On the existence of infinitely many closed geodesics on orbifolds of revolution

Using the theory of geodesics on surfaces of revolution, we introduce the period function. We use this as our main tool in showing that any two-dimensional orbifold of revolution homeomorphic to S^2 must contain an infinite number of geometrically distinct closed geodesics. Since any such orbifold of revolution can be regarded as a topological two-sphere with metric singularities, we will have extended Bangert's theorem on the existence of infinitely many closed geodesics on any smooth Riemannian two-sphere. In addition, we give an example of a two-sphere cone-manifold of revolution which possesses a single closed geodesic, thus showing that Bangert's result does not hold in the wider class of closed surfaces with cone manifold structures.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures; for a PDF version see http://www.calpoly.edu/~jborzell/Publications/publications.htm

Snapshot of Recreational Users in the Adirondacks 2020

With a marked increase in recreation in popular wilderness areas and user motivations diversifying, management practices can no longer be reactionary and based on narratives and so-called anecdotal evidence. The High Peaks Wilderness Area of the Adirondacks, considered a hot spot for hiking, is faced with heavy use that threatens trail and ecosystem health. For managers to effectively protect fragile ecosystems and provide positive recreational experiences to users, a baseline of empirical data is needed. This pilot study starts that process by characterizing recreational users of the High Peaks, exploring their intent and preparation, and gaining their perspective on management actions that address capacity issues but also raise access concerns. The study surveyed 592 recreationists at 12 trailheads in the summer of 2020. There were fewer first-time visitors than expected, and most respondents engaged in preparation for their visit, accessing authoritative material. Almost all reported familiarity with Leave No Trace principles and about 75% sought a wilderness experience. Management actions that address capacity through controlling access (e.g. shuttles, closures, permits) received lukewarm support, and the participants were not as polarized as expected, some feeling unsure. These data are essential for understanding and establishing Limits of Acceptable Change, as well as providing criteria for management goals, not only for the High Peaks region but also for other parks experiencing similar issues

NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLY TRANSFER PROJECT

The spent nuclear fuel assembly transfer process is complicated and has several important constraints. Continuity of Knowledge (COK) must be maintained throughout the process while also keeping the fuel underwater and away from workers to assure safety and security. The conveyance is mechanical in nature and must provide for worker access for repair/maintenance. Reliability, safety, and safeguards requirements must be met for the entire expected life span of the nuclear facility. This paper describes a new engineering design for enhanced safety and reliability for transfer of spent fuel assemblies from the reactor building to the fuel storage building. The new design is compliant with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines, requirements, and regulations. This project was sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory at the University of Rhode Island and performed by faculty and students in the mechanical and nuclear engineering program. A physical scaled prototype of the system has been manufactured is currently going through functional non-nuclear testing for mechanical performance. The fuel transfer system begins with the fuel assembly being lowered into a Fuel Assembly Transport Vessel (FATV). The FATV is equipped with side mounted wheels designed for horizontal movement through the transport tunnel via a rail system. An industrial roller chain conveyor with vertical attachments runs between the rails and makes contact with the FATV. The new design includes gears, axles, and a safely-positioned dry and above water surface motor that drives the chain laterally in either direction. Thus the FATV containing the spent fuel assembly is safely and securely moved in the connecting water tunnel. Engineering analyses were performed on the various facets of the design to validate the merit of the system’s purpose and the adherence to reliability, safeguards, and safety factors set for a system undergoing 50+ years of service life in a radioactive environment. Each individual fuel transfer system will be modified in accordance to the needs of each corresponding nuclear reactor plant. Our design addresses constraints pertaining to that of the transference of spent nuclear fuel assemblies while meeting of the design criteria, safety, and safeguards standards set by the IAEA and the NRC. A scaled physical model of the design has been built to demonstrate the mechanical systems functionality

Analyzing The Impact Of The 2012 Ford Focus Target Hunt: Can Student Managed Projects Accomplish Both Academic And Corporate Objectives?

