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Influenza A viruses (IAVs) exploit host glycans in airway epithelial mucosa to gain entry and initiate infection. Rapid detection of changes in IAV specificity towards host glycan classes can provide early indication of virus transmissibility and infection potential. IAVs use hemagglutinins (HA) to bind sialic acids linked to larger glycan structures and a switch in HA specificity from α2,3-to α2,6-linked sialoglycans is considered a prerequisite for viral transmission from birds to humans. While the changes in HA structure associated with the evolution of binding phenotype have been mapped, the influence of glycan receptor presentation on IAV specificity remains obscured. Here, we describe a glycan array platform which uses synthetic mimetics of mucin glycoproteins to model how receptor presentation in the mucinous glycocalyx, including glycan type and valency of the glycoconjugates and their surface density, impact IAV binding. We found that H1N1 virus produced in embryonated chicken eggs, which recognizes both receptor types, exclusively engaged mucin-mimetics carrying α2,3-linked sialic acids in their soluble form. The virus was able utilize both receptor structures when the probes were immobilized on the array; however, increasing density in the mucin-mimetic brush diminished viral adhesion. Propagation in mammalian cells produced a change in receptor pattern recognition by the virus, without altering its HA affinity, toward improved binding of α2,6-sialylated mucin mimetics and reduced sensitivity to surface crowding of the probes. Application of a support vector machine (SVM) learning algorithm as part of the glycan array binding analysis efficiently characterized this shift in binding preference and may prove useful to study the evolution of viral responses to a new host.

Photovoltaic systems combined with electrical compression chillers offer a high potential for energy efficient cooling with a high economic feasibility. They can significantly reduce the energy consumption in the building sector. The main goal of this study is to analyse the performance of a PV solar driven water-water chiller. The novelty of the work relies on the use of a novel system, called photovoltaic evaporative chimney, which aims to increase the efficiency of solar photovoltaic modules by evaporative cooling. The complete solar cooling system consists of four PV panels (1.02 kWp) and a 3.8 kW refrigeration capacity water-cooled chiller. A systematic study was undertaken and nine sets of experiments were conducted in summer conditions of a Mediterranean climate (Spain). The system’s ability to convert the solar energy into refrigeration capacity was observed to be 0.49 on average for the tests performed. The solar contribution (ratio of PV energy consumption to total absorbed energy) was 64.40%. The system produced on average 11.32 cooling kWh per each kWh consumed from the grid. The influence of the ambient conditions on the key performance indicators has been assessed and global correlations for use in more detailed energy analyses have been developed.

This research study focused on the evaluation of an emulated in-vehicle Active Traffic and Demand Management (ATDM) system on Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia. Traditional ATDM systems rely on infrastructure-mounted variable message signs (VMS) to provide information (speed limits, lane availability, etc.) to the traveling public. By providing information about dynamic roadway conditions on an in-vehicle device, the ATDM may improve driving safety and performance by allowing drivers to remain consistently aware of forthcoming traffic conditions and roadway requirements; even when external signage is inaccessible. This study represents an initial investigation of an emulated in-vehicle ATDM to provide developers with design guidance and ensure that unintended consequences, such as distraction, do not undermine the potential benefits. Twenty younger and 20 older participants, accompanied by a member of the research team, experienced the following ATDM features on an in-vehicle device (IVD) mounted to the dashboard: (1) dynamic speed limits, (2) dynamic lane use/shoulder control, (3) High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) restrictions, and (4) roadway information from variable message signs. The IVD was equipped with auditory and visual alerts notifying the driver when relevant visual information was updated. Research questions addressed distraction and driver behavior associated with use of the system. Qualitative and quantitative participant data was acquired from the instrumented vehicle, various questionnaires, and researcher observation. Several key findings were uncovered: (1) The IVD, as tested, did not warrant classification as a source of distraction according to the NHTSA guidelines; v2) There was a significant difference in eye-glance durations to the IVD when comparing the VMS alerts to both the speed limit and lane management alerts; and (3) The speed limit alert motivated participants to alter their speed (per survey results and participant speed data).

In 2007, approximately one in five children in Zambia lived with an HIV positive adult. We identify the effect of adult antiretroviral therapy (ART) availability at scale on children’s educational outcomes by combining data on the expansion of ART availability with two national household surveys that include HIV testing. Through a triple difference specification, we find that the availability of ART increased the likelihood that children in households with HIV positive household heads started school on time and were the appropriate grade-for-age. Two mechanisms were likely decreased incidental infections in the household and related care giving duties.

