Search

The study examined how clinically measured walking capacity contributes to real-world walking performance in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD).Cross-sectional baseline data (n = 82) from a PD clinical trial were analyzed. The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) were used to generate capacity metrics of walking endurance and fast gait speed, respectively. An activity monitor worn for seven days was used to generate performance metrics of mean daily steps and weekly moderate intensity walking minutes. Univariate linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between each capacity and performance measure in the full sample and less and more active subgroups.Walking capacity significantly contributed to daily steps in the full sample (endurance: RWalking capacity contributed to, but explained a relatively small portion of the variance in, real-world walking performance. The contribution was somewhat greater in less active individuals. The study adds support to the idea that clinically measured walking capacity may have limited benefit for understanding real-world walking performance in PD. Factors beyond walking capacity may better account for actual walking behavior.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the course of anxiety and depressive symptoms in early opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment may inform efforts to promote positive early treatment response and reduce treatment attrition. METHODS: Persons in treatment for nonmedical opioid use were identified from 86 addiction treatment facilities. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms during the first month of treatment among individuals who screened positive for depression (N=3016) and/or anxiety (N=2779) at intake. RESULTS: A three-class solution best fit the data for anxiety symptoms and included the following trajectories: 1) persistent moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms, 2) remitting severe anxiety symptoms, and 3) persistent minimal-to-mild anxiety symptoms. Similarly, a three-class solution best fit the data for depressive symptoms and included trajectories characterized by 1) persistent moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, 2) persistent moderate depressive symptoms, and 3) mild/remitting depressive symptoms. Persistent moderate-to-severe anxiety and depressive symptoms were predicted by female gender and heavy past-month benzodiazepine co-use. LIMITATIONS: Fine grained-information about substance use was not collected. Results may not be generalizable to individuals receiving treatment outside of specialty addiction clinics. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of anxiety and depression symptom trajectories in early treatment suggest that a subset of individuals entering treatment for opioid use experienced persistent and significant anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas others experience a remission of symptoms. Interventions designed to target individuals at the greatest risk, such as women and individuals reporting opioid/benzodiazepine co-use, may help improve mental health symptoms in early OUD treatment.

To compare phakic and pseudophakic primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RD) and, within phakic RD, eyes with and without cataract.Retrospective comparative clinical study.Setting: Online database of prospectively collected data. StudyPopulation: Patients aged ≥50 years who had undergone RD repair.Data included baseline demographic and clinical features, surgical details, and anatomical and functional outcomes. Univariate analysis was performed to compare pseudophakic with phakic RD, and phakic RD with and without cataract. Age and sex dependency of variables was analyzed and the association of preoperative variables with final visual acuity was assessed using multivariate analysis. MainOutcomeMeasures: Preoperative features, intraoperative management, postoperative outcomes, association of preoperative features with postoperative outcomes.Of 4,231 eyes, 1,212 were pseudophakic and 3,019 phakic, among which 310 had cataract. Pseudophakic RD showed significant differences compared with phakic RD, including older age, higher prevalence of male sex, foveal detachment, grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), inferior retinal breaks, inferior retinal involvement, and greater RD extent. Despite the more advanced features of pseudophakic RD, pseudophakia was a positive factor for visual outcome. Contralateral RD was more frequent in pseudophakic than phakic RD eyes (P.0001). Within phakic RD, phakic RD with cataract exhibited several similarities with pseudophakic RD, including greater age, more frequent foveal detachment, PVR, and greater RD extent.The presenting features differed significantly between pseudophakic and phakic RD, with greater occurrence of inferior retinal breaks and inferior retinal involvement in particular. Phakic RD with cataract shared several features in common with pseudophakic RD.

Cannabis continues to be the most widely used illicit substance among youth, as many teens view the risks of cannabis consumption to be low. With cannabis laws becoming lax and dispensaries becoming more prevalent throughout the United States, highly concentrated Δ-9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) is becoming readily available. This article examines the available literature on consumption of concentrated THC, focusing on potential consequences of concentrate use among youth. Various methods for consuming concentrated THC, including ingestion of edibles, vaping, and dabbing, are discussed, along with associated risks of each consumption method. Recommendations for health professionals are provided.

