Convenient Settings Research Articles

Vibration transmission model of buildings based on virtual spring model and energy functional variation principle

In recent years, the “metro depot + over-track buildings” development model has witnessed rapid growth in China, driven by its advantages of high land utilization and investment return rate. However, the issue of vibration and noise caused by trains entering and exiting the depot has become a major impediment to its sustainable development. To predict the vibration of over-track buildings induced by trains, this paper presented a vibration transmission model of buildings based on the virtual spring model and the energy functional variation principle. The model was then applied to an actual engineering project at a metro depot in Guangzhou, China, and its accuracy was validated by comparing the results with finite element analysis and field measurements. Additionally, the vibration transmission characteristics of the over-track building were studied. The results indicated that the vibration transmission model of buildings presented in this paper aligns well with the results obtained through finite element analysis and field measurements. This approach eliminates the need to disassemble structural members, and the introduced virtual spring model effectively simulates non-ideal connections and boundary conditions. Consequently, it offers convenient structural connection and boundary condition settings, as well as high computational efficiency. Due to the edge effects on the top floor of the buildings, vibration waves in the higher floors experience a combination of reflected and incident waves, resulting in slow attenuation and, in some cases, amplification of vibrations as they propagate from the middle floors to the top floor. The vibration of the over-track building is closely related to the natural vibration characteristics of the floor and the frequency spectrum characteristics of the vibration source. When the natural frequency of a building's floor aligns with the main frequency of the vibration source, significant vibration amplification occurs due to local resonance.

Selective pyrophosphate detection via metal complexes.

Pyrophosphate (PPi) anions are crucial in numerous biological and ecological processes involved in energy conversion, enzymatic reactions, and metabolic regulation along with adenosine. They are also significant biological markers for various processes related to diseases. Fluorescent PPi sensors would enable visual and/or biological detection in convenient settings. However, the current availability of commercial sensors has been limited to costly enzymes that are not compatible for imaging. Sensor development has also encountered challenges such as poor selectivity and stability, and limited practical applications. In this review, we analyze the situation of PPi sensing via commercial kits and focus on sensors that use metal complexes. We address their designs, sensing mechanisms, selectivities and detection limits. Finally, we discuss limitations and perspectives for PPi detection and imaging.

Improvement of Subsurface Thermal Characteristics for Green Parks

The ground surface of green parks in arid and semi-arid areas may not be comfortable at specific times during the day and night due to the sun and the rate at which the subsoil gains or loses heat. Knowledge of the subsurface soil’s thermal properties can provide designers with convenient and comfortable settings. Design focus is generally directed toward stability, density, and hydraulic conductivity. An assessment of the thermal properties of clay–sand mixtures of 10%, 20%, and 30% clay content is conducted. The proposed clay–sand layers are subjected to three different thermal gradients of 30, 20, and 10 degrees of magnitude. The profile of temperature changes was monitored using 5TE sensors and data loggers. The mixtures were also subjected to cooling at room temperature. The results indicate that the clay type and the clay content govern the response of subsurface clay–sand liners to temperature gain and loss. Two field sections with clay–sand layers of 15% and 20% clay were examined for temperature changes over an extended period. In winter, green areas rich in clays were found to keep heat for several hours and provide relatively warm evenings. In summer, the mixture retains a cool temperature for some time during the day.

Chinese expert consensus on the application of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (2023 edition)

AbstractNeutropenia is the most common hematological toxicity of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), and leads to subsequent treatment delays and/or dose reductions. Neutropenia often advances to febrile neutropenia and serious infections, which can affect the prognosis and safety of patients. The reasonable prevention and management of neutropenia is vital for patients with malignancies undergoing CCRT. Pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (PEG‐rhG‐CSF), a long‐acting recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor, can prevent and treat neutropenia in more convenient clinical settings. Based on relevant guidelines and the most recent clinical data, the Chinese Association for Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists, China Society for Radiation Oncology, and Chinese Association of Radiation Therapy have evaluated the safety and efficacy of PEG‐rhG‐CSF during CCRT, clearly defined the clinical pathway and route of administration for the prevention and treatment of neutropenia, and formed a Chinese expert consensus on PEG‐rhG‐CSF application during CCRT, with the goal of promoting the reasonable clinical use of this treatment.