Student-managed business projects offer students the opportunity to garner valuable real world experience while businesses can fulfill corporate responsibilities utilizing relatively inexpensive manpower. This paper describes an event marketing/social media marketing project completed in conjunction with Jackson-Dawson Communications, representing the Ford Motor Company, and a Midwestern University chapter of the American Marketing Association. Through the successful implementation of the AIDA-IMC promotion model, a committed AMA Chapter, and a number of very cooperative business partnerships, a host of corporate and academic objectives were accomplished while participants gained valuable insight into event marketing principles

Increasing error tolerance in quantum computers with dynamic bias arrangement

Many quantum operations are expected to exhibit bias in the structure of their errors. Recent works have shown that a fixed bias can be exploited to improve error tolerance by statically arranging the errors in beneficial configurations. In some cases an error bias can be dynamically reconfigurable, an example being linear optical fusion where the basis of a fusion failure can be chosen before the measurement is made. Here we introduce methods for increasing error tolerance in this setting by using classical decision-making to adaptively choose the bias in measurements as a fault tolerance protocol proceeds. We study this technique in the setting of linear optical fusion based quantum computing (FBQC). We provide examples demonstrating that by dynamically arranging erasures, the loss tolerance can be tripled when compared to a static arrangement of biased errors while using the same quantum resources: we show that for the best FBQC architecture of Bartolucci et al. (2023) the threshold increases from $2.7\%$ to $7.5\%$ per photon with the same resource state by using dynamic biasing. Our method does not require any specific code structure beyond having a syndrome graph representation. We have chosen to illustrate these techniques using an architecture which is otherwise identical to that in Bartolucci et al. (2023), but deployed together with other techniques, such as different fusion networks, higher loss thresholds are possible

Ventilator care bundles and their effectiveness in reducing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units

https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/student_scholarship_posters/1115/thumbnail.jp

Activation of the ATPase activity of hsp90 by the stress-regulated cochaperone aha1

Client protein activation by Hsp90 involves a plethora of cochaperones whose roles are poorly defined. A ubiquitous family of stress-regulated proteins have been identified (Aha1, activator of Hsp90 ATPase) that bind directly to Hsp90 and are required for the in vivo Hsp90-dependent activation of clients such as v-Src, implicating them as cochaperones of the Hsp90 system. In vitro, Aha1 and its shorter homolog, Hch1, stimulate the inherent ATPase activity of yeast and human Hsp90. The identification of these Hsp90 cochaperone activators adds to the complex roles of cochaperones in regulating the ATPase-coupled conformational changes of the Hsp90 chaperone cycle

Loop B is a major structural component of the 5-HT3 receptor

The 5-HT3 receptor belongs to a family of therapeutically important neurotransmitter-gated receptors whose ligand binding sites are formed by the convergence of six peptide loops (A-F). Here we have mutated 15 amino acid residues in and around loop B of the 5-HT3 receptor (Ser-177 to Asn-191) to Ala or a residue with similar chemical properties. Changes in [3H]granisetron binding affinity (Kd) and 5-HT EC50 were determined using receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Substitutions at all but one residue (Thr-181) altered or eliminated binding for one or both mutants. Receptors were nonfunctional or EC50 values were altered for all but two mutants (S182T, I190L). Homology modeling indicates that loop B contributes two residues to a hydrophobic core that faces into the β-sandwich of the subunit, and the experimental data indicate that they are important for both the structure and the function of the receptor. The models also show that close to the apex of the loop (Ser-182 to Ile-190), loop B residues form an extensive network of hydrogen bonds, both with other loop B residues and with adjacent regions of the protein. Overall, the data suggest that loop B has a major role in maintaining the structure of the region by a series of noncovalent interactions that are easily disrupted by amino acid substitutions

Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model to analyse Teachers’ use of Information Communication Technology in Primary Physical Education