Objective To evaluate the proof of concept of an innovative model of physical therapy Rehabilitation Enhancing Aging through Connected Health (REACH) and evaluated its feasibility and effect on physical function and health care utilization. Design Quasi-experimental 12-month clinical trial. Setting Two outpatient rehabilitation centers. Participants Community-dwelling older primary care patients with a treatment arm undergoing the intervention (n=75; mean age=77±5.9y; 54% women) and propensity matched controls derived from a longitudinal cohort study (n=430; mean age=71±7.0y; 68% women) using identical recruitment criteria (N=505). Intervention Combined outpatient and home PT augmented with a commercially available app and computer tablet. Measurements Primary outcomes included a feasibility questionnaire, exercise adherence, self-reported function, and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Secondary outcomes included the rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Results Among REACH participants, we observed a 9% dropout rate. After accounting for dropouts, with propensity matching, n=68 treatments and n=100 controls were analyzed. Over the 12-month study duration, 85% of participants adhered to the exercise program an average of 2 times a week and evaluated the treatment experience favorably. In comparison to controls, after 1 year of treatment and within multivariable regression models, REACH participants did not manifest a significant difference in patient reported function (group x time effect 1.67 units, P=.10) but did manifest significant differences in SPPB (group x time effect 0.69 units, P=.03) and gait speed (group x time effect .08m/s, P=.02). In comparison to controls, after 1 year, the rate of ED visits (group x time treatment rate=0.27, P Conclusion The REACH intervention is feasible and has proof of concept in preventing functional decline and favorably affecting health care utilization. Evaluation on a larger scale is warranted.

Summary Gait impairments are among the most common and disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Nonetheless, gait is not routinely assessed quantitatively but is described in general terms that are not sensitive to changes ensuing with disease progression. Quantifying multiple gait features (eg, speed, variability, and asymmetry) under natural and more challenging conditions (eg, dual-tasking, turning, and daily living) enhanced sensitivity of gait quantification. Studies of neural connectivity and structural network topology have provided information on the mechanisms of gait impairment. Advances in the understanding of the multifactorial origins of gait changes in patients with Parkinson's disease promoted the development of new intervention strategies, such as neurostimulation and virtual reality, aimed at alleviating gait impairments and enhancing functional mobility. For clinical applicability, it is important to establish clear links between specific gait impairments, their underlying mechanisms, and disease progression to foster the acceptance and usability of quantitative gait measures as outcomes in future disease-modifying clinical trials.

Summary A non-destructive technique for physically detecting the growth of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during cycling of Li-ion pouch cells is presented. Operando cell-stack pressure measurements performed on constrained pouch cells reveal a correlation between irreversible volume expansion and capacity loss caused by a continually thickening SEI. Several silicon-containing full-cell chemistries—LCO/graphite:Si-alloy, NCA/graphite:SiO, and NCA/Si:C—as well as a conventional NMC/graphite cell chemistry were investigated. The effect of FEC consumption on catastrophic failure was also investigated by comparing cells containing 10% FEC and 1% FEC. We show that once FEC is depleted, passivation failure occurs, resulting in massive, irreversible expansion indicating runaway SEI thickening and concomitant cell failure. This work demonstrates that irreversible volume expansion caused by SEI growth can be detected with operando pressure measurements, thus presenting a valuable tool for studying the degradation of Li-ion pouch cells and ranking the performance of different cell chemistries.

Approximately 2.7 million individuals in the United States had an opioid use disorder (OUD) in 2020. Chronic pain may exacerbate opioid withdrawal severity, yet most research on opioid withdrawal has not collected data on chronic pain status. Moreover, there is limited evidence that women tend to experience greater opioid withdrawal severity than men, but large, confirmatory studies on this topic have not been published. The goal of this study was to examine the roles of chronic pain and gender on opioid withdrawal severity using a large, multi-site database.Data were collected from N = 1252 individuals with OUD entering eight residential addiction treatment facilities. Demographic, drug use behaviors, and chronic pain status were collected at treatment intake, and self-reported opioid withdrawal and craving were measured at intake and 1-3 days, 4-6 days, and 7-9 days after intake. Regression analyses were used to predict withdrawal and craving severity at intake and across the four timepoints.At intake, withdrawal was higher in persons who were older, had greater SUD severity, women, had chronic pain, and used 1 substance (p-values ≤.007) and craving was higher in persons with greater SUD severity (p .001) and women (p = .033). Withdrawal remained higher in women and persons with chronic pain across timepoints but decreased at a similar rate relative to comparators.Women and persons with chronic pain would benefit from earlier engagement in treatment and may require a more intensive strategy to mitigate opioid withdrawal in early treatment.

Urological cancer clinical trials face accrual challenges, which may stem from structural barriers within cancer programs. We sought to describe the extent to which urology cancer care providers are available within community cancer research programs and explore the role of oncology practice group ownership in their access to urology practices to participate in research.We conducted secondary analysis of organizational survey data collected in 2017 among National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program practice groups. We used logistic regression to assess the association of self-reported access to urologists to participate in research and oncology practice group ownership type: independent, payor-provider, health-system, or public ownership.Of the 209 community oncology practice groups in the analysis sample, 133 (63.6%) had access to urologists for research participation. Ownership was not statistically significantly associated with access to urology practices after controlling for other covariates (p = 0.4). Instead, having a hospital outpatient clinic (p = 0.008) and identifying as a safety-net hospital (p = 0.035) were both positively significantly associated with access to urologists to participate in research.Two-thirds of community cancer research groups have access to urology. Oncology ownership status was not associated with access to urologists for research. Research groups may need support to increase their capacity to engage non-oncology cancer care providers in research.

