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Both overfeeding and underfeeding critically ill children are problematic. This prospective pilot study evaluated the resting energy expenditure in infants and children requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. An indirect calorimeter was used to measure oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) and carbon dioxide production (VCO 2 ) from the mechanical ventilator. Blood gases were used to determine VO 2 and VCO 2 from the ECMO circuit. Values from the mechanical ventilator and ECMO circuit were added, and the resting energy expenditure (REE) (Kcal/kg/day) was calculated. Measurements were obtained24 hours after ECMO support was initiated (day 2 of ECMO), 1 day before ECMO discontinuation or transfer, and 1 day after decannulation. Data were compared with the predicted energy expenditure. Seven patients aged 3 months to 13 years were included. The REE varied greatly both above and below predicted values, from 26 to 154 KCal/kg/day on day 2 of ECMO support. In patients with septic shock, the REE was300% above the predicted value on day 2 of ECMO. Before ECMO discontinuation, two of six (33%) children continued to have a REE110% of predicted. Three patients had measurements after decannulation, all with a REE90% of predicted. REE measurements can be obtained by indirect calorimetry in children receiving ECMO support. ECMO may not provide metabolic rest for all children as a wide variation in REE was observed. For optimal care, individual testing should be considered to match calories provided with the metabolic demand.

This paper examines infrared spectroscopic effects for the standoff detection of an explosive material, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), inkjet printed on an aluminum surface. Results of a spectroscopic study are described, using multiple optical setups. These setups were selected to explore how variations in the angles of incidence and collection from the surface of the material result in corresponding variations in the spectral signatures. The goal of these studies is to provide an understanding of these spectral changes since it affects standoff detection of hazardous materials on a reflective substrate. We demonstrate that variations in spectral effects are dependent on the relative surface concentration of the deposited RDX. We also show that it is reasonable to use spectroscopic data collected in a standard laboratory infrared spectrometer outfitted with a variable angle reflectometer set at 0° as reference spectra for data collected in a standoff configuration. These results are important to provide a systematic approach to understanding infrared (IR) spectra collection using standoff systems in the field, and to allow for comparison between such data, and data collected in the laboratory. Although the precise results are constrained to a specific material system (thin layers on a reflective substrate), the approach and general discussion provided are applicable to a broad range of IR standoff sensing techniques and applications.

Purpose To examine the association between intensive, longitudinal ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and self-reported eating behaviors. Methods Secondary analysis of the EMPOWER study—a 12-month observational study that examined the microprocesses of relapse following intentional weight loss using smartphone-administered EMA—was conducted. Participants were asked to complete four types of EMA surveys using a mobile app. For this analysis, only the number of completed random EMA surveys was used. Using linear mixed-effects modeling, we analyzed whether the number of completed random EMA surveys was associated with changes in self-reported dietary restraint, dietary disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger measured using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Results During the 12-month study, 132 participants completed a mean of 1062 random EMA surveys (range: 673–1362). The median time it took for participants to complete random EMA surveys was 20 s and 90% of random EMA surveys were completed within 46 s. The number of completed random EMA surveys was not significantly associated with the TFEQ scores. Conclusions Intensive longitudinal EMA did not influence self-reported eating behaviors. The findings suggest that EMA can be used to frequently assess real-world eating behaviors with minimal concern about assessment reactivity. Nonetheless, care must be taken when designing EMA surveys—particularly when using self-reported outcome measures. Level of evidence Level III, prospective observational study.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide band gap semi-conductor with superior electron mobility to silicon carbide. These properties allow for the design of high temperature capable devices with excellent on resistance and breakdown voltage for their size. However, bulk GaN is difficult to fabricate and doping for field effect transistor (FET) control has been elusive, so vertical GaN devices are not commonplace. This paper measures the characteristics of vertical GaN FETs in the development stage and discusses packaging them for fabrication feedback and for future high temperature aplications.

