Reinforced Research Articles

Predictors of inpatient mortality following reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

The number of reverse shoulder arthroplasties (RSA) performed each year is growing rapidly, especially in elderly patients and with expanded indications including geriatric proximal humerus fractures. As the elderly population grows and the number of RSA's annually continues to rise, there will be a proportionate number of adverse events and mortality. However, the rate of early mortality has consistently shown to be less than 1%, so a large-scale analysis of possible risk factors for post-operative mortality is warranted. A retrospective multivariate analysis of 59,915 patients from the National Inpatient Sample database between 2016 and 2019 was performed. Patients who underwent RSA were identified based on ICD-10 code. Patients were divided into two groups, early mortality and no mortality. Early mortality was defined as those who died within the same admission. Patient demographics and medical comorbidities were evaluated. Hospital admission status was classified as elective or non-elective. Odds ratios for predictive variables were measured as a ratio of incidence between the early mortality and no mortality groups. The overall incidence of inpatient mortality was 0.07%. The incidence of mortality for elective admissions was 0.04% and for non-elective admissions was 0.34%. On univariate analysis, age greater than 75 years (p < 0.001), octogenarians (p < 0.001), nonagenarians (p < 0.001), and non-elective admission (p < 0.001) were associated with early mortality following RSA. Upon multivariate analysis, age greater than 75 years old had 4 times the odds of early mortality following RSA (OR 4.20; 95%CI (1.67, 10.60); p < 0.001) while non-elective admission had about 5 times the odds (OR 5.38; 95%CI (2.75, 10.53); p < 0.001). Age greater than 75 years old has 4-fold higher odds and non-elective admission has 5-fold higher odds of early mortality following RSA. Appropriate pre-operative counseling should be performed with elderly patients and those undergoing non-elective indications for RSA.

Random Scattering Effect of SV Waves by a 3D Sedimentary Basin Considering Geotechnical Parameter Uncertainty

ABSTRACT This study investigated the random scattering effect in sedimentary basins with uncertain geotechnical parameters under vertical SV waves using multiplicative dimensional reduction method. The influence of the depth-to-radius ratio of basins and variability of geotechnical parameters on the random scattering effect was explored. The results indicate that the scattering in sedimentary basins significantly amplifies the uncertainty. The variability of displacement amplitude factors of basins is significantly affected by the depth-to-radius ratio of basins, providing a 2- or 3-time difference under high-frequency waves. The coefficient of variations of displacement amplitude factors has a nonlinear amplification relationship with those of geotechnical parameters.

Understanding and forecasting consumer sequential multiscreen viewing behavior

Nowadays, consumers often sequentially use multiple screens to watch media content, so that firms advertise on TV, websites, and apps at the same time period to reach consumers widely. However, sequential multiscreeners may repeated exposure to the same advertisement and develop negative attitudes. Utilizing real-world data, this paper employs a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model to predict consumer sequential multiscreen viewing frequency. Moreover, we quantify the net impacts of significant predictors on the sequential multiscreen viewing frequency and find that media factors (such as number of viewing devices, internet access, PC screen size, cellphone ownership, and device concentration ratio) have equivalent impacts as audience factors (including user demographics and past viewing behaviors) and the new created variable device concentration ratio has the largest impact. The accurate prediction and quantified net impacts can guide firms allocate their advertising budget more efficiently across multiple screens and avoid consumer overexposure to the same ad content.

Maternal heart rate variability at 3-months postpartum is associated with maternal mental health and infant neurophysiology

Previous research has demonstrated a critical link between maternal mental health and infant development. However, there is limited understanding of the role of autonomic regulation in postpartum maternal mental health and infant outcomes. In the current study, we tested 76 mother-infant dyads from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds when infants were 3-months of age. We recorded simultaneous ECG from dyads while baseline EEG was collected from the infant; ECG heart rate variability (HRV) and EEG theta-beta ratio and alpha asymmetry were calculated. Dyadic physiological synchrony was also analyzed to better understand the role of autonomic co-regulation. Results demonstrated that lower maternal HRV was associated with higher self-reported maternal depression and anxiety. Additionally, mothers with lower HRV had infants with lower HRV. Maternal HRV was also associated with higher infant theta-beta ratios, but not alpha asymmetry. Exploratory analyses suggested that for mother-infant dyads with greater physiological synchrony, higher maternal HRV predicted increased infant theta-beta ratio via infant HRV. These findings support a model in which maternal mental health may influence infant neurophysiology via alterations in autonomic stress regulation and dyadic physiological co-regulation.