Sleep disturbances and disorders are a common and sometimes recalcitrant problem in persons recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs). As such, several randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to address sleep disturbances in a variety of SUD subpopulations and clinical scenarios. The goal of this systematic review was to collate patient-reported sleep outcomes used in past SUD-related RCTs to provide guidance for future sleep research in persons with SUDs.This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on May 7th, 2020 (CRD42020182004). Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed manuscripts describing RCTs in an SUD population.The initial search yielded 13,403 candidate articles, and 76 met a priori criteria and were included in this review. Thirty-five (46.1%) assessed sleep as a primary outcome (i.e., sleep improvement was the primary goal of the research) and 41 (53.9%) assessed sleep as a secondary outcome (i.e., sleep improvement was an important outcome, but not the primary outcome). The most commonly used measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Insomnia Severity Index, and sleep diaries. However, multiple additional sleep assessments were also used, including visual analogue and Likert scales.The field of addiction medicine would benefit from a streamlined approach in assessing patient-reported sleep in RCTs, including commonly used and validated assessments of sleep quality, inserting daily or repeated measures into RCTs, and including questionnaires that assess clinically relevant insomnia or other sleep disorders.

Improving sleep health is an important target for substance use disorder (SUD) research. However, there is little guidance for SUD researchers regarding the use of technologies to objectively assess sleep outcomes in randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). This systematic review aimed to describe the use of technologies to objectively measure sleep outcomes in RCTs conducted in persons with SUDs, in order to inform future sleep intervention studies in SUD populations.This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on May 7th, 2020 (CRD42020182004). RCTs were reviewed here if they were peer-reviewed manuscripts that included objective measures of sleep in RCTs that sought to improve sleep in persons with SUDs.The initial search yielded 13,403 potential articles, with 27 meeting a priori criteria to be included in this review. The most common SUD was alcohol use disorder (59%). The most common technology used to assess sleep was polysomnography (41%), followed by actigraphy (37%), ambulatory polysomnography or components of polysomnography (e.g., electroencephalography; 19%), and at-home sleep apnea testing (7%). The most common sleep outcome reported was total sleep time (96%).There are a range of options to assess objective sleep outcomes. Polysomnography or ambulatory devices that directly measure brain activity are critical to advance medications through the regulatory process for the indication of improving sleep duration, continuity, and/or sleep onset latency outcomes. Actigraphy is also useful in preliminary investigations and in detecting the relationship between diurnal and SUD-related behaviors.

Controlling the near-surface environment of heterogeneous catalysts is of fundamental importance for high selectivity and activity. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are effective tools to control reaction selectivity and activity for both supported noble metal and metal oxide catalysts. We previously demonstrated tunable dehydration activity of alcohols on phosphonic acid-modified, anatase-phase TiO2. In this work, we investigated the generality of this approach by studying the modification of other metal oxides including Al2O3, CeO2, CuO, Fe2O3, MgO, rutile-TiO2, SnO2, V2O5, WO3, ZrO2, and ZnO. Modification of these materials with phosphonic acids results in the formation of SAMs on the surface, as determined by infrared spectroscopy; studies of the thermal stability on selected catalysts indicated that the SAMs remained intact up to approximately 400 °C in inert environments. Decomposition of alcohols on these native materials resulted in dehydration, dehydrogenation, and condensation. Upon functionalization with phosphonic acid modifiers, the activity of all pathways decreased significantly, except for dehydration on CeO2, anatase-TiO2, and SnO2. We explored the properties of these oxides that may be responsible for this increase in dehydration activity using correlations to bulk properties. This analysis supported the hypothesis that phosphonic acid monolayers act as surface-level dopants for metal oxides of specific metal-oxygen bond strength and oxidation state.

Acoustic telemetry is a powerful tool for investigating the movement ecology of aquatic animals. As the number of studies using passive acoustic telemetry technology has grown in recent years, so has membership in regional collaborative networks in which methodologies and detection data are shared among researchers. These networks can significantly augment research projects by increasing the geographic coverage of detection data beyond the initial monitored area, and encourage the development of research collaborations with the goal of improving aquatic research management. As tags expire and projects end, researchers must decide whether to maintain their receiver stations, adjust the configuration to accommodate a new scope of research, or remove the stations. We assessed telemetry data from two projects designed to monitor fishes in nearshore and offshore habitats of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to determine the configuration of receiver stations most informative for network scale monitoring. Modeled on the Index of Relative Importance commonly used to analyze fish diets, the Receiver Efficiency Index (REI) allowed us to reduce the size of the two arrays from 59 to 24 and 33 to 21 stations, reductions of 59% and 27%, while retaining more than 75% of all detections. The application of this method has general relevance to understanding the spatial dynamics of these arrays while providing researchers with a quantitative tool to guide decision making that can maximize spatial coverage at the lowest maintenance cost.