Violence victimization is common among men and women who use substances and is associated with co-occurring health issues such as PTSD, depression and HIV. Substance use interventions, therefore, should include integrated components that are designed to address co-occurring health issues among victimized substance-using individuals. This systematic review synthesized the evidence on efficacy of comprehensive, integrated, multicomponent interventions for victimized substance-using individuals. The efficacy of integrated multicomponent intervention strategies was assessed for the following syndemic conditions: mental health, substance misuse, violence, and HIV risk. Seventeen studies were identified. Examples of effective components were empowerment strategies for violence, mindfulness-based stress reduction for mental health, social cognitive skill building for addressing HIV risk and psychoeducation for substance misuse. Although in this review, some components were found to be effective, we identified methodological limitations of included studies which calls for more rigorous research in this area. Further, there is lack of evidence base for multicomponent interventions for victimized substance-using individuals in developing countries. Additional studies are needed to establish rigorous evidence base for multicomponent interventions for victimized substance using individuals that help them cope effectively with their trauma of violence and address their needs.

This paper experimentally studies the air-side flow resistance of three different water collecting devices (WCDs) being U-type, V-type and rectangle-type. A wind tunnel was designed to simulate the airflow across the WCDs within air speeds of 0.5–3.0 m/s. The effect of dry/wet conditions on the air-side flow resistance was also investigated. The results show that the air-side flow resistance of the rectangle-type WCD is the highest among all while those of U-type and V-type are more or less identical. Therefore, the U-type WCD is recommended for industrial application as it can collect more water with low air-side flow resistance. Meanwhile, wet condition produces higher air-side flow resistance when compared with dry condition for all of the studied WCDs. Finally, a correlation is developed to express air-side pressure drop as a function of air speed, air density, water-to-air volumetric flow rate ratio and non-dimensional shape parameter which has been introduced for predicting the air-side flow resistance across WCDs.

Solar cooling provides an ideal coupling between solar energy and the need for cooling, since both reach their maximum during the summer. However, solar refrigeration technologies either have not been competitive or are in a preliminary stage of development. Photovoltaic (PV) driven compression chillers are the most promising and close to market solar solutions today in the case of small to medium units (i50 kW cooling) due to the tremendous decrease in the cost of PV modules. The main objective of this work is to improve the efficiency of a PV panel by cooling it on its upper face by water sliding and on its back side using a solar chimney. In addition, the system is used as heat sink of a water chiller working as a low scale cooling tower. The work developed consisted of adapting and testing a prototype, changing its mode of operation to overcome the limitations encountered in the first campaign of measures. Several tests were performed by modifying the water mass flow rate circulated to the nozzles (spray) and onto the PV upper surface (water film). For the test with a water flow rate in nozzles of 500 l/h and sliding 250 l/h the results show an average cooling of the panel of 15°C and an improvement in the electrical efficiency of the panel of about 10%. The modified system is still able to dissipate a thermal power of about 1500 W with a thermal efficiency exceeding 30% in summer conditions.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is common and highly heritable. Genetic studies of hepatic fat have not sufficiently addressed non-European and rare variants. In a medical biobank, we quantitate hepatic fat from clinical computed tomography (CT) scans via deep learning in 10,283 participants with whole-exome sequences available. We conduct exome-wide associations of single variants and rare predicted loss-of-function (pLOF) variants with CT-based hepatic fat and perform cross-modality replication in the UK Biobank (UKB) by linking whole-exome sequences to MRI-based hepatic fat. We confirm single variants previously associated with hepatic fat and identify several additional variants, including two (FGD5 H600Y and CITED2 S198_G199del) that replicated in UKB. A burden of rare pLOF variants in LMF2 is associated with increased hepatic fat and replicates in UKB. Quantitative phenotypes generated from clinical imaging studies and intersected with genomic data in medical biobanks have the potential to identify molecular pathways associated with human traits and disease.

