How Does the Benefit Value of Medicare Compare to the Benefit Value of Typical Large Employer Plans?: A 2012 Update

Compares the value of benefits for those age 65 and older under Medicare and under two large employer plans typical of those for which premium support could be offered under reform proposals. Examines share of costs paid by the plan and by individuals

High-Performance Polyvinyl Chloride Gel Artificial Muscle Actuator with Graphene Oxide and Plasticizer

A transparent and electroactive plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel was investigated to use as a soft actuator for artificial muscle applications. PVC gels were prepared with varying plasticizer (dibutyl adipate, DBA) content. The prepared PVC gels were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The DBA content in the PVC gel was shown to have an inverse relationship with both the storage and loss modulus. The electromechanical performance of PVC gels was demonstrated for both single-layer and stacked multi-layer actuators. When voltage was applied to a single-layer actuator and then increased, the maximum displacement of PVC gels (for PVC/DBA ratios of 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8) was increased from 105.19, 123.67, and 135.55 µm (at 0.5 kV) to 140.93, 157.13, and 172.94 µm (at 1.0 kV) to 145.03, 191.34, and 212.84 µm (at 1.5 kV), respectively. The effects of graphene oxide (GO) addition in the PVC gel were also investigated. The inclusion of GO (0.1 wt.%) provided an approximate 20% enhancement of displacement and 41% increase in force production, and a 36% increase in power output for the PVC/GO gel over traditional plasticizer only PVC gel. The proposed PVC/GO gel actuator may have promising applications in artificial muscle, small mechanical devices, optics, and various opto-electro-mechanical devices due to its low-profile, transparency, and electrical response characteristics

A microRNA feedback loop regulates global microRNA abundance during aging

Expression levels of many microRNAs (miRNAs) change during aging, notably declining globally in a number of organisms and tissues across taxa. However, little is known about the mechanisms or the biological relevance for this change. We investigated the network of genes that controls miRNA transcription and processing during C. elegans aging. We found that miRNA biogenesis genes are highly networked with transcription factors and aging-associated miRNAs. In particular, miR-71, known to influence life span and itself up-regulated during aging, represses alg-1/Argonaute expression post-transcriptionally during aging. Increased ALG-1 abundance in mir-71 loss-of-function mutants led to globally increased miRNA expression. Interestingly, these mutants demonstrated widespread mRNA expression dysregulation and diminished levels of variability both in gene expression and in overall life span. Thus, the progressive molecular decline often thought to be the result of accumulated damage over an organism's life may be partially explained by a miRNA-directed mechanism of age-associated decline.</jats:p

Transcriptional (dys)regulation and aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

New work could link laboratory-defined longevity pathways to the process of normal aging

The Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel: Description, Flow Characteristics, and Guide for Users

The Langley 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel is a closed circuit, single-return atmospheric wind tunnel with a test section that can be operated in a variety of configurations (closed, slotted, partially open, and open). The closed test section configuration is 14.5 ft high by 21.75 ft wide and 50 ft long with a maximum speed of about 338 ft/sec. The open test section configuration has a maximum speed of about 270 ft/sec, and is formed by raising the ceiling and walls, to form a floor-only configuration. The tunnel may be configured with a moving-belt ground plane and a floor boundary-layer removal system at the entrance to the test section for ground effect testing. In addition, the tunnel had a two-component laser velocimeter, a frequency modulated (FM) tape system for dynamic data acquisition, flow visualization equipment, and acoustic testing capabilities. Users of the 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel are provided with information required for planning of experimental investigations including test hardware and model support systems

Neuromuscular Recruitment in Endurance Runners Should Be Improved with Explosive-Strength Training

Research has indicated that anaerobic training combined with aerobic training may improve endurance performance greater than aerobic training alone, primarily by utilizing explosive-strength training. The purpose of this investigation was to find if there are any associations between VO2max and rate of force development (RFD). METHODS: Eleven subjects (n=11, age 34.1 ± 13 years, height 175 ± 9.7 cm, weight 76.1 ± 15.5 kg, hip range of motion 33.5 ± 6.9 cm, ankle range of motion 76.1 ± 6.6°) volunteered for this study. Subjects were asked for endurance training experience (4.7 ± 3.7 years) and resistance training experience (4.1 ± 4.6 years). Participants signed an informed consent approved by Midwestern State University Internal Review Board. To meet training status, subjects were to have a VO2max in the 80th percentile as per ACSM guidelines and were between the ages of 18 and 65. The treadmill test used to measure VO2max was the standard Bruce treadmill testing protocol. In order to determine RFD subjects performed an isometric mid-thigh pull on a force platform. A Pearson Product r Correlation Coefficient was calculated to determine correlations between variables. RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between VO2max and RFD (r=0.68). DISCUSSION: These results indicate that explosive-strength training, as suggested in previous research, may in fact improve aerobic performance. Therefore, one can assume that utilizing explosive-strength training should improve aerobic performance through more efficient neuromuscular recruitment patterns, which in turn should improve time to fatigue. Olympic lifts, such as the clean and snatch exercises, are very effective exercises to utilize in order to improve RFD and should be a part of an endurance runners training program

Action And Motivation: Measuring Perception Or Strategies?

It has been suggested that when judging the distance to a desirable object, motivated distortions of perceived distance occur, and that these distortions can be measured by actions, such as throwing a beanbag. The results of two new experiments suggest that reported variations in beanbag performance may instead depend on instructional effects, such as ones that emphasize proximity rather than accuracy. When the goal was to be closest to the target, underthrowing was observed, whether the target was intrinsically valuable or not. When the goal was to hit the target, however, throwing performance was unbiased