Residential Segregation, Neighborhood Social and Physical Context in Obesity Disparities in Hispanic Preschoolers: A Conceptual Model

During the last decade, there has been a significant inclusion in obesity prevention studies from individual characteristics to household factors then neighborhood factors. The study of place in the context of early childhood obesity studies has been limited to the food and physical built environment. With the persistent disparities in the prevalence of childhood obesity, and Hispanic minorities being increasingly affected, there is a need to reexamine existing models and develop new model conceptual frameworks to examine the role of place and residential segregation in the context of race, ethnicity, social position, and socioeconomic disparities. In the context of place as a relational space linked to where young children live, play and learn, this paper conceptualizes the role of the neighborhood social and physical factors as well as organizational, household and/or individual factors as mediators of the correlation between residential segregation and obesity in Hispanic preschoolers. In the model, we also attempted to include the role of policies and programs in moderating the negative effects of racial residential segregation and resource inequalities and their interactions with the multiple factors that may contribute to childhood obesity. Recommendations for future research need are identified

New Radio Navigation System for Aircraft Blind Landing

A new radio navigation system for aircraft blind landing is proposed. This system is based on measuring the phase shifts of signals received from four ground transmitters (antennas), placed on corners of the runway strip. The received signals phase shifts provide distance measurements accuracy in millimetres. The reception of these signals is made on the onboard antenna located on the aircraft. Three ground antennas out of the four will be sufficient for determining the location of the aircraft. As a result of the analysis, the coordinates of the onboard antenna, the coordinates of the centre of mass of the aircraft, and axis coordinate of the aircraft determined with respect to the runway coordinate system. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15024

Burden and pattern of neurological diseases seen in neurology department of a tertiary care hospital in Baluchistan

Neurologic disorders represent a major burden of disease globally. These are common and represent a major public health problem. The spectrum of diseases ranges from non communicable disorders like stroke and neurodegenerative disorders to central nervous system infections. The burden of neurological diseases may be on the increase especially in developing countries. Improved outcome in these settings may require appreciation of the spectrum of neurological diseases and the impediments to their management.The pattern of neurological admissions in hospital varies amongst different regions of the world and this depends on many factors including the regional burden of neurological disorders

Quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using CF- LIBS and a laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer

We present a quantitative analysis of a brass alloy using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS). The emission lines of copper (Cu I) and zinc (Zn I), and the constituent elements of the brass alloy were used to calculate the plasma parameters. The plasma temperature was calculated from the Boltzmann plot as (10 000 ± 1000) K and the electron number density was determined as (2.0 ± 0.5) × 1017 cm−3 from the Stark-broadened Cu I line as well as using the Saha–Boltzmann equation. The elemental composition was deduced using these techniques: the Boltzmann plot method (70% Cu and 30% Zn), internal reference self-absorption correction (63.36% Cu and 36.64% Zn), EDX (61.75% Cu and 38.25% Zn), and LA-TOF (62% Cu and 38% Zn), whereas, the certified composition is (62% Cu and 38% Zn). It was observed that the internal reference self-absorption correction method yields analytical results comparable to that of EDX and LA-TOF-MS

Performance of Anti-Lock Braking Systems Based on Adaptive and Intelligent Control Methodologies

Automobiles of today must constantly change their speeds in reaction to changing road and traffic circumstances as the pace and density of road traffic increases. In sophisticated automobiles, the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a vehicle safety system that enhances the vehicle's stability and steering capabilities by varying the torque to maintain the slip ratio at a safe level. This paper analyzes the performance of classical control, model reference adaptive control (MRAC), and intelligent control for controlling the (ABS). The ABS controller's goal is to keep the wheel slip ratio, which includes nonlinearities, parametric uncertainties, and disturbances as close to an optimal slip value as possible. This will decrease the stopping distance and guarantee safe vehicle operation during braking. A Bang-bang controller, PID, PID based Model Reference Adaptive Control (PID-MRAD), Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC), and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) controller are used to control the vehicle model. The car was tested on a dry asphalt and ice road with only straight-line braking. Based on slip ratio, vehicle speed, angular velocity, and stopping time, comparisons are performed between all control strategies. To analyze braking characteristics, the simulation changes the road surface condition, vehicle weight, and control methods. The simulation results revealed that our objectives were met. The simulation results clearly show that the ANFIS provides more flexibility and improves system-tracking precision in control action compared to the Bang-bang, PID, PID-MRAC, and FLC

