Probabilistic structural mechanics research for parallel processing computers

Aerospace structures and spacecraft are a complex assemblage of structural components that are subjected to a variety of complex, cyclic, and transient loading conditions. Significant modeling uncertainties are present in these structures, in addition to the inherent randomness of material properties and loads. To properly account for these uncertainties in evaluating and assessing the reliability of these components and structures, probabilistic structural mechanics (PSM) procedures must be used. Much research has focused on basic theory development and the development of approximate analytic solution methods in random vibrations and structural reliability. Practical application of PSM methods was hampered by their computationally intense nature. Solution of PSM problems requires repeated analyses of structures that are often large, and exhibit nonlinear and/or dynamic response behavior. These methods are all inherently parallel and ideally suited to implementation on parallel processing computers. New hardware architectures and innovative control software and solution methodologies are needed to make solution of large scale PSM problems practical

DYNAMIC LINKAGES BETWEEN PRICES AND IMPORTS FOR JAPANESE FROZEN TUNA

VAR models have been used to describe the dynamic relationships among market price, Japanese harvest, import-from-Taiwan, and import-from-Korea for frozen Big-Eye tuna and Yellow-Fin tuna markets in Japan. It is found that tuna imports from South Korea exert more significant effects on Japan market prices than import-from-Taiwan.Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade,

Improvement of visual acuity in children with anisometropic amblyopia treated with rotated prisms combined with near activity

<b>AIM:</b> To evaluate the efficacy of a new modality for improving visual acuity (VA) in pediatric patients with anisometropic amblyopia.<b>METHODS:</b> Retrospective and interventional case series. Medical records of 360 children with anisometropic amblyopia treated with a modality that included rotated prisms, lenses, and near activities from January 2008 to January 2012 were analyzed. Characteristics such as improvement of VA and contrast sensitivity in amblyopic eyes and resolution of amblyopia (VA≤0.1logMAR or a difference of ≤2 lines in logMAR between the eyes) were assessed.<b>RESULTS:</b> Among the patients, the mean VA of the amblyopic eyes improved from 0.48logMAR (SD=0.16) to 0.12logMAR (SD=0.16) and the mean VA improvement was 0.36logMAR (SD=0.10, <i>P</i><0.001). Resolution of amblyopia was achieved in 233 of 360 patients (64.72%). The mean time for resolution of amblyopia was 8.05 weeks (SD=4.83) or 14.14 sessions (SD=8.76). Among the study group, refraction error did not change significantly after treatment (<i>P</i>=0.437). We found that better baseline VA may be related to success and shorten the time to amblyopic resolution.<b>CONCLUSION:</b> VA and contrast sensitivity improved with rotated prisms, correcting lenses, and near activities in children with anisometropic amblyopia. The VA improvement by this modality was comparable to other methods. However, the time to resolution of amblyopia was shorter with this method than with other modalities. Rotated prisms combined with near acuity could provide an alternative treatment in children with anisometropic amblyopia who can’t tolerant traditional therapy method like patching

Adiponectin Gene Polymorphisms and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Susceptibility and Mortality

Rationale: Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory adipokine that is the most abundant gene product of adipose tissue. Lower levels have been observed in obesity, insulin resistance, and in critical illness. However, elevated levels early in acute respiratory failure have been associated with mortality. Polymorphisms in adiponectin-related genes (ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2) have been examined for relationships with obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and to circulating adipokine levels, but many gaps in knowledge remain. The current study aims to assess the association between potentially functional polymorphisms in adiponectin-related genes with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) risk and mortality. Methods: Consecutive patients with risk factors for ARDS admitted to the ICU were enrolled and followed prospectively for development of ARDS. ARDS cases were followed through day 60 for all-cause mortality. 2067 patients were successfully genotyped using the Illumina CVD BeadChip high-density platform. Of these, 567 patients developed ARDS. Forty-four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 were successfully genotyped. Of these, 9 SNPs were hypothesized to be functional based on their location (promoter, exon, or 3′ untranslated region). These 9 SNPs were analyzed for association with ARDS case status and mortality among ARDS cases. Results: After multivariable analysis and adjustment for multiple comparisons, no SNPs were significantly associated with ARDS case status. Among ARDS cases, homozygotes for the minor allele of rs2082940 (ADIPOQ) had increased mortality (hazard ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval 1.36–5.00, p = 0.0039) after adjustment for significant covariates. The significance of this association persisted after adjustment for multiple comparisons (FDR_q = 0.029). Conclusions: A common and potentially functional polymorphism in ADIPOQ may impact survival in ARDS. Further studies are required to replicate these results and to correlate genotype with circulating adiponectin levels

Global epidemics of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: Nursing opportunities for prevention and management