When people are in emotional distress, they often seek support. Virtual humans may provide unique and complementary benefits to human support provision, given that virtual humans are readily available and help sharers overcome socio-evaluative threats, thereby increasing willingness to disclose. Here, we examined whether talking to a virtual human elicits socio-emotional benefits, and whether this is moderated by the type of support provided. To examine the scope of the potential effect, we compared two key types of support (emotional and cognitive), across two emotions (anger and worry). Participants (N = 115) shared two personal emotional experiences with a virtual human, who provided either emotional or cognitive support via the Wizard-of-Oz method (i.e., a human-operated avatar). Results showed that participants felt better after talking to the virtual human, as evidenced by reduced intensity of the target emotion and generally improved affect. The emotional improvement was similar for emotional and cognitive support. Cognitive support was also experienced as equally effective as emotional support, and led to similar levels of experienced closeness and desire to interact with the virtual human again. These findings suggest that talking to a virtual human can be a valuable form of support at times of distress.

The vitamin D content of many Australian game products is unknown. These foods are potential sources of vitamin D for remote-dwelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, of whom 39% are vitamin D deficient (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Background: The creatinine-based CKD EPI equation is the most widely used method to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcr) in clinical practice. The eGFRcr adjusts for sex, age, and race (Black vs non-Black) and was derived and validated in aggregated datasets from US-based research studies in which GFR was measured directly. However, in prior work, we found eGFRcr performed worse in people living with HIV (PLWH) compared to HIV negative counterparts which may be due to differences in muscle mass, the major source of creatinine. Here, we focus on African American (AA) participants to determine whether the race eGFRcr calibration factor contributes to poor accuracy and bias in AAs living with HIV. Methods: Beginning in 2010, we enrolled and followed an AA cohort of PLWH and HIV-negative participants in Baltimore Maryland. Annually, we measured GFR by iohexol disappearance from plasma (iGFR) and serum concentrations of creatinine and cystatin C. This analysis was restricted to AA participants. We calculated eGFRcr and the creatinine-cystatin C combination equation (eGFRcr-cys) with and without race adjustment. Accuracy was defined as the fraction of eGFR values within +/- 30% of iGFR. Bias was defined as eGFR minus iGFR, with positive and negative values representing overestimation and underestimation of iGFR, respectively. We used multilevel mixed models to account for the within-visit linked structure of the multiple GFR measures, further nested within repeated observations for individuals. We examined the association between lean mass, HIV status, and eGFRcr bias in a subset with body composition measures. Findings: 207 HIV-positive and 107 HIV-negative AA participants contributed 781 and 376 study visits, respectively, with valid measures of iGFR, creatinine, and cystatin C. Among PLWH, omitting the race adjustment (compared with retaining it) changed average eGFRcr bias from 9.1 to -3.9 ml/min/1.73 m2. Moreover, estimation accuracy improved significantly when race adjustment was omitted rather than retained: 86% vs. 78% for eGFRcr (P

Drift eliminators play a major role in cooling tower operation. They are designed to reduce the discharge aerosols in their exhaust air stream to a minimum since inhaled airborne particles can cause the well-known Legionnaires disease. However, the pressure drop induced into the air stream increases the power consumption of the system. Accordingly, the design and selection of these elements should be a trade-off between the pressure drop and the collection efficiency. In this paper, six commercial drift eliminators (vane, wire mesh, and honeycomb-type) have been characterized in terms of pressure drop and collection efficiency with the aim of providing reliable information that can be used in drift eliminator design and selection. Fifty-three experiments were conducted regarding the pressure drop and collection efficiency characterization of the eliminators. Generally speaking, for the same type of eliminators the higher the pressure drop, the more efficient it is. Concerning typologies, wire-mesh eliminators perform better than the rest in terms of both pressure drop and collection efficiency. Dimensionless correlations for the pressure drop coefficient and the collection efficiency have been developed for the tested eliminators, showing a good agreement with the experimental results. A selection criterion has been proposed based on the dimensionless parameters that govern the problem and the experimental data of power consumption. It is based on determining the power consumed by the fans of the tower by setting a limit of collection efficiency and the droplet distribution characteristics at the cooling tower outlet area.

