A narrative review on the similarities and dissimilarities between myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (me/cfs) and sickness behavior

It is of importance whether myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a variant of sickness behavior. The latter is induced by acute infections/injury being principally mediated through proinflammatory cytokines. Sickness is a beneficial behavioral response that serves to enhance recovery, conserves energy and plays a role in the resolution of inflammation. There are behavioral/symptomatic similarities (for example, fatigue, malaise, hyperalgesia) and dissimilarities (gastrointestinal symptoms, anorexia and weight loss) between sickness and ME/CFS. While sickness is an adaptive response induced by proinflammatory cytokines, ME/CFS is a chronic, disabling disorder, where the pathophysiology is related to activation of immunoinflammatory and oxidative pathways and autoimmune responses. While sickness behavior is a state of energy conservation, which plays a role in combating pathogens, ME/CFS is a chronic disease underpinned by a state of energy depletion. While sickness is an acute response to infection/injury, the trigger factors in ME/CFS are less well defined and encompass acute and chronic infections, as well as inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. It is concluded that sickness behavior and ME/CFS are two different conditions

Analysis of a polymer extrusion heater during transient heating and cooling cycles

Polymer extrusion heater/cooler jackets are used to maintain certain areas of the steel tube used in polymer extrusion operations at a specific temperature for long periods of time. Repeated expansion and contraction of the heater/cooler jackets is suspected to cause the heater/cooler jackets to move axially along the tube. It was concluded that the heater movement along the barrel might be more closely related to mechanical vibrations that exist anywhere from the auger drive motor to the screw/ barrel interface, rather than the hearing/cooling cycles

Camp REACH alumni workshop development.

Camp REACH is a WPI outreach program that holds workshops during the summer for rising seventh graders. The concern is that they may not get exposure to science and engineering between the Camp REACH project and when they go to college. The purpose of this project is to design a daylong workshop for rising ninth grade alumni to expose them to more science and engineering. We created a day for the girls to be exposed to different aspects of engineering and science through workshops and lab tours. We then conducted and evaluated a test run, and suggested improvements for our workshop