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Simultaneous Modulation of Pulse Charge and Burst Period Elicits Two Differentiable Referred Sensations
Get PDFObjective. To investigate the feasibility of delivering multidimensional feedback using a single channel of peripheral nerve stimulation by complementing intensity percepts with flutter frequency percepts controlled by burst period modulation. Approach. Two dimensions of a distally referred sensation were provided simultaneously: intensity was conveyed by the modulation of the pulse charge rate inside short discrete periods of stimulation referred to as bursts and frequency was conveyed by the modulation of the period between bursts. For this approach to be feasible, intensity percepts must be perceived independently of frequency percepts. Two experiments investigated these interactions. A series of two alternative forced choice tasks (2AFC) were used to investigate burst period modulation\u27s role in intensity discernibility. Magnitude estimation tasks were used to determine any interactions in the gradation between the frequency and intensity percepts. Main results. The 2AFC revealed that burst periods can be individually differentiated as a gradable frequency percept in peripheral nerve stimulation. Participants could correctly rate a perceptual scale of intensity and frequency regardless of the value of the second, but the dependence of frequency differentiability on charge rate indicates that frequency was harder to detect with weaker intensity percepts. The same was not observed in intensity differentiability as the length of burst periods did not significantly alter intensity differentiation. These results suggest multidimensional encoding is a promising approach for increasing information throughput in sensory feedback systems if intensity ranges are selected properly. Significance. This study offers valuable insights into haptic feedback through the peripheral nervous system and demonstrates an encoding approach for neural stimulation that may offer enhanced information transfer in virtual reality applications and sensory-enabled prosthetic systems. This multidimensional encoding strategy for sensory feedback may open new avenues for enriched control capabilities
Current Trends in Bee Conservation and Habitat Restoration in Different Types of Anthropogenic Habitats
Get PDFRecent declines in bee populations and ranges have been cause for concern due to the valuable pollination service that they provide. Several factors have been proposed to contribute to these declines, including habitat loss, pathogen spread, and pesticide usage, so many pollinator conservation schemes have involved the addition of pollinator-friendly habitat through wildflower plantings and artificial nesting sites. Because of this, many efforts have been made to enhance bee populations across different landscape types, including natural, agricultural, urban, and industrial areas. Many of these schemes have focused on providing habitat for bees and other animal pollinators in agricultural landscapes, but other managed areas, such as cities, suburbs, and industrialized areas may have untapped potential for pollinator conservation. Available green space can be enhanced to provide healthy forage and safe nesting sites for pollinators. As these areas are also often frequented by human residents, the needs and perceptions of people, as well as the potential benefits for pollinators, must be considered to ensure the success of pollinator conservation on anthropogenic habitats
Online Interest in Elf Bar in the United States: Google Health Trends Analysis
Get PDFBackground: Despite the popularity of JUUL e-cigarettes, other brands (eg, Elf Bar) may be gaining digital attention.
Objective: This study compared Google searches for Elf Bar and JUUL from 2022 to 2023 using Google Health Trends Application Programming Interface data.
Methods: Using an infodemiology approach, we examined weekly trends in Google searches (per 10 million) for “Elf Bar” and “JUUL” at the US national and state levels from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. Joinpoint regression was used to assess statistically significant trends in the search probabilities for “Elf Bar” and “JUUL” during the study period.
Results: Elf Bar had less online interest than JUUL at the beginning of 2022. When the US Food and Drug Administration denied JUUL marketing authority on June 23, 2022, JUUL searches peaked at 2609.3 × 107 and fell to 83.9 × 107 on September 3, 2023. Elf Bar searches surpassed JUUL on July 10, 2022, and steadily increased, reaching 523.2 × 107 on December 4, 2022. Overall, Elf Bar’s weekly search probability increased by 1.6% (95% CI 1.5%-1.7%; P=.05) from January 2022 to December 2023, with the greatest increase between May 29 and June 19, 2022 (87.7%, 95% CI 35.9%-123.9%; P=.001). Elf Bar searches increased after JUUL’s suspension in Pennsylvania (1010%), Minnesota (872.5%), Connecticut (803.5%), New York (738.1%), and New Jersey (702.9%).
