Chinese Gardens: Solutions for Urban Nature Deficit

Research shows that time spent in nature is good for human health and well-being. However, as the world’s population becomes more concentrated in urban areas regular time in nature, especially extended time, is becoming more difficult to have. On the other hand, Chinese gardens can provide one solution to this problem because they have a unique way of providing a naturalistic space within a small area. Despite this fact, there aren’t many Chinese style gardens outside of China. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to identify possible barriers to using Chinese garden design principles and construction techniques, then address them with a number of solutions. As part of this effort the best literature was consulted including books and journal articles on Chinese garden design, history, and related fields. The information from literature was then compared to both Western practices and current development processes for Chinese gardens in the West to identify possible barriers. Many of the barriers were found to be related to cost, cultural differences, materials, laws and regulations, and education. To address these barriers the literature was consulted, and a number of solutions sprung from the history of Chinese gardens as well as current literature. Overall, however, solutions for overcoming barriers to the use of Chinese garden design principles were found to be centered in foundational design objectives and principles. These objectives and principles were found to allow the flexibility needed for Chinese gardens to adapt to local circumstances and conditions. In the end following these ideas and principles will allow professionals to create gardens that are anywhere along a spectrum from fully Chinese in character to fully local in character

Performance testing and internal probe measurements of a high specific impulse Hall thruster

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2003.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Page 116 blank.Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-115).The BHT-1000 high specific impulse Hall thruster was used for performance testing and internal plasma measurements to support the ongoing development of computational models. The thruster was performance tested in both single and two stage anode configurations. In the single stage configuration, the specific impulse exceeded 3000s at a discharge voltage of 1000V while maintaining a thrust efficiency of 50 percent. Two stage operation produced higher thrust, specific impulse and thrust efficiency than the single stage configuration at most discharge voltages. The thruster thermal warmup was characterized using a thermocouple embedded in the outer exit ring, and the magnetic field topology was investigated using a Gaussmeter. The single stage thruster configuration was outfitted with a series of axially distributed Langmuir probes to determine plasma properties inside the discharge channel. Probe data were taken at discharge voltages between 300-900V. Axial profiles of electron temperature, electron density, and plasma potential were measured and compared to results of a previously developed two dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of the BHT-1000 thruster. The experimental data matched the simulation results well, particularly in profiles of electron temperature and plasma potential at low discharge voltages. The peak electron temperature was shown to depend on discharge voltage through a power law relationship in both the experimental and simulated data. The greatest discrepancies between experimental data and simulation results were found to be in comparisons of electron density, where it appears that the simulation may be "smearing" the plasma over too wide of an axial region. Hypotheses for this behavior were discussed along with recommendations for future work.by Noah Zachary Warner.S.M

Theoretical and experimental investigation of Hall thruster miniaturization

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2007.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Page 264 blank.Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-258).Interest in small-scale space propulsion continues to grow with the increasing number of small satellite missions, particularly in the area of formation flight. Miniaturized Hall thrusters have been identified as a candidate for lightweight, high specific impulse propulsion systems that can extend mission lifetime and payload capability. A set of scaling laws was developed that allows the dimensions and operating parameters of a miniaturized Hall thruster to be determined from an existing, technologically mature baseline design. The scaling analysis preserves the dominant plasma processes that determine thruster performance including ionization, electron confinement and recombination losses. These scaling laws were applied to the design of a 9mm diameter, nominally 200W thruster based on the Russian D-55 anode layer Hall thruster. The Miniature Hall Thruster (MHT-9) design was further refined using magnetostatic and steady-state thermal finite element modeling techniques. Performance testing was conducted over a wide range of input powers from 20-500W with voltages between 100-300V and propellant flow rates of 0.3-1.0mg/s. Measured thrust was 1-18mN with a maximum thrust efficiency of 34% and specific impulse of 2000s. Significant erosion of thruster surfaces was observed due to the high plasma density required to maintain collisional mean free paths. Although the thrust efficiency was significantly lower than predicted by scaling laws, the MHT-9 is the best performing subcentimeter diameter Hall thruster built to date. A dimensionless performance analysis has shown that while the magnetic confinement ratio was successfully scaled, the thruster did not maintain the desired Knudsen number because of plasma heating.(cont.) These trends were confirmed using a computational simulation. An analytical model of electron temperature predicts that, due to a larger relative exposed wall area, the peak temperature inside the MHT-9 is higher than that of the D-55, resulting in greater ion losses and beam divergence. The inability to maintain geometric similarity was a result of the inherent challenges of maintaining magnetic field shape and strength at small scale, and this difficulty is identified as the fundamental limitation of Hall thruster miniaturization.by Noah Zachary Warner.Ph.D

