Acoustic Supercoupling in a Zero-Compressibility Waveguide

Funneling acoustic waves through largely mismatched channels is of fundamental importance to tailor and transmit sound for a variety of applications. In electromagnetics, zero-permittivity metamaterials have been used to enhance the coupling of energy in and out of ultranarrow channels, based on a phenomenon known as supercoupling. These metamaterial channels can support total transmission and complete phase uniformity, independent of the channel length, despite being geometrically mismatched to their input and output ports. In the field of acoustics, this phenomenon is challenging to achieve, since it requires zero-density metamaterials, typically realized with waveguides periodically loaded with membranes or resonators. Compared to electromagnetics, the additional challenge is due to the fact that conventional acoustic waveguides do not support a cut-off for the dominant mode of propagation, and therefore zero-index can be achieved only based on a collective resonance of the loading elements. Here we propose and experimentally realize acoustic supercoupling in a dual regime, using a compressibility-near-zero acoustic channel. Rather than engineering the channel with subwavelength inclusions, we operate at the cut-off of a higher-order acoustic mode, demonstrating the realization and efficient excitation of a zero-compressibility waveguide with effective soft boundaries. We experimentally verify strong transmission through a largely mismatched channel and uniform phase distribution, independent of the channel length. Our results open interesting pathways towards the realization of extreme acoustic parameters, and their implementation in relevant applications, such as ultrasound imaging, sonar technology, and sound transmission

Secondary aerospace batteries and battery materials: A bibliography, 1969 - 1974

This annotated bibliography on the subject of secondary aerospace battery materials and related physical and electrochemical processes was compiled from references to journal articles published between 1969 and 1974. A total of 332 citations are arranged in chronological order under journal titles. Indices by system and component, techniques and processes, and author are included

Exploring a possible correlation between the human oral microbiome and body mass index

Obesity is a growing health problem in America affecting more than a third of Americans25 and is quickly becoming a global health crisis34. Recently there has been much interest in the possible link between the human gut microbiome and obesity as fecal transplants may serve as a potential therapeutic treatment. However, not much research has been done looking at a potential association with the human oral microbiome and obesity. In this thesis, I examined 976 individuals previously sequenced for their oral microbiome. Each sample was classified as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese, according to their BMI. I measured the microbial diversity of each sample and compared the relative diversity of each class through alpha and beta diversity. Alpha diversity measures the microbial diversity within an individual while beta diversity measures the microbial diversity between individuals. I also investigated whether there was a clear association between monozygotic twins who were discoordinate in phenotype. While phyla-level changes were detected in the different weight class, overall the oral microbiome does not appear to be associated with human weight

Explicating Global Wellbeing In College Students Using Health Risk Behaviors And Adjustment To College

Priority health risk behaviors including binge drinking, unsafe driving, and unprotected sex are often times established in adolescence, extend into college life, are interrelated, and negatively impact wellbeing. A paucity of research exists associating behaviors with perceptions of wellness. Without baseline knowledge of how college students\u27 life-style choices, behaviors, and adjustment influences their sense of wellness, professionals do not have standards to evaluate the effectiveness of wellness-oriented interventions. The purpose of this study was to explicate global wellbeing in 18-24 year old college students. Explaining global wellbeing was based on the influence of specific health risk behaviors and adjustment to college. Adam\u27s Multiple Dimensions of Perceived Wellness guided this descriptive, explanatory study. Subjects (N = 281) were recruited from randomly selected entry-level courses from a medium-sized public university. A three-part customized survey was administered. Descriptive analysis included summary tables, charts, percentages, and measures of central tendencies. Inferential analysis included multiple regression and ANOVAs. Global wellbeing correlated with students\u27 mental health risk ( r = -.402; p ≤ .01), academic performance ( r = -.267; p ≤ .01), and adjustment to college (r = .165; p ≤ .01). Stepwise regression explained 24.3% of variance in global wellbeing by loading the single indexed variable of mental health risk (R2 = .243; p \u3c .001; ANOVA: F (1, 249) = 72.139; p \u3c .001; Beta = -.474; t (249) = -8.493; p \u3c .001). Mental health risk also correlated with students\u27 health risk behaviors (r = .322; p ≤ .01), and academic performance (r = .620; p ≤ .01). The only other variable that correlated with students\u27 health risk behaviors was academic performance (r = .433; p ≤ .01). Mental health needs are integrally connected with students\u27 health risk behaviors, academic performance, and global wellbeing. Wellbeing is a holistic perceptual construct. Focusing wellness efforts on areas of choice can improve wellness in all dimensions, as well as globally. Assessing global wellbeing and conducting health risk assessments as part of college wellness programs can guide the appropriate level of intervention by identifying at-risk students. These practices could provide the foundation for evidence-based health promotion and wellness programs

