Про один метод оцінки впливу параметрів в задачах геотехнічної механіки

Работа посвящена применению метода последовательной аппроксимации для оценки степени влияния параметров в задачах геотехнической механики. Оценка степени влияния параметров состоит в сравнении показателей степеней в представлении функции в окрестности точки произведением степенных функций, каждая из которых зависит лишь от одной переменной. Апробация метода осуществлена на ряде прикладных задач геотехнической механики.The paper devoted to sequence approximation method using for geotechnical mechanic influence parameters evaluating tasks. An anchor influence parameters evaluating consist of univariable function powers comparisons in point vicinity representation as univariable power function product. Method applied to some geotechnical mechanic tasks

Protective Aptitude of Annexin A1 in Arterial Neointima Formation in Atherosclerosis-Prone Mice-Brief Report

Objective-Restenosis as a consequence of arterial injury is aggravated by inflammatory pathways. Here, we investigate the role of the proresolving protein annexin A1 (AnxA1) in healing after wire injury. Approach and Results-Apoe(-/-) and Apoe(-/-) Anxa1(-/-) mice were subjected to wire injury while fed a high-cholesterol diet. Subsequently, localization of AnxA1 and AnxA1 plasma levels were examined. AnxA1 was found to localize within endothelial cells and macrophages in the neointima. Levels of AnxA1 in the plasma and its lesional expression negatively correlated with neointima size, and in the absence of AnxA1, neointima formation was aggravated by the accumulation and proliferation of macrophages. In contrast, reendothelialization and smooth muscle cell infiltration were not affected in Apoe(-/-) Anxa1(-/-) mice. Conclusions-AnxA1 is protective in healing after wire injury and could, therefore, be an attractive therapeutic compound to prevent from restenosis after vascular damage

Application of the New Classification on Patients with a Disorder of Sex Development in Indonesia

Disorder of sex development (DSD) patients in Indonesia most often do not receive a proper diagnostic evaluation and treatment. This study intended to categorize 88 Indonesian patients in accordance with the new consensus DSD algorithm. Diagnostic evaluation including clinical, hormonal, genetic, imaging, surgical, and histological parameters was performed. Fifty-three patients were raised as males, and 34 as females. Of 22 patients with 46, XX DSD, 15 had congenital adrenal hyperplasia, while in one patient, an ovarian Leydig cell tumor was found. In all 58 46, XY DSD patients, 29 were suspected of a disorder of androgen action (12 with an androgen receptor mutation), and in 9, gonadal dysgenesis was found and, in 20, severe hypospadias e.c.i. Implementation of the current consensus statement in a resource-poor environment is very difficult. The aim of the diagnostic workup in developing countries should be to end up with an evidence-based diagnosis. This is essential to improve treatment and thereby to improve the patients' quality of life

A new test of the construct validity of the CarerQol instrument: measuring the impact of informal care giving

Purpose: Most economic evaluations of health care programmes do not consider the effects of informal care, while this could lead to suboptimal policy decisions. This study investigates the construct validity of the CarerQol instrument, which measures and values carer effects, in a new population of informal caregivers. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed by mail (n = 1,100, net response rate = 21%) to regional informal care support centers throughout the Netherlands. Two types of construct validity, i.e., convergent and clinical validity, have been analyzed. Convergent validity was assessed with Spearman's correlation coefficients and multivariate correlation between the burden dimensions (CarerQol-7D) and the valuation component (CarerQol-VAS) of the CarerQol. Additionally, convergent validity was analyzed with Spearman's correlation coefficients between the CarerQol and other measures of subjective caregiver burden (SRB, PU). Clinical validity was evaluated with multivariate correlation between CarerQol-VAS and CarerQol-7D, characteristics of caregivers, care recipients and care situation among the whole sample of caregivers and subgroups. Results: The positive (negative) dimensions of CarerQol-7D were positively (negatively) related to CarerQol-VAS, and almost all had moderate strength of convergent validity. CarerQol-VAS was positively associated with PU and negatively with SRB. The CarerQol-VAS reflects differences in important background characteristics of informal care: type of relationship, age of the care recipient and duration of care giving were associated with higher CarerQol-VAS scores. These results confirmed earlier tests of the construct validity of the CarerQol. Furthermore, the dimensions of CarerQol-7D significantly explained differences in CarerQol-VAS scores among subgroups of carers. Conclusion: Notwithstanding the limitations of our study, such as the low response rate, this study shows that the CarerQol provides a valid means to measure carer effects for use in economic evaluations. Future research should derive a valuation set for the CarerQol and further address the instrument's content validity, sensitivity and reliability

