Simulated fuel economy and performance of advanced hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using in-use travel profiles

As vehicle powertrain efficiency increases through electrification, consumer travel and driving behavior have significantly more influence on the potential fuel consumption of these vehicles. Therefore, it is critical to have a good understanding of in-use or 'real world' driving behavior if accurate fuel consumption estimates of electric drive vehicles are to be achieved. Regional travel surveys using Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment have been found to provide an excellent source of in-use driving profiles. In this study, a variety of vehicle powertrain options were developed and their performance was simulated over GPS-derived driving profiles for 783 vehicles operating in Texas. The results include statistical comparisons of the driving profiles versus national data sets, driving performance characteristics compared with standard drive cycles, and expected petroleum displacement benefits from the electrified vehicles given various vehicle charging scenarios

Investigation of brix refractometry for estimating bovine colostrum immunoglobulin G concentration

Many dairy operations uses a Brix refractometer to assess the quality of first-milking colostrum. This study investigated whether a digital Brix refractometer could be used in a model to predict colostrum IgG concentration and whether more than one %Brix threshold could be used for different colostrum IgG concentrations. Colostrum from 182 animals was tested using a digital Brix refractometer and by single radial immunodiffusion. Statistical analysis, using simple linear regression to relate %Brix results with corresponding colostral IgG concentration, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used to identify %Brix cutoffs that had no false positive results. Colostral IgG concentrations from digital Brix refractometry had a R2 value of 0.818 and a S-value of 21.7 g/L. The large S-value shows that a digital Brix refractometer should not be used in a model to predict colostrum IgG concentration. However, %Brix scores of 19.0, 22.0, 25.0 and 30.0 percent can be used to estimate minimum colostral IgG concentrations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/L. These four cutoffs can be used to strategically feed smaller volumes of colostrum to newborn calves. Smaller volumes may reduce unwanted side effects and shorten the time interval in which calves refuse to nurse, while still delivering an adequate mass of IgG to have successful transfer of passive immunity

Psychometric validation of the BDI-II among HIV-positive CHARTER study participants.

Rates of depression are high among individuals living with HIV. Accurate assessment of depressive symptoms among this population is important for ensuring proper diagnosis and treatment. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is a widely used measure for assessing depression, however its psychometric properties have not yet been investigated for use with HIV-positive populations in the U.S. The current study was the first to assess the psychometric properties of the BDI-II among a large cohort of HIV-positive participants sampled at multiple sites across the U.S. as part of the CNS HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) study. The BDI-II test scores showed good internal consistency (α = 0.93) and adequate test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.83) over a 6-month period. Using a ‘gold standard’ of major depressive disorder determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), sensitivity and specificity were maximized at a total cut-off score of 17 and a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis confirmed that the BDI-II is an adequate diagnostic measure for the sample (AUC = 0.83). The sensitivity and specificity of each score are provided graphically. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the best fit for a 3-factor model over 1-factor and 2-factor models and models with a higher-order factor included. The results suggest that the BDI-II is an adequate measure for assessing depressive symptoms among U.S. HIV-positive patients. Cut-off scores should be adjusted to enhance sensitivity or specificity as needed and the measure can be differentiated into cognitive, affective, and somatic depressive symptoms

A qualitative study on the effects of psychoactive substance use upon artistic creativity

Background: Psychoactive substance use has often been claimed to help generate and facilitate the artistic creative process. Aims: The present study explored the role of artists’ substance use in their creative processes and their efforts to balance between enhancement and relaxation. Methods: Semi-structured interviews concerning the artistic creative process and the role of psychoactive substance use were recorded with 72 artists and analyzed using content analysis. The participants were classified according to their substance use in three groups (Cannabis Group, Alcohol Group, and Control Group). Results: Results show that both alcohol and cannabis were used to facilitate creativity and the emotional states that are necessary for the artistic creative process. Participants in the Control group reported that listening to music might function as a mind-altering tool. It was also found that for some artists, substance use is not only characteristic to creation, but it is also part of their everyday lives. Conclusion: Artists are aware of the balancing phenomenon during the artistic creative process. Whether psychoactive substance(s) or other environmental stimuli (such as music) are used to reach the required effect appears to depend upon the individual