Haylage (dry matter 51%–85%) is one of the most common forages fed to equids in Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability and reliability of the nutrient concentrations in haylage determined by either near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) or traditional Wet chemistry (WCh) methods in a single commercial laboratory. To assess this within methods, one single representative sample from one bale of haylage was split into 10 separate samples for analysis by both methods. A further 25 separate haylage bales from across the UK were subsampled at source (blind), and some further divided at the laboratory. In total, 52 haylage subsamples were analyzed using both NIRS and WCh, to measure organic matter, crude protein, ammonia (n = 34), crude fiber and fat (n = 45), acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, and sugar content (g/kg dry matter). For the subsamples from one single sample (n = 10), apart from ammonia and sugar, the coefficient of variance (%cv) within each method was very low showing good reliability (mean %cv ± standard deviation: NIRS 3.4 ± 2.1; WCh 3.6 ± 2). Mean %cv was 15.4% versus 15.0% for sugar and 29% versus 4.6% for ammonia for NIRS and WCh, respectively. Between the WCh and NIRS methods, the analytical value for sugar could vary by up to 20%. Overall, there was a strong correlation between the analytical methods for all measures (R2 = 0.80–0.91, P

Individuals with gambling disorder are at an elevated risk for engaging in gambling-related illegal behaviors. The present study examined client (N = 88) and clinician ratings (N = 30) of client characteristics associated with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors. We also examined client characteristics associated with history of arrest for a gambling-related crime. Gambling-related illegal behaviors and arrest were common (57.3% and 23.9%, respectively) in the present sample. Clients of younger age, and those with greater gambling-related financial consequences, lifetime alcohol problems, impulsivity, mood symptoms, and daily living role difficulties were more likely to report gambling-related illegal behaviors. Clients who had been arrested for a gambling-related crime were more likely to report daily living and role functioning difficulties and lifetime alcohol problems. Clinicians rated clients with a history of gambling-related illegal behaviors and/or gambling-related arrests as more impulsive, and clinicians also endorsed higher rates of treatment failure among these clients. Both client and clinician report suggested that clients with a history of illegal behaviors may have a variety of comorbid problems that may be a focus of clinical intervention.

Demographic size- or stage-structure can result in significant heterogeneity in species interactions within populations and ontogenetic shifts in the strength or type of these interactions have important consequences for populations. In the case of the Caribbean spiny lobster , Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804), and red grouper , Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes, 1928), both are important fishery species commonly found co-occurring in Florida Bay habitats. Red grouper are known to prey upon juvenile lobsters but karst solution holes excavated by red grouper often host large groups of lobsters. A combination of experiments tested the effect of red grouper on different lobster size classes to determine how this interaction changes through lobster ontogeny : red grouper were excluded from solution holes to test the effect of grouper presence on the abundance of each lobster size class; artificial dens were constructed to test the avoidance behaviors of small lobsters to red grouper; and a tethering experiment tested how lobster survival varied across size classes. Lobster abundance in solution holes with red grouper increased more than in holes where the grouper was removed (126% versus 16.9%), but this effect was strongest on adult and large immature lobsters. Experiments with artificial dens showed no effect of caged grouper presence on the abundance of small lobsters. Survival of tethered lobsters was lowest for small juveniles but again differed significantly between size classes. Overall, the distribution of lobsters in solution holes appears to be driven primarily by asymmetrical predation risk from red grouper through lobster ontogeny. Shifts in this interaction across life stages may play an important role in structuring the Caribbean spiny lobster population in Florida Bay.

Differentiation between alteration in behavior which is the result of pain and that reflecting other behavior is potentially challenging in ridden horses. A ridden horse ethogram has been developed, tested, and combined with a pain score. Nonlame horses generally had lower pain scores than lame horses, although there was a small overlap. To determine if the ethogram could be used to differentiate lame horses before and after diagnostic analgesia had substantially improved lameness, and to verify its use in comparison of nonlame and lame horses, a retrospective study was done. Video recordings of 10 lame horses were reviewed by a trained assessor before and after diagnostic analgesia resolved the baseline lameness and improved any gait abnormalities seen in canter. The ridden horse ethogram was applied to each horse under each circumstance that it was ridden. Occurrence (yes/no) for each of 24 behaviors was recorded. Data were combined with that of an additional 13 nonlame horses and 24 lame horses. After abolition of lameness, the total sum score of behaviors (P

