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Thor: An Evolution
No full textMythology today serves as a vehicle for storytelling, just as it did for ancient societies. These sacred tales continue to provide role models, express the core values of their respective cultures, answer timeless questions and serve as a moral guide for each generation. Myths are rewritten and retold time and time again, evolving to encapsulate modern beliefs, but often still staying true to their core. Many myths have made their way into popular culture and the heroes in these tales of old become icons, fan-favorites, and household names; namely, Thor the God of Thunder. This study explores and compares the original descriptions of the Old Norse god Thor versus how and why these descriptions have changed throughout history; as portrayed in art and media. Information will be collected by synthesizing data from multiple sources in the form of a literature review. Findings suggest that Thor’s physical appearance and some of his main personality traits have been altered as the narrative changes. Some of the most popular and recent retellings that have contributed to modern views of Thor now include comic books, movies and video games
Understanding the Effect of Intercity Roads on the Evolution of Urban Form
Get PDFCities are key to sustainability, social cohesion, public health, and energy use. Successful urban planning relies on understanding the effect of the roads that connect the city with the neighboring settlements, which act as a scaffold for urban growth. The project develops representations and analytical tools for understanding urban evolution.
The research is based on the following analytical methods: 1) Digitally drawing the arterial roads for twenty Adriatic coastal cities in Italy based on historical maps surveyed in 1819; 2) Categorizing the cities into two main groups: those whose arterials have remained mostly unchanged and those whose arterials have been fundamentally altered due to the addition of gridiron streets in the 19th century; 3) Investigating the geographical context around the cities, which has affected their overall shape during urban growth.
The gridiron accretions are found in Pescara and Brindisi but are missing in a few cases, such as Rodi and Otranto. While in Brindisi, and Rimini, the gridirons entirely replace most of the historical arterials, in Termoli and Barletta, the gridirons are added as patches aligned to the historical arterials. In addition, given the straight configuration of most of Puglia coast and the coastal plain, cities like Bari and Trani, and have grown as half circles covering about 180 degrees. Where the coast bends into capes, the cities have grown as wedges covering 90-110 degrees, while in Brindisi, the town has grown around the bay, covering about 270 degrees.
The study shows the evolution of street networks over time is influenced by the physiographic context of the cities coupled with the configuration of inter-city arterial roads over and above the accretion with certain street patterns. The study shows the need for considering both these factors to understand urban evolution and inform the planning and design of cities in the future
Design and engineering of high efficiency ironless axial flux BLDC motors.
No full textAxial flux motors are well-known for their superior power density and efficiency but remain difficult and costly to manufacture, limiting their widespread adoption in cost-sensitive applications. Traditional radial flux stator manufacturing techniques are incompatible with the unique constraints of axial flux motors, presenting a significant challenge. This research seeks to address this limitation by designing, manufacturing, and optimizing a low-cost axial flux permanent magnet direct current (DC) motor that simplifies production while maintaining high performance. The motor utilizes two innovative stator designs: an air-core stator made from high-temperature engineering polymers and a composite iron 3D-printed filament functioning as an iron core. To mitigate the heat dissipation issues typically associated with non-iron core stators, a dielectric ferrofluid cooling system is introduced. This system efficiently transfers heat from the electromagnets to the rotor, allowing for sustained operation under load and enhancing the motor\u27s maximum power output. A key novelty of this research lies in the integration of composite metallic polymer filaments into the stator construction, which, together with the advanced cooling system, enables high efficiency without the need for costly materials. The findings offer valuable insights into how innovative materials and cooling strategies can overcome traditional manufacturing and performance barriers, thereby advancing the practical use of axial flux motor technology in both research and industrial applications
TimeSformer-Based Federated Domain Adaptation for Multi-Site Automatic Left Ventricular Segmentation and Quantification on Gated Myocardial Perfusion SPECT Images
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, responsible for millions of deaths annually and placing immense pressure on healthcare systems. Early diagnosis and effective management of conditions like coronary artery disease (CAD) are crucial for preventing severe outcomes such as heart failure and myocardial infarction. One key diagnostic tool for CAD is gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS), which provides detailed, phase-specific images of the heart throughout the cardiac cycle, making it essential for assessing left ventricular (LV) function. Despite its effectiveness, multi-center studies using MPS face challenges due to the manual segmentation of LV contours, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Additionally, sharing patient data between institutions raises privacy concerns. To address these issues, this study proposes a deep learning-based algorithm for automated LV contour extraction from MPS images, with a focus on data privacy through federated learning. Our method utilizes a TimeSformer model combined with FedDAvT. The modified TimeSformer model processes 3D volumetric data and learns temporal sequences within the volumes, capturing temporal correlations between cardiac phases. FedDAvT, a federated learning approach, offers superior domain adaptation and ensures patient privacy, as no raw data is shared between institutions. Our model was trained using 150 fully deidentified MPS datasets collected from three hospitals: 73 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 28 from Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, and 49 from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Our FedDA-TSformer model achieved a Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.842 for the endocardium and 0.907 for the epicardium in left ventricle segmentation, demonstrating the effectiveness of our model in accurately segmenting the left ventricle
A major regulator of germline transcription, LSL-1, contributes to developmental defects when histone methylation is inappropriately inherited