BackgroundThere is an urgent need for evidence on how interventions can prevent or mitigate cancer-related financial hardship. Our objectives are to compare self-reported financial hardship, quality of life, and health services use between patients receiving a financial navigation intervention versus a comparison group at 12 months follow-up, and to assess patient-level factors associated with dose received of a financial navigation intervention.MethodsThe Cancer Financial Experience (CAFÉ) study is a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) with individual-level randomization. Participants will be offered either brief (one financial navigation cycle, Arm 2) or extended (three financial navigation cycles, Arm 3) financial navigation. The intervention period for both Arms 2 and 3 is 6 months. The comparison group (Arm 1) will receive enhanced usual care. The setting for the CAFÉ study is the medical oncology and radiation oncology clinics at two integrated health systems in the Pacific Northwest. Inclusion criteria includes age 18 or older with a recent cancer diagnosis and visit to a study clinic as identified through administrative data. Outcomes will be assessed at 12-month follow-up. Primary outcomes are self-reported financial distress and health-related quality of life. Secondary outcomes are delayed or foregone care; receipt of medical financial assistance; and account delinquency. A mixed methods exploratory analysis will investigate factors associated with total intervention dose received.DiscussionThe CAFÉ study will provide much-needed early trial evidence on the impact of financial navigation in reducing cancer-related financial hardship. It is theory-informed, clinic-based, aligned with patient preferences, and has been developed following preliminary qualitative studies and stakeholder input. By design, it will provide prospective evidence on the potential benefits of financial navigation on patient-relevant cancer outcomes. The CAFÉ trial’s strengths include its broad inclusion criteria, its equity-focused sampling plan, its novel intervention developed in partnership with clinical and operations stakeholders, and mixed methods secondary analyses related to intervention dose offered and dose received. The resulting analytic dataset will allow for rich mixed methods analysis and provide critical information related to implementation of the intervention should it prove effective.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT05018000. August 23, 2021.

Beech leaf disease (BLD) is a recently discovered disease that is causing severe damage to American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in northeastern North America. The recently described nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii was detected in BLD-affected foliage and may be associated with the disease. However, speculation on the direct role of the nematode in infection still remains. In this study, we profiled the microbial communities associated with asymptomatic, symptomatic, and naïve (control) American beech foliage by using a high-throughput sequence-based metabarcoding analysis of fungi, bacteria, phytoplasmas, and nematodes. We then used both a differential abundance analysis and indicator species analysis as well as several diversity metrics to try and discover microbes associated only with symptomatic foliage. To do so, we amplified the organism-specific phylogenetic informative regions of the 16S, 18S, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1 regions using Illumina MiSeq. Our results detected the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) associated with the nematode L. crenatae subsp. mccannii but in all symptom types. However, four ASVs associated with the bacterial genera Wolbachia, Erwinia, Paenibacillus, and Pseudomonas and one ASV associated with the fungal genus Paraphaeosphaeria were detected only in symptomatic samples. In addition, we identified significant differences based on symptom type in both the α- and β-diversity indices for the bacterial and fungal communities. These results suggest that L. crenatae subsp. mccannii may not be fully responsible for BLD but, rather, that other microbes may be contributing to the syndrome, including the putative nematode endosymbiont Wolbachia sp.

Accurate reliability prediction for tidal turbines is challenging due to scarce reliability data. To achieve commercialization, it is widely acknowledged that reductions in maintenance costs are vital and robust component reliability assessments can help drive this. For established technologies, reliability prediction either involves a statistical assessment of historical failure data, or a physics of failure approach based on dedicated accelerated testing. However, for low/mid Technology Readiness Level tidal developers these common approaches are difficult. Thus, developers require a method of making reliability predictions for components in the absence of tidal turbine specific failure data and physical testing results. This paper presents a failure rate model for a tidal turbine pitch system using empirical Physics of Failure equations, with associated uncertainties. Critical component design parameters are determined and their effects on the failure rate investigated via a sensitivity analysis. The modelled failure rate is then compared with wind turbine failure data from a series of turbines. The tidal turbine failure rate is approximately 50% lower, however high reliability requirements mean this is unlikely to be acceptable. The developed model can assist turbine developers in estimating failure rates and determining reliability critical design parameters for the failure critical pitch system.

Objective: This study evaluated weight changes after cessation of the 10-year intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study. It was hypothesized that ILI participants would be more likely to gain weight during the 2-year observational period following termination of weight-loss-maintenance counseling than would participants in the diabetes support and education (DSE) control group. Methods: Look AHEAD was a randomized controlled trial that compared the effects of ILI and DSE on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in participants with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes. Look AHEAD was converted to an observational study in September 2012. Results: Two years after the end of the intervention (EOI), ILI and DSE participants lost a mean (SE) of 1.2 (0.2) kg and 1.8 (0.2) kg, respectively (P = 0.003). In addition, 31% of ILI and 23.9% of DSE participants gained ≥ 2% (P < 0.001) of EOI weight, whereas 36.3% and 45.9% of the respective groups lost ≥ 2% of EOI weight (P = 0.001). Two years after the EOI, ILI participants reported greater use of weight-control behaviors than DSE participants. Conclusions: Both groups lost weight during the 2-year follow-up period, but more ILI than DSE participants gained ≥ 2% of EOI weight. Further understanding is needed of factors that affected long-term weight change in both groups.

