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Aim To describe the methods and feasibility of the nutritional intervention carried out within the SPRINTT Randomized cotrolled trial. We also illustrate how nutrition interventionists identified participants at risk of malnutrition and the lessons learnt from the nutrition intervention. Findings SPRINTT nutrition intervention was well-received by the majority of the participants. It was mainly carried out using tailored nutrition counselling, but also other means of delivering the intervention were successfully used. Compared with a standard nutrition prescription, an individualized protocol to diagnose malnutrition and follow-up by tailored nutrition counselling helped achieve nutritional targets more effectively in spite of diversity of population in nutritional habits and in some cases reluctance to accept changes. Message The SPRINTT nutrition intervention was feasible and allowed flexibility to the varying needs and cultural differences of this heterogeneous population of frail, older Europeans. It may serve as a model to educate and improve nutrition among community-dwelling older people at risk of mobility limitations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41999-020-00438-4., Background The “Sarcopenia and Physical Frailty in Older People: Multicomponent Treatment Strategies” (SPRINTT) project sponsored a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) with the objective to determine the effect of physical activity and nutrition intervention for prevention of mobility disability in community-dwelling frail older Europeans. We describe here the design and feasibility of the SPRINTT nutrition intervention, including techniques used by nutrition interventionists to identify those at risk of malnutrition and to carry out the nutrition intervention. Methods SPRINTT RCT recruited older adults (≥ 70 years) from 11 European countries. Eligible participants (n = 1517) had functional limitations measured with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB score 3–9) and low muscle mass as determined by DXA scans, but were able to walk 400 m without assistance within 15 min. Participants were followed up for up to 3 years. The nutrition intervention was carried out mainly by individual nutrition counseling. Nutrition goals included achieving a daily protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg body weight, energy intake of 25–30 kcal/kg of body weight/day, and serum vitamin D concentration ≥ 75 mmol/L. Survey on the method strategies and feasibility of the nutrition intervention was sent to all nutrition interventionists of the 16 SPRINTT study sites. Results Nutrition interventionists from all study sites responded to the survey. All responders found that the SPRINTT nutrition intervention was feasible for the target population, and it was well received by the majority. The identification of participants at nutritional risk was accomplished by combining information from interviews, questionnaires, clinical and laboratory data. Although the nutrition intervention was mainly carried out using individual nutritional counselling, other assisting methods were used as appropriate. Conclusion The SPRINTT nutrition intervention was feasible and able to adapt flexibly to varying needs of this heterogeneous population. The procedures adopted to identify older adults at risk of malnutrition and to design the appropriate intervention may serve as a model to deliver nutrition intervention for community-dwelling older people with mobility limitations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41999-020-00438-4.

Landscape configuration and composition can influence the spatial distribution of species. Cross-scale interactions may exist when multiscale effects interplay to shape species’ distribution patterns. We investigated how the spatial distribution of a semiaquatic mammal, muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), is influenced by local-scale resource characteristics. We also assessed how fetch, the unobstructed distance wind can travel across water, influences fine-scale habitat use by muskrats. We used 2 years of presence-absence surveys (2015–2016) at 71 wetland sites to evaluate the spatial distribution of muskrats in a lacustrine system in Minnesota, USA. We expected site occupancy and colonization to be positively associated with the amount of Typha x glauca (a rapidly establishing invasive hybrid cattail species) at sites, and negatively associated with fetch impact, water depths, and open water areas. As expected, sites with greater coverage of T. x glauca, shallower water depths, and less open water had greater initial occupancy probabilities. Muskrats were more likely to colonize fetch-impacted sites if there were also greater coverages of T. x glauca present. The distribution and intensity of fetch, dictated by the watershed-scale configuration of upland landscapes, influenced site colonization by muskrats. Our results suggest that this landscape-scale effect is mediated by the amount of T. x glauca present at much finer scales. This cross-scale interaction may facilitate distribution expansions of wetland-obligate species into otherwise unsuitable habitats.