No full textHistone methylation is a post-transcriptional modification to the N-terminal tails of histone core proteins that regulates DNA accessibility, and consequently, gene expression. Like DNA, histone methylation can be inherited between generations, and is highly regulated during embryonic development. At fertilization, histone methylation must undergo maternal reprogramming to reset the epigenetic landscape in the new zygote. During maternal reprogramming of histone methylation in the nematode, C. elegans, H3K4me (a modification associated with active transcription) is removed by the H3K4 demethylase, SPR-5, and H3K9me (a modification associated with transcriptional repression) is subsequently added by the histone methyltransferase, MET-2. Maternal loss of SPR-5 and MET-2 results in ectopic expression of germline genes in somatic tissues and a range of developmental phenotypes, including a severe developmental delay. Using a combination of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq experiments, a recent study identified a major regulator of germline transcription, LSL-1, that binds and turns on germline genes in the germline during development. From our own transcriptional analysis performed on C. elegans lacking SPR-5 and MET-2, we find that lsl-1 is significantly upregulated in somatic tissues. Together these data suggest that LSL-1 may be turning on germline genes aberrantly in somatic tissue and contributing to developmental delay. To test this hypothesis, we knocked down lsl-1 using RNA interference (RNAi) and found that the developmental delay in spr-5; met-2 mutants is significantly rescued. Using RNA-seq, we further demonstrate that knocking down LSL-1 in spr-5; met-2 mutant rescues ectopic expression of MES-4 germline genes. Together, our findings provide mechanistic insight into how inappropriate inheritance of epigenetic states perturb germline versus somatic cell fates specification during development and how this perturbation contributes to developmental phenotypes
Undergraduate Human Subjects Research Lab Experiences in Humanities
No full textAmid concerns for the coming enrollment cliff as well as enrollment attrition in humanities programs, one sector of higher education that continues to grow is international students. In view of growing concerns about enrollment attrition and shrinking resources for sustainable international learning experiences, short-term programs grounded in institutional partnerships may offer opportunities of mutual benefit to international participants and domestic stakeholders. This exploratory case study examines the effects of a six-weeks English language learning program in which seventeen German adults participated in Spring semester 2024. This project investigates the program’s impact on participants’ language proficiency and intercultural competence development and on classmates’ attitudinal dispositions and behaviors. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study triangulates data from pre- and post-intervention tests, learners\u27 and instructors\u27 attitudinal survey responses, and focus-group interviews with two participant groups and instructors. Preliminary findings indicate a positive impact of short-term intensive English learning programs on learners\u27 proficiency, regardless of cohort, as demonstrated by pre- and post-test scores. Both learners and instructors highlighted the program\u27s effectiveness while also identifying challenges and areas for improvement, including language development, shifts in attitudes and behaviors, and an increase in intercultural competence. This session will focus on the latter, exploring the growth of IC among participants with results presented by an undergraduate student of International Relations and the research assistant who completed IRB training and submitted the study to IRB review. While the findings cannot be generalized, they may have implications for program and instructional design; student success and learner support strategies; and sustainable efforts to facilitate international and cross-disciplinary partnerships in diverse educational settings. Research findings will be shared with session participants to allow for further review
Glacio-Dynamic Variations in Central New York Drumlins: A Morphometric Analysis
Get PDFVarying rates of till deformation as a function of surface topography and direction of continental ice advance are linked to pattern and form variations in drumlins. Five transects are examined morphometrically . Transects are selected on the basis of their slope and direction of ice advance. A hypothesis based on variable rates of clast lodgement and till deformation accounts for most of drumlins\u27 spatial characteristics. The Cayuga Trough funnelled most of the ice southward and the large amounts of till mobilized contribute to high drumlin densities. The observed increase in drumlin elongation is linked to local ice surging. Away from the trough, drumlin densities and elongation begin to decrease. These trends are attributed to a less vigorous ice flow brought about by increasing surface slopes and radial ice spread. Drumlin pattern and form can thus act as effective indicators to changes in surface slope and direction of ice advance
Water Resources for At Taif, Saudi Arabia; A Study of Alternative Sources for an Expanding Urban Area
Get PDFHistorically At Taif. Saudi Arabia was a small community depended upon local unconfined groundwater for its water supply. With increased urbanization the town was transformed into a major metropolitan area requiring additional water resources. To meet the increased demand, water projects were recently completed which transport water from wadi alluvia some 130 kilometers from At Taif. Realizing the inadequacy of these sources and the unfavorable geological conditions of the western province of the kingdom, the Saudi Arabians have elected to invest in desalination plants on the Red Sea coast and manage water resources on a national scale. In comparison groundwater resources in the eastern province are areally abundant due to favorable geologic conditions. However, recharge rates are low and desalination appears to the practical alternative here as well
News from the Chapters 1987-88
Get PDFThe Gamma Zeta Chapter of G.T.U. at Eastern Michigan University had a terrific year. The chapter was reactivated with bi-weekly meetings and 15 new initiates. Each meeting was highlighted by a student presentation of some personal experience of field sessions . Gerald Hopper discussed his experiences on an archaeological dig in southwestern Montana in October. Evelyn Gallegos who was with the Peace Corps talked about her experiences in Peru in November. Bob Merte spent a summer on an archaeological dig in Israel. He said it was hot-politically and weather-wise! Following Bob\u27s December talk, Susan Odom presented a program on Mexico
From Jitney to Giant: The Spatial Development of Greyhound Bus Lines
Get PDFThe early growth of the intercity bus industry is difficult to document because of the limited availability of relevant state or federal statistics prior to 1925. In fact, it was only in 1922 that vehicle manufacturers began to design chassis and bodies specifically for buses. Most of the early buses, or jitneys (1) as they were called, were merely converted automobiles. As a result, the bus industry was developed by numerous one-vehicle taxi operators, scattered across the country, who decided to extend their intraurban services to link nearby communities (2). The first automobile-bus with regular routes and schedules (a common carrier in the modern sense of the term) made its appearance on a route between the old and new cities of Hibbings, Minnesota in 1913 and was the forerunner of Greyhound Bus Lines. At about the same time Pickwick Transportation Lines began a similar type of operation in southern California. The successes of these pioneers led to the establishment of hundreds of small intercity bus operators throughout the USA by 1915