Evaluation of school-based obesity prevention model

Obesity is a prevalent disease found among adolescents in the United States. The rising incidence in recent years has raised concerns among the public, for obesity is known as the risk factor for several chronic and severe diseases. Programs aimed at treating and preventing childhood obesity are therefore in high demand. Since the enrollment of American youthwho are between 5 and 17 years oldin schools is higher than in any other institution in the United States, schools can implant effective obesity-targeted programs by providing cheap, convenient, and accessible settings for treating and preventing obesity for the student population. This article will review and analyze the success of primary preventive initiatives implemented in schools by comparing the effectiveness of four out of eight components of am integrated comprehensive model for school-based prevention of obesity: physical education courses, food service and nutrition environment, school-site health promotion, and health service. At the end of this article, a future research plan will be introduced. A sample of 154 residential students from a local high school located in Fryeburg, Maine will be observed and surveyed to test the effectiveness of the school-based primary prevention model for obesity.

Agent-based modelling and simulation for hub and electric last mile distribution in Vienna

With the rise of e-commerce and door-to-door sales, last-mile deliveries are gaining more and more importance. As a result, last-mile distribution has become one of the most sensitive logistics processes due to its uniqueness, difficulties in meeting schedules, and high costs. Therefore, this work explores the use of urban consolidation centers to ease these last-mile difficulties. For that purpose, a hub in the city center of Vienna has been selected to deliver up to 150 clients disseminated by the city. This suitability is assessed by defining convenient simulation settings in order to replicate parcel demands in the city. Experiments are based in different hub-based fleets (traditional internal combustion vehicles or electric cargo bikes), demand patterns, and delivery frequency strategies by means of a biased randomization vehicle routing optimization heuristic. Results quantify the effects of having an urban consolidation center and highlight the use of electric cargo bikes for the last-mile distribution.

Current Practice Behaviors and Perceptions of Physiotherapist with Respect to Management of Individual with Osteoporosis

Objective: To determine the behaviors and perceptions of physiotherapist with respect to management of individual with osteoporosis. Study Design and Sampling Techniques: This was a cross sectional study with convenient sampling Study Settings & Participants: This study was conducted among physiotherapists working in University Institute of Physical therapy Clinics, Lahore, and Faisal hospital clinics, Faisalabad and Imran Idrees Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences, Sialkot. Data Collection Tools: A self-structured questionnaire focused on three aspects was used. First section was on physiotherapist concern for different types of treatment modes in osteoporotic patients, second section was on physiotherapist concern for manual therapy and third section was on physiotherapist concern about tissue injuries in response to manual therapy. Data Analysis: The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: The current study comprised of 100 physiotherapists 57(57 %) were female and 43(43 %) were male and 3% of respondents chosen the treatment modes such as ‘other’ as compared to others treatment modes. 75%of physiotherapists were using the strengthening exercises for treatment in osteoporotic patients. Forty one percent of physiotherapists were using the manual therapy 58% physiotherapists had showed up the concern with the use of manual therapy techniques as management for osteoporosis .This was more than half of the sample size taken for the study. Fifty one percent of physiotherapists had more concerned about muscle injuries and 71% were concerned about others injuries and fracture such as wrist fracture and hip fracture by using manual therapy. Conclusion: Use of slight progressive strengthening and exercise is better to overcome osteoporotic bone fractures due to manual force application during strength training in subjects with Osteoporosis Keywords: Behavior, Perception, Physiotherapist, Osteoporosis

A Comprehensive Review on the Optimization of the Fused Deposition Modeling Process Parameter for Better Tensile Strength of PLA-Printed Parts

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a kind of Additive Manufacturing technology, which can produce complex parts by adding layer-by-layer mold automatically from 3D computer-aided design (CAD) data. Although the FDM process has its obvious merits, a fundamental backward factor of its professional enterprise acceptance is the inadequacy of higher mechanical properties and heavy structure of the manufactured product. For that reason, the properties of the manufactured product by FDM are highly dependent upon the choice of FDM parameters. Several studies are investigated to look at the effect of various FDM process parameters to improve print quality characteristics such as mechanical properties, build time, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish of the manufactured parts with having convenient process parameter settings. However, the progress has been gradual and not well organized because of the complex attributes of the FDM process and conflicting process parameters. This paper aims to comprehensively summarize recent studies of advanced statistical and experimental design techniques for better tensile strength of polylactic acid (PLA)-printed parts, the effect of process parameters on tensile strength, and the existing work on the optimization of process parameters.

Evaluating the Practices and Challenges of Youth Volleyball Development in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia by Using the CIPP Model.

