This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a robust flight control strategy for quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on the Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity-Based Control (IDA-PBC) methodology. The proposed approach is specifically tailored to the Parrot Bebop 2, a commercial UAV. The IDA-PBC control law is derived using the Hamiltonian model of the UAV dynamics obtained from experimental data to represent the dynamics of all six degrees of freedom, including translational and rotational motions. The control strategy was validated through numerical simulations and experimental tests conducted in an indoor flight setup using MATLAB, Robot Operating System, and an OptiTrack motion capture system. Numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the controller effectively tracks desired flight trajectories, ensuring stable and robust performance.

Little guidance exists for developing institutional policies and procedures that support financial management of community-engaged research, including those related to compensating community partners equitably and efficiently for their expertise and time. To address this gap at our institution, the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) pursued an iterative, multi-pronged approach to identify and address institutional barriers and facilitators related to community partner compensation for research engagement. This case study describes the approach used to involve research administrative leadership, research teams, and community partners at UNC in the identification of institutional barriers to efficient partner compensation. It also elucidates our efforts to develop policies, processes, and resources to address these barriers. The approaches and solutions described can be adapted by other academic research institutions to enhance compensation processes and to facilitate incorporation of community perspectives into the design and implementation of institutional processes that directly impact their engagement in research.

Objectives/Goals: Understand the impact of sarcopenia on the main respiratory muscle, the diaphragm (DIAm). We hypothesize that in the DIAm of older (i.e., 24 months) compared to younger (i.e., 6 months) rats, maximum specific force (P0) is reduced, maximum shortening velocity (Vmax) is slower, maximum power output is reduced, and endurance is improved. Methods/Study Population: Mid-costal DIAm strips were excised from 6-month (n = 8; 4 female and 4 male) and 24-month (n = 8; 4 female and 4 male) rats. The DIAm was stimulated using platinum plate electrodes, and mechanical and endurance properties were measured (at 26oC). Results/Anticipated Results: In the DIAm, maximum tetanic formce (P0) decreased by ~35%, maximum velocity of shortening (Vmax) slowed by ~20%, and peak power output was reduced by ~35% in 24-month compared to 6-month rats. During repetitive isovelocity (30% Vmax; approximating peak power output) contractions, endurance (the period during which power output was sustained) of the DIAm was unaffected by aging. Corresponding with previous findings, Discussion/Significance of Impact: The changes in DIAm mechanical performance corresponded to an age-related atrophy of type IIx/IIb muscle fibers. We conclude that force generation and endurance of the DIAm required for breathing motor function is preserved in old age, while DIAm sarcopenia does impair more forceful expulsive airway clearance and voiding behaviors.

Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent. This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory. A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence. This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime. Recently, the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry, refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.

We present a novel scheme for rapid quantitative analysis of debris generated during experiments with solid targets following relativistic laser–plasma interaction at high-power laser facilities. Results are supported by standard analysis techniques. Experimental data indicate that predictions by available modelling for non-mass-limited targets are reasonable, with debris of the order of hundreds of μg per shot. We detect for the first time two clearly distinct types of debris emitted from the same interaction. A fraction of the debris is ejected directionally, following the target normal (rear and interaction side). The directional debris ejection towards the interaction side is larger than on the side of the target rear. The second type of debris is characterized by a more spherically uniform ejection, albeit with a small asymmetry that favours ejection towards the target rear side.

We used the PW high-repetition laser facility VEGA-3 at Centro de Láseres Pulsados in Salamanca, with the goal of studying the generation of radioisotopes using laser-driven proton beams. Various types of targets have been irradiated, including in particular several targets containing boron to generate α-particles through the hydrogen–boron fusion reaction. We have successfully identified γ-ray lines from several radioisotopes created by irradiation using laser-generated α-particles or protons including 43Sc, 44Sc, 48Sc, 7Be, 11C and 18F. We show that radioisotope generation can be used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate α-particle generation in laser-driven proton–boron fusion experiments. We also show the production of 11C radioisotopes, $\approx 6 \times 10^{6}$, and of 44Sc radioisotopes, $\approx 5 \times 10^{4}$ per laser shot. This result can open the way to develop laser-driven radiation sources of radioisotopes for medical applications.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and native bee species have ecological, economic, social, and cultural importance to smallholder coffee farmers. While the ecological contributions of bees to the sustainability of coffee systems are well documented, particularly in relation to the coffee crop, fewer studies have examined socio-economic dimensions of beekeeping for honey as an agroecological diversification strategy for coffee producers. Yet, understanding the multiple values of different diversification strategies is important as many coffee farmers in different parts of the world are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living on coffee alone and are adopting alternative strategies, such as on-farm diversification. In this Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, we examined the opportunities, limitations, and trade-offs of beekeeping (with A. mellifera) as an agroecological diversification option for smallholder coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. We applied a mixed-methods approach, which consisted of monthly surveys with 25 beekeepers of Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas (CESMACH)/Apicultores Miel Real del Triunfo (ART) producer cooperatives for 12 months and five focus groups between 2018 and 2019. We found that beekeeping is less labor-intensive than coffee, and there are opportunities to integrate beekeeping into the annual farming cycle of coffee and maize production without causing competing labor demands or additional time pressures. We also found that beekeeping could generate economic gains for peasant families; however, profitability hinged on various factors, such as the price for honey, yield per hive, and the number of beehives. Our results further show that beekeeping yielded multiple non-monetary benefits by contributing to the nutrition and health of farmer families and their communities, serving as a vehicle for horizontal learning and relationship building, and contributing to the emotional well-being of beekeepers. Finally, producers who hoped to gain economically from beekeeping were generally interested in growing their apiaries but expressed concerns about limited technical knowledge and the impacts of climate change. Given the multiple social, economic, and ecological benefits of beekeeping, it has great promise as a part of agroecological food and farming systems. We argue that efforts to promote beekeeping as a diversification strategy should take a holistic approach, underscoring the potential of apiculture to enhance the well-being and resilience of beekeeping families and strengthen food sovereignty and local economies (including solidarity economies) in peasant communities. These findings can be useful in supporting beekeepers and their organizations in strategic planning for enhancing the long-term sustainability of beekeeping.