Cross-national differences in clinically significant cannabis problems: epidemiologic evidence from 'cannabis-only' smokers in the United States, Mexico, and Colombia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiological studies show wide variability in the occurrence of cannabis smoking and related disorders across countries. This study aims to estimate cross-national variation in cannabis users' experience of clinically significant cannabis-related problems in three countries of the Americas, with a focus on cannabis users who may have tried alcohol or tobacco, but who have not used cocaine, heroin, LSD, or other internationally regulated drugs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data are from the World Mental Health Surveys Initiative and the National Latino and Asian American Study, with probability samples in Mexico (n = 4426), Colombia (n = 5,782) and the United States (USA; n = 8,228). The samples included 212 'cannabis only' users in Mexico, 260 in Colombia and 1,724 in the USA. Conditional GLM with GEE and 'exact' methods were used to estimate variation in the occurrence of clinically significant problems in cannabis only (CO) users across these surveyed populations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The experience of cannabis-related problems was quite infrequent among CO users in these countries, with weighted frequencies ranging from 1% to 5% across survey populations, and with no appreciable cross-national variation in general. CO users in Colombia proved to be an exception. As compared to CO users in the USA, the Colombia smokers were more likely to have experienced cannabis-associated 'social problems' (odds ratio, OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.4, 6.3; p = 0.004) and 'legal problems' (OR = 9.7; 95% CI = 2.7, 35.2; p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study's most remarkable finding may be the similarity in occurrence of cannabis-related problems in this cross-national comparison within the Americas. Wide cross-national variations in estimated population-level cumulative incidence of cannabis use disorders may be traced to large differences in cannabis smoking prevalence, rather than qualitative differences in cannabis experiences. More research is needed to identify conditions that might make cannabis-related social and legal problems more frequent in Colombia than in the USA.</p

Negative consequences associated with dependence in daily cannabis users

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit substance in America, with increasing rates of use. Some theorists tend to link frequency of use with cannabis dependence. Nevertheless, fewer than half of daily cannabis users meet DSM-IV-TR criteria for cannabis dependence. This study seeks to determine whether the negative aspects associated with cannabis use can be explained by a proxy measure of dependence instead of by frequency of use. RESULTS: Over 2500 adult daily cannabis users completed an Internet survey consisting of measures of cannabis and other drug use, in addition to measures of commonly reported negative problems resulting from cannabis use. We compared those who met a proxy measure of DSM-IV-TR criteria for cannabis dependence (N = 1111) to those who did not meet the criteria (N = 1770). Cannabis dependent subjects consumed greater amounts of cannabis, alcohol, and a variety of other drugs. They also had lower levels of motivation, happiness, and satisfaction with life, with higher levels of depression and respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSION: Although all of our subjects reported daily use, only those meeting proxy criteria for cannabis dependence reported significant associated problems. Our data suggest that dependence need not arise from daily use, but consuming larger amounts of cannabis and other drugs undoubtedly increases problems

Mono- versus polydrug abuse patterns among publicly funded clients

To examine patterns of mono- versus polydrug abuse, data were obtained from intake records of 69,891 admissions to publicly funded treatment programs in Tennessee between 1998 and 2004. While descriptive statistics were employed to report frequency and patterns of mono- and polydrug abuse by demographic variables and by study years, bivariate logistic regression was applied to assess the probability of being a mono- or polydrug abuser for a number of demographic variables. The researchers found that during the study period 51.3% of admissions reported monodrug abuse and 48.7% reported polydrug abuse. Alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana were the most commonly abused substances, both alone and in combination. Odds ratio favored polydrug abuse for all but one drug category–other drugs. Gender did not affect drug abuse patterns; however, admissions for African Americans and those living in urban areas exhibited higher probabilities of polydrug abuse. Age group also appeared to affect drug abuse patterns, with higher odds of monodrug abuse among minors and adults over 45 years old. The discernable prevalence of polydrug abuse suggests a need for developing effective prevention strategies and treatment plans specific to polydrug abuse

Activation Of Alcohol Expectancies In Memory In Relation To Limb Of The Blood Alcohol Curve

Attempts to understand the mechanism by which alcohol expectancies might influence drinking have related activation of expectancies in memory to alcohol use. Limb of the blood alcohol curve, however, has not been considered. In the present study, 527 undergraduates completed the Anticipated Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale and a drinking measure. Multidimensional scaling was used to map expectancies into memory network format, and likely activation of expectancies was empirically modeled. Heavier drinkers were most likely to activate positive and arousing expectancies associated with the ascending limb, whereas lighter drinkers were most likely to activate negative and sedating expectancies associated with the descending limb. These findings add to the literature suggesting that activation of expectancies in memory may be an important determinant of drinking behavior and a promising target for intervention strategies

GPS Data Filtration Method for Drive Cycle Analysis Applications

When employing GPS data acquisition systems to capture vehicle drive-cycle information, a number of errors often appear in the raw data samples, such as sudden signal loss, extraneous or outlying data points, speed drifting, and signal white noise, all of which limit the quality of field data for use in downstream applications. Unaddressed, these errors significantly impact the reliability of source data and limit the effectiveness of traditional drive-cycle analysis approaches and vehicle simulation software. Without reliable speed and time information, the validity of derived metrics for drive cycles, such as acceleration, power, and distance, become questionable. This study explores some of the common sources of error present in raw onboard GPS data and presents a detailed filtering process designed to correct for these issues. Test data from both light and medium/heavy duty applications are examined to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed filtration process across the range of vehicle vocations. Graphical comparisons of raw and filtered cycles are presented, and statistical analyses are performed to determine the effects of the proposed filtration process on raw data. Finally, an evaluation of the overall benefits of data filtration on raw GPS data and present potential areas for continued research is presented