Influence of internal bypass conditions on the double bypass matching characteristics of variable cycle high-pressure compression system

The variable cycle high-pressure compression system (VCHCS) consists of a core driven fan stage (CDFS) and a high-pressure compressor (HPC), which are crucial components for controlling the variable cycle engine's bypass ratio. However, the double bypass (DB) matching mechanism of the VCHCS remains insufficiently understood. This study focuses on investigating the DB matching characteristics of the VCHCS under different representative internal bypass conditions. The findings demonstrate that as the internal bypass conditions transition from near choke to near stall, the external bypass stability margin of the VCHCS decreases progressively, and the external bypass characteristic curve of the HPC exhibits an approximate “counter-clockwise rotation” pattern. Furthermore, the operating state of the CDFS and the redistribution of internal and external bypass flow rate, collectively determine the matching state of the compressor system. Building upon the aforementioned summarization regarding the impact of internal bypass conditions on the matching characteristics of the VCHCS, this research integrates flow field analysis to explicate the mechanism of stall under typical operating conditions. The investigation reveals that, when the internal bypass condition under design point and the external bypass condition approaches the stall boundary, an excessive accumulation of low-energy fluid occurs at the external bypass outlet guide vane, subsequently triggers the occurrence of stall. Specifically, when the internal bypass conditions under the near stall point, the predominant limitation on further elevation or reduction of external bypass back pressure lies in the extensive blockage of a massive low-energy fluid on the suction surface of the HPC second stage stator.

(Digital Presentation) The Influence of Particle Size on Electrophotocatalytic Properties of Tungsten Trioxide Photoanodes

The need for advanced wastewater treatment technologies has been highlighted owing to the widespread contamination of water sources with toxic and persistent organic chemicals. Thin films of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO3) were prepared by spin-coating and meyer rod coating nanoparticulate dispersions following a top-down approach through ball milling. The morphological properties of the layers were investigated by profilometry. The results showed that the surface area increased with the increase in milling time and for 96 hours sample it showed a nine-fold increase compared to commercial tungsten (VI) oxide powder. The electron microscopic images provided insight into the change in particle size and layer texture which comply with the morphological changes observed by profilometry. The influence of the particle size on the charge generation efficiency was investigated using photoanodes prepared from the studied suspensions. Two distinct formulations of different particle sizes were mixed in variable ratios, and we showed that multimodal coatings exhibit larger photocurrents than monomodal coatings. The main contribution of this work can be found in the economically inexpensive method of preparing thin films WO3.

Transfer learning may explain pigeons’ ability to detect cancer in histopathology

Pigeons' unexpected competence in learning to categorize unseen histopathological images has remained an unexplained discovery for almost a decade (Levensonet al2015PLoS One10e0141357). Could it be that knowledge transferred from their bird's-eye views of the earth's surface gleaned during flight contributes to this ability? Employing a simulation-based verification strategy, we recapitulate this biological phenomenon with a machine-learning analog. We model pigeons' visual experience during flight with the self-supervised pre-training of a deep neural network on BirdsEyeViewNet; our large-scale aerial imagery dataset. As an analog of the differential food reinforcement performed in Levensonet al's study 2015PLoS One10e0141357), we apply transfer learning from this pre-trained model to the same Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) histopathology and radiology images and tasks that the pigeons were trained and tested on. The study demonstrates that pre-training neural networks with bird's-eye view data results in close agreement with pigeons' performance. These results support transfer learning as a reasonable computational model of pigeon representation learning. This is further validated with six large-scale downstream classification tasks using H&E stained whole slide image datasets representing diverse cancer types.

Risk Factors for Decreased Bone Density in Adults with Celiac Disease

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation in the intestine, causing atrophy of the mucosal villi of the small intestine. Celiac disease can manifest with various signs and symptoms, including extra-intestinal symptoms such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. Objectives: Our study aimed to determine the frequency of osteopenia/osteoporosis in newly diagnosed CD cases and to evaluate the effect of different independent variables on the development of osteopenia/osteoporosis in these patients. Methods: Adult patients with CD who were referred to a celiac clinic were evaluated for osteopenia/osteoporosis using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. This cross-sectional analytical study took place from October 2017 to July 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the odds ratio (OR) of different independent variables for osteopenia/osteoporosis. Results: A total of 302 patients enrolled in this study, with 64.2% being female and 35.8% male. The mean ± SD age was 29.73 ± 12.39. Overall, 71.2% of patients had osteopenia or osteoporosis. The odds of developing osteopenia/osteoporosis were significantly higher in participants older than 30 years (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.22 - 3.92; P = 0.008), underweight patients (OR: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.30 - 4.34; P = 0.005), and those with histologically severe atrophy (OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.14 - 4.32; P = 0.019). The mean ± SD serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in CD patients without and with osteopenia/osteoporosis were 34.0 ± 17.1 ng/mL and 25.8 ± 14.2 ng/mL, respectively. Participants with normal levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D had a significantly lower OR of developing osteopenia/osteoporosis than patients with vitamin D deficiency (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.21 - 0.62; P &lt; 0.001). Other variables, including gender, anti-tTG levels, and GI manifestations, did not significantly increase the OR of developing osteopenia/osteoporosis. Conclusions: The present study showed that increasing age, weight loss, severe villous atrophy, and low levels of vitamin D can significantly increase the OR of developing osteopenia/osteoporosis in CD patients. Until further studies are conducted, bone mineral density (BMD) evaluation is especially recommended in these high-risk subgroups of CD patients.

