What does neuroscience offer us in understanding cognitive therapy and person-centred therapy for depression? A realist synthesis review

A need for increased access to effective therapies for depression has been identified in the United Kingdom. There has been significant investment in Cognitive Therapy but a perceived lack of funding for alternatives. This study takes a pluralistic perspective in enquiring into what neuroscience offers us in understanding Cognitive Therapy and Person-Centred Therapy for Depression. This realist synthesis review provides a background of the theories, mapped for commonality in causality and therapy for depression. It examines neuroscience theory of depression and fMRI evidence of the effects of Cognitive Therapy and Person-Centred therapeutic concepts on the brain. This review highlights some of the limitations of scanning technology and the way that research within ‘schools’ interprets evidence from the perspective of a particular theory. This has led to evidence being presented for the case of cognitive control of emotion. The alternate hypothesis for emotional regulation was not tested in the studies reviewed despite being observed as the mechanism of change in drug therapy for depression. Since all disciplines and theories reviewed suggest the involvement of both cognitive and affective processes further research is suggested to clarify their interaction

A computer model for heat exchange processes in mobile air-conditioning systems

The last few years have seen a rapid growth in the number of cars equipped with airconditioning systems. The space available to fit the system is limited and the under bonnet environment is hostile. Moreover, the depletion of the stratospheric ozone has led to legislation on the phasing out of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs ). These substances are used as refrigerants in most refrigeration, heat pump and air-conditioning systems in service today. The aim of this research project was to study existing air-conditioning systems used in automotive applications to develop a model that simulates the components of these systems. This provides a better understanding of the effect of using different refrigerants in the system and its performance. Experimental studies of the performance of the different heat exchanger geometries used provided inputs to the model developed. Automotive air-conditioning condensers and evaporators simulation models were developed and used to compare the performance of these heat exchangers using CFC and HCFC refrigerants and the non-ozone depleting replacements. Thermodynamic properties of the new refrigerants were derived from the equation of state. The evaporator was simulated taking into consideration the mass transfe r associated with the heat transfer in humid conditions. Two types of compact heat exchangers were modelled, round tube with plane fin and plate tube with corrugated fin. These cover most automotive, domestic and industrial applications. The basic performance data of various geometries were determined experimentally. An existing thermal wind tunnel was re-instrumented and modified to improve accuracy at the low air velocities was used in this study. A new data logger linked to a personal computer was used with newly written software to collect and analyse the test data. The results for all geometries tested were correlated and presented in non-dimensional form. The test data were used to determine the effect of various geometrical parameters on the performance for an optimisation of condenser and evaporator designs. The model developed is being used by industrial collaborators for the design of heat exchangers in automotive air-conditioning systems

Microcontroller Based Variable Frequency Power Inverter

The variable frequency inverters have been used in wide applications, such as speed control of induction motors. The variable speed operation of a single phase and three-phase induction motors suffer from large harmonic and limited speed range. Therefore, intensive researches were carried out in order to eliminate the harmonic distortion, simplify the motor speed control task over a wide range, and to reduce the overall system cost. This work investigates performance of the microcontroller based variable frequency power inverter to reduce the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) for the overall system. The fully controlled single phase and three-phase bridge voltage source inverter have been designed and implemented with semiconductors power devices Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor. The microcontroller has been employed in this inverter to provide SPWM signal that controls the applied voltage on the gate drive, which provides the desired SPWM frequency at the output of the power inverter. The Matlab simulation results for the proposed system have been achieved with different SPWM frequencies. From the results a stable AC voltage with variable frequency over wide range has been obtained with fewer harmonics and a good agreement has been found between the simulation and hardware results of a single phase and three-phase inverter. Also, the result obtained has been compared with previous work and it shown a good agreement too. Therefore, this system can be considered as variable frequency voltage source power inverter, with low total harmonic distortion (THD <2)

Kurangnya Asupan Makan Sebagai Penyebab Kejadian Balita Pendek (Stunting)