Youth athletes’ talent identification and development has become a serious concern around the globe. However, empirical evidence regarding youth sports policies and practices is limited. Emphasizing the talent development needs of youth volleyball players, in this study, the authors evaluated the practices and challenges of a youth volleyball development program in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. This study addressed this concern by drawing upon Stufflebeam’s context, input, process, product (CIPP) model to explore a youth volleyball development program across the training sites located in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. With the help of this model, this study evaluated the prevailing contexts, allocated inputs, program implementation processes, and products. To this end, this study used multiple case studies involving ten youth project sites. The study participants included samples of participants (n = 179), consisting of youth volleyball players (n = 167), their coaches (n = 8), regional volleyball administrators, and regional educational office physical education coordinators (n = 4). The study participants identified some benefits from participating in the youth volleyball program, which included increased physical activity and health, enhanced positive interpersonal relationships, and knowledge of how to cope with challenges. However, they reported several challenges attributable to contextual constraints which included a lack of the necessary facilities and resources, lack of concern and convenient settings, poor implementation practices, and minimal outcomes. The findings suggest that the challenges of youth volleyball development in Ethiopia are complex and emanate from the context, input, process, and products. Accordingly, when addressing the issues of youth volleyball, it is necessary to develop systems, processes, methods, and tools that recognize all these concerns.

A survey: the role of the internet of things in the development of education

There is a demand to change the contents and activities, and adapt the methods for higher education institutions, especially, universities to let researchers and educational to act more efficiently in a digital context. A well-designed campus, finally combining technology, is basic for developing digital university by facilities for learning, teaching, and research, enhancing the student trials, and supplying the convenient settings. Within digital universities, technology can improve security, reduce costs, and offer devices for faculty, scholars, academics, and students. These advantages give more attention to university processes and evolutions, the experience of researchers, and students. In this research, we have done a study on the Internet of things and what its role in the development of education through the review for a group of previous research. In addition, we have studied the smart class and its components and the difference from the traditional class, and then we have displayed the smart laboratories and its applications. At the end of the research, the great importance of Internet things in universities and its importance to the teacher and the student was concluded by learning faster and developing and improving the educational process.

Eradicating hepatitis C: Are novel screening strategies for people who inject drugs cost-effective?

Background: In developed countries, people who inject drugs (PWID) have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), yet they are often under-diagnosed. The World Health Organization has set 2030 as a target year for HCV elimination. To meet this target, improving screening in convenient community settings in order to reach infected undiagnosed individuals is a priority. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of alternative novel strategies for diagnosing HCV infection in PWID. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken to compare HCV screening at needle exchange centres, substance misuse services and at community pharmacies, with the standard practice of detection during general practitioners’ consultations. A decision tree model was developed to assess the incremental cost per positive diagnosis, and a Markov model explored the net monetary benefit (NMB) and the cost per Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained over a lifetime horizon. Results: Needle exchange services provided a 7.45-fold increase in detecting positive individuals and an incremental cost of £12,336 per QALY gained against current practice (NMB £163,827), making this the most cost-effective strategy over a lifetime horizon. Screening at substance misuse services and pharmacies was cost-effective only at a £30,000/QALY threshold. With a 24% discount to HCV treatment list prices, all three screening strategies become cost-effective at £20,000/QALY. Conclusions: Targeting PWID populations with screening at needle exchange services is a highly cost-effective strategy for reaching undiagnosed HCV patients. When applying realistic discounts to list prices of drug treatments, all three strategies were highly cost-effective from a UK NHS perspective. All of these strategies have the potential to make a cost-effective contribution to the eradication of HCV by 2030.

A Multi-Node Detection Algorithm Based on Serial and Threshold in Intelligent Sensor Networks.

With the continuous progress of science and technology, intelligent wireless sensor network (IWSN) communication has become indispensable in its role in production and life because of its convenient network settings and flexible use. However, with the widespread availability of intelligent wireless sensor networks, the use of many wireless sensor nodes constitutes a multi-node wireless communication system, which turns the accuracy and low complexity of multi-node detection in sensor networks into a problem. Although the traditional algorithm has excellent performance, it cannot give consideration to both accuracy and complexity. Therefore, a maximum logarithm message passing algorithm based on serial and threshold (S-T-Max-log-MPA) for multi-mode detection in IWSN is proposed in this paper. In this algorithm, the threshold is used to determine the necessary conditions of sensor node stability first, and then the sensor node information updating is integrated into the resource node information updating, so that the system can maintain good accuracy, performance, and change the situation of poor system accuracy at low threshold. Compared with the traditional algorithm, the proposed algorithm significantly changes the algorithm complexity reduction rate of the system multi-node detection. Simulation results show that the algorithm has a good balance between accuracy and complexity reduction rate.

