: Accepted in Chem. Re

Hearing Loss in Stranded Odontocete Dolphins and Whales

The causes of dolphin and whale stranding can often be difficult to determine. Because toothed whales rely on echolocation for orientation and feeding, hearing deficits could lead to stranding. We report on the results of auditory evoked potential measurements from eight species of odontocete cetaceans that were found stranded or severely entangled in fishing gear during the period 2004 through 2009. Approximately 57% of the bottlenose dolphins and 36% of the rough-toothed dolphins had significant hearing deficits with a reduction in sensitivity equivalent to severe (70–90 dB) or profound (>90 dB) hearing loss in humans. The only stranded short-finned pilot whale examined had profound hearing loss. No impairments were detected in seven Risso's dolphins from three different stranding events, two pygmy killer whales, one Atlantic spotted dolphin, one spinner dolphin, or a juvenile Gervais' beaked whale. Hearing impairment could play a significant role in some cetacean stranding events, and the hearing of all cetaceans in rehabilitation should be tested