Innate immune signaling by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) involves receptor phosphorylation, which helps to shape and drive key inflammatory outputs, yet our understanding of the kinases and mechanisms that mediate TLR phosphorylation is incomplete. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase, which is known to relay adaptive and innate immune signaling, including from TLRs. However, TLRs do not contain the conserved dual immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs that typically recruit Syk to many other receptors. One possibility is that the Syk-TLR association is indirect, relying on an intermediary scaffolding protein. We previously identified a role for the palmitoylated transmembrane adapter protein SCIMP in scaffolding the Src tyrosine kinase Lyn, for TLR phosphorylation, but the role of SCIMP in mediating the interaction between Syk and TLRs has not yet been investigated. Here, we show that SCIMP recruits Syk in response to lipopolysaccharide-mediated TLR4 activation. We also show that Syk contributes to the phosphorylation of SCIMP and TLR4 to enhance their binding. Further evidence pinpoints two specific phosphorylation sites in SCIMP critical for its interaction with Syk-SH2 domains in the absence of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. Finally, using inhibitors and primary macrophages from SCIMP

Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration is a recognised risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Associations with vitamin D metabolites and vitamin D binding globulin (VDBG) have not been widely studied. We assessed the association between vitamin D metabolites (25(OH)D

Division of labor is a hallmark of eusocial insects and their ecological success can be attributed to it. Honey bee division of labor proceeds along a stereotypical ontogenetic path based on age, modulated by various internal and external stimuli. Brood pheromone is a major social pheromone of the honey bee that has been shown to affect honey bee division of labor. It elicits several physiological and behavioral responses; notably, regulating the timing of the switch from performing in-hive tasks to the initiation of foraging. Additionally, brood pheromone affects future foraging choice. In honey bees, sucrose response threshold is a physiological correlate of age of first foraging and foraging choice. Brood pheromone has been shown to modulate sucrose response threshold in young bees, but its effects on sucrose response thresholds of bees in advanced behavioral states (foragers) are not known. In this study we examined the sucrose response thresholds of two different task groups, foragers (pollen and non-pollen) and non-foraging bees, in response to honey bee brood pheromone. Sucrose response thresholds were not significantly different between brood pheromone treatment and controls among both non-pollen and pollen foragers. However, the sucrose response threshold of non-foraging bees was significantly higher in the brood pheromone treatment group than in the control group. The switch to foraging task is considered a terminal one, with honey bee lifespan being determined at least partially by risks and stress accompanying foraging. Our results indicate that foragers are physiologically resistant to brood pheromone priming of sucrose response thresholds.

This paper experimentally studies the thermal and fluid-dynamic behaviour of a new type of evaporative pad made from a high-density polyethylene mesh. Three different pad sizes with dimensions of 492 × 712 mm and thicknesses of 80, 160, and 250 mm are tested. The experiments are conducted in a subsonic wind tunnel adapted to recirculate water on the pads by a pump-driven circuit. A complete set of tests are carried out in which the cooling pad operating parameters such as air flow velocity, water flow rate and pad thickness are varied. As a result, the values of the following characteristic variables of the cooling pad are obtained: saturation efficiency, energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, pressure drop, humidity ratio variation, air temperature variation and amount of evaporated water. The results show that the maximum saturation efficiency of this type of pad is 80.5% and the maximum pressure drop in the air flow is less than 17 Pa. In addition, it is established that the behaviour of exergy efficiency is opposite to the expected function of the evaporative pad and varies from 70% to 94% with decrease in pad thickness. Finally, a new overall exergy efficiency is proposed in this study to optimize the operating conditions of the evaporative pad in air conditioning applications.

Animal models of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) have frequently utilized partial transection injuries to evaluate plasticity promoting treatments such as rehabilitation training of skilled reaching and grasping tasks. Though highly useful for studying the effects of cutting specific spinal tracts that are important for skilled forelimb motor function, cervical partial-transection SCI-models underappreciate the extensive spread of most human SCIs, thus offering poor predictability for the clinical setting. Conversely, moderate cervical contusion SCI models targeting the spinal tracts important for skilled reaching and grasping can better replicate the increased size of most human SCIs and are often considered more clinically relevant. However, it is unknown whether animals with moderate cervical contusion SCIs that damage key spinal motor tracts can train in skilled reaching and grasping tasks. In this study, we quantify the impact of injury size and distribution on recovery in a skilled motor task called the single pellet reaching, grasping and retrieval (SPRGR) task in rats with cervical unilateral contusion injuries (UCs), and compare to rats with a partial transection SCIs (i.e., dorsolateral quadrant transection; DLQ). We found that UCs damage key tracts important for performing skilled motor tasks, similar to DLQs, but UCs also produce more extensive grey matter damage and more ventral white matter damage than DLQs. We also compared forelimb functionality at 1, 3, and 5 weeks of rehabilitative motor training between trained and untrained rats and found a more severe drop in SPRGR performance than in DLQ SCIs. Nevertheless, despite more severe injuries and initially low SPRGR performance, rehabilitative training for contusion animals resulted in significant improvements in SPRGR performance and proportionally more recovery than DLQ rats. Our findings show that rehabilitative motor training can facilitate considerable amounts of motor recovery despite extensive spinal cord damage, especially grey matter damage, thus supporting the use of contusion or compression SCI models and showing that ventral grey and white matter damage are not necessarily detrimental to recovery after training.

