Eddy current defect response analysis using sum of Gaussian methods

This dissertation is a study of methods to automatedly detect and produce approximations of eddy current differential coil defect signatures in terms of a summed collection of Gaussian functions (SoG). Datasets consisting of varying material, defect size, inspection frequency, and coil diameter were investigated. Dimensionally reduced representations of the defect responses were obtained utilizing common existing reduction methods and novel enhancements to them utilizing SoG Representations. Efficacy of the SoG enhanced representations were studied utilizing common Machine Learning (ML) interpretable classifier designs with the SoG representations indicating significant improvement of common analysis metrics

An Evaluation of Relationships Between Streamflow Patterns and Watershed Characteristics Through the Use of OPSET

Selection among alternative flood control measures would be better informed if better information could be obtained on the marginal change in flood hazard associated with land use and other changes in the tributary watershed. Hydrologic modeling is the most promising approach to answering this question; however, the use of existing models is hampered by the absence of information correlating model parameters with physical characteristics of the watershed. To deal with this situation, a method was developed for estimating the parameter values for the Stanford Watershed Model which best match recorded with simulated streamflows. Physical characteristics were measured for 17 rural watersheds. Correlations between the characteristics and the parameters were examined. Changes in parameter values with urbanization were also examined. The results were used to study variations in downstream flood peaks and in average annual flood damages associated with various tributary watershed characteristics. The end product is better information on the kinds of areas where urban development is least likely to experience large flood damage and drainage costs

Competition and Combative Advertising: An Historical Analysis

Fred K. Beard (PhD, University of Oklahoma) is a professor of advertising in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma. His research interests include comparative advertising, advertising humor, and advertising history. His work has appeared in the Journal of Advertising, the Journal of Advertising Research, the Journal of Business Ethics, the Journal of Business Research, Journalism History, the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, the Journal of Macromarketing, and the Journal of Marketing Communications, among others.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Developing strategies to evaluate the effective use of electronic presentation software in communication education

This dissertation seeks to investigate the efficacy of “slideware” programs like Microsoft PowerPoint in two areas of interest to educators and public speakers: a) the impact of slides on short term and long term learning, and b) whether slide design characteristics influence audience members’ perceived satisfaction with a speaker’s presentation. The experiment described here considered just two design characteristics— font style (serif vs. sans serif) and color contrast level (high or medium). Audiences viewed a live speech and were shown one of four combinations of the fonts Verdana or Times New Roman and color schemes of black text on an almond-colored background or white text on a medium blue background. A fifth group viewed the speech without the aid of accompanying slides. Statistical analysis of the results found that the speaker-only group (no slides) performed significantly poorer on tests of both short term and long term learning than the groups whose speaker used slides. Among the four groups whose speaker used one of the slide design combinations there were no significant differences in either short term or long term learning. In terms of the effect of slide design on audience satisfaction, of three different satisfaction questions, significance only obtained in the results of one—audiences expressed a marked dislike of the medium contrast color combination of white text on a medium blue background. Because I had expected to find that short term and long term learning as well as general satisfaction would be greatest with the Verdana (sans serif) / black text on almond (high contrast) slide combination, the results left most of the proposed hypotheses unsupported, raising more questions than they answered. Prior to the analysis and discussion of these results, the first several chapters trace the historical development of visual aids within (and prior to the rise of) the Communication Studies discipline and offer a rationale for doing research into the pedagogical effects of slides.Communication Studie

Tegaserod Does not Alter Fasting or Meal-Induced Biliary Tract Motility

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74005/1/j.1572-0241.2004.30301.x.pd

Conflicts in Water Resources Planning

Center for Water and the Environmen

Effects of regular endurance exercise on GlycA: Combined analysis of 14 exercise interventions

GlycA is a relatively new biomarker for inflammation as well as cardiometabolic disease risk. However, the effect of exercise on GlycA is largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of regular exercise on the inflammatory marker GlycA across seven studies and 14 exercise interventions.Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, specifically signal amplitudes originating from the N-acetyl methyl group protons of the N-acetylglucosamine residues on the glycan branches of glycoproteins, was used to quantify GlycA concentrations. GlycA was measured before and after completion of an exercise intervention in 1568 individuals across seven studies and 14 exercise interventions. Random effects inverse variance weighting models were used to pool effects across interventions.Combined analysis of unadjusted data showed that regular exercise significantly (p = 2 × 10−6) reduced plasma GlycA (−8.26 ± 1.8 μmol/L). This reduction remained significant (−9.12 ± 1.9 μmol/L, p = 1.22 × 10−6) following adjustment for age, sex, race, baseline BMI, and baseline GlycA. Changes in GlycA were correlated with changes in traditional inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen, however, these correlations were relatively weak (range r: 0.21–0.38, p < 0.0001).Regular exercise significantly reduced plasma GlycA across 14 different exercise interventions despite differences in exercise programs and study populations. The current study provides a greater understanding of the use of exercise as a potential therapy for the reduction of systemic inflammation. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind the exercise-related reductions in GlycA.•Regular endurance exercise significantly reduces the inflammatory marker GlycA.•Regular endurance exercise does not reduce other traditional inflammatory markers.•Changes in GlycA are weakly correlated with changes in CRP, IL-6, and fibrinogen

Adverse and Excellent Responders to Regular Exercise in DREW^*.

*<p>A postmenopausal woman who follows the <i>2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans</i> expends about 8 kcal/kg/week in her exercise program. The 4 kcal/kg/week is about 50% the current recommendation whereas the 12 kcal/kg/week is about 50% above the recommended dose.</p

Baseline and training-induced changes in the four risk factors for the five cohorts (mean ± SD).

†<p>p≤0.05.</p>††<p>p<0.01.</p>†††<p>p<0.001 indicates significant change score within a group.</p><p>To convert pmol/L of insulin to mU/L, divide by 6.945. To convert mmol/L of HDL-C to mg/dL, divide by 0.02586. To convert mmol/L of triglycerides to mg/dl, divide by 0.01129.</p