Although most emergent wetlands across central North America have been destroyed or degraded, wetland restoration in recent decades has provided new habitat resources for wetland birds in agriculturally dominated landscapes. The goals of wetland restorations often include providing habitat for migratory and breeding waterfowl and other wetland birds. One such restored wetland complex in the Illinois River Valley, the Emiquon Preserve, is isolated from most flooding events of the Illinois River allowing the growth of persistent emergent vegetation that was quickly colonized by breeding wetland birds. We examined nest occurrence and variables influencing site selection, nest success, and changes in nest density across stages of the wetland succession cycle. We located 327 nests from nine species of wetland birds (American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus; American Coot, Fulica americana; Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax; Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus; Common Gallinule, Gallinula galeata; Green Heron, Butorides virescens; Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis; Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps; Sora, Porzana carolina) during 2013-2019. Common Gallinules were more likely to nest in persistent emergent vegetation than other cover types. American Coots and Least Bitterns selected nest sites based on water depth. Black-necked Stilt and Black-crowned Night-Heron nests were less successful in deeper water. Black-necked Stilt, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Common Gallinule nests were less successful with later initiation dates. Nest density did not vary between persistent emergent and hemi-marsh cover types. Across 2013-2019 we estimated an average of 372 nests/year for six marsh-nesting bird species at Emiquon, including two state-endangered (Common Gallinule and Black-crowned Night-Heron) and one state-threatened (Least Bittern). Wetlands restored from agricultural fields can quickly provide critical breeding habitat for marsh-nesting birds of conservation concern, although continued management is needed to provide resources to maintain persistent emergent vegetation communities as individual marshes transition through the marsh cycle.

In this work, we present experimental results on the behavior of liquid water at megabar pressure. The experiment was performed using the HIPER (High-Intensity Plasma Experimental Research) laser facility, a uniaxial irradiation chamber of GEKKO XII (GXII) at the Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE), and the PHELIX at GSI (GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research), a single-beam high-power laser facility, to launch a planar shock into solid multilayered water samples. Equation-of-state data of water (H2O) are obtained in the pressure range 0.50–4.6 Mbar by tuning the laser-drive parameters. The Hugoniot parameters (pressure, density, etc.) and the shock temperature were simultaneously determined by using VISAR and SOP as diagnostic tools and quartz as the standard material for impedance mismatch experiments. Finally, our experimental results are compared with hydrodynamic simulations tested with different equations of state, showing good compatibility with tabulated SESAME tables for water., The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the laser technical team at GEKKO XII (ILE) and PHELIX (GSI). This work received funding from the Euratom Research and Training Program 2014–2018 and 2019-2020 (Grant agreement no. 633053). The involved teams were operated within the framework of the Enabling Research Project ENR-IFE19.CEA-01, Study of Direct Drive and Shock Ignition for IFE: Theory, Simulations, Experiments, Diagnostics Development. JIHT RAS team members were supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (State Assignment no. 075-00460-21-00).

Background: The “Sarcopenia and Physical Frailty in Older People: Multicomponent Treatment Strategies” (SPRINTT) project sponsored a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) with the objective to determine the effect of physical activity and nutrition intervention for prevention of mobility disability in community-dwelling frail older Europeans. We describe here the design and feasibility of the SPRINTT nutrition intervention, including techniques used by nutrition interventionists to identify those at risk of malnutrition and to carry out the nutrition intervention. Methods: SPRINTT RCT recruited older adults (≥ 70 years) from 11 European countries. Eligible participants (n = 1517) had functional limitations measured with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB score 3–9) and low muscle mass as determined by DXA scans, but were able to walk 400 m without assistance within 15 min. Participants were followed up for up to 3 years. The nutrition intervention was carried out mainly by individual nutrition counseling. Nutrition goals included achieving a daily protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg body weight, energy intake of 25–30 kcal/kg of body weight/day, and serum vitamin D concentration ≥ 75 mmol/L. Survey on the method strategies and feasibility of the nutrition intervention was sent to all nutrition interventionists of the 16 SPRINTT study sites. Results: Nutrition interventionists from all study sites responded to the survey. All responders found that the SPRINTT nutrition intervention was feasible for the target population, and it was well received by the majority. The identification of participants at nutritional risk was accomplished by combining information from interviews, questionnaires, clinical and laboratory data. Although the nutrition intervention was mainly carried out using individual nutritional counselling, other assisting methods were used as appropriate. Conclusion: The SPRINTT nutrition intervention was feasible and able to adapt flexibly to varying needs of this heterogeneous population. The procedures adopted to identify older adults at risk of malnutrition and to design the appropriate intervention may serve as a model to deliver nutrition intervention for community-dwelling older people with mobility limitations.