The retrieval of sea ice thickness using L-band passive remote sensing requires robust models for emission from sea ice. In this work, measurements obtained from surface-based radiometers during the MOSAiC expedition are assessed with the Burke, Wilheit and SMRT radiative transfer models. These models encompass distinct methodologies: radiative transfer with/without wave coherence effects, and with/without scattering. Before running these emission models, the sea ice growth is simulated using the Cumulative Freezing Degree Days (CFDD) model to further compute the evolution of the ice structure during each period. Ice coring profiles done near the instruments are used to obtain the initial state of the computation, along with Digital Thermistor Chain (DTC) data to derive the sea ice temperature during the analyzed periods. The results suggest that the coherent approach used in the Wilheit model results in a better agreement with the horizontal polarization of the in situ measured brightness temperature. The Burke and SMRT incoherent models offer a more robust fit for the vertical component. These models are almost equivalent since the scattering considered in SMRT can be safely neglected at this low frequency, but the Burke model misses an important contribution from the snow layer above sea ice. The results also suggest that a more realistic permittivity falls between the spheres and random needles formulations, with potential for refinement, particularly for L-band applications, through future field measurements.

The Fezouata Shale Formation has dramatically impacted our understanding of Early Ordovician marine ecosystems before the great Ordovician biodiversification event (GOBE), thanks to the abundance and quality of exceptionally preserved animals within it. Systematic work has noted that the shelly fossil subassemblages of the Fezouata Shale biota are typical of open-marine deposits from the Lower Ordovician, but no studies have tested the quantitative validity of this statement. We extracted 491 occurrences of recalcitrant fossil genera from the Paleobiology Database to reconstruct 31 subassemblages to explore the paleoecology of the Fezouata Shale and other contemporary, high-latitude (66°S–90°S) deposits from the Lower Ordovician (485.4–470 Ma) and test the interpretation that the Fezouata Shale biota is typical for an Ordovician open-marine environment. Sørensen's dissimilarity metrics and Wilcoxon tests indicate that the subassemblages of the Tremadocian-aged lower Fezouata Shale are approximately 20% more heterogenous than the Floian-aged upper Fezouata Shale. Dissimilarity metrics and visualization suggest that while the lower Fezouata and upper Fezouata share faunal components, the two sections have distinct faunas. We find that the faunal composition of the lower Fezouata Shale is comparable with other Tremadocian-aged subassemblages from high latitudes, suggesting that it is typical for an Early Ordovician open-marine environment. We also find differences in faunal composition between Tremadocian- and Floian-aged deposits. Our results corroborate previous field-based and qualitative systematic studies that concluded that the shelly assemblages of the Fezouata Shale are comparable with those of other Lower Ordovician deposits from high latitudes. This establishes the first quantitative baseline for examining the composition and variability within the assemblages of the Fezouata Shale and will be key to future studies attempting to discern the degree to which it can inform our understanding of marine ecosystems just before the start of the GOBE.