Athletic Trainers’ Perceived and Actual Knowledge of Cupping Therapy Concepts

Purpose: To date, there does not appear to be a study published that has examined the prevalence of clinical use and the perceived and actual knowledge of cupping therapy that clinicians possess. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived and actual knowledge of cupping therapy among athletic trainers. Methods: 113 certified athletic trainers completed the study (age = 35 ± 10 years, years of certified experience = 12 ± 10 years). Participants were sent an electronic survey via email that assessed frequency of usage, perceived knowledge, and actual knowledge of cupping therapy. Data were downloaded and analyzed using a commercially-available statistics package (SPSS Version 25, IBM, Armonk, NY). Measures of central tendency (means, standard deviations, frequencies) were calculated for all survey items. A Pearson correlation was calculated for the perceived knowledge and actual knowledge items to identify a knowledge gap between what one believes they know and actually what they do know. Finally, an independent samples t-test was used to explore differences on the actual knowledge assessment based on prior education. Significance was set at P \u3c .05 a priori. Results: The majority of certified athletic trainers reported not viewing the use of cupping therapy as necessary to their clinical practice. However, the majority also reported using cupping therapy at least once in the past week when treating patients. Regarding perceived knowledge, the majority of respondents were in the mid-range of agreement/disagreement, indicating at least some level of uncertainty. Average scores on actual knowledge were 8.90±1.34 out of 12 questions. A poor positive relationship was found between perceived and actual knowledge (r = 0.125, P = 0.259). We also identified a poor positive relationship (r = 0.079, P = 0.439) between the actual knowledge assessment score and the likelihood to pursue continuing education item from the perceived knowledge assessment. Conclusions: While the majority of athletic trainers did not view cupping therapy as necessary to their clinical practice, the majority did use the tool in their weekly practice. The relationship between actual knowledge and pursuit of continuing education suggestion that continuing education may improve knowledge of cupping therapy

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Literacy-Sensitive Self-Management Intervention for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

BACKGROUND: Low literacy skills are common and associated with a variety of poor health outcomes. This may be particularly important in patients with chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that require appropriate inhaler technique to maintain quality of life and avoid exacerbations. OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of a literacy-sensitive self-management intervention on inhaler technique scores in COPD patients and to determine if effects differ by literacy. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-nine patients with COPD. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to a one-on-one self-management educational intervention or usual care. The intervention focused on inhaler technique, smoking cessation, and using a COPD action plan. MAIN MEASURES: At baseline, an inhaler technique assessment, literacy assessment, health-related quality of life questionnaires, and pulmonary function tests were completed. Inhaler technique was re-evaluated after two to eight weeks. KEY RESULTS: Mean age 63, 65% female, 69% Caucasian, moderate COPD severity on average, 36% with low literacy, moderately impaired health-related quality of life, and similar baseline metered dose inhaler technique scores. Patients in the intervention group had greater mean improvement from baseline in metered dose inhaler technique score compared to those in the usual care group (difference in mean change 2.1, 95% CI 1.1, 3.0). The patients in the intervention group also had greater mean improvements in metered dose inhaler technique score than those in the usual care group whether they had low health literacy (difference in mean change 2.8, 95% CI 0.6, 4.9) or higher health literacy (1.8, 95% CI 0.7, 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: A literacy-sensitive self-management intervention can lead to improvements in inhaler technique, with benefits for patients with both low and higher health literacy