Investigation on NOx control of a CI engine through the collective effect of hydrogen and biodiesel blend at modified compression ratio

The main challenges with using biodiesel in CI engines are higher NOx emissions and reduced brake thermal efficiency. These biodiesel-related issues can be handled by concurrently introducing gaseous fuels along with primary fuel into CI engines. This study examines the effects of hydrogen in a dual fuel mode operation with diesel and Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel blend (B20) at different compression ratios on the engine's performance, combustion, and emission characteristics. A single-cylinder, 4-stroke, variable compression ratio engine operating at 1500 rpm was used for the research. A standard compression ratio (SCR) of 17.5 and a modified compression ratio (MCR) of 15.5 at a constant hydrogen flow rate of 6 L per minute (lpm) were used with diesel and B 20. The addition of hydrogen with diesel and B20 resulted in higher cylinder pressure and heat release rate when compared to pure diesel and B20 operation. This resulted in a shorter delay period (by an average of 9.4 % and 7.1 %) with lower peak pressure than pure diesel and B20 operation. During the dual fuel mode of H2 with B 20 at a modified compression ratio, the maximum heat release rate was decreased and its occurrence was retarded. NOx, UBHC, and CO emissions of the engine were decreased significantly by an average of 20.8% 43.7, %, and 22 % respectively with 37.7 % increase in smoke opacity. The increase in NOx emission with the use of H2 with diesel was reduced by operating H2 with B20 and at a reduced compression ratio. This lower emission was achieved with a compromise of a marginal decrease in engine brake thermal efficiency.

Influence of Particle Size on Electrophotocatalytic Properties of Tungsten Trioxide Photoanodes

The need for advanced wastewater treatment technologies has been highlighted by the widespread contamination of water sources with toxic and persistent organic chemicals. In this work, thin films of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO3) were prepared by spin-coating and Meyer rod coating nanoparticulate dispersions following a top-down approach through ball milling. The morphological properties of the layers were investigated by profilometry. The results showed that the surface area increased with an increase in milling time for the milled mixture, and, for the sample milled for 96 h, it showed a nine-fold increase compared to the commercial tungsten (VI) oxide powder. The electron microscopic images provided insight into the change in particle size and layer texture which comply with the morphological changes observed by profilometry. The influence of the particle size on the charge generation efficiency was investigated using photoanodes prepared from the studied suspensions. Two distinct formulations of different particle sizes were mixed in variable ratios, and we showed that multimodal coatings exhibit larger photocurrents than monomodal coatings. The main contribution of this work can be found in the economically inexpensive method of preparing thin films WO3.

Robots as behavior change agents: Can robots teach behavior technicians to implement differential reinforcement?

Robots as behavior change agents: Can robots teach behavior technicians to implement differential reinforcement?

Variable Compression Ratio Diesel Engine Analysis by Ester of Karanja Oil Produced Using Heterogeneous Catalyst

Variable Compression Ratio Diesel Engine Analysis by Ester of Karanja Oil Produced Using Heterogeneous Catalyst

Synthesized alternative reinforcement and resurgence.

In treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, applied researchers and clinicians often provide multiple, qualitatively different reinforcers (i.e., synthesized reinforcement) rather than a single reinforcer (i.e., isolated reinforcement) contingent on alternative behavior. Some research shows that providing synthesized reinforcement for alternative responses within such treatments produces more rapid and complete suppression of target behavior; however, there is limited research evaluating the durability of these effects during treatment disruptions. Conceptual explanations of resurgence (e.g., resurgence as choice, context theory) suggest that treatments that include synthesized alternative reinforcement may lead to more resurgence of target behavior when alternative reinforcement is disrupted relative to treatments using isolated reinforcement. We evaluated this hypothesis within a three-phase resurgence evaluation. We exposed rats to isolated or synthesized reinforcement for alternative responding in the second phase, and we exposed rats to extinction in the third phase. Synthesized alternative reinforcement produced more rapid and complete suppression of target behavior than did isolated reinforcement in the second phase; however, exposure to extinction following synthesized reinforcement produced more resurgence. We discuss these results in terms of their implications for applied research and their support for current conceptual explanations for resurgence.

