Automated Measurement of Spatially Resolved Hair-Hair Single Fiber Adhesion.

The adhesion force between individual human hair fibers in a crosshair geometry was measured by observing their natural bending and adhesive jumps out of contact, using optical video microscopy. The hair fibers' natural elastic responses, calibrated by measuring their natural resonant frequencies, were used to measure the forces. Using a custom-designed, automated apparatus to measure thousands of individual hair-hair contacts along millimeter length scales of hair, it was found that a broad, yet characteristic, spatially variant distribution in adhesion force is measured on the 1 to 1000 nN scale for both clean and conditioner-treated hair fibers. Comparison between the measured adhesion forces and adhesion forces modeled from the hairs' surface topography (measured using confocal laser profilometry) shows they have a good order-of-magnitude agreement and have similar breadth and shape. The agreement between the measurements and the model suggests, perhaps unsurprisingly, that hair-hair adhesion is governed, to a first approximation, by the unique surface structure of the hairs' cuticles and, therefore, the large distribution in local mean curvature at the various individual contact points along the hairs' lengths. We posit that haircare products could best control the surface properties (or at least the adhesive properties) between hairs by directly modifying the hair surface microstructure

Resonance Effects in the Nonadiabatic Nonlinear Quantum Dimer

The quantum nonlinear dimer consisting of an electron shuttling between the two sites and in weak interaction with vibrations, is studied numerically under the application of a DC electric field. A field-induced resonance phenomenon between the vibrations and the electronic oscillations is found to influence the electronic transport greatly. For initially delocalization of the electron, the resonance has the effect of a dramatic increase in the transport. Nonlinear frequency mixing is identified as the main mechanism that influences transport. A characterization of the frequency spectrum is also presented.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Amine functionalization of cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix with generation 1 PAMAM dendrimer

This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in Biomacromolecules, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work, see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/bm701055k.A method to functionalize cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM) with free amine groups was established in an attempt to improve its potential for tethering of bioactive molecules. CEM was incorporated with Generation-1 polyamidoamine (G1 PAMAM) dendrimer by using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide cross-linking system. The nature of incorporation of PAMAM dendrimer was evaluated using shrink temperature measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) assessment, ninhydrin assay, and swellability. The effects of PAMAM incorporation on mechanical and degradation properties of CEM were evaluated using a uniaxial mechanical test and collagenase degradation assay, respectively. Ninhydrin assay and FTIR assessment confirmed the presence of increasing free amine groups with increasing quantity of PAMAM in dendrimer-incorporated CEM (DENCEM) scaffolds. The amount of dendrimer used was found to be critical in controlling scaffold degradation, shrink temperature, and free amine content. Cell culture studies showed that fibroblasts seeded on DENCEM maintained their metabolic activity and ability to proliferate in vitro. In addition, fluorescence cell staining and scanning electron microscopy analysis of cell-seeded DENCEM showed preservation of normal fibroblast morphology and phenotype

Peeling the astronomical onion

Water ice is the most abundant solid in the Universe. Understanding the formation, structure and multiplicity of physicochemical roles for water ice in the cold, dense interstellar environments in which it is predominantly observed is a crucial quest for astrochemistry as these are regions active in star and planet formation. Intuitively, we would expect the mobility of water molecules deposited or synthesised on dust grain surfaces at temperatures below 50 K to be very limited. This work delves into the thermally-activated mobility of H2O molecules on model interstellar grain surfaces. The energy required to initiate this process is studied by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy of small quantities of water on amorphous silica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces as the surface is annealed. Strongly non-Arrhenius behaviour is observed with an activation energy of 2 kJ mol-1 on the silica surface below 25 K and 0 kJ mol-1 on both surfaces between 25 and 100 K. The astrophysical implication of these results is that on timescales shorter than that estimated for the formation of a complete monolayer of water ice on a grain, aggregation of water ice will result in a non-uniform coating of water, hence leaving bare grain surface exposed. Other molecules can thus be formed or adsorbed on this bare surface

Perspectives of people who are overweight and obese on using wearable technology for weight management: systematic review

Background: Obesity is a large contributor to preventable chronic diseases and health care costs. The efficacy of wearable devices for weight management has been researched; however, there is limited knowledge on how these devices are perceived by users. Objective: This study aimed to review user perspectives on wearable technology for weight management in people who are overweight and obese. Methods: We searched the online databases Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane library for literature published from 2008 onward. We included all types of studies using a wearable device for delivering weight-loss interventions in adults who are overweight or obese, and qualitative data were collected about participants' perspectives on the device. We performed a quality assessment using criteria relevant to different study types. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used for randomized controlled trials. The Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used for nonrandomized studies. The Oxman and Guyatt Criteria were used for systematic reviews. We used the critical appraisal checklist for qualitative studies. Data were extracted into a data extraction sheet and thematically analyzed. Results: We included 19 studies: 5 randomized controlled trials, 6 nonrandomized studies, 5 qualitative studies, and 3 reviews. Mixed perceptions existed for different constructs of wearable technologies, which reflects the differences in the suitability of wearable technology interventions for different individuals in different contexts. This also indicates that interventions were not often tailored to participants' motivations. In addition, very few wearable technology interventions included a thorough qualitative analysis of the participants' view on important features of the intervention that made it successful. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of determining the type of intervention most suitable for an individual before the intervention is used. Our findings could help participants find a suitable intervention that is most effective for them. Further research needs to develop a user-centered tool for obtaining comprehensive user feedback. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018096932; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=9693

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Measurement of the inelastic pp cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV

The cross-section for inelastic proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV is measured with the LHCb detector. The fiducial cross-section for inelastic interactions producing at least one prompt long-lived charged particle with momentum p > 2 GeV/c in the pseudorapidity range 2 < η < 5 is determined to be ϭ acc = 62:2 ± 0:2 ± 2:5mb. The first uncertainty is the intrinsic systematic uncertainty of the measurement, the second is due to the uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The statistical uncertainty is negligible. Extrapolation to full phase space yields the total inelastic proton-proton cross-section ϭ inel = 75:4 ± 3:0 ± 4:5mb, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second due to the extrapolation. An updated value of the inelastic cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV is also reported

Taxonomic Richness and Diversity of Larval Fish Assemblages in the Oceanic Gulf of Mexico: Links to Oceanographic Conditions

Biodiversity enhances the productivity and stability of marine ecosystems and provides important ecosystem services. The aim of this study was to characterize larval fish assemblages in pelagic waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) and identify oceanographic conditions associated with areas of increased taxonomic richness (T ) and Shannon diversity (H’). Summer ichthyoplankton surveys were conducted in the NGoM in 2015 and 2016 using neuston net (surface layer; upper 1 m) and oblique bongo net (mixed layer; 0–100 m) tows. Over 17,000 fish larvae were collected over the two-year study, and 99 families of fish larvae were present. Catch composition in the surface layer was relatively similar to the mixed-layer catch, with carangids (jacks), scombrids (mackerels, tunas), and exocoetids (flyingfishes) being numerically dominant, while deep-pelagic species, including myctophids (lanternfishes), gonostomatids (bristlemouths), and sternoptychids (marine hatchetfishes), were present almost exclusively in the mixed layer samples. Generalized additive models were used to evaluate the effect of oceanographic conditions on ichthyoplankton abundance and biodiversity. Salinity and sea surface height (SSH) were the most influential oceanographic conditions, with higher occurrence, higher T , and higher H’ all present in areas of lower salinity, and lower SSH. This study highlights the ecological importance of cyclonic mesoscale features and areas of upwelling as areas of increased biodiversity for larval fishes, and also indicates that the mixed layer in the NGoM is essential habitat for deep-pelagic fishes during the early life interval. F

The role of health kiosks: a scoping review

Background: Health kiosks are publicly accessible computing devices that provide access to services including health information provision, clinical measurement collection, patient self-check-in, telemonitoring and teleconsultation. While the increase in internet access and ownership of smart personal devices could make kiosks redundant, recent reports have predicted that the market will continue to grow. Objectives: We sought to clarify the current and future roles of health kiosks by investigating: (a) the setting, role, and clinical domains in which kiosks are used; (b) whether usability evaluations of health kiosks are being reported and if so, what methods are being utilized; and (c) what the barriers and facilitators are for the deployment of kiosks. Methods: We conducted a scoping review by a bibliographic search of the Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science databases for studies and other publications between January 2009 and June 2020. Eligible papers describe the implementation, either as primary studies, systematic reviews, or news and feature articles. Additional reports were obtained by manual searching and through querying key informants. For each article we abstracted settings, purposes, health domains, whether the kiosk was opportunistic or integrated with a clinical pathway, and inclusion of usability testing. We then summarized the data in frequency tables. Results: A total of 141 articles were included, 134 primary studies and seven reviews. 47% of the primary studies described kiosks in secondary care settings, other settings included community (23.9%), primary care (17.9%), and pharmacies (6.0%). The most common roles of health kiosks were providing health information (35.1%), taking clinical measurements (20.9%), screening (12.7%), telehealth (8.2%), and patient registration (6.0%). The five most frequent health domains were multiple conditions (24.6%), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (7.5%), hypertension (7.5%), pediatric injuries (5.2%), health and wellbeing (4.5%) and drug monitoring (4.5%). Kiosks were integrated in the clinical pathway in 70.1%, opportunistic kiosks accounted for 23.9% and 6.0% were being used in both. Usability evaluations of the kiosk were reported in 20.1% of the papers. Barriers (use of expensive proprietary software) and enablers (handling on-demand consultations) to deploying health kiosks were identified. Conclusions: Health kiosks still play a vital role in the healthcare system, including collecting clinical measurements and providing access to online health services and information to those with little or no digital literacy skills, and others without personal internet access. We identified research gaps, such as training needs for teleconsultations, and scant reporting on usability evaluation methods

Potential associations between behavior change techniques and engagement with mobile health apps: a systematic review

IntroductionLack of engagement is a common challenge for digital health interventions. To achieve their potential, it is necessary to understand how best to support users’ engagement with interventions and target health behaviors. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the behavioral theories and behavior change techniques being incorporated into mobile health apps and how they are associated with the different components of engagement.MethodsThe review was structured using the PRISMA and PICOS frameworks and searched six databases in July 2022: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, APA PsycArticles, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias 2 and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tools.AnalysisA descriptive analysis provided an overview of study and app characteristics and evidence for potential associations between Behavior Change Techniques (BCTs) and engagement was examined.ResultsThe final analysis included 28 studies. Six BCTs were repeatedly associated with user engagement: goal setting, self-monitoring of behavior, feedback on behavior, prompts/cues, rewards, and social support. There was insufficient data reported to examine associations with specific components of engagement, but the analysis indicated that the different components were being captured by various measures.ConclusionThis review provides further evidence supporting the use of common BCTs in mobile health apps. To enable developers to leverage BCTs and other app features to optimize engagement in specific contexts and individual characteristics, we need a better understanding of how BCTs are associated with different components of engagement.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022312596