410 research outputs found

    The Potential Return on Investment of the Recruitment Strategies for an Academic Unit Focused on Agricultural Sciences

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    University recruitment strategies could be an important factor in attracting students and keeping enrollment numbers growing to a desired level. Research has shown that colleges of agriculture should investigate their traditional recruiting techniques and develop new plans to target desirable students. Students are viewed as revenue generators for the university, and with money and time being two important considerations, it is essential and helpful to know where both are best utilized in the recruitment process. The purpose of this study was to determine which recruiting methods and strategies are the most cost effective and work best for agriculturally focused departments. The researchers used a descriptive survey to collect data on participants’ preferred and influential recruitment methods and strategies. First-year students in this study chose campus tours and visiting with a faculty member on campus to be the most influential over all other recruiting strategies/methods in their decision to enroll at the university. Additionally, these specific recruitment strategies are also least expensive to employ, therefore, giving the department/university over 15 times the return of its investment. Promotional materials such as caps, key chains, and pens can produce a very high return because of the low input cost per unit. Overall, the strategies the department employs to recruit prospective students show to be effective, however, there is always room for improvement. However, other factors such as scholarship availability, cost of tuition, admission requirements and proximity to home could also be what attract students to the university

    Effects of 30-, 60-, and 90-Day Bed Rest on Postural Control in Men and Women

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    INTRODUCTION Head-down-tilt bed rest (HDT) has been used as a safe gr ound-based analog to mimic and develop countermeasures for the physiological effects of spaceflight, including decrements in postural stability. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the effects of 30-, 60-, and 90-day bed rest on postural control in men and women. METHODS Twenty-nine subjects (18M,11F) underwent 13 days of ambula tory acclimatization and were placed in 6? HDT for 30 (n=12), 60 (n=8), or 90 (n=9) days, followed by 14 days of ambulatory recovery. Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) was used to assess changes in sensory and motor components of postural control, and recovery after HDT. Sensory Organization Tests (SOTs) objectively evaluate one?s ability to effectively use or suppress visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive information for postural control. Stability during the SOTs was assessed using peak-to-peak sway and convergence toward stability limits to derive an equilibrium score. Motor Control Tests (MCTs) evaluate one?s ability to recover from unexpected support surface perturbations, with performance determined by center-of-pressure path length. Whole-body kinematic data were collected to determine body-sway strategy used to maintain stability during each condition. Baselines were determined pre-HDT. Recovery was tracked post-HDT on days 0, 1, 2, and 4. RESULTS Immediately after HDT, subjects showed decreased performance on most SOTs, primarily on sway-referenced support conditions, typically returning to baseline levels within 4 days. MCT performance was not significantly affected. There were no significant gender or duration differences in performance. Kinematic data revealed a tendency to use ankle strategy to maintain an upright stance during most SOT conditions. Interestingly, six subjects (2M,4F) experienced orthostatic intolerance and were unable to complete day 0 testing. CONCLUSION HDT mimics some un loading mechanisms of spaceflight and elicits orthostatic issues present post-spaceflight (contributing to instability); however, it does not sufficiently address the vestibular dysfunction which occurs post-spaceflight

    Diabetic atherosclerosis in APOE * 4 mice: synergy between lipoprotein metabolism and vascular inflammation

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    Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To examine how diabetes interacts with a mildly compromised lipid metabolism, we introduced the diabetogenic Ins2C96Y/+ (Akita) mutation into mice expressing human apoE4 (E4) combined with either an overexpressing human LDL receptor gene (hLDLR) or the wild-type mouse gene. The hLDLR allele caused 2-fold reductions in plasma HDL-cholesterol, plasma apoA1, and hepatic triglyceride secretion. Diabetes increased plasma total cholesterol 1.3-fold and increased apoB48 secretion 3-fold, while reducing triglyceride secretion 2-fold. Consequently, diabetic E4 mice with hLDLR secrete increased numbers of small, cholesterol-enriched, apoB48-containing VLDL, although they have near normal plasma cholesterol (<120 mg/dl). Small foam cell lesions were present in the aortic roots of all diabetic E4 mice with hLDLR that we analyzed at six months of age. None were present in nondiabetic mice or in diabetic mice without hLDLR. Aortic expression of genes affecting leukocyte recruitment and adhesion was enhanced by diabetes. ApoA1 levels, but not diabetes, were strongly correlated with the ability of plasma to efflux cholesterol from macrophages. We conclude that the diabetes-induced proinflammatory changes in the vasculature and the hLDLR-mediated cholesterol accumulation in macrophages synergistically trigger atherosclerosis in mice with human apoE4, although neither alone is sufficient

