Rotational equilibrium of C2 in interstellar clouds

In this work the understanding of the rotational equilibrium of C2 in interstellar clouds is updated. It is critical for this equilibrium to be well understood if C2 is to be used as a probe of the physical conditions in these clouds. Although new data continues to be published, the model was last updated in 1987. In this work, new data is collected and incorporated into the model using the program Radex, which will provide a standard format for sharing data, facilitate future updates, and enable the model to quickly run for a grid of temperature and density conditions

Cell Proliferation and Viability Inhibition by Resveratrol on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Antioxidants are well-known for their various health benefits. They are able to protect cells from being damaged by free radicals that are produced by vital biochemical processes. It has long been known that antioxidants are important in our everyday health, but their potential as disease preventers and potential therapeutic agents is a relatively new field of study. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol and well-known antioxidant, is found in plants, fruits, and products derived from them, like red wine. Resveratrol has been shown to have various properties, including antiaging, anti-aggregation of platelets, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Because of their many health benefits, antioxidants have become a hot topic in cancer research. Oxidative stress, which occurs when there is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, has been shown to be a potential cause of cancer development. Our research group tested the effects of resveratrol, vitamins C and E, and the green tea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on various breast cancer cell lines, though this review will focus on the chemotherapeutic potential of resveratrol. In the experiments, breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, BOM 231, and MCF-7-BOM cell lines were treated with various concentrations of resveratrol. A Sulforhodamine B viability assay was used to assess the percent inhibition of resveratrol on each cell line. The experiments showed that resveratrol is an inhibitor of breast cancer cells in a concentration and cell line dependent manner

Investigation of the Mechanical Strength of Nanocrystalline Au-si Thin Films

A study on the effects of deposition rate and Si content on the mechanical and electrical properties of Au-Si films has been performed. Au-Si films were synthesized by electron beam evaporation on (100) Si substrates at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Au and Si were simultaneously codeposited to create films with a nominal thickness of 1 m, with deposition rates from 10 /s to 60 /s and Si content up to 21 at. %. The films deposited at 10 /s were then investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area diffraction (SAD), and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). All films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation, and four point resistivity probe. Nanotwinned Au grains were observed in the TEM images of the films deposited at 10 /s. In addition, Si nanoparticles were observed at the grain boundaries in the films containing 6 and 21 at. % Si deposited at 10 /s. Diffraction peaks associated with crystalline Si were not observed by SAD or XRD, which suggests the Si particles are amorphous. The reduced elastic modulus was found to decrease with increasing Si content for films deposited at 10 /s and 40 /s. This is consistent with the shift observed by in the diffraction intensities of the (111) and (200) Au diffraction peaks. Pure Au films were observed to have a strong (111) preferred orientation, however increasing Si content corresponded to an increase in the intensity of the (200) Au diffraction peak relative to the (111) Au diffraction peak. The hardness of the films was observed to increase with increasing Si content. Increases in measured hardness were shown to be described by a combination of the Hall-Petch relationship and Orowan strengthening. Grain size estimates from XRD results as well as TEM images were used to predict the strength of the films using the Hall-Petch relation. Electrical resistivity was observed to increase linearly with Si content. Nanotwinned Au grains were observed in the TEM images of the films deposited at 10 /s. In addition, Si nanoparticles were observed at the grain boundaries in the films containing 6 and 21 at. % Si deposited at 10 /s. Diffraction peaks associated with crystalline Si were not observed by SAD or XRD, which suggests the Si particles are amorphous. The reduced elastic modulus was found to decrease with increasing Si content for films deposited at 10 /s and 40 /s. This is consistent with the shift observed by in the diffraction intensities of the (111) and (200) Au diffraction peaks. Pure Au films were observed to have a strong (111) preferred orientation, however increasing Si content corresponded to an increase in the intensity of the (200) Au diffraction peak relative to the (111) Au diffraction peak. The hardness of the films was observed to increase with increasing Si content. Increases in measured hardness were shown to be described by a combination of the Hall-Petch relationship and Orowan strengthening. Grain size estimates from XRD results as well as TEM images were used to predict the strength of the films using the Hall-Petch relation. Electrical resistivity was observed to increase linearly with Si content.School of Materials Science & Engineerin