Studies on the reflectance spectra of different mixtures of sand and silt were performed in the infrared spectral region of 7–25 µm to explore the behavior of a second reststrahlen band occurring between 17 and 25 µm with respect to different mixtures of sand and silt. The reflectance spectrum of all samples exhibited reststrahlen bands within both the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) and the very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) regions of the reflectance spectrum. Results demonstrate that both LWIR and VLWIR reststrahlen bands increase in area as the fraction of sand increases to 80%. More importantly, the data demonstrate that the VLWIR reststrahlen band, like that in LWIR, exhibits a significant and reproducible decrease in reflectivity for mixed soil versus weathered soil.

Acute inflammation-induced sickness behavior involves changes in social behavior that are believed to promote recovery. Whether chronic inflammation can influence social behaviors in ways that promote recovery is unknown. In a sample of mothers of a child with cancer, this report explores the relationship between inflammation that accompanies the stress of diagnosis and changes in social network, cancer-related stress, and inflammation across 1 year. Three hypotheses tested whether a) initial levels of stress associate with initial levels of inflammation, b) initial levels of inflammation predict social network changes over time, and c) social network changes over time buffer changes in stress and inflammation over time.Cancer-related stress (Impact of Events Scale), social network (social roles and contacts from the Social Network Inventory), and systemic inflammation (circulating interleukin [IL]-6) were assessed in 120 mothers three times after their child's cancer diagnosis: after diagnosis (T1), 6-month follow-up (T2), and 12-month follow-up (T3).Consistent with predictions, greater cancer-related stress after diagnosis (T1) was associated with higher IL-6 after diagnosis (T1; b = 0.014, standard error [SE] = 0.01, p = .008). In turn, higher IL-6 after diagnosis (T1) was associated with a decrease in social roles over time (T1 ➔ T3; B = -0.030, SE = 0.01, p = .041). Finally, dropping social roles over time (T1 ➔ T3) was associated with decreases in cancer-related stress (B = 25.44, SE = 12.31, p = .039) and slower increases in IL-6 (B = 1.06, SE = 0.52, p = .040) over time.This study provides a first indication that chronic stress-related systemic inflammation may predict changes in social behavior that associate with stress recovery and slower increases in inflammation in the year after a major life stressor.

The use of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to diagnose and manage pulmonary complications has been shown to be safe in adult cancer patients, but whether its use is safe in pediatric cancer patients remains unclear. Thus, to describe the landscape of FB outcomes in pediatric cancer patients and to help define the populations most likely to benefit from the procedure, we undertook a retrospective review of FBs performed in patients younger than 21 years treated at our institution from 2002 to 2017. We found that a greater volume of total fluid instilled during BAL was significantly associated with increased probabilities of positive BAL culture (p=0.042), positive bacterial BAL culture (p=0.037), and positive viral BAL culture (p=0.0496). In more than half of the FB cases, findings resulted in alterations in antimicrobial treatment. Our study suggests that for pediatric cancer patients, FB is safe, likely provides diagnostic and/or therapeutic benefits, and has implications for treatment decisions.

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy, or the perceived capability to engage in a behavior, has been shown to play an important role in adhering to weight loss treatment. Given that adherence is extremely important for successful weight loss outcomes and that sleep and self-efficacy are modifiable factors in this relationship, we examined the association between sleep and self-efficacy for adhering to the daily plan. Investigators examined whether various dimensions of sleep were associated with self-efficacy for adhering to the daily recommended lifestyle plan among participants (N=150) in a 12-month weight loss study. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data from a 12-month prospective observational study that included a standard behavioral weight loss intervention. Daily assessments at the beginning of day (BOD) of self-efficacy and the previous night’s sleep were collected in real-time using ecological momentary assessment. RESULTS: The analysis included 44,613 BOD assessments. On average, participants reported sleeping for 6.93±1.28 hours, reported 1.56±3.54 awakenings, and gave low ratings for trouble sleeping (3.11±2.58;0: no trouble; 10: a lot of trouble) and mid-high ratings for sleep quality (6.45±2.09;0: poor; 10: excellent). Participants woke up feeling tired 41.7% of the time. Using linear mixed effects modeling, a better rating in each sleep dimension was associated with higher self-efficacy the following day (all p values