Cancer immunology and canine malignant melanoma: a comparative review

Oral canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a spontaneously occurring aggressive tumour with relatively few medical treatment options, which provides a suitable model for the disease in humans. Historically, multiple immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at provoking both innate and adaptive anti-tumour immune responses have been published with varying levels of activity against CMM. Recently, a plasmid DNA vaccine expressing human tyrosinase has been licensed for the adjunct treatment of oral CMM. This article reviews the immunological similarities between CMM and the human counterpart; mechanisms by which tumours evade the immune system; reasons why melanoma is an attractive target for immunotherapy; the premise of whole cell, dendritic cell (DC), viral and DNA vaccination strategies alongside preliminary clinical results in dogs. Current “gold standard” treatments for advanced human malignant melanoma are evolving quickly with remarkable results being achieved following the introduction of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptively transferred cell therapies. The rapidly expanding field of cancer immunology and immunotherapeutics means that rational targeting of this disease in both species should enhance treatment outcomes in veterinary and human clinics

Autoinflammatory diseases: Update on classification diagnosis and management

The spectrum of systemic autoinflammatory disorders broadens continually. In part, this is due to the more widespread application of massive parallel sequencing, helping with novel gene discovery in this and other areas of rare diseases. Some of the conditions that have been described fit neatly into a conventional idea of autoinflammation. Others, such as interferon-mediated autoinflammatory diseases, are broadening the concept which we consider to be autoinflammatory disorders. There is also a widening of the clinical phenotypes associated with certain genetic mutations, as genetic testing is used more regularly and increasing numbers of patients are screened. It is also increasingly evident that both autoinflammatory and autoimmune problems are frequently seen as complications of primary immunodeficiency disorders. The aim of this review is to provide an update on some recently discovered conditions and to discuss how these disorders help to define the concept of autoinflammation. The review will also cover recent discoveries in the biology of innateimmune- mediated inflammation and describe how this has provided the biological rationale for using antiinterleukin- 1 therapies in the treatment of many such conditions. Finally, we discuss the importance of recognising somatic mutations as causes of autoinflammatory clinical phenotypes and provide practical advice on how this could be tackled in everyday clinical practice

Investigating the effect of inquiry-based stress reduction on mortality awareness and interpersonal problems among intensive care unit nurses

Introduction Caring for dying patients is one of the job stressors. Nurses in intensive care units are among the medical staff who have a close interaction with dying patients. Studies have shown that psychological interventions are very helpful in improving thinking about death and its problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction on mortality awareness and interpersonal problems among intensive care unit nurses in southeastern Iran. Materials and methods This was a Quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design in southeast of Iran in 2021. Nurses were selected using the convenience sampling method and divided into intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 35) groups using the block randomization method. The intervention group received a two-hour Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction counseling session every week for 6 weeks. Data were gathered using Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after the intervention. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 25 was used for data analysis. Results In the intervention group, the mean scores of Mortality Awareness before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after the intervention were 130.41 ± 5.91, 164.47 ± 8.66, and 163.91 ± 9.29, respectively. Therefore, in the intervention group, the increase of Mortality Awareness mean score was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In the control group, the mean scores of Mortality Awareness before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after intervention were 129.63 ± 5.59, 135.26 ± 11.14, and 132.66 ± 5.62, respectively. Difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.001). The results also showed that in the intervention group the mean scores of Interpersonal Problems immediately after and 6 weeks after the intervention were lower than before the intervention (P < 0.001). In the control group, Interpersonal Problems increased over time (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the difference between the two groups in terms of Interpersonal Problems during the study was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion The study results suggest that the Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction is an appropriate intervention method to improve mortality awareness and reduce interpersonal problems in intensive care unit nurses