Inadequate food intake is one of the causes of malnutrition in young children, where the children are not enough nutrients will have an impact on nutritional disorders like short or stunting. Lace short nutritional disorder is higher than the age indicated chronic disorders of growth hormone. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship meal intake with the incidence of short children (stunting) in RT 01 RW 01 New Peace Tanjung Bandar Lampung in 2015. The study design was used analytic observational with cross sectional approach. The sample in this study is a pair of mothers and children aged 2-5 years of 48 people, and the measuring instrument using a food frequency questionare, chec sheet and microtois list. The results were obtained There is a relationship of protein intake (ρ = 0.002), vitamin A (ρ = 0.000) and iron (ρ = 0.041) and the incidence of stunting, and there is no relationship calories (ρ = 0.178), carbohydrates (ρ = 0.300) and zinc (ρ = 0.732) and the incidence of stunting. Researchers recommendation is to increase the diversity of food and nutritional balance in foods toddlers

The possible role of heat shock protein-70 induction in collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the possible role of heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) induction by 17-allylaminodemethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in collagen-induced arthritis in rats. Material and methods Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n = 10/group) and were treated intraperitoneally twice a week for 4 weeks, namely normal control (saline), arthritis control (AR; saline), AR + 17-AAG, AR + methotrexate (MTX), and AR + 17-AAG + MTX. At the end of the treatments, arthritic score was determined and then the animals were sacrificed. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum levels of HSP70, interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), rheumatic factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were determined. Results In the AR group, all parameters increased significantly, except for GPx, which showed a pronounced decrease. The 17-AAG and/or MTX treatments significantly reduced arthritic score, ESR, IL-17, TNF-α, RF, CRP, MDA, and MMP-9 with significant increase in GPx compared to the AR group. The HSP70 level was significantly higher in the AR + 17-AAG and the AR + 17-AAG + MTX groups but significantly lower in the AR + MTX group as compared to the AR group. Also, it was significantly lower in the AR + MTX group as compared to the AR + 17-AAG group. Conclusion We concluded that HSP70 induction by 17-AAG attenuated the inflammatory process in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model induced by collagen, which suggested that HSP70 inducers can be promising agents in the treatment of RA

On The Queuing System M/Er/1/N

In this paper the queuing system (M/Er/1/N) has been considered in equilibrium. The method of stages introduced by Erlang has been used. The system of equations which governs the equilibrium probabilities of various stages has been given. For general N the probability of j stages of service are left in the system, has been introduced. And the probability for the empty system has been calculated in the explicit form

Feline patent Toxoplasma-like coccidiosis among feral cats (Felis catus) in Doha city, Qatar and its immediate surroundings

Doha city has a high feral cat population and studies of hospital records in Doha have shown that human toxoplasmosis also occurs. Clearly, there is a need to understand the role of cats as vectors of human toxoplasmosis in the city and as a first step we assessed the extent of patent Toxoplasma-like coccidial infections among feral cats. Oocysts in cat faeces were detected between June 2008 and April 2010, from a range of locations radiating out of the city centre in concentric semi circular/elliptic rings and by north, west and south divisions within each of the rings. In total 4,652 cats were sampled and overall prevalence of oocysts was 9.1%. Prevalence was 10.1% in the first summer, and then dropped to 8.4% in the following winter and further to 6.8% in the next summer before rising to 10.6% in the final winter of the study; this interaction between annual period and season was significant. There were also significant changes in prevalence across each of the consecutive months of the study, but no clear pattern was evident. Prevalence did not vary significantly by city sector and there was no difference in prevalence between the host sexes. We conclude therefore, that despite minor and significant perturbations, the prevalence of patent Toxoplasma-like coccidial infections among cats in Doha is remarkably stable throughout the year, across years and spatially within the city’s districts.Qatar National Research Funds Student grant UREP 05 – 060 – 3 – 01

Update on results of SPRE testing at NASA Lewis

The Space Power Research Engine (SPRE), a free-piston Stirling engine with a linear alternator, is being tested at NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) as a candidate for high capacity space power. Results are presented from recent SPRE tests designed to investigated the effects of variation in the displacer seal clearance and piston centering port area on engine performance and dynamics. The impact of these variations on PV power and efficiency are presented. Comparisons of the displacer seal clearance tests results with HFAST code predictions show good agreement for PV power, but show poor agreement for PV efficiency. Correlations are presented relating the piston midstroke position to the dynamic Delta P across the piston and the centering port area. Test results indicate that a modest improvement in PV power and efficiency may be realized with a reduction in piston centering port area