Introduction In 2018, the Baltimore City Health Department launched a mobile clinic called Healthcare on The Spot, which offers low-threshold buprenorphine services integrated with health care services to meet the needs of people who use drugs. In addition to buprenorphine management, The Spot offers testing and treatment for hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV, as well as pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, wound care, vaccinations, naloxone distribution, and case management. Methods and materials This cohort analysis includes clinical service data from the first 15 months of The Spot mobile clinic, from September 4, 2018, to November 23, 2019. The Spot co-located with the Baltimore syringe services program in five locations across the city. Descriptive data are provided for patient demographics and services provided, as well as percent of patients retained in buprenorphine treatment at one and three months. Logistic regression identified factors associated with retention at three months. Results The Spot mobile clinic provided services to 569 individuals from September 4, 2018, to November 23, 2019, including prescribing buprenorphine to 73.8% and testing to more than 70% for at least one infectious disease. Patients receiving a prescription for buprenorphine were more likely to be tested for HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections, as well as receive treatment for hepatitis C and preventive services including vaccination and naloxone distribution. The Spot initiated HIV treatment for four patients and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for twelve patients. More than 32% of patients had hepatitis C; nineteen of these patients initiated treatment for hepatitis C with eight having a documented cure. Buprenorphine treatment retention was 56.0% at one month and 26.2% at three months. Patients who were Black or receiving treatment for hepatitis C were more likely to be retained in buprenorphine treatment at three months. Conclusions Increasing access to integrated medical services and drug treatment through low-threshold, community-based models of care can be an effective tool for addressing the effects of drug use.

Background : While a number of studies have examined associations between dietary factors and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), little is known about intakes of inflammation-modulating foods and nutrients and risk of MS. Objectives : To test associations between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) demyelination (FCD) (267 cases, 507 controls) using data from the Ausimmune Study. Methods : The 2003-2006 Ausimmune Study was a multicentre, matched, case-control study examining environmental risk factors for an FCD, a common precursor to MS. The DII is a well-recognised tool that categorises individuals’ diets on a continuum from maximally anti-inflammatory to maximally pro-inflammatory. The DII score was calculated from dietary intake data collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between DII and FCD separately for men and women. Results : In women, a higher DII score was associated with increased likelihood of FCD, with a 17% increase in likelihood of FCD per one-unit increase in DII score (adjusted odds ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.33). There was no association between DII and FCD in men (adjusted odds ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.07). Conclusions : These findings suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with an increased likelihood of FCD in women.

Soils contain immense diversity and support terrestrial ecosystem functions, but they face both anthropogenic and environmental stressors. While many studies have examined the influence of individual stressors on soils, how these perturbations will interact to shape soil communities and their ability to cycle nutrients is far less resolved. Here, we hypothesized that when soils experience multiple stressors their ability to maintain connected and stable communities is disrupted, leading to shifts in C and N pools. To test this, we maintained soils across three temperatures representative of seasonal variability (15, 20 and 30 °C) and introduced high or low doses of the common livestock antibiotic Monensin. We monitored respiration and examined changes to microbial communities through amplicon sequencing and network analyses. We also examined soil C and N pools to understand how temperature and antibiotics shape ecosystem function. We found that antibiotics and rising soil temperatures interacted to disrupt bacterial assemblages and network structure, allowing for a rise in fungal dominance and change in soil nutrient stoichiometry. Antibiotics alone decreased bacterial diversity, abundance, total extractable N, and microbial carbon use efficiency, while increasing bioavailable C. Higher temperatures independently homogenized fungal community composition, decreased dissolved organic C and increased soil respiration rates. These results emphasize that as soils encounter multiple stressors, ecosystem efficiency, stability and resilience may be diminished.

