Guiding neutral atoms around curves with lithographically patterned current-carrying wires

Laser-cooled neutral atoms from a low-velocity atomic source are guided via a magnetic field generated between two parallel wires on a glass substrate. The atoms bend around three curves, each with a 15-cm radius of curvature, while traveling along a 10-cm-long track. A maximum flux of 2*10^6 atoms/sec is achieved with a current density of 3*10^4 A/cm^2 in the 100x100-micrometer-cross-section wires. The kinetic energy of the guided atoms in one transverse dimension is measured to be 42 microKelvin.Comment: 9 page

Addressing Prediabetes in Childhood Obesity Treatment Programs: Support from Research and Current Practice

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes have increased in prevalence among overweight and obese children, with significant implications for long-term health. There is little published evidence on the best approaches to care of prediabetes among overweight youth or the current practices used across pediatric weight management programs. Methods: This article reviews the literature and summarizes current practices for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of prediabetes at childhood obesity treatment centers. Findings regarding current practice were based on responses to an online survey from 28 pediatric weight management programs at 25 children's hospitals in 2012. Based on the literature reviewed, and empiric data, consensus support statements on prediabetes care and T2DM prevention were developed among representatives of these 25 children's hospitals' obesity clinics. Results: The evidence reviewed demonstrates that current T2DM and prediabetes diagnostic parameters are derived from adult-based studies with little understanding of clinical outcomes among youth. Very limited evidence exists on preventing progression of prediabetes. Some evidence suggests that a significant proportion of obese youth with prediabetes will revert to normoglycemia without pharmacological management. Evidence supports lifestyle modification for children with prediabetes, but further study of specific lifestyle changes and pharmacological treatments is needed. Conclusion: Evidence to guide management of prediabetes in children is limited. Current practice patterns of pediatric weight management programs show areas of variability in practice, reflecting the limited evidence base. More research is needed to guide clinical care for overweight youth with prediabetes.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140337/1/chi.2013.0158.pd

The science of choice: an introduction

Introduction In October 2015, around 30 scholars convened at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock to discuss: (a) how individuals and families make decisions about marriage, child-birth, migration, retirement, and other transitions in the life course; and (b) how these decision processes can be operationalized in demographic models. The workshop was organized by the Scientific Panel on Microsimulation and Agent-Based Modelling con- vened by the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) and by MPIDR. The report of this ‘Science of choice’ workshop and the papers presented are available from the workshop’s website (see IUSSP 2015). The five papers included in this Supplement are revised versions of papers presented at the workshop in Rostock

Proximity to Sports Facilities and Sports Participation for Adolescents in Germany

Objectives - To assess the relationship between proximity to specific sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities for adolescents in Germany. Methods - A sample of 1,768 adolescents aged 11–17 years old and living in 161 German communities was examined. Distances to the nearest sports facilities were calculated as an indicator of proximity to sports facilities using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Participation in specific leisure-time sports activities in sports clubs was assessed using a self-report questionnaire and individual-level socio-demographic variables were derived from a parent questionnaire. Community-level socio-demographics as covariates were selected from the INKAR database, in particular from indicators and maps on land development. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between proximity to the nearest sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities. Results - The logisitic regression analyses showed that girls residing longer distances from the nearest gym were less likely to engage in indoor sports activities; a significant interaction between distances to gyms and level of urbanization was identified. Decomposition of the interaction term showed that for adolescent girls living in rural areas participation in indoor sports activities was positively associated with gym proximity. Proximity to tennis courts and indoor pools was not associated with participation in tennis or water sports, respectively. Conclusions - Improved proximity to gyms is likely to be more important for female adolescents living in rural areas

Two-stage evolution of mantle peridotites from the Stalemate Fracture Zone, northwestern Pacific