Conclusions: Increasing trends in Google searches for Elf Bar indicate that there was a growing online interest in this brand in the United States in 2022
School Cafetoriums and Students Who are Neurodiverse: Solving for Conflict in Functional Design Programs and Student Needs
No full textThis thesis examines the design of cafetoriums, multifunctional spaces in elementary schools that serve as both cafeterias and auditoriums and how their current design impacts neurodivergent students. Since students spend a significant amount of time in these spaces, whether eating lunch, attending school events, or participating in community programs, cafetoriums play a crucial role in the overall school experience. Current designs often fail to accommodate the unique sensory and cognitive needs of neurodivergent students, which affect how they perceive and interact with their environment. By prioritizing elements such as improved acoustics, calming lighting, adaptable furniture, and thoughtful spatial layouts, this research aims to provide best practices that not only enhance the experience for neurodivergent students but also provide flexibility and solve for complex and contrasting programs. These solutions are derived from evidence-based data from both literature reviews and personal testimonies of those who struggle with sensory sensitivities. The ultimate goal of this research is to raise awareness and spark creativity among architects and educators about the profound influence of the built environment and the potential ways we can use space design to improve human behavior, mental health, engagement, and the overall experience of neurodivergent students in common spaces like the Cafetorium
Where Can We Grow? Machine Learning to Predict the Future of U.S. Maize (2024)
Get PDFWhere can we grow? Machine learning to predict the future of U.S. maize
The 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) is a research communication competition that challenges students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon in just three minutes. The winner of the 3MT competition moves on to the Council of Southern Graduate School’s Regional Conference in March 2025.https://scholarworks.uark.edu/mtsturpc/1046/thumbnail.jp
Unveiling the Influence: Corporate Lobbying and the American Diet
Get PDFThe United States has an ongoing health problem. At 41.9%, our obesity rate is one of the highest in the worldi . While there are several factors that contribute to obesity, food is a crucial one. Food plays a key role in our short- and long-term health. This impact spills over into other aspects of life, such as productivity and mental well-being. This begs the question why the United States, as a very wealthy nation, has relatively lower food quality when compared with other high-income nations. This is a multi-faceted problem that is rooted in American culture, government regulation, and the relationship that corporations have in the food industry. This thesis aims to explore the root of the problem with food in America, specifically the role corporations play
Internship Experience at Dannah Investment Group, LLC
Get PDFMy internship and employment experience at a small investment management firm in Dallas, Texas, has been one of the most valuable components of my college career. Dannah has three rules at the heart of everything we do:
1. Make Money
2. Have Fun
3. Influence Other
Innovation Unveiled: The Power of Innovative Experiences on Undergraduate Development
Get PDFA paper analyzing my experiences participating in the McMillon Innovation Studio and other OEI programs and their impact on my development during my undergraduate education. It explores how these experiences can positively affect students of all backgrounds and how universities can work to improve these programs to further amplify their effects
Privacy Protection in Mobile Photography with Face Cloaking
Get PDFIn a world of increasing connectivity, privacy is becoming ever-more difficult to maintain. People have little control over the capture of their image while in public and have even less control over the online sharing or posting of their image. This leaves many people vulnerable to being tracked or profiled via their image’s presence in other people’s photos. This thesis implements and evaluates an approach to privacy protection that involves the photographers protecting the privacy of bystanders. Because most photographs are now being taken by smartphones, a mobile application is decidedly the technology that would best achieve widespread adoption and reduce threats to privacy. The implemented application can efficiently identify and cloak bystanders’ face images so that face recognition software are unable to correctly identify nor profile these bystanders, and it can do so without affecting the human-perceived quality of the photographs
Computational Models that Exploit Spatial, Temporal, and Voltage-Current Relationships in the Electrochemical Generation-Collection of Redox-Active Molecules
Get PDFThe numerical studies in this dissertation explore the application of redox cycling, an advanced electrochemical technique, for analyzing bioelectrochemical systems with a particular focus on small-volume samples and involves electrodes that can be activated to oxidize and reduce, separated by varying distances and featuring different geometries. The redox cycling approach facilitates the spatio-temporal interrogation of kinetics, mass transport, and the quantification and identification of chemical systems. We optimize a previously fabricated neural probe design on an SU-8 substrate, featuring coplanar arrays of nine microband electrodes suited for in vivo applications. Through comprehensive in situ and in silico redox cycling studies and confining the electroactive footprint to 70 µm×100 µm, we examine various arrays of microband electrode arrays to gain a better understanding of their spatially and temporally resolved current responses. This research advances the optimization of electrode arrays, significantly enhancing electrochemical detection through redox cycling. Our findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of theory of single microband electrode and arrays of microbands, paving the way for developing advanced miniaturized medical devices for ultrasmall volume of chemical systems and in vivo investigations of neurological functions and related diseases. Additionally, we propose mathematical models demonstrating that the suitability of electrochemical methods for quantitative measurements at these microdevices is influenced by the relatively large electrode-insulator interface-to-electrode area ratio, which significantly impacts charging dynamics due to interactions among electrolyte, conductor material, and insulator layers. We benchmark prior publications on alternative conductor-insulator materials against our study, revealing that devices constructed with SU-8 exhibit more favorable electrochemical performance compared to those made with glass, epoxy, silicon nitride, and, under certain conditions, polyimide