PURPOSE: Assess systemic vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) levels after treatment with intravitreous aflibercept, bevacizumab or ranibizumab. DESIGN: Comparative-effectiveness trial with participants randomly assigned to 2-mg aflibercept, 1.25-mg bevacizumab, or 0.3-mg ranibizumab following a retreatment algorithm. PARTICIPANTS: Participants with available plasma samples (N=436) METHODS: Plasma samples were collected before injections at baseline, 4-week, 52-week and 104-week visits. In a pre-planned secondary analysis, systemic free-VEGF levels from an ELISA immunoassay were compared across anti-VEGF agents and correlated with systemic side effects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in the natural log (ln) of plasma VEGF levels. RESULTS: Baseline free-VEGF levels were similar across all 3 groups. At 4 weeks, mean ln(VEGF) changes were −0.30±0.61, −0.31±0.54, −0.02±0.44 pg/ml for the aflibercept, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab groups, respectively. The adjusted differences between treatment groups (adjusted CI; P-value) were −0.01 (−0.12, +0.10; P=0.89), −0.31 (−0.44, −0.18; P

The value and variation in bulk density is highly influential in the economics associated with biomass valorisation. Due to its importance, increased feedstock demand is directly related to understanding the characteristics affecting bulk density and the design of biomass processing and handling systems, along the renewable resource supply chains. This paper presents assessment of the elastic response of sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw and wattle, sourced from a second generation lignocellulosic ethanol plant. The study includes testing bulk solids “springiness” and the strain response to stress. While the results of this paper are a preliminary study, the ultimate aim of this work is to establish a relationship between compaction, dilation rates and magnitude with variations in the stress applied. Benchmark tests to characterise the elastic response were performed in a small cell compressibility tester. Testing was also undertaken in a larger cylinder and included preliminary evaluation using a uniaxial test apparatus. Furthermore, preliminary assessment of the stress/stain behaviour during compaction and dilation using Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) was undertaken and a comparison to experimental results is provided. Limitations of the available testing method prevented testing at higher consolidation loads and as such this work will be used to further develop the methodology and design of a new apparatus.

Benthic dinoflagellates of the toxigenic genus Coolia Meunier (Dinophyceae) are known to have a global distribution in both tropical and temperate waters. The type species, C. monotis, has been reported from the Mediterranean Sea, the NE Atlantic and from Rhode Island, USA in the NW Atlantic, whereas other species in the genus have been reported from tropical locations. Coolia cells were observed in algal drift samples collected at seven sites in Nova Scotia, Canada. Clonal isolates were established from four of these locations and identified with light and scanning electron microscopy, then confirmed with genetic sequencing to be C. monotis . This is the first record of this species in Nova Scotia. The isolates were established and incubated at 18 °C under a 14:10 L:D photoperiod with an approximate photon flux density of 50–60 μmol m −2 s −1 . Growth experiments using an isolate from Johnston Harbour (CMJH) were carried out at temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 °C under the same photoperiod with an approximate photon flux density of 45–50 μmol m −2 s −1 . Cells tolerated temperatures from 5 to 25 °C with optimum growth and mucilage aggregate production between 15 and 20 °C. Methanol extracts of this isolate examined by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) did not show the presence of the previously reported cooliatoxin. Toxic effects were assayed using two zebrafish bioassays, the Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) assay and the General Behaviour and Toxicity (GBT) assay. The results of this study demonstrate a lack of toxicity in C. monotis from Nova Scotia, as has been reported for other genetically-confirmed isolates of this species. Conditions in which cell growth that could potentially degrade water quality and provide substrate and dispersal mechanisms for other harmful microorganisms via mucilage production are indicated.

Methionine is an essential/indispensible amino acid nutrient required by adult and larval honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]). Bees are unable to rear broods on pollen deficient in methionine, and reportedly behaviorally avoid collecting pollen or nectar from florets deficient in methioinine. In contrast, it has been demonstrated that methionine is toxic to certain pest insects; thus it has been proposed as an effective biopesticide. As an ecofriendly integrated pest management agent, methionine boasts a novel mode of action differentiating it from conventional pesticides, while providing non-target safety. Pesticides that minimize collateral effects on bees are desirable, given the economic and ecological concerns about honey bee health. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential impact of the biopesticide methionine on non-target adult and larval honey bees. Acute contact adult toxicology bioassays, oral adult assessments and chronic larval toxicity assessments were performed as per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. Our results demonstrated that methionine fits the U.S. EPA category of practically nontoxic (i.e. lethal dose to 50% mortality or LD50 > 11µg/bee) to adult honey bees. The contact LD50 was > 25µg/bee and the oral LD50 was > 100µg/bee. Mortality was observed in larval bees that ingested DL-methionine (effective concentration to 50% mortality or EC50 560µg/bee). Therefore, we conclude that methionine poses little threat to the health of the honey bee, due to unlikely exposure at concentrations shown to elicit toxic effects.