This paper deals with the comparison of three condensation systems for the heat dissipation in a solar power plant: wet system, dry system and hybrid system based on the pre-cooling of the air in an adiabatic panel located in the entrance section of a dry system. Energy, exergy and environmental (3E) analyses were conducted to assess the influence of the condensation system on the power plant performance. The Andasol I plant located in Granada (Spain), with a net power capacity of 50 MWe, is used as a real reference case of a concentrated solar power station. The cycle refrigerated with a cooling tower achieves a lower pressure of condensation, followed by the hybrid and dry system. As the pressure decreases, the efficiency of the cycle increases and also the power generated, being 12.60% in the case of cooling tower and 4.65% in the hybrid system with respect the dry condenser. A 71.74% of water usage savings by the hybrid system carries a 7.06% of net power production with regard of the cooling tower configuration. The exergetic performance of the plant is 73.77% for the wet system, 69.21% for the hybrid and 68.46% for the dry system.

BACKGROUND. Associations between fentanyl use and initiation and retention on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are poorly understood. METHODS. Data were from a multisite clinical trial comparing extended-release naltrexone (XRNTX) with treatment as usual (TAU; buprenorphine or methadone) to achieve HIV viral suppression among people with OUD and uncontrolled HIV disease. The exposure of interest was fentanyl use, as measured by urine drug screening. Outcomes were time to MOUD initiation, defined as date of first injection of XR-NTX, buprenorphine prescription, or methadone administration; MOUD persistence, the total number of injections, prescriptions, or administrations received over 24 weeks; and MOUD retention, having an injection, prescription, or administration during weeks 20 to 24. RESULTS. Participants (N = 111) averaged 47 years old and 62% were male. Just over half (57%) were Black and 13% were Hispanic. Sixty-four percent of participants tested positive for fentanyl at baseline. Participants with baseline fentanyl positivity were 11 times less likely to initiate XR-NTX than those negative for fentanyl (aHR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.24, p < .001), but there was no evidence that fentanyl use impacted the likelihood of TAU initiation (aHR = 1.50, 0.67 to 3.36, p = .323). Baseline fentanyl use was not associated with persistence or retention on any MOUD. CONCLUSIONS. Fentanyl use was a substantial barrier to XR-NTX initiation for the treatment of OUD in persons with uncontrolled HIV infection. There was no evidence that fentanyl use impacted partial/full agonist initiation and, once initiated, retention on any MOUD.

The emergence of construction robotics and automation has produced an urgent and vast need for construction workers to reskill and upskill for the future of work. Virtual Reality (VR)-based training has been considered and investigated as a safe and cost-effective training method that allows workers to be exposed to hazardous tasks with negligible actual safety risks in comparison to existing training methods (hands-on, lecture-based, apprenticeship training). This paper aims to investigate the impact of VR-based training on construction workers’ knowledge acquisition, operational skills, and safety behavior during robotic teleoperation compared to the traditional in-person training method. Fifty construction workers were randomly assigned to complete either VR-based or in-person training for operating a demolition robot. We used quantitative and qualitative data analyses to answer our research questions. Our results indicate that VR-based training was associated with a significant increase in knowledge, operational skills, and safety behavior compared to in-person training. Our findings suggest that VR-based training not only provides a viable and effective option for future training programs but a valuable option for construction robotics safety and skill training.

Australia needs accurate vitamin D food composition data to support public health initiatives. Previously, limitations in analytical methodology have precluded development of a comprehensive database. We used liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ) to analyse 149 composite samples representing 98 foods (primary samples n = 896) in duplicate for vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), vitamin D2, 25(OH)D2. The greatest concentrations of vitamin D3 were found in canned salmon and a malted chocolate drink powder (fortified); chicken eggs and chicken leg meat contained the most 25(OH)D3. Margarine (fortified) and chocolate contained the greatest concentrations of vitamin D2, with smaller amounts found in various meat products. 25(OH)D2 was detected in various foods, including meats, and was quantitated in lamb liver. These data advance knowledge of dietary vitamin D in Australia and highlight the importance of analysis of these four forms of vitamin D to accurately represent the vitamin D content of food.

