GreenCare for Children -- Measuring Environmental Hazards in the Childcare Industry

Presents findings from a two-year survey administered to a random sampling of childcare providers. Developed and interpreted by a diverse team of industry, technical, and educational experts

Overview of the QCD phase diagram -- Recent progress from the lattice

In recent years there has been much progress on the investigation of the QCD phase diagram with lattice QCD simulations. In this review I focus on the developments in the last two years. Especially the addition of external influences or new parameter ranges yield an increasing number of interesting results. I discuss the progress for small, finite densities from both analytical continuation and Complex Langevin simulations, for heavy quark bound states (quarkonium), the dependence on the quark masses (Columbia plot) and the influence of a magnetic field. Many of these conditions are relevant for the understanding of both the QCD transition in the early universe and heavy ion collision experiments which are conducted for example at the LHC and RHIC.Comment: 59 pages, 31 figure

Distribution of sea star wasting disease symptoms in Pisaster ochraceus in the rocky intertidal zone

Beginning in 2013, many species of sea stars (phylum Echinodermata) along the Pacific coast experienced severe mortality due to sea star wasting disease (SSWD). The ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, experienced one of the highest mortality rates during this outbreak. To test the hypothesis that the intertidal distribution of ochre sea stars influences the incidence and progression of SSWD symptoms, I documented the occurrence of symptoms and survivorship in adult and juvenile stars in the upper and lower portions of the mid-intertidal zone. I also chronicled the progression of SSWD symptoms among individually tagged adult stars to assess changes in symptoms relative to intertidal location and the extent and direction of movement. I predicted that because the higher intertidal zone is more physiologically stressful, there would be a higher proportion of symptomatic stars at higher tidal elevations relative to lower elevations. Because symptoms of SSWD include loss of turgor and individual rays, I predicted that stars in higher tidal elevations would have decreased rates of movement relative to those lower in the intertidal zone. I also predicted that juveniles would have a lower incidence of disease compared to adults. During the spring and summer of 2015-16, I surveyed ochre sea star population at False Klamath Cove in Del Norte County, CA using a 360 m2 permanent grid and recorded the presence of symptoms, tidal elevation, size, location within the grid, and microhabitat location over seven surveys. I used a logistic regression model to test associations between intertidal elevation, microhabitat, life stage, and disease symptom expression over time. I found no significant effects of elevation or microhabitat; however, time and size were significant predictors of disease symptoms. I also conducted a transplant experiment at Palmer’s Point Beach in Humboldt County, CA where I recorded the presence of symptoms, tidal elevation, and movement patterns of individually tagged adult stars in an 8,568 m2 permanent grid. I found no significant differences among the main effects of time or treatment or their interactions. I also assessed whether the predictors of time and treatment were associated with the presence of disease symptoms in tagged stars and found no significant effect. Individually tagged ochre sea stars observed over time in the field exhibited both symptom progression and remission and showed greater movement rates compared to previous studies. In summary, life stage was a significant predictor of symptom presence with adults showing symptoms more frequently than juveniles; however, symptom expression showed no relationships to vertical distribution, microhabitat, or movement rates, suggesting that stress associated with vertical gradients in the intertidal zone might not influence the expression of SSWD disease symptoms

The Effect of Thin Film Adhesives on Mode I Interlaminar Fracture Toughness in Carbon Fiber Composites with Shape Memory Alloy Inserts

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) was placed within Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) panels alongside film adhesives to examine bonding. Double cantilever beam (DCB) testing was performed using ASTM D5528. C-scanning was performed before testing, modal acoustic emissions (MAE) were monitored during testing, and microscopy performed post-test. Data was analyzed using modified beam theory (MBT), compliance calibration (CC) and modified compliance calibration (MCC) methods. Fracture toughness for control specimens was higher than previously reported due to fiber-bridging. Specimens with SMAs and adhesives stabilized crack propagation. Results revealed SMA-bridging; a phenomenon mimicking fiber-bridging which increased the load and fracture toughness of SMA specimens

Microbial light-activatable proton pumps as neuronal inhibitors to functionally dissect neuronal networks in C. elegans