In order to test the prediction that Bi2O3 could function as a replacement for PbO in preparing glass with zero stress-optic response, a series of bismuth boroaluminosilicate glasses of the form Bi2O3x(0.86B2O3-0.10SiO2-0.04Al2O3)1 −x were prepared. These glasses were then subjected to structural characterization and optical analysis. 11B and 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy were used to track the structural evolution of the glasses across the series, while the Senarmont method was employed to determine the stress-optic coefficient. Experiments indicated a zero stress-optic composition containing roughly 59 mol% Bi2O3. Various model glass structures were evaluated in the context of our previous model involving bond lengths and coordination numbers, and it was found that the prediction of this model was reasonable but that the elasto-optic response of the Bi-O bonds appears to be weak compared to that in Pb-O bonds.

Determining the reasons for pain in ridden horses is challenging, because of the many variable factors, including primary musculoskeletal pain, tack-induced pain, or rider-induced pain. Field-based studies clearly have limitations. Assuming that those limitations are acknowledged, behavioral observations that are repeatable among horses, and that show differences between nonlame and lame horses that are reduced when lameness is abolished by diagnostic analgesia, may be useful indicators of pain.

There is evidence that more than 47% of the sports horse population in normal work may be lame, but the lameness is not recognized by owners or trainers. An alternative means of detecting pain may be recognition of behavioral changes in ridden horses. It has been demonstrated that there are differences in facial expressions in nonlame and lame horses. The purpose of this study was to develop a whole horse ethogram for ridden horses and to determine whether it could be applied repeatedly by 1 observer (repeatability study, 9 horses) and if, by application of a related pain behavior score, lame horses (n = 24) and nonlame horses (n = 13) could be differentiated. It was hypothesized that there would be some overlap in pain behavior scores among nonlame and lame horses; and that overall, nonlame horses would have a lower pain behavior score than lame horses. The ethogram was developed with 117 behavioral markers, and the horses were graded twice in random order by a trained specialist using video footage. Overall, there was a good correlation between the 2 assessments ( P 2 = 0.91). Behavioral markers that were not consistent across the 2 assessments were omitted, reducing the ethogram to 70 markers. The modified ethogram was applied to video recordings of the nonlame horses and lame horses (ethogram evaluation). There was a strong correlation between 20 behavioral markers and the presence of lameness. The ethogram was subsequently simplified to 24 behavioral markers, by the amalgamation of similar behaviors which scored similarly and by omission of markers which showed unreliable results in relation to lameness. Following this, the maximum individual occurrence score for lame horses was 14 (out of 24 possible markers), with a median and mean score of 9 (±2 standard deviation) compared with a maximum score of 6 for nonlame horses, with a median and mean score of 2 (±1.4). For lame horses, the following behaviors occurred significantly more ( P

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is one of the commonly used techniques in chemical analysis. The chemical bonds that are present in samples absorb infrared light at various wavelengths based on the properties of chemical bonds between sets of atoms bonded together. By extracting these absorbance patterns, we aim to predict the presence or absence of various substructures within a compound based on its FTIR spectrum. Hypothetically, a powerful machine learning method with enough examples of a substructure should be able to identify the structure of an unknown compound by analyzing its FTIR spectrum. To this extent we developed a novel system that trains neural networks to predict the presence of various substructures within a compound. We then propose to apply metamorphic testing to verify the network training process. Experimental results exhibit that metamorphic testing helps to develop a more effective training process for classifier neural networks.

The emergence of multiscale design of materials and products has necessitated development of inductive robust design methods to rapidly develop and deploy new material systems. In addition, practical applications require robust designs which ensure performance goals are satisfied while accounting for model, noise, and control factor uncertainties. Recognizing the utility of a robust platform for design exploration, the Python Design Exploration Module (pyDEM) has been developed. The purpose of this work is to present this improved, generalized implementation of the Inductive Design Exploration Method (IDEM) to support integrated multiscale materials, process, and product design. The capabilities of pyDEM are highlighted and demonstrated via two test cases: (i) four-level Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) panel and (ii) wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) process of titanium. Keywords: Robust design, Computational model, Modeling, Multiscale simulations

Computer-delivered, brief interventions (CDBIs) have been an increasingly popular way to treat alcohol use disorders; however, very few studies have examined which characteristics of CDBIs maximize intervention effectiveness. The literature has consistently demonstrated that therapist empathy is associated with reduced substance use in in-person therapy; however, it is unclear whether this principle applies to CDBIs. Therefore, the study aimed to examine whether the presence of an empathic narrator increased intentions to reduce heavy drinking in a CDBI. Results suggest that the presence of empathy increases motivation to reduce drinking, and makes participants feel more supported and less criticized.