CASE DESCRIPTION A 28-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) with a 1 -week history of regurgitation-like movement of the neck and a 34-year-old mealy Amazon parrot (Amazona farinosa) with a 1- to 2-day history of regurgitation and crop distention were evaluated. CLINICAL FINDINGS Full-body radiography of the blue-fronted Amazon parrot revealed a soft tissue structure in the right side of the neck, cranial to the crop. Results of cytologic examination of a fine-needle aspirate specimen of the mass were diagnostic for an epithelial sarcoma involving the esophagus. For the mealy Amazon parrot, CT revealed diffuse esophageal thickening that was most consistent with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma on the basis of its location and appearance. Both parrots had secondary bacterial ingluvitis. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Given the location and extent of the neoplasm in each bird, surgical excision was not undertaken. Options of chemotherapy and radiation therapy were explored but declined by the owners owing to concerns regarding the parrots' quality of life. Both parrots were euthanized, and necropsy findings confirmed the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in both cases. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Both parrots of the present report had a palpable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma detected during physical examination. Although rare, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma should be included as a differential diagnosis for psittacines with upper gastrointestinal tract signs. Treatment to extend duration or quality of life of affected parrots hinges on antemortem diagnosis, which appears feasible in clinical practice.

172 Background: CAFÉ is a three-arm randomized controlled trial testing whether financial navigation for people with cancer improves quality of life and financial distress compared to enhanced usual care at two integrated health systems (Kaiser Permanente Washington, KPWA; and Kaiser Permanente Northwest, KPNW). Our current objective was to describe financial concerns reported by a subset of participants enrolled and receiving financial navigation in the trial. Methods: We descriptively summarized the financial concerns in participants randomized to receive financial navigation between August 2021 and May 2022 (Total n = 135; KPWA = 75 and KPNW = 60). Participants received either one or three proactive outreach with financial concerns assessment plus any participant-initiated assessment. Navigators followed up with personalized liaison and warm handoff to resources and coordinated with oncology care team and organizational partners about participant cost concerns. We used the study’s bespoke REDCap database, including participant sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and discrete notes entered by CAFE financial navigators. During financial concerns assessments, CAFE navigators recorded the type of each concern: planning and budgeting; care decision-making; or acute financial needs; resource referrals provided; and time to concern resolution. Results: The sample was 36% male; mean age 61 years; and 62% married or living with a partner. Self-reported race/ethnicity was 9% Black, 15% other, and 76% White; 6% reported Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. 43% reported less than four-year college education. Cancer types were 38% breast; 16% prostate; 6% colorectal; 4% lung; and 36% other types. 5% had Medicaid and 44% Medicare. 58% reported < $75,000 total family income in 2021. 16% were enrolled in the KP medical financial assistance (MFA) program. Navigators documented 179 assessments. Number of concerns/participant ranged from zero to 5 (mean = 1.3 concerns/participant). Participants reported a financial concern at 61% of assessments. The most common concern was planning/budgeting (68%), followed by acute financial needs (28%) and care decision-making (3%). Mean time-to-resolution was 22 days (planning/budgeting); 27 days (acute needs) and 33 days (clinical decision-making). The most common resource referrals included the KP MFA (77 times); coordination with KP member services (73 times) (e.g., for cost estimates), community resource navigators (35 times) and nurse navigators (25), and patient financial services (i.e. billing, 10). Conclusions: Proactive assessment by oncology financial navigators identifies financial concerns related to planning for cancer care expenses and acute financial needs. Concerns related to financial hardship as a factor in clinical decision-making were rare. Resource referrals varied by concern type, with time-to-resolution ranging from 22-33 days. Clinical trial information: NCT05018000.

