11351 research outputs found
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Integration of convolutional neural network and thermal images into soil moisture estimation
No full textTo plan the proper irrigation strategy for the maximum crop yield in precision agriculture, many research works have been done extensively on how to estimate the soil moisture content. As the population and availability of thermal infrared sensors grow, their abilities to recognize the heat signatures and small differences in soil temperature help to estimate the soil moisture precisely. Since Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has made a great success on the image recognition, we propose a scheme that integrates the thermal images captured by the sensors mounted on drones along with in situ measurements of the farm area and a CNN-based regression model to estimate the soil moisture. This model is used to estimate the soil moisture content through the soil temperature represented by thermal infrared images. Our experimental results show that our model performs better than the typical Deep Neural Network (DNN) with the test datasets, which in turn provides the more general estimation
Comparison of biophysical properties characterized for microtissues cultured using microencapsulation and liquid crystal based 3D cell culture techniques
No full textGrowing three dimensional (3D) cells is an emerging research in tissue engineering. Biophysical properties of the 3D cells regulate the cells growth, drug diffusion dynamics and gene expressions. Scaffold based or scaffoldless techniques for 3D cell cultures are rarely being compared in terms of the physical features of the microtissues produced. The biophysical properties of the microtissues cultured using scaffold based microencapsulation by flicking and scaffoldless liquid crystal (LC) based techniques were characterized. Flicking technique produced high yield and highly reproducible microtissues of keratinocyte cell lines in alginate microcapsules at approximately 350 ± 12 pieces per culture. However, microtissues grown on the LC substrates yielded at lower quantity of 58 ± 21 pieces per culture. The sizes of the microtissues produced using alginate microcapsules and LC substrates were 250 ± 25 μm and 141 ± 70 μm, respectively. In both techniques, cells remodeled into microtissues via different growth phases and showed good integrity of cells in field-emission scanning microscopy (FE-SEM). Microencapsulation packed the cells in alginate scaffolds of polysaccharides with limited spaces for motility. Whereas, LC substrates allowed the cells to migrate and self-stacking into multilayered structures as revealed by the nuclei stainings. The cells cultured using both techniques were found viable based on the live and dead cell stainings. Stained histological sections showed that both techniques produced cell models that closely replicate the intrinsic physiological conditions. Alginate microcapsulation and LC based techniques produced microtissues containing similar bio-macromolecules but they did not alter the main absorption bands of microtissues as revealed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Cell growth, structural organization, morphology and surface structures for 3D microtissues cultured using both techniques appeared to be different and might be suitable for different applications
REVIEW: Sperm: Comparative morphology and function related to altered reproductive strategies and fertility in mammals
No full textReproduction and development are fascinating processes that exhibit significant differences among mammals. Successful propagation of species depends on male fertility and the ability of the sperm to fertilize and activate the egg and support early development. Remarkably, the specifics of how sperm structure and function have evolved and their crucial roles in fertility remain largely unknown. This synthesis provides a concise review of comparative anatomy and physiology of mammalian sperm structure and how inevitable changes regulate fertility
Application of reproductive biotechnologies for sustainable production of livestock in Turkey
No full textReproductive biotechnology encompasses powerful tools to enhance the efficiency and profitability of livestock reproduction, production, and product quality. These technologies include genomic selection, evaluation of semen (from bulls, bucks, and rams) using advanced cell and molecular technologies, semen cryopreservation and artificial insemination, estrus synchronization, superovulation of the females (cows, dams, and ewes), ovum pick-up, in vitro fertilization and embryo culture, embryo transfer, and pregnancy detection. The extent of applications of these modern technologies and their economic impacts for livestock production in Turkey are elusive. As a result, there is an urgent need for sound economic analyses, research and education, training of animal producers to facilitate technology transfer, and informing of the public of the benefits of animal biotechnology. The objective of this study was to provide a review of key reproductive technologies and economic analyses of them, followed by an outlook on the future production of cattle, goats, and sheep in Turkey. This review is an important resource for students, researchers, and producers for a better understanding and for the application of cutting-edge biotechnology in efficient, sustainable, and profitable livestock production
Blackshear Hall Women\u27s Dormitory - 1926
No full textThis Blackshear Hall served as a female residence hall until the 1960s. It was named in honor of Edward. L . Blackshear, the fourth Principal of Prairie View Normal School. The dormitory opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1960.https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/preservation-week-2018/1014/thumbnail.jp
Schumacher Hall Men’s Dormitory - 1941
No full textThis building served as a residence hall for male athletes. It was named in honor of Henry Schumacher, a member of the Texas A & M University Board of Directors. 1926 – 1943. Men’s dormitory opened in 1941 and was demolished in 1981.https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/preservation-week-2018/1009/thumbnail.jp
Alexander - Buchanan Hall Men’s Dormitory- 1952
No full textAlexander Hall- Men’s dormitory ( Faculty, Graduate and Senior Men) opened in 1952 demolished in 2000. James Mchenry Alexander was a professor & Dean at PVAMU.