Polyvinyldene fluoride (PVDF) polymer piezoelectric actuators were manufactured using an electric poling-assisted additive manufacturing (EPAM) process and tested for actuation strain in the thickness direction. A heterodyne interferometer was used to measure the strain developed by the actuators as a function of applied voltage. Results were compared to a commercially available ceramic lead–zirconium–titanate (PZT) actuator. The EPAM PVDF samples exhibit strains up to 8.78 m ϵ , compared to 1.7 m ϵ developed by PZT samples at their maximum working voltages in linear ramp testing (860 V for EPAM PVDF and 200 V for PZT). The response of the EPAM PVDF samples to an applied force was tested to measure the piezoelectric effect, although no actual piezoelectric constants are calculated with this method. Results show that strain measurements of EPAM PVDF samples were up to 5.2 times greater than comparable measurements of PZT samples. However, the degree of piezoelectricity between EPAM PVDF samples varies so quality control is required for the EPAM process to ensure sample performance.

Our growing human population will be increasingly dependent on bees and other pollinators that provide the essential delivery of pollen to crop flowers during bloom. Within the context of challenges to crop pollinators and crop production, farm managers require strategies that can reliably provide sufficient pollination to ensure maximum economic return from their pollinator-dependent crops. There are unexploited opportunities to increase yields by managing insect pollination, especially for crops that are dependent on insect pollination for fruit set. We introduce the concept of Integrated Crop Pollination as a unifying theme under which various strategies supporting crop pollination can be developed, coordinated, and delivered to growers and their advisors. We emphasize combining tactics that are appropriate for the crop’s dependence on insect-mediated pollination, including the use of wild and managed bee species, and enhancing the farm environment for these insects through directed habitat management and pesticide stewardship. This should be done within the economic constraints of the specific farm situation, and so we highlight the need for flexible strategies that can help growers make economically-based ICP decisions using support tools that consider crop value, yield benefits from adoption of ICP components, and the cost of the practices. Finally, education and technology transfer programs will be essential for helping land managers decide on the most efficient way to apply ICP to their unique situations. Building on experiences in North America and beyond, we aim to provide a broad framework for how crop pollination can help secure future food production and support society’s increasing demand for nutritious diets.

We report regioselective functionalization of pyridones and pyrones via electrophilic bromination (Br2) or radical trifluoromethylation (NaSO2CF3/tBuOOH) at the 3-position. Counter-intuitively, the 3-position EW groups decreased the carbonyl stretching energy by 6–23 cm−1; however, 3,5-dibromination increased the C O frequency by 10–22 cm−1 compared to the 3-Br pyridones. X-ray crystallography revealed pyridone tautomers with contracted C O bond metrics. pKa values and 1H NMR shifts for the series 3-H→Br→CF3 revealed the expected trend of increasing acidity (pKa = 8.85 → 8.33→6.78, MeOH) and increasing chemical shifts (10.97 → 11.42→11.71 DMSO-d6). We conclude that the paradoxical decrease in CO stretching frequencies by the 3-positoin EW groups is explained by an ‘assistive’ electron-withdrawing effect, whereby the 3-position EW group assists the electronegative oxygen atom in recruiting more electron density, and – as a result – attaining more oxyanion character (decreased the C O bond strength).

Poor performance in horses is often attributed to rider or training problems or behavioral abnormalities. Riders often fail to recognize lameness. We need to determine if there are differences in facial expression in lame and nonlame horses when ridden, which may facilitate the identification of horses experiencing pain. A previously developed facial expression specific for ridden horses ethogram was applied blindly by a trained analyst to photographs (n = 519) of the head and neck of lame (n = 76) and nonlame (n = 25) horses acquired during ridden schooling-type work at both trot and canter. These included images of 7 lame horses acquired before (n = 30 photographs) and after diagnostic analgesia had abolished lameness (n = 22 photographs). A pain score (0-3; 0 = normal, 1-3 = abnormal) was applied to each feature in the ethogram, based on published descriptions of pain in horses. Pain scores were higher for lame horses than nonlame horses ( P P P P

Displacement measuring interferometry has high resolution and high dynamic range, which is widely used in displacement metrology and sensor calibration. Due to beam leakage in the interferometer, imperfect polarization components, and ghost reflections, the displacement measurement suffers from periodic error, whose pitch is multiple harmonics of the Doppler frequency. In dynamic measurements, periodic error is usually on the order of nanometers, which impacts the dynamic measurement accuracy. This paper presents an approach to estimate and correct periodic error in real time based on an extended Kalman filter, which has the capability to deal with both constant and non-constant velocity motions. This algorithm is implemented on an application-specific hardware architecture in an FPGA, which has advantages in throughput and resource usage compared with conventional implementations. The measurement validation shows that this approach can effectively eliminate the periodic error for both constant and non-constant velocity motion, and the residual error reaches to the level of the background noise of the interferometer.

