1,948 research outputs found
Development of the health and economic consequences of smoking interactive model
Objective-To describe the health and economic consequences of smoking model, a user friendly, web based tool, designed to estimate the health and economic outcomes associated with smoking and the benefits of smoking cessation. Results-An overview of the development of the model equations and user interface is given, and data from the UK are presented as an example of the model outputs. These results show that a typical smoking cessation strategy costs approximately pound 1200 per life year saved and pound 22 000 per death averted. Conclusions-The model successfully captures the complexity required to model smoking behaviour and associated mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. Furthermore, the interface provides the results in a simple and flexible way so as to be useful to a variety of audiences and to simulate a variety of smoking cessation methods
Selected Performance Measurements of the F-15 ACTIVE Axisymmetric Thrust-Vectoring Nozzle
Flight tests recently completed at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center evaluated performance of a hydromechanically vectored axisymmetric nozzle onboard the F-15 ACTIVE. A flight-test technique whereby strain gages installed onto engine mounts provided for the direct measurement of thrust and vector forces has proven to be extremely valuable. Flow turning and thrust efficiency, as well as nozzle static pressure distributions were measured and analyzed. This report presents results from testing at an altitude of 30,000 ft and a speed of Mach 0.9. Flow turning and thrust efficiency were found to be significantly different than predicted, and moreover, varied substantially with power setting and pitch vector angle. Results of an in-flight comparison of the direct thrust measurement technique and an engine simulation fell within the expected uncertainty bands. Overall nozzle performance at this flight condition demonstrated the F100-PW-229 thrust-vectoring nozzles to be highly capable and efficient
Integrating neuroscience knowledge into social work education: A case-based approach
New knowledge from the rapidly growing field of neuroscience has important implications for our understanding of human behavior in the social environment, yet little of this knowledge has made its way into social work education. This article presents a model for integrating neuroscience into instruction on human development, the bio psychosocial model, psychopathology, and social work theory. Key concepts such as critical periods of brain development, neural plasticity, memory, cognition, and the impact of stress and trauma are discussed. Case studies and discussion questions are used to demonstrate the integration of neuroscience knowledge into social work education. We argue that teaching neuroscience will enhance studentsâ critical thinking skills and better prepare them for direct and policy practice
Speciation and Extinction Drive the Appearance of Directional Range Size Evolution in Phylogenies and the Fossil Record
The appearance of directional trends in the evolution of species range sizes can arise from stochastic models and need not imply the existence of underlying trends
Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus among 193,435 cats attending primary-care veterinary practices in England
BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common endocrine disease of cats. The prevalence of DM in cats in England is not wellâdefined. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors for DM in a large population of cats attending primaryâcare practices. ANIMALS: A cohort of 193,563 cats in the VetCompass Programme attending 118 primaryâcare practices in England. METHODS: Crossâsectional analysis of cohort clinical data. Data were extracted covering September 1st 2009 and August 31st 2014. Period prevalence of DM was calculated. Associations between risk factors and DM were assessed using logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: Of 1,128 DM cases were identified among 194,563 cats (period prevalence 0.58%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54â0.61). Multivariable modelling indicated that Tonkinese (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.8â9.6; P = .001), Norwegian Forest (odds ratio [OR] 3.5; 95% CI 1.3â9.6; P = .001) and Burmese (OR 3.0; 95% CI 2.0â4.4; P < .001) cats had increased odds of DM compared with crossbred cats. DM odds increased as bodyweight categories increased above 4 kg (P < .001), as cats aged beyond 6 years old (P < .001) and in insured cats (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.6â2.4; P < .001) but sex was not significantly associated with DM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Diabetes mellitus is an important component of the primaryâcare practice caseload with 1âinâ200 cats affected. An increased risk of DM in certain cat breeds supports a genetic predisposition. These results can guide future research and preventative healthcare
Integrating neuroscience knowledge into social work education: A case-based approach
New knowledge from the rapidly growing field of neuroscience has important implications for our understanding of human behavior in the social environment, yet little of this knowledge has made its way into social work education. This article presents a model for integrating neuroscience into instruction on human development, the bio psychosocial model, psychopathology, and social work theory. Key concepts such as critical periods of brain development, neural plasticity, memory, cognition, and the impact of stress and trauma are discussed. Case studies and discussion questions are used to demonstrate the integration of neuroscience knowledge into social work education. We argue that teaching neuroscience will enhance studentsâ critical thinking skills and better prepare them for direct and policy practice
An Intensive Winter Fixture Schedule Induces a Transient Fall in Salivary IgA in English Premier League Soccer Players
We examined the effects of an intensive fixture schedule on salivary IgA (SIgA) concentration in professional soccer players from the English Premier League. Salivary samples were obtained from 21 males who participated in 7 games over a 30-day period during December 2013 and January 2014 (games 1-5 occurred in a 15-day period). Salivary-IgA decreased (P 0.05) from game 1 (91 ± 18 and 99 ± 21 Όg.mL-1, respectively). Data demonstrate for the first time that a congested winter fixture schedule induces detectable perturbations to mucosal immunity in professional soccer players
Atlas versus range maps: robustness of chorological relationships to distribution data types in European mammals
Aim Chorological relationships describe the patterns of distributional overlap
among species. In addition to revealing biogeographical structure, the resulting
clusters of species with similar geographical distributions can serve as natural
units in conservation planning. Here, we assess the extent to which temporal,
methodological and taxonomical differences in the source of speciesâ distribution
data can affect the relationships that are found
SAFE Acoustics: an open-source, real-time eco-acoustic monitoring network in the tropical rainforests of Borneo
1. Automated monitoring approaches offer an avenue to unlocking largeâscale insight into how ecosystems respond to human pressures. However, since data collection and data analyses are often treated independently, there are currently no openâsource examples of endâtoâend, realâtime ecological monitoring networks. 2. Here, we present the complete implementation of an autonomous acoustic monitoring network deployed in the tropical rainforests of Borneo. Realâtime audio is uploaded remotely from the field, indexed by a central database, and delivered via an API to a publicâfacing website. 3. We provide the openâsource code and design of our monitoring devices, the central web2py database, and the ReactJS website. Furthermore, we demonstrate an extension of this infrastructure to deliver realâtime analyses of the ecoâacoustic data. 4. By detailing a fully functional, open source, and extensively tested design, our work will accelerate the rate at which fully autonomous monitoring networks mature from technological curiosities, and towards genuinely impactful tools in ecology
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