Lessons learned from community- and home-based physical activity programs: A narrative review of factors influencing women's participation in cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in women. Despite the well-known benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, it remains underutilized, especially among women. Physical activity programs in the community, however, attract a large female population, suggesting that they overcome barriers to physical activity encountered by women. The characteristics of interventions that extend beyond the traditional cardiac rehabilitation model and promote physical activity merit examination. This narrative review aimed to: (a) summarize women's barriers to attend cardiac rehabilitation; (b) examine the characteristics of community- and home-based physical activity or lifestyle coaching interventions; and (c) discuss which barriers may be addressed by these alternative programs. Studies were included if they: (a) were published within the past 10 years; (b) included ≥70% women with a mean age ≥45 years; (c) implemented a community- or home-based physical activity intervention or a lifestyle education/behavioral coaching program; and (d) aimed to improve physical activity levels or physical function. Most interventions reported high (≥70%) participation rates and significant increases in physical activity levels at follow-up; some improved physical function and/or cardiovascular disease risk factors. Community- and home-based interventions address women's cardiac rehabilitation barriers by: implementing appealing modes of physical activity (e.g. dancing, group-walking, technology-based balance exercises); adapting the program to meet participants' needs; offering flexible options regarding timing and setting (e.g. closer to home, the workplace or faith-based institutions); and promoting social interactions. Cardiac rehabilitation can be enhanced by understanding the specific needs of women; novel elements such as program offerings, convenient settings and opportunities for socialization should be considered when designing cardiac rehabilitation programs.

IMPLEMENTING THE AGE-FRIENDLY HEALTH SYSTEM INTO CVSMINUTE CLINICS

Each day, 10,000 individuals in the United States turn 65 and nearly 30% of our nation’s 884 million ambulatory care visits involve patients ages 65 and older. With this trend, the use of convenient care settings for treatment for chronic conditions associated with aging such as diabetes and hypertension is emerging. The need for the delivery of age-friendly care in convenient care settings is essential to ensure high quality and safe care. CVS MinuteClinic® and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) will present the plan and preliminary findings for the extension of the IHI’s Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative into the CVS MinuteClinic. The Age-Friendly Health System model includes 4 M’s: What Matters, Medications, Mentation, and Mobility as essential components for care delivery. The presentation will include (1) the partnership with the IHI’s Age-Friendly Health System Action Community, (2) a demonstration of the Age-friendly Virtual Clinic and learning platform that includes training modules and practice-based tools to facilitate assessment and action steps for the implementation of the 4Ms based on Age-Friendly Health System content, and (3) the evaluation logic model that will be implemented. The implementation plan will provide the framework to embed age-friendly process and outcome measures into the CVS MinuteClinic electronic health record platform, Epic. The project will impact all 1,100 CVS MinuteClinic locations across the nation.

Drug use prevention: factors associated with program implementation in Brazilian urban schools

BackgroundA school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles, provide convenient settings for the implementation of drug use prevention programs targeting adolescents, who are the population group at highest risk of initiating drug use. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of factors associated with implementing drug use prevention programs in Brazilian public and private middle and high urban schools.MethodsThe present population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with a probability sample of 1151 school administrators stratified by the 5 Brazilian administrative divisions, in 2014. A close-ended, self-reported online questionnaire was used. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with implementing drug use prevention programs in schools.ResultsA total of 51.1% of the schools had adopted drug use prevention programs. The factors associated with program implementation were as follows: belonging to the public school network; having a library; development of activities targeting sexuality; development of “Health at School Program” activities; offering extracurricular activities; and having an administrator that participated in training courses on drugs.ConclusionsThe adoption of drug use prevention practices in Brazilian schools may be expanded with greater orchestration of schools through specialized training of administrators and teachers, expansion of the School Health Program and concomitant development of the schools’ structural and curricular attributes.

Breast Cancer Knowledge, Behaviors, and Preferences in Malawi: Implications for Early Detection Interventions From a Discrete Choice Experiment.

PurposeBreast cancer is the most common female cancer in Africa and leading cause of death resulting from cancer; however, many countries lack early detection services. In Malawi, women are frequently diagnosed with large tumors after long symptomatic periods. Little is known about local cancer knowledge.MethodsWe administered a cross-sectional survey with a discrete choice experiment to a random sample in urban and rural areas of Lilongwe district. Bivariable and multivariable analyses determined factors associated with knowledge. Preference utilities for early detection interventions were estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian model in Sawtooth software.ResultsOf 213 women recruited, fewer than half were aware of breast cancer. In multivariable analysis, electricity at home and knowing someone with cancer increased the odds of awareness. Women were more knowledgeable about symptoms than treatment or risk factors; more than 60% erroneously believed local misconceptions. Seventeen percent were aware of breast self-examination, and 20% were aware of clinical breast examination (CBE); few reported either behavior. Common barriers included not knowing where to access CBE and transportation difficulties. Discrete choice experiment results indicated the detection strategy (breast health awareness, CBE, or both) was the most important attribute of an intervention, followed by the encounter setting and travel time.ConclusionAddressing misconceptions in health messages and engaging survivors to promote early detection may help improve breast cancer knowledge in Malawi. Program designs accounting for women’s preferences should provide breast health education and CBEs in convenient settings to address transportation barriers, particularly for women with low socioeconomic position.