Optimising Extinction of Conditioned Disgust

Maladaptive disgust responses are tenacious and resistant to exposure-based interventions. In a similar vein, laboratory studies have shown that conditioned disgust is relatively insensitive to Conditioned Stimulus (CS)-only extinction procedures. The relatively strong resistance to extinction might be explained by disgust’s adaptive function to motivate avoidance from contamination threats (pathogens) that cannot be readily detected and are invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, the mere visual presentation of unreinforced disgust eliciting stimuli might not be sufficient to correct a previously acquired threat value of the CS+. Following this, the current study tested whether the efficacy of CS-only exposure can be improved by providing additional safety information about the CS+. For the CSs we included two neutral items a pea soup and a sausage roll, whereas for the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) we used one video clip of a woman vomiting and a neutral one about glass blowing. The additional safety information was conveyed by allowing actual contact with the CS+ or by observing an actress eating the food items representing the CS+. When additional safety information was provided via allowing direct contact with the CS+, there was a relatively strong post-extinction increase in participants’ willingness-to-eat the CS+. This beneficial effect was still evident at one-week follow up. Also self-reported disgust was lower at one-week follow up when additional safety information was provided. The current findings help explain why disgust is relatively insensitive to CS-only extinction procedures, and provide helpful starting points to improve interventions that are aimed to reduce distress in disgust-related psychopathology

Kijken naar porno:Subcorticale hersenactiviteit weerspiegelt negatieve maar niet positieve impliciete seksuele associaties

Samenvatting Achtergrond Aan de ene kant kunnen mensen visuele seksuele stimulatie (VSS) ervaren als plezierig, maar aan de andere kant kunnen mensen VSS ook ervaren als iets “viezigs” en negatief. Dit onderzoek richt zich op de vraag hoe het brein bij vrouwen reageert op VSS en hoe de hersenactiviteit samenhangt met hun impliciete en expliciete attitudes ten aanzien van VSS. Methode Vrouwen zonder seksuele klachten (N = 20) bekeken een reeks afbeeldingen uit diverse categorieën (seksuele penetratie, walging, neutraal) in een fMRI-scanner. Met behulp van een reactietijd-taak (Implicit Association Test) werd vervolgens de sterkte van hun impliciete seks-vies versus seks-lekker associaties gemeten. Daarnaast beoordeelden ze alle afbeeldingen op een visuele analoge schaal als meting van hun expliciete attitude. Resultaten De hersenactiviteit in reactie op afbeeldingen van seksuele penetratie vertoonde grote overeenkomst met die op afbeeldingen van walgelijke plaatjes. Specifiek de hersenactiviteit in reactie op de seksuele penetratieafbeeldingen bleek te variëren als functie van de impliciete attitude ten aanzien van de seksuele penetratie-plaatjes. Hoe sterker de impliciete associatie van seks met walging des te sterker de activiteit in de basale voorhersenen (inclusief de nucleus accumbens en de bed nucleus van de stria terminalis), de middenhersenen, en amygdala in reactie op het zien van de seksuele penetratie plaatjes. Conclusie De betrokken hersengebieden zijn veelal geassocieerd met visuele seksuele verwerkingsprocessen. De huidige resultaten laten zien dat de activatie van deze gebieden niet zondermeer een positieve appreciatie van seksuele stimuli impliceert, maar ook kan duiden op een negatieve of ambivalente houding ten aanzien van seksuele stimuli

Corrugator conditioned response.

<p>Mean response in the different phases (habituation, acquisition, extinction) of the facial corrugator towards the CS+ and CS−.</p

Self-reported disgust.

<p>Total scores in the different phases (habituation, acquisition, extinction, 24hrs and 7 days) of the self-reported disgust.</p

Self-reported valence.

<p>Total scores in the different phases (habituation, acquisition, extinction, 24hrs and 7 days) of the self-reported valence.</p