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Item Open Access Microplastics Reference Spectra(2026-02-11)Microplastics (MPs) are environmental contaminants on the order of less than 5mm in size that can enter the human body through inhalation and ingestion. Studies have shown that MPs can pose a threat to human health and thus evaluation of the presence and potential adverse effects of MPs in tissues is critical. Typical MP studies include enzymatic or chemical tissue digestion that can lead to the loss of some MPs. Moreover, digestion does not allow mapping the location of the contaminant within the tissue architecture. This study aimed to develop a method to evaluate the presence of MPs in histological (thin) sections of tissues without digestion using optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) microspectroscopy at sub-micron (500 nm) spatial resolution. Tissue phantoms containing specific amounts and types of MPs and biological tissues were evaluated by polarized light microscopy (PLM) and O-PTIR, and several data analysis approaches were employed to detect MPs in non-digested samples. MPs from 3-85 µm in size were detected and characterized in tissue phantoms. Further, we detected MPs related to breakdown products of nylon and cellulose particles in thin sections of biological tissues, and discuss obstacles related to the use of database spectra for comparison to O-PTIR spectra, demonstrating the potential of and challenges with this novel approach.Item Open Access Far from home: A scoping review of pediatric medical travel Search Strategy(2026-02-11)To identify studies to include or consider for this scoping review, the review team worked with a librarian (RF) to develop detailed search strategies for each database. The PRISMA-ScR extension was followed for search reporting. The librarian (RF) developed the search for PubMed (NLM) and translated the search for every database searched. The PubMed search strategy was reviewed by the research team to check for accuracy and term relevancy. All final searches were peer-reviewed by another librarian (SB) following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS checklist).Item Open Access Improving the Resolution of Permanent Gas Analytes Using Solvent Gas in Gas Chromatography(2026-01-27)Gas chromatography (GC) using porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns provides an accessible approach for the analysis of permanent gases in environmental samples and gaseous processes. However, unlike GC of volatile liquids, solvent effects cannot be readily exploited to permanent gas samples. This limitation arises from the low boiling points of permanent gases and the incompatibility of PLOT columns with conventional high-boiling-point solvents. Here, we report an unexpected solvent-like effect of a non-reactive permanent gas (as “solvent”) on the separation of permanent gas analytes. When argon—typically inferior to costly helium or less-safe hydrogen in separation efficiency—is used as the carrier gas, the co-injection of “solvent” permanent gases enhances chromatographic resolution of analytes. Specifically, the addition of helium, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or methane to oxygen–nitrogen mixtures significantly improves the resolution of oxygen and nitrogen in ambient air samples. Column modification experiments with carbon dioxide, together with in-column “band-passing” of helium over oxygen and nitrogen, indicate that the enhanced separation efficiency arises from the co-injection of analyte and “solvent” gases. This behavior is attributed to two possible contributing mechanisms: (i) a transient pressure drop associated with strongly adsorbing solvent gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide), and (ii) the temporary role of helium and hydrogen as auxiliary carrier gases, which increase column efficiency while consuming minimal quantities of these gases.Item Open Access The Repro Review(2026-01-22)Item Open Access Ground-water model of spray irrigation in New Garden Township, Chester County Pennsylvania(Temple University. Libraries, 1999)I used numerical modeling to simulate the flow of ground water at a spray irrigation site. The USGS code MODFLOW was used to create two and three-dimensional steady-state simulations, and three-dimensional transient simulations. The purpose of the ground-water model was to investigate the complexity in the parameters used in the model. The model parameters included horizontal hydraulic conductivity, vertical hydraulic conductivity (represented by the MODFLOW variable VCONT), irrigation rate, precipitation, horizontal anisotropy (the ratio of and Ky), and bedrock topography. Site-specific data was not readily available, so there was uncertainty in parameter values. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the complexity needed in the parameters to accurately model the hydrologic system at the spray irrigation site. Two methods of sensitivity analysis were used: systematic variation of two parameters (while holding others fixed), and Latin hypercube sampling. Both steady-state and transient simulations were performed. Transient modeling showed the same trends as steady-state modeling with the systematic variation of hydraulic conductivity and recharge. The sensitivity analysis showed that the hydraulic conductivity was an important parameter in predicting the effects of spray irrigation, where the model was most sensitive to values of hydraulic conductivity less than 25 m/day. This sensitivity to hydraulic conductivity has implications for data collection in that if the hydraulic conductivity of the top layer is 25 m/day or less, then more detail in hydraulic conductivity distribution and mean values are necessary to understand the effects of spray irrigation on the hydrologic system of the area. If the hydraulic conductivity values are found to be greater than 25 m/day, then detail is not as necessary. The three-dimensional modeling was beneficial in understanding the role that the soil plays in stream discharge from spray irrigation. Both the recharge to the regional ground-water system and the stream discharge are important in evaluating spray irrigation. Performing sensitivity analysis before site investigation can aid in the collection of field data, and to help make predictions about the effectiveness of spray irrigation at a particular site.