Investigating the Genetics of Chronic Intractable Migraine with Reactive Hypoglycemia

Migraines affect roughly 1-in-6 males and 1-in-5 females in the United States. Of these, approximately 5-30% experience intractable migraines, or migraines resistant to abortive treatments. Despite this large population, relatively little is known about intractable migraines compared to other types of migraines. Our recent work indicates that reactive hypoglycemia is common among these individuals. Additionally, empirical evidence suggests that individuals in families with chronic intractable migraines are more likely to have the same condition than people of the general population, suggesting a possible genetic link between both migraines and metabolic abnormalities. Previous Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have found several genetic markers for migraines, but the studies have not differentiated groups by important factors including severity and frequency of migraines or treatment response. Furthermore, GWA studies investigate only common variation. Despite these limitations, a variant in the LEPR gene (rs751167), the leptin receptor gene was found to be significantly associated with migraines. Variants in the LEPR gene are associated with weight gain and metabolic syndrome, indicating a link between metabolism and migraines. In the present study, we aim to broaden the scope, investigating chronic intractable migraine with reactive hypoglycemia specifically, and using all variant types including small insertions/deletions, rare variants, and copy number variants. To investigate heritability, we will take pedigrees of individuals that fit this phenotype

Devotions for Lent 2023 Hymns of Lent

This Lent, we will continue reflecting on hymns of faith, namely, some of our most beloved Lenten hymns. 10 such hymns have been chosen to fill the 40(+) days of Lent. Therefore, this devotional, different from previous editions, does not proceed on a weekly basis, but merely flows from one hymn to the next. Also different from previous editions, the devotional reflections are specifically based on the stanzas of the selected hymns. Therefore, each day’s reflection features the text of the hymn stanza, a devotion based on that stanza, a prayer, and then a Scripture passage or passages for further meditation. I pray these reflections may be of edification for you during this Lenten season.https://scholar.csl.edu/osp/1022/thumbnail.jp

The SPARC Toroidal Field Model Coil Program

The SPARC Toroidal Field Model Coil (TFMC) Program was a three-year effort between 2018 and 2021 that developed novel Rare Earth Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) superconductor technologies and then successfully utilized these technologies to design, build, and test a first-in-class, high-field (~20 T), representative-scale (~3 m) superconducting toroidal field coil. With the principal objective of demonstrating mature, large-scale, REBCO magnets, the project was executed jointly by the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). The TFMC achieved its programmatic goal of experimentally demonstrating a large-scale high-field REBCO magnet, achieving 20.1 T peak field-on-conductor with 40.5 kA of terminal current, 815 kN/m of Lorentz loading on the REBCO stacks, and almost 1 GPa of mechanical stress accommodated by the structural case. Fifteen internal demountable pancake-to-pancake joints operated in the 0.5 to 2.0 nOhm range at 20 K and in magnetic fields up to 12 T. The DC and AC electromagnetic performance of the magnet, predicted by new advances in high-fidelity computational models, was confirmed in two test campaigns while the massively parallel, single-pass, pressure-vessel style coolant scheme capable of large heat removal was validated. The REBCO current lead and feeder system was experimentally qualified up to 50 kA, and the crycooler based cryogenic system provided 600 W of cooling power at 20 K with mass flow rates up to 70 g/s at a maximum design pressure of 20 bar-a for the test campaigns. Finally, the feasibility of using passive, self-protection against a quench in a fusion-scale NI TF coil was experimentally assessed with an intentional open-circuit quench at 31.5 kA terminal current.Comment: 17 pages 9 figures, overview paper and the first of a six-part series of papers covering the TFMC Progra