Feasibility study of an optical radiometer for determining the composition of the Mars atmosphere from shock layer radiation during entry, volume II Final report

Optical radiometer feasibility study for determining composition of Mars atmosphere from shock layer radiation during entry - instrumentatio

Hospital Reimbursement in the Presence of Cherry Picking and Upcoding

Hospitals throughout the developed world are reimbursed on the basis of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Under this scheme, patients are divided into clinically meaningful groups, and hospitals receive a fixed fee per patient episode tied to the patient DRG. The fee is based on the average cost of providing care to patients who belong to the same DRG across all hospitals. This scheme, sometimes referred to as ‘yardstick competition’, provides incentives for cost reduction, as no hospital wants to operate at a higher cost than average, and can be implemented using accounting data alone. Nevertheless, if costs within a DRG are heterogeneous, this scheme may give rise to cherry-picking incentives, where providers ‘drop’ patients who are more expensive to treat than average. To address this problem, regulators have tried to reduce within DRG cost heterogeneity by expanding the number of DRG classes. In this paper, we show that even if cost heterogeneity is eliminated, such expansion will fail to completely eliminate patient cherry picking. In equilibrium, the market will bifurcate into two groups, one of which will continue to cherry-pick patients and underinvest in cost reduction, while the other group treats all patients. Furthermore, we show that DRG expansion is particularly problematic if hospitals are also able to ‘upcode’ patients, i.e., intentionally assign patients to a more resource-intensive DRG than needed to increase income. Upcoding increases within DRG cost heterogeneity and amplifies cherry-picking incentives. We examine potential solutions involving yardstick competition based on input statistics

Обоснование конструктивных параметров горизонтального роторного агрегата для дробления фуражного зерна

A horizontal impact crusher provides for high­quality grinding of grain materials and getting the finished product equalized by particle size distribution to 98 percent. The effectiveness of the crusher is determined by the following parameters: rotor speed, operating clearance, intensity and full filling of the crushing chamber, the duration of impact on the original product, the design features of the working bodies and the geometric design of their corrugated surfaces. (Research purpose) To determine the design parameters of a horizontal rotary crusher for feed grains. (Materials and methods) The influence of the stator flute number on the quality of the crushed product has been studied by three indicators: the grinding degree, the grinding module, the actual effectiveness of the grinding process. It has been found that as the flute number increases, the grinding module and the degree of grinding change insignificantly, and the actual effectiveness of grinding decreases. In this case, the finished product corresponds to coarse grinding. A comparative experiment has been conducted with two design variants of the working surfaces with one stator contradiction to check the effectiveness of changing the shape of the rotor and stator flutes. (Results and discussion) It has been determined that the geometrical parameters of flute working elements of a horizontal rotary crusher can be calculated using the proposed model of theoretical calculation based on the type of material crushed and zootechnic requirements. An angular shape of the rotor grooves also has a positive effect on the overall performance of the grinding process. (Conclusions) The authors present theoretical substantiation of the design features of cutting flute working surfaces of a horizontal rotary crusher and the calculation of the rotor diameter. They have proposed a model for calculating these parameters basing on the type of crushed grain crops. They have experimentally compared various design forms and the number of stator contradictions with respect to the quality of the products obtained. The main manufacturing parameters of rotor grooves have been calculated for the most common grain crops (wheat, barley, oats, and corn) and their optimal values have been theoretically substantiated.Горизонтальная роторная дробилка позволяет качественно измельчать зерновые материалы и получать готовый продукт, выравненный по гранулометрическому составу до 98 процентов. Эффективность работы дробилки определяют следующие параметры: частота вращения ротора, рабочий зазор, интенсивность и плотность заполнения дробильной камеры, длительность воздействия на исходный продукт, конструктивные особенности рабочих органов и геометрическое исполнение их рифленых поверхностей. (Цель исследования) Обосновать конструктивные параметры горизонтальной роторной дробилки фуражного зерна. (Материалы и методы) Исследовали влияние количества рифлей статора на качество измельченного продукта по трем показателям: степень измельчения, модуль помола, фактическая результативность процесса измельчения. Выявили, что при увеличении количества рифлей модуль помола и степень измельчения меняются незначительно, а фактическая результативность измельчения снижается. При этом готовый продукт соответствует грубому помолу. Провели сравнительный эксперимент двух конструктивных вариантов исполнения рабочих поверхностей при одном противорезе статора для проверки эффективности изменения формы рифлей ротора и статора. (Результаты и обсуждение) Определили, что геометрические параметры рифлей рабочих органов горизонтальной роторной дробилки можно вычислить, используя предложенную модель теоретического расчета, исходя из вида измельчаемого материала и зоотехнических требований. Придание угловой формы пазам ротора также оказывает положительное влияние на общие показатели процесса измельчения. (Выводы) Представили теоретическое обоснование конструктивных особенностей нарезки рифлей рабочих поверхностей горизонтальной роторной дробилки и расчет диаметра ротора. Предложили модель определения этих параметров исходя из вида измельчаемой зерновой культуры. Провели экспериментальное сравнение различных форм исполнения и количества противорезов статора относительно качества получаемой продукции. Основные параметры изготовления пазов ротора рассчитали для наиболее распространенных зерновых культур (пшеница, ячмень, овес, кукуруза) и теоретически обосновали их оптимальные значения