Cooling tower emissions have become an increasingly common hazard to the environment (air polluting, ice formation and salts deposition) and to the health (Legionella disease) in the last decades. Several environmental policies have emerged in recent years limiting cooling tower emissions but they have not prevented an increasing intensity of outbreaks. Since the level of emissions depends mainly on cooling tower component design and the operating conditions, this paper deals with an experimental investigation of the amount of emissions, drift and PM10, emitted by a cooling tower with different configurations (drift eliminators and distribution systems) and working under several operating conditions. This objective is met by the measurement of cooling tower source emission parameters by means of the sensitive paper technique. Secondary objectives were to contextualize the observed emission rates according to international regulations. Our measurements showed that the drift rates included in the relevant international standards are significantly higher than the obtained results (an average of 100 times higher) and hence, the environmental problems may occur. Therefore, a revision of the standards is recommended with the aim of reducing the environmental and human health impact. By changing the operating conditions and the distribution system, emissions can be reduced by 52.03% and 82% on average. In the case of drift eliminators, the difference ranges from 18.18% to 98.43% on average. As the emissions level is clearly influenced by operating conditions and components, regulation tests should be referred to default conditions. Finally, guidelines to perform emission tests and a selection criterion of components and conditions for the tested cooling tower are proposed.

Resumen: Introducción: Las malformaciones cavernosas cerebrales (CCM; OMIM 116860) son engrosamientos cavernosos vasculares sin intervención del parénquima cerebral con una prevalencia estimada en la población general del 0,1-0,5%. La cavernomatosis cerebral presenta un patrón de herencia autosómico dominante con penetrancia clínica y radiológica incompleta. Tres genes se han asociado al desarrollo de lesiones: CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2/MGC4607 y CCM3/PDCD10. Desarrollo: La mutación responsable no es detectada en un alto porcentaje de casos, por lo que nuevos enfoques son necesarios para su detección. En esta revisión se analizan las técnicas actualmente utilizadas y las posibles mutaciones o variantes que pueden ser detectadas en un laboratorio de genética molecular o biología molecular. Asimismo, se analizan alternativas que pueden ser abarcadas para la detección de mutaciones en aquellos pacientes en los que los estudios hayan resultado negativos. Conclusiones: El diagnóstico molecular de la cavernomatosis cerebral debe incluir al menos la detección del número de copias y la secuenciación de los genes CCM. Finalmente, ofrecer un adecuado consejo genético es crucial para proporcionar información y apoyo a los pacientes y familias que padecen la enfermedad. Abstract: Introduction: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs; OMIM 116860) are enlarged vascular cavities without intervening brain parenchyma whose estimated prevalence in the general population is between 0.1% and 0.5%. Familial CCM is an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete clinical and radiological penetrance. Three genes have been linked to development of the lesions: CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2/MGC4607, and CCM3/PDCD10. Development: : The aetiological mutation is not detected in a large percentage of cases and new approaches are therefore needed. The aim of this review is to analyse current molecular techniques and the possible mutations or variations which can be detected in a molecular genetics or molecular biology laboratory. Likewise, we will analyse other alternatives that may help detect mutations in those patients showing negative results. Conclusions: A molecular diagnosis of cerebral cavernous malformations should provide at least the copy number variation and sequencing of CCM genes. In addition, appropriate genetic counselling is a crucial source of information and support for patients and their relatives. Palabras clave: Cavernomatosis cerebral, CCM1, CCM2, CCM3, Multiplex ligation-dependent probe analysis, Secuenciación, Keywords: Cerebral cavernous malformations, CCM1, CCM2, CCM3, Multiplex ligation-dependent probe analysis, DNA sequencing

Cooling sector plays a crucial role in the World's transition towards an efficient and decarbonised energy system. Solar cooling is an attractive idea because of the chronological coincidence between available solar radiation and cooling needs. This paper studies the possibility of increasing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic modules by evaporative cooling. This, combined with the use of a water condensed chiller, will enable an efficient cooling system design as a whole. To achieve this goal this paper experimentally evaluates the thermal and electrical performance of a Photovoltaic Evaporative Chimney. A prototype with two photovoltaic modules was built; one of them is used as a reference and the other is modified in its rear side including the evaporative solar chimney. The system is able to dissipate a thermal power of about 1500 W with a thermal efficiency exceeding 30% in summer conditions. The module temperature differences reach 8 K, depending on the wind conditions and ambient air psychrometric properties. Regarding the electrical efficiency, the results showed an average improvement of 4.9% to a maximum of 7.6% around midday in a typical summer day for a Mediterranean climate.