Buchanan Hall – Men’s dormitory ( Faculty, Graduate and Senior Men) opened in 1953 demolished in 2000. George Washington Buchanan was a Professor & librarian at Prairie View A & M who came to PVAMU in 1912 and taught Pedagogy, Science, and Mathematics.https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/preservation-week-2018/1006/thumbnail.jp
Perceived and Personal Mental Health Stigma in Latino and African American College Students
No full textMental health stigma occurs when people have negative thoughts and beliefs of those with mental health illnesses or mental health treatment. Mental health stigma is related to an assortment of negative outcomes including discrimination in housing and employment, reduced usage of mental health services, and poor mental health outcomes. These implications may be particularly salient for ethnic minorities such as African Americans and Latinos who already suffer from other types of discrimination. This study examines perceived and personal mental health stigma in African American and Latino college students from a nontraditional university to help elucidate factors related to the development of mental health stigma. Students completed surveys concerning their stigma beliefs. African American students were found to have higher rates of mental health stigma than Latino students. Furthermore, anxiety about those with mental illness was related to greater mental health stigma for both groups. For African Americans, it was found that their perception of their ability to visibly identify those with mental illness was related to greater mental health stigma. These findings suggest that interventions to reduce mental health stigma in college students should target specific ethnic minority groups and focus on issues that are particularly salient to those communities
Classical magnetism and an integral formula involving modified bessel functions
No full textWe study an integral expression that is encountered in some classical spin models of magnetism. The idea is to calculate the key integral that represents the building block for the expression of the partition function of these models. The general calculation allows one to have a better look at the internal structure of the quantity of interest which, in turn, may lead to potentially new useful insights. We find out that application of two different approaches to solve the problem in a general-case scenario leads to an interesting integral formula involving modified Bessel functions of the first kind which appears to be new. We performed Monte Carlo simulations to verify the correctness of the integral formula obtained. Additional numerical integration tests lead to the same result as well. The approach under consideration, when generalized, leads to a linear integral equation that might be of interest to numerical studies of classical spin models of magnetism that rely on the well-established transfer-matrix formalism
What Therapies are Favored in the Treatment of the Psychological Sequelae of Trauma in Human Trafficking Victims?
No full textHuman trafficking is a major public health concern that brings about deleterious psychological consequences and sequelae. Although a number of risk and protective factors for the health consequences of human trafficking victims have been identified, there is a dearth of information in the area of treatment. Specifically, we found no articles comparing the different components of prevailing trauma treatment strategies, and the potential usefulness of these strategies in the treatment of human trafficking victims. To this end, we compared and contrasted the different therapeutic treatments typically implemented with victims of trauma (including domestic violence victims and torture victims), and discussed how the different components of these treatments may or may not be helpful for human trafficking victims. We assessed the impact of these treatments on the psychological consequences of trauma and, in particular on posttraumatic stress disorder. We also assessed the potential usefulness of these treatments with co-occurring problems such as substance use, psychosis, dissociation, and other mood and anxiety disorders. On the basis of the prevailing research, we highlighted cognitive therapies as being preferred in addressing the needs of human trafficking victims. Mental health providers who work with human trafficking victims should become aware of and practiced in the use of cognitive therapeutic approaches in treating this population. Efficacy and effectiveness studies are needed to validate our recommendations