VALIDATION OF A PORTABLE FORCE PLATE TO ASSESSING JUMPING AND LANDING PERFORMANCE

Jumping and landing tasks are commonly used! to examine various parameters regarding performance (Arampatziz et al. 2001) and injury (Hewitt et al. 2005). Traditionally jumping tasks have been used to measure a variety of neuromuscular factors regarding performance. Landings have been studied extensively with r~$pect to factors related to injury. It is commonly accepted that the standard force platform is the most commonly used and considered the 'gold standard' for measuring ground reaction force during jumping and landing tasks. One potential aspect which limits the use of a force platform is that they are typically mounted to the ground to prevent any unrelated vibrations from affecting the force measurement. The portability of these devices is difficult and measurements are normally restricted to a laboratory setting. Another possible factor that could affect the data collected by a portable force plate is the difference in surface height between the ground and the force plate. Therefore, the dimensions of a portable force platform should be large enough to accommodate the given maneuver without changes in performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to validate the force measurements of a new portable force platform during two jumping/landing tasks by comparing the measurements to a traditional laboratory mounted force platform. A secondary purpose was to establish the reliability of the portable force platform. If the validity and reliability of the portable force platform are confirmed, this will provide a device that can assess a variety of measurements in field (non laboratory) situations. We hypothesize that the force and temporal measurements between the two instruments would not be different

Formula SAE Monocoque Chassis Development

Formula SAE is a collegiate competition hosted by SAE International with the primary goal being to design, manufacture, and race an open wheel race car. The Cal Poly Racing Formula SAE team strives for improvement every race season and has remained competitive as a result. The 2019-2020 management team determined that further research and development towards the chassis would yield the greatest performance benefit for future seasons, as the previous chassis platform limited packaging and mounting options for vehicle subsystems which interfaced with the chassis. A redesign of the Cal Poly Racing Formula SAE team’s carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque chassis was requested to improve subsystem integration, increase torsional stiffness, and reduce weight compared to the previous platform. Specifically, this senior project team focused on manufacturing process improvement and laminate design to meet these goals for the 2020 Formula SAE competition. This report details the design and manufacturing of such a chassis. Specific emphasis was placed on the geometry, laminate, and manufacturing process design. The geometry was designed using subsystem input for satisfactory integration of all subsystem components while maintaining a high specific torsional stiffness. The team also developed numerous analysis tools including spreadsheets and finite element models to design the asymmetric laminate of the chassis. Modular, multi-piece tooling was designed to produce a single-piece chassis and to allow for easy geometric changes in the future. Though two complete chassis were delivered to the Formula SAE team, the outbreak of COVID-19 prevented the collection of data that would have been used to validate the design. However, the Formula SAE team was made aware of the validation plan proposed in this report

Should free text data in electronic medical records be shared for research? A citizens’ jury study in the United Kingdom

Background Use of routinely collected patient data for research and service planning is an explicit policy of the UK National Health Service and UK government. Much clinical information is recorded in free-text letters, reports and notes. These text data are generally lost to research, due to the increased privacy risk compared with structured data. We conducted a citizens’ jury which asked members of the public whether their medical free-text data should be shared for research for public benefit, to inform an ethical policy. Methods Eighteen citizens took part over 3 days. Jurors heard a range of expert presentations as well as arguments for and against sharing free text, and then questioned presenters and deliberated together. They answered a questionnaire on whether and how free text should be shared for research, gave reasons for and against sharing and suggestions for alleviating their concerns. Results Jurors were in favour of sharing medical data and agreed this would benefit health research, but were more cautious about sharing free-text than structured data. They preferred processing of free text where a computer extracted information at scale. Their concerns were lack of transparency in uses of data, and privacy risks. They suggested keeping patients informed about uses of their data, and giving clear pathways to opt out of data sharing. Conclusions Informed citizens suggested a transparent culture of research for the public benefit, and continuous improvement of technology to protect patient privacy, to mitigate their concerns regarding privacy risks of using patient text data

Understanding the diverse needs of subtitle users in a rapidly evolving media landscape

Audiences are increasingly using services, such as video on demand and the Web, to watch television programs. Broadcasters need to make subtitles available across all these new platforms. These platforms also create new design opportunities for subtitles along with the ability to customize them to an individual’s needs. To explore these new opportunities for subtitles, we have begun the process of reviewing the guidance for subtitles on television and evaluating the original user research. We have found that existing guidelines have been shaped by a mixture of technical constraints, industry practice, and user research, constrained by existing technical standards. This paper provides an overview of the subtitle research at BBC R&D over the past two years. Our research is revealing significant diversity in the needs and preferences of frequent subtitle users, and points to the need for personalization in the way subtitles are displayed. We are developing a new approach to the authoring and display of subtitles that can respond to the user requirements by adjusting the subtitle layout on the client device