This paper reports the results of a mineralogical study of 14 mantle peridotite samples dredged in 2009 from the eastern slope of the northwestern segment of the Stalemate Ridge in the northwestern Pacific during cruise SO201-KALMAR Leg 1b of the R/V Sonne. The sample collection included four serpentinized and silicified dunites and ten variably serpentinized lherzolites. The compositions of primary minerals (clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and spinel) change systematically from the lherzolites to dunites. Spinel from the lherzolites shows higher Mg# and lower Cr# values (0.65-0.68 and 0.26-0.33, respectively) compared with spinel from the dunites (Mg# = 0.56-0.64 and Cr# = 0.38-0.43). Clinopyroxene from the lherzolites is less magnesian (Mg# = 91.7-92.4) than clinopyroxene from dunite sample DR37-3 (Mg# = 93.7). Based on the obtained data, it was concluded that the lherzolites of the Stalemate Fracture Zone were derived by 10-12% near-fractional melting of a DMM-type depleted mantle reservoir beneath the Kula-Pacific spreading center. The dunites were produced by interaction of residual lherzolites with sodium- and titaniumrich melt and are probably fragments of a network of dunite channels in the shallow mantle. The moderately depleted composition of minerals clearly distinguishes the lherzolites from the strongly depleted peridotites of the East Pacific Rise and indicates the existence of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges in the Pacific Ocean during the Cretaceous-Paleogene

Comparing Skill Acquisition Under Varying Onsets of Differential Reinforcement: A Preliminary Analysis

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of implementing differential reinforcement at different times relative to the onset of teaching new skills to learners with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we first determined the most efficient differential reinforcement arrangement for each participant. Using the most efficient arrangement, we evaluated if differential reinforcement from the immediate onset, early onset, or late onset is the most efficient for learners to acquire a new skill. Three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have a history of receiving intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis participated in this study. The immediate onset of differential reinforcement resulted in the most efficient instruction in 6 of 7 comparisons. The results are discussed in light of previous studies and suggestions for future research are provided

A Critical Review on the Structural Health Monitoring Methods of the Composite Wind Turbine Blades

With increasing turbine size, monitoring of blades becomes increasingly im-portant, in order to prevent catastrophic damages and unnecessary mainte-nance, minimize the downtime and labor cost and improving the safety is-sues and reliability. The present work provides a review and classification of various structural health monitoring (SHM) methods as strain measurement utilizing optical fiber sensors and Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG’s), active/ pas-sive acoustic emission method, vibration‒based method, thermal imaging method and ultrasonic methods, based on the recent investigations and prom-ising novel techniques. Since accuracy, comprehensiveness and cost-effectiveness are the fundamental parameters in selecting the SHM method, a systematically summarized investigation encompassing methods capabilities/ limitations and sensors types, is needed. Furthermore, the damages which are included in the present work are fiber breakage, matrix cracking, delamina-tion, fiber debonding, crack opening at leading/ trailing edge and ice accre-tion. Taking into account the types of the sensors relevant to different SHM methods, the advantages/ capabilities and disadvantages/ limitations of repre-sented methods are nominated and analyzed

Surgical management of patients with von Willebrand disease: summary of 2 systematic reviews of the literature

von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. The management of patients with VWD who are undergoing surgeries is crucial to prevent bleeding complications. We systematically summarized the evidence on the management of patients with VWD who are undergoing major and minor surgeries to support the development of practice guidelines. We searched Medline and EMBASE from inception through October 2019 for randomized clinical trials (RCTs), comparative observational studies, and case series that compared maintaining factor VIII (FVIII) levels or von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels at >0.50 IU/mL for at least 3 days in patients undergoing major surgery, and those with options for perioperative management of patients undergoing minor surgery. Two authors screened and abstracted data and assessed the risk of bias. We conducted meta-analyses when possible. We evaluated the certainty of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. We included 7 case series for major surgeries and 2 RCTs and 12 case series for minor surgeries. Very-low-certainty evidence showed that maintaining FVIII levels or VWF levels of >0.50 IU/mL for at least 3 consecutive days showed excellent hemostatic efficacy (as labeled by the researchers) after 74% to 100% of major surgeries. Low- to very-low-certainty evidence showed that prescribing tranexamic acid and increasing VWF levels to 0.50 IU/mL resulted in fewer bleeding complications after minor procedures compared with increasing VWF levels to 0.50 IU/mL alone. Given the low-quality evidence for guiding management decisions, a shared-decision model leading to individualized therapy plans will be important in patients with VWD who are undergoing surgical and invasive procedures