Pre-cooling of inlet air using water sprays is a promising approach to enhance the performance of natural draft dry cooling towers. The present article investigates the usage of saline water in spray assisted natural draft dry cooling towers. A CFD model is developed to predict droplet evaporation, transport, and wet length (distance from the nozzle where all droplets are dry due to evaporation). This length is a key parameter when utilizing saline water in dry cooling tower designs as the risk of corrosion due to the existence of Cl − ions and deposition of salt should be minimized. Experimental tests are conducted in a wind tunnel at cooling tower representative conditions to validate the model. A good agreement is observed between numerical and experimental results. Once validated, results from a numerical experiment incorporating both non-uniform droplet distributions typical for sprays and spray half angle were used to develop a general dimensionless correlation for wet length in horizontal ducts, based on effective diameter and flow conditions. The dimensionless correlation presented in this work allows the influence of operating and ambient parameters on the wet length to be predicted. Air temperature has the strongest influence on wet length. A 4 °C increase in temperature leads to 11.4% reduction in wet length. Other operating parameter, such us droplet diameter and air velocity, have weaker effects.

Occupant behavior is one of the most significant contributors to building energy consumption. Employing communication systems to enable buildings to interact with their occupants and influence the way they behave could significantly reduce energy consumption. We investigated the effectiveness of different delivery styles (i.e., avatar, voice, and text), as well as the impact of communicators persona (i.e., building facility manager and building itself) and gender (i.e., male and female) on occupants compliance with pro-environmental requests. The results showed that avatar is more effective than voice and voice is more effective than text on promoting compliance with persuasive pro-environmental requests. In addition, results showed greater compliance with requests made by the persona of a building facility manager than the persona of the building itself. Finally, participants were more likely to comply with the female communicator than the male communicator. Accordingly, this new interaction between buildings and their occupants could impact human behavior. Avatars were found to be more effective than voice at evoking compliance.Avatars and voice were more effective than text at prompting compliance.Participants comply with requests from female communicators more than males.Compliance was greater when personified as the building facility manager rather than the building.

Objective To report on the establishment of a unified, electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) infrastructure and pilot results from the first 5 practices enrolled in the web-based collection system developed by the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative. Materials and Methods Eligible patients were those undergoing radical prostatectomy of 5 academic and community practices. PRO was obtained using a validated 21-item web-based questionnaire, regarding urinary function, erection function, and sexual interest and satisfaction. Data were collected preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Patients were provided a link via email to complete the surveys. Perioperative and PRO data were analyzed as reports for individual patients and summary performance reports for individual surgeons. Results Among 773 eligible patients, 688 (89%) were enrolled preoperatively. Survey completion rate was 88%, 84%, and 90% preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months. Electronic completion rates preoperatively, at 3 months, and 6 months were 70%, 70%, and 68%, respectively. Mean urinary function scores were 18.3, 14.3, and 16.6 (good function ≥ 17), whereas mean erection scores were 18.7, 7.3, and 9.1 (good erection score ≥ 22) before surgery, at 3 months, and 6 months. Variation was noted for erectile function among the practices. Conclusion Collection of electronic PRO via this unified, web-based format was successful and provided results that reflect expected recovery and identify opportunities for improvement. This will be extended to more practices statewide to improve outcomes after radical prostatectomy.

Purpose To determine the interobserver reliability of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grading system of chondral lesions in cadavers, to determine the intraobserver reliability of the ICRS grading system comparing arthroscopy and video assessment, and to compare the arthroscopic ICRS grading system with histological grading of lesion depth. Methods Eighteen lesions in 5 cadaveric knee specimens were arthroscopically graded by 7 fellowship-trained arthroscopic surgeons using the ICRS classification system. The arthroscopic video of each lesion was sent to the surgeons 6 weeks later for repeat grading and determination of intraobserver reliability. Lesions were biopsied, and the depth of the cartilage lesion was assessed. Reliability was calculated using intraclass correlations. Results The interobserver reliability was 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.5-0.89) for the arthroscopic grading, and the intraobserver reliability with the video grading was 0.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.9). A high correlation was seen between the arthroscopic grading of depth and the histological grading of depth (0.91); on average, surgeons graded lesions using arthroscopy a mean of 0.37 (range, 0-0.86) deeper than the histological grade. Conclusions The arthroscopic ICRS classification system has good interobserver and intraobserver reliability. A high correlation with histological assessment of depth provides evidence of validity for this classification system. Clinical Relevance As cartilage lesions are treated on the basis of the arthroscopic ICRS classification, it is important to ascertain the reliability and validity of this method.