Effects of asymmetry on the dynamic stability of aircraft

The oblique wing concept for transonic aircraft was proposed to reduce drag. The dynamic stability of the aircraft was investigated by analytically determining the stability derivatives at angles of skew ranging from 0 and 45 deg and using these stability derivatives in a linear analysis of the coupled aircraft behavior. The stability derivatives were obtained using a lifting line aerodynamic theory and found to give reasonable agreement with derivatives developed in a previous study for the same aircraft. In the dynamic analysis, no instability or large changes occurred in the root locations for skew angles varying from 0 to 45 deg with the exception of roll convergence. The damping in roll, however, decreased by an order of magnitude. Rolling was a prominent feature of all the oscillatory mode shapes at high skew angles

Cognitive Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation in Older Outpatients Visiting a Memory Clinic: A Pre–Post Study

International audienc

Hybrid forecast and control chain for operation of flexibility assets in micro-grids

Studies on forecasting and optimal exploitation of renewable resources (especially within microgrids) were already introduced in the past. However, in several research papers, the constraints regarding integration within real applications were relaxed, i.e., this kind of research provides impractical solutions, although they are very complex. In this paper, the computational components (such as photovoltaic and load forecasting, and resource scheduling and optimization) are brought together into a practical implementation, introducing an automated system through a chain of independent services aiming to allow forecasting, optimization, and control. Encountered challenges may provide a valuable indication to make ground with this design, especially in cases for which the trade-off between sophistication and available resources should be rather considered. The research work was conducted to identify the requirements for controlling a set of flexibility assets—namely, electrochemical battery storage system and electric car charging station—for a semicommercial use-case by minimizing the operational energy costs for the microgrid considering static and dynamic parameters of the assets

The Impacts of a Reading-to-Dog Programme on Attending and Reading of Nine Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Poor knowledge is available on the effectiveness of reading to dogs in educational settings, particularly in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this study, we test the hypothesis that reading to a dog improves propensity towards books and motivation to read after the end of the programme, as well as reading and cognitive skills in children with ASD. The study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial, consisting of testing and re-testing after a 10 sessions reading programme with and without the presence of a dog. Nine Children with ASD (6-11 years old) were randomly assigned to a control (CG, reading without a dog, n. 4) or experimental group (EG, reading to a dog, n. 5). Children's attendance at reading sessions was recorded at each session. Parents' perceptions were evaluated at the end of the programme to detect changes in children's attitudes and motivation toward reading. Psychologist-administered validated reading (Cornoldi's MT2 reading test; test of reading comprehension, TORC; metaphonological competence test, MCF) and cognitive tests (Wechsler intelligence scale for children Wisc IV, Vineland) to all children, at baseline and at the end of the reading programme. Compared with CG children, children in the EG group participated more frequently in the reading sessions, and they were reported to be more motivated readers at home after the programme. However, there were no differences on reading and cognitive tests' scores either within each group of children or between groups. Further studies are warranted in order to understand whether and how incorporating dogs into a reading programme is beneficial to Children with ASD at the socio-emotional and cognitive level

Phytophthora nicotianae causando podridão de raiz e caule em Dieffenbachia picta em Buenos Aires, Argentina

327-331Dieffenbachia picta is a worldwide appreciated crop due to its ornamental value. In Argentina it is cultivated in warm provinces and in the outskirts of Buenos Aires city, where in spring 2007 a great amount of plants were lost in commercial greenhouses. Symptoms such as wilting and soaked lesions in the basal leaves began in four- to six-month-old plants causing plants to wilt due to basal stem and root rot processes. A Peronosporomycete was consistently isolated from diseased tissues. The pathogen was identified as Phytophthora nicotianae based on cultural characteristics, morphology of vegetative and reproductive structures, and on the analysis of the sequence of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Pathogenicity tests were carried out and Koch's postulates were fulfilled. In complementary studies, the dieffenbachia varieties Alex, Compact, Camilla and Marianne were susceptible to the infection caused by P. nicotianae, whereas Tropic snow (D. amonea) was resistant. This is the first report of P. nicotianae causing stem and root rot of D. picta in Argentina and in the Americas

Functional food science and behaviour and psychological functions

The impact of ingesting various foods on psychological and behavioural functions is a topic of both interest and concern to the general public. In this article, the scientific literature concerning demonstrated cause-and-effect relationships is reviewed, beginning with methodological considerations specific to the quantification of particular behaviours and psychological events. The essential function of food is to satisfy hunger and the need for essential nutrients. The contributions of macronutrients to appetite and satiety are described, as well as their impact on metabolism and energy balance. Functional properties of macronutrient substitutes (high intensity sweeteners, fat replacers) and flavour enhancers are examined in relation to their contribution to hunger, satiety, and energy balance. The effects of foods and individual nutrients on the performance of diverse psychomotor tasks are studied with consideration given to the various validated quantitative tools used to assess behaviour. The effects of food components on activation, sedation, and affective states such as dysphoria are also reviewed, with special attention given to brain function and neuroactive substances such as serotonin and the endorphins. The case of hyperactivity in children is given special emphasis with reference to the potential influence of sugar and food additives. Safety issues related to food constituents and additives are discussed. Finally, a set of criteria is proposed for the evaluation and elaboration of studies in the behavioural and psychological fields, along with suggestions for future researc

Profile of French community-dwelling older adults supplemented with vitamin D: findings and lessons

INTRODUCTION: The vast majority of older French adults exhibit some degree of hypovitaminosis D. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the rate and the reasons for vitamin D prescription among older French adult community dwellers. METHODS: Vitamin D supplementation was systematically assessed among 1876 French community dwellers aged ≥ 65 years. Theoretical indications for vitamin D supplementation were collected, ie, the causes of hypovitaminosis D (older age, male gender, kidney failure, undernutrition, polymorbidity) or its clinical complications (vertebral or non-vertebral fractures, gait disturbances, history of falls, muscle weakness, and cognitive impairment). RESULTS: In total, 13.8% of the subjects (n=258) had vitamin D supplementation. They were more often malnourished (P=0.002), exhibited polymorbidity (P<0.001) and muscle weakness (P<0.001), and had a history of vertebral fractures (P<0.001), non-vertebral fractures (P<0.001), and accidental falls (P<0.001). Vitamin D supplementation was explained by the number of complications of hypovitaminosis D (odds ratio [OR]=1.61, P<0.001) including vertebral fractures (adjusted OR=1.49, P=0.007), non-vertebral fractures (adjusted OR=1.74, P=0.026), accidental falls (adjusted OR=1.44, P=0.015), and muscle weakness (adjusted OR=3.96, P<0.001), but not by the number of causes of hypovitaminosis D (P=0.464). CONCLUSION: Even if vitamin D supplementation is selected well for appropriate patients, the rate of supplementation remains insufficient in France, and probably comes too late, ie, at the stage of complications of hypovitaminosis D. These findings should encourage physicians to supplement vitamin D more often and sooner in their elderly patients