A Generalized Quasi-likelihood Model Application To Modeling Poverty Of Asian American Women

A generalized quasi-likelihood function that does not require the assumption of an underlying distribution when modeling jointly the mean and the variance, is introduced to examine poverty of Asian American women living in the West coast of the United States, using data from U.S. Census Bureau

A comparison of once versus twice per week training on leg press strength in women

The purpose of this study was to compare strength differences between 2 groups of untrained women, who performed a single set of the leg press exercise once or twice per week. Methods. Twenty-one women were divided randomly into 2 groups: Group 1 (n=10) performed a single set of the leg press exercise once per week, while Group 2 (n=11) performed a single set of the leg press exercise twice per week for a period of 8 weeks. Throughout the duration of the study, an amount of resistance was utilized that allowed for a single set of 6 to 10 repetitions to muscular failure. At the conclusion of the study, subjects were tested for their 6-RM strength. A 2x2 ANOVA was used to compare strength differences. The a level was set at 0.05 in order for differences to be considered significant. Results. The 2X2 ANOVA demonstrated that strength increases were significant between tests {P=0.0001), but not significant between groups (P=0.757). Conclusion. These results indicate that performing a single set of the leg press once or twice per week results in statistically similar strength gains in untrained women

Methodological Considerations in Pretrial Publicity Research: Is the Medium the Message?

Two methodological issues within the pretrial publicity (PTP) literature were examined in the present experiment: the effect of emotional versus factual PTP and the effect of presenting PTP through different media. Emotional and factual PTP were constructed that differed in level of emotionality, but produced the same degree of bias. The PTP was presented in either a videotaped or written format. Although there was a significantly biasing effect of PTP overall compared to a control condition, no significant difference was found either between factual and emotional PTP or between video and written PTP

Methodological Considerations in Pretrial Publicity Research: Is the Medium the Message?

Two methodological issues within the pretrial publicity (PTP) literature were examined in the present experiment: the effect of emotional versus factual PTP and the effect of presenting PTP through different media. Emotional and factual PTP were constructed that differed in level of emotionality, but produced the same degree of bias. The PTP was presented in either a videotaped or written format. Although there was a significantly biasing effect of PTP overall compared to a control condition, no significant difference was found either between factual and emotional PTP or between video and written PTP

Flatness optimization of micro-injection moulded parts: The case of a PMMA microfluidic component

Micro-injection moulding (µ-IM) has attracted a lot of interest because of its potential for the production of low-cost, miniaturized parts in high-volume. Applications of this technology are, amongst others, microfluidic components for lab-on-a-chip devices and micro-optical components. In both cases, the control of the part flatness is a key aspect to maintaining the component's functionality. The objective of this work is to determine the factors affecting the flatness of a polymer part manufactured by µ-IM and to control the manufacturing process with the aim of minimizing the in-process part deformation. As a case study, a PMMA microfluidic substrate with overall dimensions of 10 mm diameter and 1 mm thickness was investigated by designing a µ-IM experiment having flatness as the experimental response. The part flatness was measured using a micro-coordinate measuring machine. Finite elements analysis was also carried out to study the optimal ejection pin configuration. The results of this work show that the control of the µ-IM process conditions can improve the flatness of the polymer part up to about 15 µm. Part flatness as low as 4 µm can be achieved by modifying the design of the ejection system according to suggested guideline

In Situ ATR-SEIRAS of Carbon Dioxide Reduction at a Plasmonic Silver Cathode.

Illumination of a voltage-biased plasmonic Ag cathode during CO2 reduction results in a suppression of the H2 evolution reaction while enhancing CO2 reduction. This effect has been shown to be photonic rather than thermal, but the exact plasmonic mechanism is unknown. Here, we conduct an in situ ATR-SEIRAS (attenuated total reflectance-surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy) study of a sputtered thin film Ag cathode on a Ge ATR crystal in CO2-saturated 0.1 M KHCO3 over a range of potentials under both dark and illuminated (365 nm, 125 mW cm-2) conditions to elucidate the nature of this plasmonic enhancement. We find that the onset potential of CO2 reduction to adsorbed CO on the Ag surface is -0.25 VRHE and is identical in the light and the dark. As the production of gaseous CO is detected in the light near this onset potential but is not observed in the dark until -0.5 VRHE, we conclude that the light must be assisting the desorption of CO from the surface. Furthermore, the HCO3- wavenumber and peak area increase immediately upon illumination, precluding a thermal effect. We propose that the enhanced local electric field that results from the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is strengthening the HCO3- bond, further increasing the local pH. This would account for the decrease in H2 formation and increase the CO2 reduction products in the light

A Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Optimization of Multistage Depressed Collector Efficiency

The microwave traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) is widely used as a high-power transmitting source for space and airborne communications. One critical factor in designing a TWTA is the overall efficiency. However, overall efficiency is highly dependent upon collector efficiency; so collector design is critical to the performance of a TWTA. Therefore, NASA Glenn Research Center has developed an optimization algorithm based on Simulated Annealing to quickly design highly efficient multi-stage depressed collectors (MDC)

Obesity: transition from adolescence to adulthood and feedback partial gmm logistic model with time-dependent covariates

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of certain covariates on obesity. More importantly, we seek to determine the feedback of obesity on depression, and physical activity as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods: Using 15 years of nationally representative data from 6560 adolescents (Add health data), we estimate feedback and associations between depression, and activity scale on obesity while we adjusted for gender, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status through a GMM logistic regression model with time-dependent covariates. Results: Activity (p<0.001) and depression (p<0.001) have significant impact on Obesity. In early years, alcohol had no impact (p=0.895 and p=0.476) on obesity but in later years it did (p<0.001). In the early years, television hours had an impact but as they got older, it did not. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that public health researchers can target obesity simultaneously with depression, and activity scale. These findings contribute new insights into the feedback of obesity on depression, and activity. This unique model allows segments of associations to be addressed rather than assuming all associations remain the same over 15 years.&nbsp

Patients' perspectives on how idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis affects the quality of their lives

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease with a survival of only three to five years from the time of diagnosis. Due to a paucity of studies, large gaps remain in our understanding of how IPF affects the quality of patients' lives. In only one other study did investigators ask patients directly for their perspectives on this topic. Further, currently there is no disease-specific instrument to measure health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with IPF. A carefully constructed measurement instrument, sensitive to underlying change, is needed for use in clinical trials and longitudinal studies of patients with IPF. Before developing such an instrument, researchers must improve their understanding of the relevant effects of IPF on patients' lives. On a broader scale, to provide the best care for people with IPF, clinicians must appreciate – from patients' perspectives – how this disease affects various aspects of their lives. METHODS: We used focus groups and individual in-depth interviews with 20 IPF patients to collect their perspectives on how IPF affects their lives (with a focus on the quality of their lives). We then analyzed these perspectives and organized them into a conceptual framework for describing HRQL in patients with IPF. Next, we examined how well certain existing measurement instruments – which have been administered to IPF patients in prior studies – covered the domains and topics our patients identified. RESULTS: In our framework, we identified 12 primary domains: symptoms, IPF therapy, sleep, exhaustion, forethought, employment and finances, dependence, family, sexual relations, social participation, mental and spiritual well-being, mortality. Each domain is composed of several topics, which describe how IPF affects patients' lives. When we compared the content of our conceptual framework with the existing instruments, we found the coverage of the existing instruments to be inadequate for several reasons, including they may tap general areas of QOL or HRQL but not some areas that appear to be most directly affected by IPF, and they include items that are relevant to symptoms and effects of other respiratory diseases but not IPF. CONCLUSION: Collecting patients' perspectives and developing an organized inventory of the relevant effects of IPF on patients' lives provides valuable information for improving our understanding of the impact of this disease on patients and their loved ones. We believe our findings will help alert clinicians and researchers to IPF patients' experiences and concerns. Based on the comparison or our conceptual framework with the content of four existing instruments, it would appear that developing an IPF-specific measurement instrument is justified. Our conceptual framework for describing health-related quality of life in patients with IPF lays a solid foundation for constructing such an instrument