The university-related science institute as a technology transfer agency

University science center for government and industrial user

From Tanning Accessory to Health Necessity: History of the OTC Sunscreen Monograph in Light of the Sunscreen Revolution

On August 27, 2007 the FDA published a Proposed Amendment to the Final Monograph for Over-the-Counter Sunscreen Drug Products. The proposed regulations marks major progress in the regulation of sunscreen products, because it includes, for the first time, comprehensive regulations addressing testing and labeling standards for both UVB and UVA regulation. Developing a monograph for sunscreen products, however, has been an arduous administrative process that has spanned over 30 years and produced significant criticism of the FDA. This article examines the regulation of sunscreen products in light of cultural and scientific developments that governed the rise and revolution of the sunscreen industry arguing that, for the most part, FDA has responded with impressive flexibility and attention to dynamic technological advancements, transformation of consumer expectations, and uncertain science

Do Rising Tides Lift All Prices? Income Inequality and Housing Affordability

Simple partial-equilibrium models suggest that income increases at the high end of the distribution can raise price paid by those at the low end of the income distribution. This prediction does not universally hold in a general equilibrium model, or in models where the rich and poor consume distinct products. We use Census microdata to evaluate these predictions empirically, using data on housing markets in American metropolitan areas between 1970 and 2000. Evidence clearly and unsurprisingly shows that decreases in one's own income lead to less housing consumption and less income left over after paying for housing. The effect of increases in others' income, holding one's own income constant, is more nuanced. In tight housing markets, the poor do worse when the rich get richer. In slack markets, at least some evidence suggests that increases in others' income, holding own income constant, may be beneficial.

You\u27ve Got a Friend in Me: Effectiveness of Social Skills Interventions for Children with ADHD

Children diagnosed with ADHD present with the core symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, which lead to challenges with school based activities, including peer interactions, academics, and extracurricular activities (McClelland, Morrison, & Holmes, 2000; Hoza, 2007). Current research identifies social skills interventions as a potential strategy for occupational therapists (OTs) to address these participation challenges of children with ADHD, however there is a multitude of interventions that fall under this umbrella. The variety of social skills interventions allows for flexibility and diversity in implementation, but poses the challenge of choosing the most effective intervention. This choice should be informed by evidence-based practice, ensuring the viability of the profession and moving it towards the Centennial Vision (Clark, 2010). To understand the effectiveness of the available social skills interventions for children with ADHD, a systematic review was conducted. The purpose of this session is to present the results of an evidence-based review on the effectiveness of social skills interventions to improve school participation for children with ADHD and discuss implications for clinical practice. The authors searched 6 data bases, resulting in analysis of 12 articles to investigate effectiveness of social skills interventions for children with ADHD. The systematic review process is presented, including the clinical question, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and search terms. The authors outline emerging themes within the research. The authors found moderate support for effectiveness of interventions implemented in physical settings where children are naturally engaging in activities. There is also promising research supporting the use of a combined cognitive behavioral and play-based approach. Evidence did not support the use of a solely cognitive behavioral approach These results suggest that social skills interventions have potential as an effective technique to improve school participation in children with ADHD. Social skills interventions are often used in conjunction with other therapies, and provide a supplement to academics-focused therapy. To advance understanding of social skills interventions, continued research is needed to determine the effectiveness of social skills interventions, discern the most appropriate form of social skills intervention for each student, and solidify OT’s role in social participation intervention. References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html. Clark, F. (2010). High definition occupational therapy: HD OT. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 848-84. doi: 10.5014/ajot2010.64602. Hoza, B. (2007). Peer functioning in children with ADHD. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 7(1), 101- 106. doi:10.1016/j.ambp.2006.04.011 McClelland, M. M., Morrison, F. J., & Holmes, D. L. (2000). Children at risk for early academic problems: The role of learning-related social skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly,15(3), 307-329. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.031

Confirming sound absorption characteristics of box absorbers that utilize laser-cut micro-slits on the top surface as the means of sound absorption, with an exploration of different architectural installations