Health Industries in the Twentieth Century. Introduction

This article is the introduction to the special issue' Health Industries in the Twentieth Century'. It offers a broad literature review of scholarly works about the history of health and medicine, and stresses the opportunities for business historians to tackle the field of healthcare

Determination of Design Parameters for Horizontal Rotary Crushers for Feed Grain

A horizontal impact crusher provides for high­quality grinding of grain materials and getting the finished product equalized by particle size distribution to 98 percent. The effectiveness of the crusher is determined by the following parameters: rotor speed, operating clearance, intensity and full filling of the crushing chamber, the duration of impact on the original product, the design features of the working bodies and the geometric design of their corrugated surfaces. (Research purpose) To determine the design parameters of a horizontal rotary crusher for feed grains. (Materials and methods) The influence of the stator flute number on the quality of the crushed product has been studied by three indicators: the grinding degree, the grinding module, the actual effectiveness of the grinding process. It has been found that as the flute number increases, the grinding module and the degree of grinding change insignificantly, and the actual effectiveness of grinding decreases. In this case, the finished product corresponds to coarse grinding. A comparative experiment has been conducted with two design variants of the working surfaces with one stator contradiction to check the effectiveness of changing the shape of the rotor and stator flutes. (Results and discussion) It has been determined that the geometrical parameters of flute working elements of a horizontal rotary crusher can be calculated using the proposed model of theoretical calculation based on the type of material crushed and zootechnic requirements. An angular shape of the rotor grooves also has a positive effect on the overall performance of the grinding process. (Conclusions) The authors present theoretical substantiation of the design features of cutting flute working surfaces of a horizontal rotary crusher and the calculation of the rotor diameter. They have proposed a model for calculating these parameters basing on the type of crushed grain crops. They have experimentally compared various design forms and the number of stator contradictions with respect to the quality of the products obtained. The main manufacturing parameters of rotor grooves have been calculated for the most common grain crops (wheat, barley, oats, and corn) and their optimal values have been theoretically substantiated

Serotonin receptor and dendritic plasticity in the spinal cord mediated by chronic serotonergic pharmacotherapy combined with exercise following complete SCI in the adult rat

Severe spinal cord injury (SCI) damages descending motor and serotonin (5-HT) fiber projections leading to paralysis and serotonin depletion. 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) subsequently upregulate following 5-HT fiber degeneration, and dendritic density decreases indicative of atrophy. 5-HT pharmacotherapy or exercise can improve locomotor behavior after SCI. One might expect that 5-HT pharmacotherapy acts on upregulated spinal 5-HTRs to enhance function, and that exercise alone can influence dendritic atrophy. In the current study, we assessed locomotor recovery and spinal proteins influenced by SCI and therapy. 5-HT, 5-HT2AR, 5-HT1AR, and dendritic densities were quantified both early (1 week) and late (9 weeks) after SCI, and also following therapeutic interventions (5-HT pharmacotherapy, bike therapy, or a combination). Interestingly, chronic 5-HT pharmacotherapy largely normalized spinal 5-HTR upregulation following injury. Improvement in locomotor behavior was not correlated to 5-HTR density. These results support the hypothesis that chronic 5-HT pharmacotherapy can mediate recovery following SCI, despite acting on largely normal spinal 5-HTR levels. We next assessed spinal dendritic plasticity and its potential role in locomotor recovery. Single therapies did not normalize the loss of dendritic density after SCI. Groups displaying significantly atrophied dendritic processes were rarely able to achieve weight supported open-field locomotion. Only a combination of 5-HT pharmacotherapy and bike therapy enabled significant open-field weigh-supported stepping, mediated in part by restoring spinal dendritic density. These results support the use of combined therapies to synergistically impact multiple markers of spinal plasticity and improve motor recovery

Estimation of nocturnal ²²²Rn soil fluxes over Russia from TROICA measurements

In TROICA (TRanscontinental Observations Into the Chemistry of the Atmosphere) campaigns (1999-2008), the simultaneous observations of near surface Rn-222 concentrations and atmospheric boundary layer thermal structure were performed along the Trans-Siberian Railway across northern Eurasia from Moscow to Vladivostok, including central, southern and far eastern parts of Russia. The data on Rn-222 and temperature vertical distribution are used to estimate Rn-222 regional scale soil fluxes based on calculations of nocturnal Rn-222 accumulation rates in the surface layer under inversion conditions. An effect of seasonal soil thawing on 2-4 times surface Rn-222 concentration increase from summer 1999 to autumn 2005 is observed. The estimated Rn-222 regional averaged fluxes vary over Russia from 29 +/- 8 mBq m(-2) s(-1) in its so-called European territory to 95 +/- 51 mBq m(-2) s(-1) in the southern area of Siberia. The highest Rn-222 fluxes are derived in the regions of high tectonic activity and orogenic belts of central and eastern Siberia and in far eastern Russia. The observed high Rn-222 flux variations in specific events show a strong effect of both soil and atmospheric conditions on Rn-222 near-surface abundance and the derived seasonal patterns over the continent