Essentially any behavior in simple and complex animals depends on neuronal network function. Currently, the best-defined system to study neuronal circuits is the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, as the connectivity of its 302 neurons is exactly known. Individual neurons can be activated by photostimulation of Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) using blue light, allowing to directly probe the importance of a particular neuron for the respective behavioral output of the network under study. In analogy, other excitable cells can be inhibited by expressing Halorhodopsin from Natronomonas pharaonis (NpHR) and subsequent illumination with yellow light. However, inhibiting C. elegans neurons using NpHR is difficult. Recently, proton pumps from various sources were established as valuable alternative hyperpolarizers. Here we show that archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch) from Halorubrum sodomense and a proton pump from the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans (Mac) can be utilized to effectively inhibit excitable cells in C. elegans. Arch is the most powerful hyperpolarizer when illuminated with yellow or green light while the action spectrum of Mac is more blue-shifted, as analyzed by light-evoked behaviors and electrophysiology. This allows these tools to be combined in various ways with ChR2 to analyze different subsets of neurons within a circuit. We exemplify this by means of the polymodal aversive sensory ASH neurons, and the downstream command interneurons to which ASH neurons signal to trigger a reversal followed by a directional turn. Photostimulating ASH and subsequently inhibiting command interneurons using two-color illumination of different body segments, allows investigating temporal aspects of signaling downstream of ASH

The Effect of Thin Film Adhesives on Mode II Interlaminar Fracture Toughness in Carbon Fiber Composites with Shape Memory Alloy Inserts

A single sheet of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) was introduced within an IM7/8552 polymer matrix composite (PMC) panel in conjunction with multiple thin film adhesives to promote the interfacial bond strength between the SMA and PMC. End notched flexure (ENF) testing was performed in accordance to ASTM D7905 method for evaluation of mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (GIIC) of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Acoustic emissions (AE) were monitored during testing with two acoustic sensors attached to the specimens. The composite panels examined using scanning electron microscopy techniques after part failure. GIIC values for the control composite samples were found to be higher than those of samples with embedded SMA sheets. The presence of adhesives bonded to SMA sheets further diminished the GIIC values. AE values revealed poor bonding of the panels, with little to no signals during testing

Thermodynamics and Viscosity aspects in Manganese Nodule Residue Smelting for Silicomanganese Production

Among several under trial processes for extraction of base metals (Cu, Co and Ni) from manganese nodules (M79, the reduction-roast ammoniacal leaching {N1140H/ (NH4)2CO3) process is considered very attractive. After the leaching of base metals from roast-reduced MN, a substantial quan-tity of residue left behind (about 70 wt. % by mass) as wastes for disposal or further use. Smelting studies showed that leached manganese nodules residue (WMNR) can be successfully utilized as raw material for silicomangan-ese production after maintaining proper metallurgical aspects like thermodynamics, viscosity etc Literature survey on slag liquidus and viscosity aspects of silicoman-ganese smelting has been done. The slag liquidus has been found to be closely associated to slag basicity i.e. (Ca0+-MgO/S102) showing significant increase above a 7 slag basicity. Charge mix basicity of 0.2 was found to give maximum Mn and Si recoveries. Increasing or decreasing charge basicty from 0 2 resulted in lower metallic yield and Mn and Si recoveries. This has been explained with liquidus calculations of final slags obtained at those charge mix basicities. Addition of CaF2 during holding time i.e. time given after complete melting of charge mix was found to be beneficial. The optimum amount of CaF2 was 4% of WMNR+Mn ore blend, which gave rise to maximum Mn and Si recoveries and metallic yield. Further addition of CaF2 (4%) produced a high basicity slag (basicity =a 83) having very high liquidus leading to decrease in metallic yield and Mn and Si recoveries

Data-Informed Platform for Health. Structured district decision-making using local data. Prototype Phase, West Bengal, India

This report presents findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Data Informed Platform for Health (DIPH), a structured decision-support strategy to promote the use of local data for health decision-making. The DIPH was developed and pilot-tested in India by the IDEAS project of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) from December 2015 to March 2017