Greenbelt Community Project: Solar energy retrofit for a multi-family dwelling

A cooperative project was initiated between Goddard Space Flight Center and the nearby community of Greenbelt, Maryland. The purpose was to design, install and operate an experimental solar heating system on a group of four tandem town houses. The system was successfully developed and is operating. A description is given of the design, installation, system operation and performance as well as the important considerations for judging the economic feasibility of solar heating systems

When Is Open Access Not Open Access?

As open access grows in prominence, so too has confusion about what open access means; such confusion arises from a genuine misunderstanding of open access by funders, authors, editors, and publishers alike

Grass-finished beef pilot project: Cattle performance and welfare

The study compared growth results for Angus cattle raised under feedlot conditions and under a grass-finishing regimen. Outcomes used to answer this question included growth and carcass characteristics, behavior and animal welfare parameters for weaned cattle that were raised using grain feeding or pasture management systems

An Analysis Of The Lyophilization Process Using A Sorption‐sublimation Model And Various Operational Policies

The freeze‐drying process is studied under various operational policies through the use of a sorption‐sublimation model. The operational policy that provides the shortest drying times keeps the pressure at its lowest value. The upper and lower heating plates are independently controlled so that the material constraints are encountered and held throughout the free water removal phase. Under certain conditions, and for the case of samples of small thickness, the sorbed water profiles may have segments whose bound water concentrations are higher than those at the start of the free water removal phase. It is shown that the criterion used in terminating the freeze‐drying process is of extreme importance, since it may lead to an undesirable sorbed water profile which may deteriorate the quality of the dried product. Copyright © 1985 American Institute of Chemical Engineer

Developments in stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy for treating type 1 diabetes

The generation of islet-like endocrine clusters from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has the potential to provide an unlimited source of insulin-producing β cells for the treatment of diabetes. In order for this cell therapy to become widely adopted, highly functional and well-characterized stem cell-derived islets (SC-islets) need to be manufactured at scale. Furthermore, successful SC-islet replacement strategies should prevent significant cell loss immediately following transplantation and avoid long-term immune rejection. This review highlights the most recent advances in the generation and characterization of highly functional SC-islets as well as strategies to ensure graft viability and safety after transplantation

Neurocognitive performance in functional neurological disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

\ua9 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology. Background and purpose: Cognitive complaints are common in functional neurological disorder (FND), but it is unclear whether objective neurocognitive deficits are present. This systematic review summarized validated/standardized cognitive test performance in FND samples across cognitive domains. Methods: Embase, PsycInfo and MEDLINE were searched from inception to 15 May 2023, combining terms for FND and cognitive domains (e.g., attention, memory, executive functioning). Studies included a range of FND phenotypes (seizures, motor, cognitive disorder, mixed), compared to healthy or clinical controls. Risk of bias was assessed with the modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and a qualitative synthesis/narrative review of cognitive performance in FND was conducted. Test performance scores were extracted, and random effects meta-analyses were run where appropriate. This review was registered on PROSPERO, CRD42023423139. Results: Fifty-six studies including 2260 individuals with FND were eligible. Although evidence for some impairments emerged across domains of executive functioning, attention, memory and psychomotor/processing speed, this was inconsistent across studies and FND phenotypes. Common confounds included group differences in demographics, medication and intellectual functioning. Only 24% of studies objectively assessed performance validity. Meta-analyses revealed higher scores on tests of naming (g = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50, 0.84) and long-term memory (g = 0.43, 95% CI 0.13, 0.74) in functional seizures versus epilepsy, but no significant differences in working (g = −0.08, 95% CI −0.44, 0.29) or immediate (g = 0.25, 95% CI −0.02, 0.53) memory and cognitive flexibility (g = −0.01, 95% CI −0.29, 0.28). Conclusions: There is mixed evidence for objective cognitive deficits in FND. Future research should control for confounds, include tests of performance validity, and assess relationships between objective and subjective neurocognitive functioning

“Catch 22”: biosecurity awareness, interpretation and practice amongst poultry catchers

Campylobacter contamination of chicken on sale in the UK remains at high levels and has a substantial public health impact. This has prompted the application of many interventions in the supply chain, including enhanced biosecurity measures on-farm. Catching and thinning are acknowledged as threats to the maintenance of good biosecurity, yet the people employed to undertake this critical work (i.e. ‘catchers’) are a rarely studied group. This study uses a mixed methods approach to investigate catchers’ (n = 53) understanding of the biosecurity threats posed by the catching and thinning, and the barriers to good biosecurity practice. It interrogated the role of training in both the awareness and practice of good biosecurity. Awareness of lapses in biosecurity was assessed using a Watch-&-Click hazard awareness survey (n = 53). Qualitative interviews (n = 49 catchers, 5 farm managers) explored the understanding, experience and practice of catching and biosecurity. All of the catchers who took part in the Watch-&-Click study identified at least one of the biosecurity threats with 40% detecting all of the hazards. Those who had undergone training were significantly more likely to identify specific biosecurity threats and have a higher awareness score overall (48% compared to 9%, p = 0.03). Crucially, the individual and group interviews revealed the tensions between the high levels of biosecurity awareness evident from the survey and the reality of the routine practice of catching and thinning. Time pressures and a lack of equipment rather than a lack of knowledge appear a more fundamental cause of catcher-related biosecurity lapses. Our results reveal that catchers find themselves in a ‘catch-22′ situation in which mutually conflicting circumstances prevent simultaneous completion of their job and compliance with biosecurity standards

Improving the provision of hearing care to long-term care home residents with dementia: developing a behaviour change intervention for care staff

Context: Hearing loss disproportionately affects long-term care home (LTCH) residents with dementia, impacting their quality of life. Most residents with dementia rely on LTCH staff to provide hearing care. However, previous research shows provision is inconsistent. The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) can be used for developing behaviour-change interventions. Objective: To describe the structured, multistage development of an intervention to help LTCH staff provide hearing care to residents with dementia. Method: Using results from qualitative and quantitative studies and patient and public involvement sessions, we outlined problems associated with hearing care and determined the changes that should be made using the Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivation-Behaviour Change Model. We then selected and specified five target behaviours for intervention, and identified relevant intervention functions, behaviour change techniques (BCTs), and modes of delivery. Findings: The multi-component intervention is designed to boost the psychological capability, reflective motivation, and physical opportunity of care assistants. The intervention functions deemed most appropriate were education, modelling, incentivisation, and environmental restructuring, alongside several specific BCTs. Limitations: Some of the larger-scale issues relating to hearing care, such as collaborations between LTCHs and audiology services and the costs of hearing devices, were not able to be addressed in this intervention. Conclusions: This study is the first to use the BCW to develop an intervention targeting the staff’s provision of hearing care to LTCH residents with dementia. This intervention addresses the wide-ranging barriers that staff experience when providing hearing care. Trialling this intervention will provide insight into its effectiveness and acceptability for residents and staff