    Progress in noncommutative function theory

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    In this expository paper we describe the study of certain non-self-adjoint operator algebras, the Hardy algebras, and their representation theory. We view these algebras as algebras of (operator valued) functions on their spaces of representations. We will show that these spaces of representations can be parameterized as unit balls of certain W∗W^{*}-correspondences and the functions can be viewed as Schur class operator functions on these balls. We will provide evidence to show that the elements in these (non commutative) Hardy algebras behave very much like bounded analytic functions and the study of these algebras should be viewed as noncommutative function theory

    CsI‐Antisolvent Adduct Formation in All‐Inorganic Metal Halide Perovskites

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    The excellent optoelectronic properties demonstrated by hybrid organic/inorganic metal halide perovskites are all predicated on precisely controlling the exact nucleation and crystallization dynamics that occur during film formation. In general, high‐performance thin films are obtained by a method commonly called solvent engineering (or antisolvent quench) processing. The solvent engineering method removes excess solvent, but importantly leaves behind solvent that forms chemical adducts with the lead‐halide precursor salts. These adduct‐based precursor phases control nucleation and the growth of the polycrystalline domains. There has not yet been a comprehensive study comparing the various antisolvents used in different perovskite compositions containing cesium. In addition, there have been no reports of solvent engineering for high efficiency in all‐inorganic perovskites such as CsPbI3. In this work, inorganic perovskite composition CsPbI3 is specifically targeted and unique adducts formed between CsI and precursor solvents and antisolvents are found that have not been observed for other A‐site cation salts. These CsI adducts control nucleation more so than the PbI2–dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) adduct and demonstrate how the A‐site plays a significant role in crystallization. The use of methyl acetate (MeOAc) in this solvent engineering approach dictates crystallization through the formation of a CsI–MeOAc adduct and results in solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 14.4%.It is found that unique adducts form between CsI and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and certain antisolvents, such as methyl acetate, during film formation of the all‐inorganic perovskite CsPbI3. These adducts significantly influence crystallization and the power conversion efficiency of the resulting solar cells.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/1/aenm201903365-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/2/aenm201903365.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/3/aenm201903365_am.pd

    CsI‐Antisolvent Adduct Formation in All‐Inorganic Metal Halide Perovskites

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    The excellent optoelectronic properties demonstrated by hybrid organic/inorganic metal halide perovskites are all predicated on precisely controlling the exact nucleation and crystallization dynamics that occur during film formation. In general, high‐performance thin films are obtained by a method commonly called solvent engineering (or antisolvent quench) processing. The solvent engineering method removes excess solvent, but importantly leaves behind solvent that forms chemical adducts with the lead‐halide precursor salts. These adduct‐based precursor phases control nucleation and the growth of the polycrystalline domains. There has not yet been a comprehensive study comparing the various antisolvents used in different perovskite compositions containing cesium. In addition, there have been no reports of solvent engineering for high efficiency in all‐inorganic perovskites such as CsPbI3. In this work, inorganic perovskite composition CsPbI3 is specifically targeted and unique adducts formed between CsI and precursor solvents and antisolvents are found that have not been observed for other A‐site cation salts. These CsI adducts control nucleation more so than the PbI2–dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) adduct and demonstrate how the A‐site plays a significant role in crystallization. The use of methyl acetate (MeOAc) in this solvent engineering approach dictates crystallization through the formation of a CsI–MeOAc adduct and results in solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 14.4%.It is found that unique adducts form between CsI and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and certain antisolvents, such as methyl acetate, during film formation of the all‐inorganic perovskite CsPbI3. These adducts significantly influence crystallization and the power conversion efficiency of the resulting solar cells.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/1/aenm201903365-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/2/aenm201903365.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154525/3/aenm201903365_am.pd
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