Pathways linking marijuana use to substance use problems among emerging adults: A prospective analysis of young Black men

ObjectivesMarijuana use rates peak during emerging adulthood (ages 18 to 25years). Although marijuana use quantity reliably predicts substance-related problems, considerable individual differences characterize this association. The aims of the present study were to examine the influence of community disadvantage in amplifying the effects of marijuana use on downstream substance use problems, as well as the mediating influence of social disengagement in the path linking marijuana use frequency to related problems. MethodWe conducted a 3-year longitudinal study with 505 Black men from rural communities in Georgia, age 20.3years at baseline. Three waves of data were collected at 18-month intervals in participants' homes or convenient community settings. Men completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews concerning their substance use, engagement in conventional roles and relationships, community characteristics, and substance use problems. ResultsCommunity disadvantage moderated the association of marijuana use with changes in substance use problems across time. In disadvantaged communities, a robust effect emerged between marijuana use frequency and related problems, whereas in less disadvantaged communities, marijuana use quantity and problems were not significantly associated. Increases in social disengagement mediated the influence of marijuana use on substance use problems in the context of community disadvantage. ConclusionsFor young Black men, residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood appears to amplify the impact of marijuana use on substance use problems. This effect appears to be a consequence of increases in social disengagement.

Immigrants' Adaptation and Interracial/Interethnic Interactions in Natural Environments

ABSTRACTThis study examined the role of leisure in natural environments in immigrants' adaptation, with a particular emphasis on facilitating interracial/interethnic interactions. Berry's adaptation framework was used as a theoretical framework. The project used in-depth individual interviews with 70 immigrants from China, Latin America, Morocco, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam residing in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. The findings showed that recreation in natural environments promoted immigrants' psychological adaptation by helping to improve psychological and emotional well-being, develop feelings of attachment, strengthen social ties, and build memories and family traditions. The sociocultural adaptation was increased when immigrants learned about the culture of the host countries. The natural environments were not particularly conducive to establishing interactions with strangers but were convenient settings for interacting with families and members of the ethnic community.

Addressing health disparities in rural communities using telehealth.

The regionalization of pediatric services has resulted in differential access to care, sometimes creating barriers to those living in underserved, rural communities. These disparities in access contribute to inferior healthcare outcomes among infants and children. We review the medical literature on telemedicine and its use to improve access and the quality of care provided to pediatric patients with otherwise limited access to pediatric subspecialty care. We review the use of telemedicine for the provision of pediatric subspecialty consultations in the settings of ambulatory care, acute and inpatient care, and perinatal and newborn care. Studies demonstrate the feasibility and efficiencies gained with models of care that use telemedicine. By providing pediatric subspecialty care in more convenient settings such as local primary care offices and community hospitals, pediatric patients are more likely to receive care that adheres to evidence-based guidelines. In many cases, telemedicine can significantly improve provider, patient, and family satisfaction, increase measures of quality of care and patient safety, and reduce overall costs of care. Models of care that use telemedicine have the potential to address pediatric specialists' geographic misdistribution and address disparities in the quality of care delivered to children in underserved communities.

Regularity of renormalized solutions in the Boltzmann equation with long‐range interactions

AbstractIt is well‐established that renormalized solutions of the Boltzmann equation enjoy some kind of regularity, or at least compactness, in the velocity variable when the angular collision kernel is nonintegrable. However, obtaining explicit estimates in convenient and natural functional settings proves rather difficult. In this work, we derive a velocity smoothness estimate from the a priori control of the renormalized dissipation. As a direct consequence of our result, we show that, in the presence of long‐range interactions, any renormalized solution F(t, x, v) to the Boltzmann equation satisfies locally ${\textstyle{F \over {1 + F}}} \in W_{t,x,v}^{s,p}$ for every $1 \le p \le {\textstyle{D \over {D - 1}}}$ and for some s > 0 depending on p. We also provide an application of this new estimate to the hydrodynamic limit of the Boltzmann equation without cutoff. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.