Objective: Acute inflammation-induced sickness behavior involves changes in social behavior that are believed to promote recovery. Whether chronic inflammation can influence social behaviors in ways that promote recovery is unknown. In a sample of mothers of a child with cancer, this report explores the relationship between inflammation that accompanies the stress of diagnosis and changes in social network, cancer-related stress, and inflammation across one year. Three hypotheses were tested, that (1) initial stress would associate with initial inflammation, (2) initial inflammation would predict social changes over time, and (3) social changes over time would buffer stress and inflammation over time. Methods: Cancer-related stress (Impact of Events Scale), social network (social roles and contacts from the Social Network Inventory), and systemic inflammation (circulating IL-6) were assessed in 120 mothers three times after their child’s cancer diagnosis: following diagnosis (T1), 6-month follow-up (T2), and 12-month follow-up (T3). Results: Consistent with predictions, greater cancer-related stress following diagnosis (T1) was associated with higher IL-6 following diagnosis (T1; b=.014, p=.008). In turn, higher IL-6 following diagnosis (T1) was associated with a decrease in social roles over time (T1-->T3; B=-.030, p=.041), particularly peripheral social roles. Finally, dropping social roles over time (T1-->T3) was associated with decreases in cancer-related stress (B=21.83, p=.040) and slower increases in IL-6 (B=.940, p=.036) over time.Conclusions: This study provides a first indication that chronic stress-related systemic inflammation may predict changes in social behavior that associate with stress recovery and slower increases in inflammation in the year following a major life stressor.

The proliferation of chemical threats in the modern world requires the development of new, low cost, flexible sensors, with the ability to be widely deployed. Ideally these sensors will be capable of both proximate and standoff sensing of threats (i.e. not require intimate contact with the chemical) without the need for highly trained/specialized operators. To meet this unique set of requirements, we are developing a bio-inspired chemical sensing method modeled on human color vision. This bio-inspired approach provides the ability to quickly and reliably discriminate between chemicals based on the interaction of infrared chemical absorption bands with selected broadband infrared filters. Here we describe the capabilities of a prototype bio-inspired sensor for standoff detection of threat chemicals on surfaces versus common interferents. We discuss the design and operation of the bio-inspired sensor and preliminary data demonstrating its ability to discriminate between a nerve agent simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and the common background interferent US Army insect repellant (containing N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)) in a laboratory environment. We discuss paths forward for this technology, as well as how the bio-inspired sensing approach can result in high-confidence discrimination of threats at proximate standoff distances.

Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma are prescribed a daily oral chemotherapy medication named 6-mercaptopurine. Adherence to this medication is vital for survival and decreased risk for disease relapse. Adaptive problem-solving strategies are important for adhering to this complex regimen. This manuscript examined ethnic and racial differences in social problem-solving domains (Social Problem-Solving Inventory) among patients aged 7&ndash, 19 years old who were diagnosed with cancer, and, their caregivers (N = 139). This was a 15-month longitudinal study. We also examined differences in medication adherence based on behavioral adherence measures. Our study found significant differences between minority and non-minority reporters across multiple social problem-solving domains (p &lt, 0.05). However, there were no significant differences observed for medication adherence. Our findings underscore the importance of implementing culturally sensitive interventions in clinical care that could ultimately positively impact health behaviors, interactions with healthcare providers, and long-term health outcomes.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer and is fatal if left untreated. Currently, the most commonly used technique to detect melanoma relies on a purely subjective test termed the asymmetry, border, core, diameter, and evolution (ABCDE) test, which is performed visually by dermatologists or other medical professionals. The ABCDE method is at best a qualitative guideline, the success of which depends strongly on the skill and experience of the practitioner. The dermascope is the primary instrument for identification of skin cancer; however, successful results using dermoscopy also require skilled practitioners for accurate diagnosis. Therefore, a significant need exists to identify the presence of melanoma using non-invasive methods that do not require specialized training or skill. To meet this need, we are investigating a biomimetic, non-spectroscopic infrared (IR) optical approach for detection of skin cancer. The biomimetic approach, inspired by human color vision, only requires three broadband optical filters in the mid-infrared (2 – 8 μm), to classify tissue as cancerous or non-cancerous. We present preliminary results demonstrating the ability of this approach to discriminate between cancerous and non-cancerous skin tissue. The biomimetic approach outlined in this paper has the potential to lead to the development of small, inexpensive, portable sensors for various medical applications such as skin cancer diagnosis. Such sensors would require minimal or no training, and could be widely deployed in areas with less access to specialized care.