Healthy school environments are critical for children to learn, play, and grow. Although research focusing specifically on the benefits of green spaces on academic performance is limited, the current research does in fact point to the link between greater amounts of trees on campuses and higher academic performance. We are beginning to develop an understanding of the benefits of trees but only a few comprehensive studies have been performed that measure the effects of trees on academic achievement. We examine the relationship among green spaces, students’ socio-economic factors, and their academic performance by using spatial measurements in geographic information system (GIS). The research study included 219 District of Columbia (D.C.) public schools. School environment measurements (e.g., land cover), school demographic data (e.g., number of students, student teacher ratio and free lunch enrollment), and school performance data (e.g., DC Comprehensive Student Assessment in Mathematics and Reading) were collected and georeferenced. GIS was used to integrate spatially dependent information regarding student and environmental factors with the land cover data. We found that schools with more trees had a higher percentage of proficient or advanced scores in Mathematics and Reading standardized tests after controlling for school size, student teacher ratio, and free lunch enrollment. However, not all types of landscapes have the same beneficial properties. Large expanses of land, “featureless landscapes,” including large areas of campus lawns and athletic fields have negative effects on academic performance. These results may help to guide the decisions made by landscape architects on the basis on evidence when they plan new and renovate existing schools.

Many horses presumed to be sound by their riders are not. Facial expression ethograms have previously been used to describe pain-related behavior in horses, but there is a need for a ridden horse facial ethogram to facilitate identification of pain in ridden horses. The objectives of this study were to develop and test an ethogram to describe facial expressions in ridden horses and to determine whether individuals could interpret and correctly apply the ethogram, with consistency among assessors. An ethogram was developed by reference to previous publications and photographs of 150 lame and nonlame ridden horses. A training manual was created. Thirteen assessors (veterinarians of variable experience, n = 4; equine technicians, n = 3; equine studies graduates, n = 2; amateur horse owners, n = 2; equine veterinary nurse, n = 1; a British Horse Society Instructor, n = 1) underwent a training session and, with reference to the training manual, evaluated still lateral photographs of 27 training heads. Features were graded as Yes, No, or “Cannot see” (when it was not possible to determine the presence or absence of a feature). The ethogram was adapted, and after further training, the assessors blindly evaluated 30 test heads from nonlame and lame horses. Intraclass correlation (ICC) and free-margin kappa tests were used to assess consensus among assessors. For the training heads, single ICC matrix among observers resulted in an overall ICC of 0.50 (95% confidence intervals, 0.40-0.62). Four assessors consistently scored differently from the others, with ranges of ICC of 0.20-0.50 (mean, 0.41). There was no difference in assessors' scoring related to their professional backgrounds. For the test heads, mean interrater agreement among assessors was 87%. Two assessors still scored consistently differently (0.28-0.50 ICC agreement; mean, 0.40) from the remaining 11 assessors (0.44-0.69 ICC agreement; mean, 0.56). The mean percentage of overall agreement was 80%, and the mean free-marginal kappa value was 0.72, standard deviation (SD) ± 0.22. The large SD was the result of inconsistency in assessments of the eyes and muzzle. It was concluded that the developed ethogram could reliably be utilized to describe facial expressions of ridden horses by people from different professional backgrounds. Future work needs to determine if nonlame and lame horses can be differentiated based on application of the ethogram.

The primary impetus for the work reported in this paper is to develop efficient overmoded waveguides (OMWGs) that employ broadband downtaper transitions that would be compatible with the severe space constraints in high-field NB magnets. Further, it is essential these would be readily manufacturable, as high precision corrugated metallic downtapers for the sub-mmw regime are very difficult to produce. We have simulated numerous alternatives to corrugated circular OMWGs, including most of the previously reported alternatives (except for many of the low-power fiberoptics options) and several novel designs. We conclude that corrugated circular metallic OMWGs are the best of the reported options to date (except from a cost perspective) for diameters down to ~1.5λ, but the corrugation parameters for small OMWGs need to be significantly different from the previously published guidelines that have worked well for large OMWGs. With numerically optimized small OMWGs, easily manufacturable smooth downtapers appear to work as well as corrugated downtapers in many cases relevant to MAS-DNP probes. Our example simulations will be for the 170–230 GHz range, but the lessons and results should be readily applicable to other ranges by simple scaling.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) assesses human brain activity by noninvasively measuring changes of cerebral hemoglobin concentrations caused by modulation of neuronal activity. Recent progress in signal processing and advances in system design, such as miniaturization, wearability and system sensitivity, have strengthened fNIRS as a viable and cost-effective complement to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), expanding the repertoire of experimental studies that can be performed by the neuroscience community. The availability of fNIRS and Electroencephalography (EEG) for routine, increasingly unconstrained, and mobile brain imaging is leading towards a new domain that we term “Neuroscience of the Everyday World” (NEW). In this light, we review recent advances in hardware, study design and signal processing, and discuss challenges and future directions towards achieving NEW.