Session presented on Saturday, July 26, 2014: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death throughout the world. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is not only an important risk factor for the development of CVD, but a prognostic marker for CVD-related morbidity and mortality. An additional challenge is that individuals with T2DM frequently do not display symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) and therefore CAD is often discovered late in the disease process. This session will explore the challenges in the prevention, detection and management of CVD in adults with T2DM through the current literature, as well as through the presenter\u27s program of research. Specific areas of focus include: identifying individuals with T2DM who have an increased risk of CVD events; screening for asymptomatic myocardial ischemia and factors associated with asymptomatic CAD and subsequent CAD-related events; and cognitive-behavioral interventions to reduce CVD risk in adults with T2DM. The research evidence will be synthesized and provide a basis for nursing interventions aimed at reducing the risk of CVD and its complications in adults with T2DM. The session will also provide an opportunity for discussion by audience members on clinical and research strategies to address the global burden of both CVD and T2DM

Nursing strategies to decrease the global burden of cardiovascular disease

Session presented on Thursday, July 21, 2016: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death throughout the world. Rates of CVD have been increasing globally as a result of population aging, urbanization and globalization. The importance of CVD and other chronic diseases will be discussed, along with global trends. Risk factors for CVD are known and similar throughout the world - unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use -which contribute to elevated blood pressure and blood glucose, abnormal blood lipids, and overweight/obesity. The importance of these risk factors will be highlighted. These same risk factors are also important in terms of stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Importantly most risk factors can be prevented or modified. Myths (where and among whom chronic diseases are concentrated, focus on infectious diseases, age- and gender-related effects, causes, effects of prevention, expense, and inevitability) regarding chronic disease will be presented, along with the evidence showing the effectiveness of risk factor modification. Interventions to decrease both CVD and its complications have been developed and have shown to be successful. The concept of prevention (primordial, primary, and secondary), ideal cardiovascular health, and behavior will be discussed in order to provide a basis for specific interventions. The research evidence will be presented (according to population studied, conceptual framework, design, intervention components, measures and outcomes) and synthesized, highlighting areas of strength (use of cognitive behavioral therapy, treatment, disease management, coaching and use of e-Health) and those areas in need of further development (measures of self-care/self-management, duration of interventions, content, and outcomes addressed). These findings will serve as a basis for nursing interventions aimed at reducing the risk of CVD and its complications in Africa. Potential barriers to implementation of evidence-based care aimed at CVD risk reduction will be discussed. Areas for future nursing research, nursing education, clinical practice and for public policy aimed at decreasing the burden of CVD will be highlighted

A Graphical petri nets simulator

This thesis is an application software system (Graphical Petri Net simulator GPNS) providing a window-oriented, menu-driven and graphical interface simulator for Petri nets. This simulator is based on Place/Transition nets (PT-nets). It allows users to design and simulate PT-net under an interactive graphical environment. GPNS also provides a utility, Auxiliary Application Program (AAP), to make it more useful. When applying the AAP with the GPNS, each function in the AAP can be attached to a corresponding transition in the Petri net. Whenever an enabled transition in the Petri Net is fired will cause the corresponding function in the AAP to be executed. In this case, It is closer to a Predicate/Action net than a Place/Transition net, except that no predicates are attached. This Petri Net simulator can be a very good tutorial tool in an educational environment. Subject to some restrictions, it can be a very useful tool for modeling and designing a system

The conditions for the uniform validity of three time scale approximation on a very long time interval

In this paper the 3-time-scale method, applied to periodic first order ordinary differential equations, is investigated and some conditions on the differential equation are given under which the 3-scale approximation is uniformly valid. Also a discussion about the idea of the uniformly ordered sequence for the generalized asymptotic expansion is given

Materials in particulate form for tissue engineering. 2 Applications in bone

Materials in particulate form have been the subjects of intensive research in view of their use as drug delivery systems. While within this application there are still issues to be addressed, these systems are now being regarded as having a great potential for tissue engineering applications. Bone repair is a very demanding task, due to the specific characteristics of skeletal tissues, and the design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering presents several difficulties. Materials in particulate form are now seen as a means of achieving higher control over parameters such as porosity, pore size, surface area and the mechanical properties of the scaffold. These materials also have the potential to incorporate biologically active molecules for release and to serve as carriers for cells. It is believed that the combination of these features would create a more efficient approach towards regeneration. This review focuses on the application ofmaterials in particulate formfor bone tissue engineering. A brief overview of bone biology and the healing process is also provided in order to place the application in its broader context. An original compilation of molecules with a documented role in bone tissue biology is listed, as they have the potential to be used in bone tissue engineering strategies. To sum up this review, examples of works addressing the above aspects are presented