A novel index-based decision support toolkit for safe reopening following a generalized lockdown in low and middle-income countries

While the effectiveness of lockdowns to reduce Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission is well established, uncertainties remain on the lifting principles of these restrictive interventions. World Health Organization recommends case positive rate of 5% or lower as a threshold for safe reopening. However, inadequate testing capacity limits the applicability of this recommendation, especially in the low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To develop a practical reopening strategy for LMICs, in this study, we first identify the optimal timing of safe reopening by exploring accessible epidemiological data of 24 countries during the initial COVID-19 surge. We find that a safe opening can occur two weeks after the crossover of daily infection and recovery rates while maintaining a negative trend in daily new cases. Epidemiologic SIRM model-based example simulation supports our findings. Finally, we develop an easily interpretable large-scale reopening (LSR) index, which is an evidence-based toolkit—to guide/inform reopening decision for LMICs

A novel index-based decision support toolkit for safe reopening following a generalized lockdown in low and middle-income countries

While the effectiveness of lockdowns to reduce Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission is well established, uncertainties remain on the lifting principles of these restrictive interventions. World Health Organization recommends case positive rate of 5% or lower as a threshold for safe reopening. However, inadequate testing capacity limits the applicability of this recommendation, especially in the low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To develop a practical reopening strategy for LMICs, in this study, we first identify the optimal timing of safe reopening by exploring accessible epidemiological data of 24 countries during the initial COVID-19 surge. We find that a safe opening can occur two weeks after the crossover of daily infection and recovery rates while maintaining a negative trend in daily new cases. Epidemiologic SIRM model-based example simulation supports our findings. Finally, we develop an easily interpretable large-scale reopening (LSR) index, which is an evidence-based toolkit-to guide/inform reopening decision for LMICs

Transesterification of sunflower oil using heterogeneous catalyst derived from date seeds of South Algeria

Date Seeds (DS) were transformed into catalyst by calcining them at various temperatures. The produced catalyst was fully characterized by SEM, XRF, and BET analyses. The basicity of the catalyst was determined using CO2-TPD technique. The catalytic efficiency of the prepared catalyst was tested in the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol. The effect of calcination temperature on the yield of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) was investigated. In addition the transesterification process was optimised. In this study, the effect of FFA (Free Fatty Acid) on FAME yield was also investigated. The results show that the produced catalyst from date seeds is a good catalyst for biodiesel production reaction. The maximum biodiesel yield reached about 96.7% under the optimal conditions

HPV Vaccination and Knowledge of Cervical Cancer among Female University Students in a Multiethnic Institution, USA

Objective: College-aged women are at high-risk of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although, HPV vaccination is most effective, its rates remain quite low among college students. It may be due to inadequate understanding of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the level of knowledge about HPV, cervical cancer and their associations with HPV vaccination among female college students. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among female students in a Multiethnic University in Florida. We assessed HPV vaccination status, annual health checkup status, knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer among the students. The response rate for the survey was 91.5%. Results: Out of 141 students, 39.7% received HPV vaccine, and 38.3% did annual medical checkup within a year. Out of 4, the mean and the median knowledge score of students about cervical cancer was 2.87 and 3.0, respectively. A greater percentage of students who did annual health checkup (44%) received HPV vaccine than those who did not (15%). The odds of receiv-ing HPV vaccine was nearly 5 times as much for the students who achieved knowledge scores about causes of cervical cancer greater than or equal to the median compared with the students with knowledge scores below the median (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:4.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]:2.15, 10.92). The odds of receiving HPV vaccine was almost three times as much of students who knew that HPV causes cervical cancer than those who did not know it to be so (aOR:2.9, 95% CI:1.1, 8.2). Conclusion: Receipt of HPV vaccination was associated with knowing that HPV infection is a cause of cervical cancer and that it’s preventable. HPV vaccination was also associated with annual health checkup statu