We demonstrate laser-driven Helium ion acceleration with cut-off energies above 25 MeV and peaked ion number above $10^8$ /MeV for 22(2) MeV projectiles from near-critical density gas jet targets. We employed shock gas jet nozzles at the high-repetition-rate (HRR) VEGA-2 laser system with 3 J in pulses of 30 fs focused down to intensities in the range between $9\times10^{19}$ W/cm$^2$ and $1.2\times10^{20}$ W/cm$^2$. We demonstrate acceleration spectra with minor shot-to-shot changes for small variations in the target gas density profile. Difference in gas profiles arise due to nozzles being exposed to a experimental environment, partially ablating and melting., 22 pages, 28 figures

This paper deals with the optimization of the hyperthermia treatment of skin cancer, with gold nanoshells loaded in the tumor. The physical problem involves a one-dimensional bioheat transfer problem, coupled to a radiation problem for the laser propagation within a multi-layered medium that includes several tissues. The corresponding bioheat transfer problem is governed by Pennes' equation, while the laser radiation propagation in the tissues is modelled with the diffusion δ-P1 approximation. The solution of the direct problem was obtained by finite volumes and verified with an analytic solution, as well as with the Matlab function pdepe. The thermal decomposition in the tissues was modelled with an Arrhenius equation, while the objective function was given by a quadratic form involving the difference between the predicted and the desired spatial variation of the thermal damage at a specific final time. Both the Levenberg-Marquardt and the Particle Swarm methods were implemented and provided similar results for the two design variables of interest in this work: the volume fraction of nanoparticles within the tumor and the laser power, by considering a fixed duration of 10 minutes for the treatment. The results obtained in this work also show that more than one treatment session is required for the total eradication of the tumor.

This thesis defines a campaign of experimentation to guide UTACC development from concept to reality. It also applies design methodologies to reduce costs and increase the quality, effectiveness, and speed of UTACC's development. UTACC is a system of systems that teams Marines with unmanned robotic systems to reduce the Marine's cognitive load and enhance mission accomplishment. Bringing UTACC from concept to reality requires extensive experimentation, but prior to this thesis no experimentation plan has existed. A series of UTACC theses have been written starting with a CONOPS. Then theses red-celled the CONOPS, explored Coactive Design methodology, analyzed UAV alternatives, and generated measures of effectiveness and performance for the system. Using information learned from the previous theses, the campaign of experimentation described in this thesis identifies key developmental relationships, associates measures with them, and organizes them in an incremental order. This thesis also emphasizes Coactive Design and Model Driven Software Development to reduce cost and improve the quality and flexibility of the system. The goal of the campaign is to provide a plan to develop a robust, cost-efficient system that Marines can use as a part of their team to increase victory on the battlefield. http://archive.org/details/unmannedtactical1094550577 Captain, United States Marine Corps Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

International audience; Interactions of short-chain organic acids with hydrated cement phases affect structure durability in the agro-food and nuclear waste industries but can also be used to modify cement properties. Most previous studies have been experimental, performed at fixed concentrations and pH, without quantitatively discriminating among polyacidity effects, or complexation and salt precipitation processes. This paper addresses such issues by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for acetic, citric, oxalic, succinic acids and a simplified hydrated CEM-I. The thermodynamic constants collected from the literature allow the speciation to be modelled over a wide range of pH and concentrations. Citric and oxalic had a stronger chelating effect than acetic acid, while succinic acid was intermediate. Similarly, Ca-citrate and Ca-oxalate salts were more insoluble than Ca-acetate and Ca-succinate salts. Regarding aluminium complexation, hydroxyls, sulphates, and acid competition was highlighted. The exploration of acid mixtures showed the preponderant effect of oxalate and citrate over acetate and succinate.