Standardized rounding checklists during multidisciplinary rounds (MDR) can reduce medical errors and decrease length of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and hospital stay. We added a standardized process for MDR in our oncologic PICU. Our study was a quality improvement initiative, utilizing a four-stage Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) model to standardize MDR in our PICU over 3 months, from January 2020 to March 2020. We distributed surveys to PICU RNs to assess their understanding regarding communication during MDR. We created a standardized rounding checklist that addressed key elements during MDR. Safety event reports before and after implementation of our initiative were retrospectively reviewed to assess our initiative’s impact on safety events. Our intervention increased standardization of PICU MDR from 0% to 70% over three months, from January 2020 to March 2020. We sustained a rate of zero for CLABSI, CAUTI, and VAP during the 12-month period prior to, during, and post-intervention. Implementation of a standardized rounding checklist may improve closed-loop communication amongst the healthcare team, facilitate dialogue between patients’ families and the healthcare team, and reduce safety events. Additional staffing for resource RNs, who assist with high acuity patients, has also facilitated bedside RN participation in MDR, without interruptions in clinical care.

qPCR has established itself as the technique of choice for the quantification of gene expression. Procedures for conducting qPCR have received significant attention; however, more rigorous approaches to the statistical analysis of qPCR data are needed. Here we develop a mathematical model, termed the Common Base Method, for analysis of qPCR data based on threshold cycle values (C q ) and efficiencies of reactions (E). The Common Base Method keeps all calculations in the logscale as long as possible by working with log10(E) ∙ C q , which we call the efficiency-weighted C q value; subsequent statistical analyses are then applied in the logscale. We show how efficiency-weighted C q values may be analyzed using a simple paired or unpaired experimental design and develop blocking methods to help reduce unexplained variation. The Common Base Method has several advantages. It allows for the incorporation of well-specific efficiencies and multiple reference genes. The method does not necessitate the pairing of samples that must be performed using traditional analysis methods in order to calculate relative expression ratios. Our method is also simple enough to be implemented in any spreadsheet or statistical software without additional scripts or proprietary components.

Self-monitoring (SM) of food intake is central to weight loss treatment. Technology makes it possible to reinforce this behavior change strategy by providing real-time feedback (FB) tailored to the diary entry. To test the feasibility of providing 1–4 daily FB messages tailored to dietary recordings via a smartphone, we conducted a 12-week pilot randomized clinical trial in Pittsburgh, PA in US in 2015. We compared 3 groups: SM using the Lose It! smartphone app (Group 1); SM + FB (Group 2); and SM + FB + attending three in-person group sessions (Group 3). The sample (N = 39) was mostly white and female with a mean body mass index of 33.76 kg/m2. Adherence to dietary SM was recorded daily, weight was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. The mean percentage of days adherent to dietary SM was similar among Groups 1, 2, and 3 (p = 0.66) at 53.50% vs. 55.86% vs. 65.33%, respectively. At 12 weeks, all groups had a significant percent weight loss (p, Highlights • Preliminary data are provided on testing of novel algorithm-based feedback system. • Pilot study informed refinement of algorithm and real-time feedback message system. • Using a smartphone app for self-monitoring diet could enhance adherence. • Receiving feedback messages with no face-to-face groups could lead to weight loss.

Studies on the reflectance spectra of different mixtures of sand and silt were performed in the infrared spectral region of 7-25 µm to explore the behavior of a second reststrahlen band occurring between 17 and 25 µm with respect to different mixtures of sand and silt. The reflectance spectrum of all samples exhibited reststrahlen bands within both the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) and the very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) regions of the reflectance spectrum. Results demonstrate that both LWIR and VLWIR reststrahlen bands increase in area as the fraction of sand increases to 80%. More importantly, the data demonstrate that the VLWIR reststrahlen band, like that in LWIR, exhibits a significant and reproducible decrease in reflectivity for mixed soil versus weathered soil.

Color vision results from the interaction of retinal photopigments with reflected or transmitted visible light. The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) developed the CIE color-matching chart, which separates colors on the basis of the interaction of their spectral profiles with three retinal photopigments in the human eye. We report the development of an infrared chromaticity (CIE-IR) chart, which mimics the CIE chart, in order to discriminate between different chemicals on the basis of the interactions of their IR signatures with three different IR optical filters, instead of the retinal photopigments in the human eye. Our results demonstrate that the CIE-IR chart enables separation of different classes of chemicals, as the visible CIE chart does with color, except for those in the IR spectral region. Such results clearly show that the biomimetic sensing method based on human color vision is in fact a true analogue to color vision and that the proposed CIE-IR chart can be used as a classification method unique to this biomimetic sensing modality.