Plant growth requires the integration of internal and external cues, perceived and transduced into a developmental programme of cell division, elongation and wall thickening. Mechanical forces contribute to this regulation, and thigmomorphogenesis typically includes reducing stem height, increasing stem diameter, and a canonical transcriptomic response. We present data on a bZIP transcription factor involved in this process in grasses. Brachypodium distachyon SECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP (SWIZ) protein translocated into the nucleus following mechanostimulation. Classical touch-responsive genes were upregulated in B. distachyon roots following touch, including significant induction of the glycoside hydrolase 17 family, which may be unique to grass thigmomorphogenesis. SWIZ protein binding to an E-box variant in exons and introns was associated with immediate activation followed by repression of gene expression. SWIZ overexpression resulted in plants with reduced stem and root elongation. These data further define plant touch-responsive transcriptomics and physiology, offering insights into grass mechanotranduction dynamics.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The NC Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute’s Latine Community Review Board (CRB) provides expertise to researchers seeking to culturally adapt interventions and improve language access in clinical and translational science. Early efforts aimed to expand CRB membership, build member capacity, and assess CRB impact. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Founded in 2021, the NC TraCS Latine CRB is an advisory group of natively Spanish-speaking, Latine North Carolinians who contract with research teams (RTs) to review Latine community-facing study materials (e.g., decision aids, scales, recruitment scripts) and provide feedback for improving or validating materials’ linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance. Bilingual staff facilitate members’ review of materials, use focus group methods to solicit feedback, and report key findings and suggested revisions to RTs. In 2023, we recruited new age-, gender-, and racially diverse members; and implemented process and impact evaluation, via (1) post surveys of RTs and (2) assessment of members’ experiences and visions for growth utilizing the Focused Conversation Method (Top-network, 2021). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Since 2021, NC TraCS has conducted 11 Latine CRB review sessions to support 7 research studies. Current CRB members (n=8) report that (1) their work effectively supports Latine inclusion in research; (2) increased group size and diversity help ensure study materials are comprehensible to heterogenous Latine populations; and (3) an hourly member compensation rate equal to the hourly rate of TraCS’ staff accurately represents member contributions. Members also cited that they value open communication, continuous improvement, communication via email and group chat, periodic programming meetings, and RT updates on study outcomes. Post-session RT surveys to date (n=3) show that RTs would recommend this program to other researchers (pending survey responses from RTs this year will provide additional impact data). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Early data highlight the value of fairly compensated, bilingually coordinated input from diverse Latine community members for improving studies’ inclusion of heterogeneous, multilingual communities. Our approach can inform the development, growth, and continuous improvement of multilingual review boards at other research institutions.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: While the evolving treatment paradigm for Glioblastoma (GBM) leverages different modalities to improve outcomes, treatment access might be limited by cost and disparities. This study explores the influence of race and social determinants of health (SDoH) on healthcare access and outcomes of GBM patients in a large metropolitan area over a decade. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Our institution’s tumor registry (2009-2019) was queried to identify our GBM cohort. Data were supplemented by electronic health records to include demographics, outcome, NCI Comorbidity Index, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) socioeconomic status (SES) index. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Of the 559 GBM records, 361 unique patients met the inclusion criteria, and 43% were Non-White. Non-White patients predominantly comprised the lowest AHRQ SES index quartile and had longer hospital stays (LOS; p<0.001). White patients accounted for 61% of privately insured patients (p<0.001). Private insurance (p= 0.02) and age < 65 years (p= 0.039) were associated with a higher rate of home discharge. Patients diagnosed with GBM in the emergency department were more likely to be discharged to acute rehab than home (p<0.001). At 2 years, privately insured patients had longer OS (HR= 1.46; p= 0.04). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: In contrast to previous studies, the study demonstrates that GBM affected a higher proportion of Non-White patients. Our data show that SDoH influences multiple outcomes in GBM patients. Efforts to identify and correct these barriers are needed to improve the care of all GBM patients.

The interaction between N-methyl 8-hydroxy quinoline methyl sulfate, a drug that absorbs erymathogenic near-ultraviolet radiation, and smectite was studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and adsorption and desorption techniques. From the adsorption studies, (1) the amount of the drug adsorbed by Na-smectite increased with the pH of the solution to pH 6.5 and then decreased as the pH was further increased; (2) the maximum amount adsorbed at pH 6.5 was 102 meq/100 g of clay; and (3) the maximum amount of drug adsorbed, according to the adsorption isotherms at pH 4, was close to the cation-exchange capacity of the smectite (80 meq/100 g). The XRD studies showed that the drug molecules were adsorbed in the interlayer space of smectite and that cation exchange was the chief mechanism responsible for these interactions. The results of the adsorption-desorption cycles of the drug by smectite showed that this clay is a good support for this compound. In addition, an alternative method was developed to obtain the intercalation compound to avoid the standard method of exchange by impregnation. The method consisted of grinding a mixture of the drug with the clay. The characteristics of the complex thus formed were similar to those of the complex formed by exchange at pH 4 to 7.

To gain insight into the pharmacological properties of the intercalation compound studied, its capacity for absorption of visible and near-ultraviolet light was investigated. The diffuse reflectance spectrum of the complex showed intense absorption bands, absent or weak in the spectra of the pure drug or the untreated clay, at 250, 290, and ~390 nm.