Diets of Bats in West Virginia

Little work has been conducted concerning feeding ecology of bats, and only 2 studies have been done in West Virginia. West Virginia is a prime location for the study of bats because 12 species are reported in the state. To increase knowledge of food habits of bats inhabiting West Virginia, fecal samples of 7 species were examined: Virginia Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), Rafinesquii’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis), Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus). Collections of samples were made in the eastern mountainous area, the Ohio Valley area, and the New River Gorge area. Biologists with WV Division of Natural Resources (DNR) Nongame Program conducting bat surveys during the 2000 and 2001 summer field seasons (15 May to 15 Aug.) collected the samples used. Fecal pellets were teased apart in petri dishes and insect remains were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. After identification, volume and frequency percentages were calculated to estimate major food sources of the bats. With knowledge of diets and feeding ecology, it is possible to make inferences that may be useful in conservation of bats in West Virginia

An X-ray and neutron scattering study of amorphous hydrogenated carbon

A series of thin film and powder samples of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-CH) have been deposited in a fast atom source, from one of three hydrocarbon precursor gases, at a deposition energy ranging between 0.5keV and 1.2keV. Neutron scattering studies, sensitive to both the carbon and hydrogen environments, have been carried out on three of these samples, deposited at the same impact energy, having varying degrees of isotopic enrichment. The measured scattering profiles have been used to derive the partial C-C, C-H and H-H correlation functions for the material, affording an insight into the structural configuration of this phase of a-C:H of unique clarity. Complementary X-ray diffraction measurements, dominated by contributions from the carbon matrix, have been made on these isotopically substituted samples and two further samples deposited at a lower deposition energy. A structural reconfiguration from a graphite-like, highly trigonally bonded network, to a more diamond-like atomic arrangement has been observed as the deposition energy falls, accompanied by a progressive change in the void structure. X-ray diffraction studies have also been made of two samples and of a-C:H, deposited from the same precursor has, at impact energies of 0.5keV and 0.85keV. Again a breakdown in the intra- and inter-layer graphite-like structural arrangement has been found to occur as the deposition energy decreases. The Warren-Mavel fluorescence detection technique has been used to remove the incoherent scattering contribution to the measured X-ray scattering profiles and has been shown to be highly efficient at the removal of such contributions when used in conjunction with a synchrotron X-ray source. In fact, this technique has been so successful that is has highlighted the problem of obtaining suitable theoretical self scattering curbes for the coherent data accessed. Preliminary studies on a novel glancing angle X-ray diffraction technique for the in situ analysis of thin film samples of a-C:H, mounted on a crystalline substrate, have been carried out. Two films have been studied, and early results have been encouraging, showing that not only can scattering profiles be collected for these low Z, amorphous systems from films 1μm thick, but that depth profiling of the thin film/substrate system is also possible

Chondral Lesion in the Hip Joint and Current Chondral Repair Techniques

This chapter gives a detailed review of the composition, structure and biomechanics of articular cartilage in the joint. W have looked at the most common types of cartilage lesions and at the existing methods of articular cartilage repair techniques in the hip joint. Articular cartilage is specialized hyaline cartilage which makes a firm, smooth and slippery surface that resists plastic deformation. It has a unique structure and mechanical properties that provide joints with a surface that combines low friction, shock absorption and wear resistance, while bearing large repetitive loads throughout an individual’s lifetime. Cartilage lesions in the hip are most common on the acetabular side and typically present as focal area of delamination or chondral flap. Joint preserving techniques are becoming increasingly common. The spectrum of options includes palliative procedures such as joint lavage and chondral debridement, reparative procedures such as microfracture and direct chondral repair, and restorative procedures such as mosaicoplasty. Preservation of the host tissue is most attractive solution to cartilage damage, particularly in young active individuals. Tissue engineering offers one solution but many problems have to be overcome before these techniques become a reality

Surveys of experiences of sexual violence and harassment in higher education: reports and findings

In April 2021, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, asked the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to conduct national surveys to track students\u27 and staff\u27s experiences of sexual violence and harassment. Working with an expert advisory group, the HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality Diversity and Inclusion ran surveys of staff and students in April 2021. 7,901 students and 3,516 staff answered the surveys (11,417 responses in total). The department will use the results of these surveys to make policy and funding decisions to tackle sexual violence and harassment in higher education institutions (HEIs)

Physics-guided neural networks for feedforward control with input-to-state stability guarantees

Currently, there is an increasing interest in merging physics-based methods and artificial intelligence to push performance of feedforward controllers for high-precision mechatronics beyond what is achievable with linear feedforward control. In this paper, we develop a systematic design procedure for feedforward control using physics-guided neural networks (PGNNs) that can handle nonlinear and unknown dynamics. PGNNs effectively merge physics-based and NN-based models, and thereby result in nonlinear feedforward controllers with higher performance and the same reliability as classical, linear feedforward controllers. In particular, conditions are presented to validate (after training) and impose (before training) input-to-state stability (ISS) of PGNN feedforward controllers. The developed PGNN feedforward control framework is validated on a real-life, high-precision industrial linear motor used in lithography machines, where it reaches a factor 2 improvement with respect to conventional mass-friction feedforward

Specific 50-kHv vocalizations are tightly linked to particular types of behavior in juvenile rats anticipating play

Sherpa Romeo green journal. Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) appliesRat ultrasonic vocalizations have been suggested to be either a byproduct of physical movement or, in the case of 50-kHz calls, a means to communicate positive affect. Yet there are up to 14 distinct types of 50-kHz calls, raising issues for both explanations. To discriminate between these theories and address the purpose for the numerous 50-kHz call types, we studied single juvenile rats that were waiting to play with a partner, a situation associated with a high number of 50-kHz calls. We used a Monte-Carlo shuffling procedure to identify vocalization-behavior correlations that were statistically different from chance. We found that certain call types (“split”, “composite” and “multi-step”) were strongly associated with running and jumping while other call types (those involving “trills”) were more common during slower movements. Further, non-locomotor states such as resting and rearing were strongly predictive of a lack of vocalizations. We also found that the various sub-types of USVs can be clustered into 3–4 categories based on similarities in the way they are used. We did not find a one-to-one relationship between any movements and specific vocalizations, casting doubt on the motion byproduct theory. On the other hand, the use of specific calls during specific behaviors is problematic for the affect communication hypothesis. Based on our results, we suggest that ultrasonic calls may serve to coordinate moment-to-moment social interactionsYe

A Community Engaged Approach for Defining Child and Youth Thriving in Pittsburgh Communities

Optimizing child and adolescent development in diverse communities is a primary goal of health care providers and public health professionals. Developing strength-based interventions requires pediatric measures of thriving that span developmental stages and settings and resonate with families and communities. Despite recognition of the importance of positive assets and well-being on child health, we lack a clear definition of child/youth thriving that accounts for diverse community perspectives and environments