Background: During the past decade there has been a significant increase in the range and quantity of digital technologies available to use within classrooms (Casey, 2011; Casey, Goodyear and Armour, 2016; Gard, 2014; Livingstone, 2012; Lupton, 2015). This transformation has provided a plethora of options by which to embed Information Communication Technology (ICT) within teaching practice in Primary Physical Education (PPE). It has been recognised that using ICT is an important skill to develop amongst children (Livingstone, 2012), and can provide unique opportunities for developing high-quality reflection and feedback skills (Fabian and Maclean, 2014; Weir and Connor, 2009). There is a thriving debate within the education literature concerning how best to integrate technology to support learning and development (Casey et al., 2017; Livingstone, 2012). Purpose: Using the TPACK model to frame our analysis (Mishra and Koehler, 2006), the research aims were to; (i) identify how primary teachers used different forms of technology within their practice as physical educators, and (ii) to determine the barriers to successful inclusion of digital technology into PPE. Methods: Qualitative data were collected from both specialist (n=6) and non-specialist (n=3) PPE teachers in a range of different educational environments. In total, 9 teachers were interviewed from 8 different schools using a semi-structured approach. Data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), with each member of the research team independently analysing the transcripts before agreeing on codes and subsequent themes. Findings: Key findings show that whilst there were many examples of the use of ICT within the primary curriculum in all schools, most teachers used limited digital technology within their teaching of PPE. Those who did include technology reported this as a replacement for a lack of Content Knowledge (CK) or Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), to save time during teaching or assessment activities, or for the delivery of specific activities. Whilst many were aware of available mediums of digital technology, ever-present barriers such as a lack of technical knowledge (TK), limited confidence or time constraints were cited as reasons for its exclusion from lessons. Conclusions: Technology should be considered a key part of a teacher’s toolbox in contemporary education. However, we caution against the dangers of using this as an afterthought and instead urge practitioners to fully integrate this as a tool to support learning using the TPACK framework as a filter for decision-making. Greater emphasis on training in both initial teacher education and continuous professional development in schools is needed, thus allowing teachers to develop the knowledge and confidence to successfully integrate ICT into their PPE curriculum

The Draw-A-Clock Contest: A Strategy for Improving Cognitive Status Assessment by Trainees

Background: Historically, psychiatrists have been less inclined than neurologists to utilize pencil and paper tasks during bedside cognitive assessments. Objective: The Draw-AClock Contest was established in 1986 at the University of Massachusetts to promote use of cognitive assessment tasks by psychiatry residents. Methods: Used in neuropsychological assessments since the 1930’s, clock tasks have been popular screening tools for executive function, praxis, visuospatial and constructive ability, often as part of dementia screening. Given its broad utility as a screening tool and the ease and speed of its administration, the Draw-A-Clock task (with hands set to 11:10 and no circle provided) was selected for use by UMass psychiatry residents, with further bedside assessment encouraged to explore any detected deficits. To encourage participation and foster clinical inquiry, residents are asked to submit clinically interesting de-identified patient clocks. For 21 years, clock contest entries have been collected each spring, with basic demographic, diagnostic, and process notes. Resident names are encoded, and entries are judged by a neuropsychiatrist (SB) and a neuropsychologist (EK). A “clock trophy” and detailed analysis of the submission is presented to the winner at the annual graduation banquet. Results: As a result of this contest, mental status examinations by trainees have become more comprehensive and an atmosphere of neuropsychiatric inquiry has been maintained. Faculty members have also incorporated this task into their mental status assessments, thus establishing a culture of cognitive inquiry and an academic tradition. Examples of winning clocks and common findings will be presented. Published abstract: Sullivan J, Benjamin S, Case Report: CADASIL with Cysteine-Sparing Notch-3 Mutation, American Neuropsychiatric Association, abstract, Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 21(2):221, 2009. DOI 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.21.2.221