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 22-23).It is believed that the box absorber utilizes viscous forces present in micro-slits on their surfaces to absorb sound [8]. These box absorbers were developed through research at SINTEF and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and current research has tested this sound absorbing technology in standing wave tubes and in a controlled reverberation room. This paper seeks to confirm the sound absorbing characteristics in a less-than-ideal test setup to model how the box absorbers would perform acoustically in an actual installation. It also explores different configurations of the box absorbers in attempts to achieve more sound absorption. To test this, twelve configurations of ten to eleven box absorbers were placed in a reverberation room and the reverberation time of the room was measured in third-octave frequency bands in order to obtain an amount of sound absorption in sabins per module. The sound absorption was confirmed for configurations similar to those tested and published by the manufacturer, though results show that the sound absorption is not as consistent; therefore the box absorbers would not have as strong of an effect in an actual installation as published data may indicate. Tests of different configurations showed that a box absorber with two surfaces of micro-slits exposed to the original sound field gives significantly more sound absorption across the band of frequencies, and a double layer of the micro-slotted surface forming two equal cavities within the box absorber gives a significant improvement in sound absorption above 500 Hz.by Kathryn H. Matlack.S.B

Repeated stressors in adulthood increase the rate of biological ageing

Background Individuals of the same age can differ substantially in the degree to which they have accumulated tissue damage, akin to bodily wear and tear, from past experiences. This accumulated tissue damage reflects the individual’s biological age and may better predict physiological and behavioural performance than the individual‘s chronological age. However, at present it remains unclear how to reliably assess biological age in individual wild vertebrates. Methods We exposed hand-raised adult Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) to a combination of repeated immune and disturbance stressors for over one year to determine the effects of chronic stress on potential biomarkers of biological ageing including telomere shortening, oxidative stress load, and glucocorticoid hormones. We also assessed general measures of individual condition including body mass and locomotor activity. Results By the end of the experiment, stress-exposed birds showed greater decreases in telomere lengths. Stress-exposed birds also maintained higher circulating levels of oxidative damage compared with control birds. Other potential biomarkers such as concentrations of antioxidants and glucocorticoid hormone traits showed greater resilience and did not differ significantly between treatment groups. Conclusions The current data demonstrate that repeated exposure to experimental stressors affects the rate of biological ageing in adult Eurasian blackbirds. Both telomeres and oxidative damage were affected by repeated stress exposure and thus can serve as blood-derived biomarkers of biological ageing.</p

Energy Absorption Properties of Periodic and Stochastic 3D Lattice Materials

Architected lattices can be designed to have tailorable functionalities by controlling their constitutive elements. However, little work has been devoted to comparing energy absorption properties in different periodic three‐dimensional geometries to each other and to comparable foam‐like random structures. This knowledge is essential for the entire design process. In this work, the authors conduct a systematic and comprehensive computational study of the quasi‐static and dynamic energy absorption properties of various different geometries. They test compression loading over strain rates varying from 1 to 10^4 s^(−1). The authors analyze geometries with varying degrees of nodal connectivity, ranging from bending dominated to stretching dominated, at different orientations, and compare their response to equivalent stochastic lattices. Results show relatively high stress peaks in the periodic lattices, even in bending dominated lattices at certain orientations. Conversely, the stochastic geometries show a relatively constant stress response over large strains, which is ideal for energy absorbing applications. Still, results show that specific orientations of bending dominated periodic lattice geometries outperform their stochastic equivalents. This work can help to quickly identify the potential of different unit cell types and aid in the development of lattices for impulse mitigation applications, such as in protective sports equipment, automotive crashworthiness, and packaging

Composite 3D-printed metastructures for low-frequency and broadband vibration absorption

Architected material used to control elastic wave propagation has thus far relied on two mechanisms for forming band gaps, or frequency ranges that cannot propagate: (i) Phononic crystals rely on their structural periodicity to form Bragg band gaps, but are limited in the low-frequency ranges because their unit cell size scales with wavelength; and (ii) Metamaterials overcome this size dependence because they rely on local resonances, but the resulting band gaps are very narrow. Here, we introduce a class of materials, elastic metastructures, that exploit resonating elements to broaden and lower Bragg gaps while reducing the mass of the system. This approach to band-gap engineering can be used for low-frequency vibration absorption and wave guiding across length scales