Flexural behavior of RC beams externally strengthened with side-bonded CFRP laminates with variable internal reinforcement

This study investigates the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally strengthened with bottom- and side-bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets with variable steel ratio. The choice of applying the CFRP sheets in a bottom- or side-bonded configuration depends on the accessibility of the beam. This experimental investigation is aimed at studying and comparing the efficacy of bottom- and side-bonded CFRP sheets for flexural strengthening of RC beams with variable internal steel ratios. The effect of steel reinforcement ratio, and the number of CFRP plies are examined by testing 10 RC beams under a four-point bending configuration. The results in terms of load-deflection response, ultimate load-carrying capacity, failure modes, and ductility are studied and compared with control unstrengthened beams. The study revealed that side-bonded beams provided flexural capacity comparable to the bottom-bonded beams for both ratios of internal reinforcement used in the study. The study also showed that both strengthening configurations were more effective when the internal steel ratio was low. In terms of ductility, the side-bonded scheme provided ductility indices comparable to the bottom-bonded beams. The findings of this study confirm the feasibility of using side-bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets as a strengthening technique for RC beams when the soffit of the beam is inaccessible.

The study on the magnetic interaction between the duel magnetic layers and the FINEMET ribbon

Due to the sensitive magnetic field response of the GMI effect, the peak field in magneto impedance curves obtained from the composite magnetic ribbons shows great dependence on the magnetic interaction, which has gained intensive attention in the study of the diversity and the mechanism of magnetic interaction. In this work, FINEMET/Fe20Ni80/SiO2/Fe20Ni80 composite ribbons with a fixed thickness of outer Fe20Ni80 layer (200 nm) and variable thickness ratio of the inner Fe20Ni80 and SiO2 layers, ranging from the 1:4 to 4:1 were prepared. Then the GMI response was utilized to investigate the influence of the exchange couple and the dipole interaction to magnetic properties of the base ribbon. The experimental results indicated that additional SiO2 layer can successfully induce slight magnetic differences of the two Fe20Ni80 layers, which results in the emergence of four-peak GMI profiles. Besides, the frequency-dependent nature of the peaks was explored, revealing that both dipole interaction and exchange couple influence the magnetic properties, contributing to the occurrence of four-peak GMI curves. Thus, the insights presented in this work are thought to be valuable for understanding the mechanisms of multilayer composite ribbons in future sensing applications.

Design Considerations Concerning an Innovative Drive System for a Manual Wheelchair

Manual wheelchairs, which are the basic means of transport for people with disabilities, are usually characterized by an inefficient adaptation to the physical capabilities of their users. For this reason, it is advisable to search for solutions that will allow us to change the parameters of the mechanical power generated by human muscles. For this purpose, mechanical gearing known from other solutions, for example, from bicycles, can be used. The paper describes the design methodology and a number of issues related to the construction of an innovative wheelchair prototype using a chain transmission in its drive system. This solution allows for the implementation of a variable ratio between the wheels and the pushrims. Thus, it effectively allows for matching the demand for driving torque to the movement conditions and the physical capabilities of its user. The use of such a system provides the basis for increasing the efficiency of the manual propulsion process. Initial studies show that changing the gear ratio allows for different speeds of the wheelchair wheel. In the tests conducted, the root mean square of this value varied from 15.2 RPM to 35.5 RPM, which resulted in a change in power from 15.8 W to 40.1 W. Of course, the values of rotational speed and torque show a cyclically changing character, which results from the intermittent nature of generating drive by the wheelchair user. The average peak values of rotational speed were 31.4 ± 1.7 RPM, 44.3 ± 3.4 RPM and 57.9 ± 3.4 RPM, while the torque was 12.1 ± 0.5 Nm, 12.4 ± 0.4 Nm and 14.1 ± 0.6 Nm for Gears 1, 4 and 6, respectively.

Evaluation of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticle Blended with Alcohol Based Biodiesel at Variable Compression Ratios

This paper highlights the use of aluminum oxide nanoparticles as an additive in diesel-butanol blends to show its effect on fuel consumption, emissions and performance. In the present experiment, different concentrations of aluminium oxide nanoadditives (30, 50, and 70 ppm) are used in alcohol-based biodiesel. Butanol has been used in concentrations of 5 and 10 % in diesel and therefore all blends are termed as B5 and B10 in addition to nanoparticle concentration to avoid complexity. These different blends (B5+30, B5+50, B5+70, B10+30, B10+50, B10+70) are tested for various engine loads at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The experiment was performed on a Variable compression ratio (VCR) engine at varying compression ratios of 16, 17, and 18. Engine characteristics at different compositions of the blend at different compression ratios were provided by the interfaced computer through the software. The enhanced performance effects can be easily seen from the outcomes in the increment in brake thermal efficiency of the blends as compared to neat diesel. Considerable decrement can be observed in carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbon (HC) values with an increase in compression ratio. Moderate reduction can be observed in NOx at higher loads in contrast to neat diesel.

Strategies for Managing an In-Service Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement in Illinois

Strategies for Managing an In-Service Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement in Illinois

Turning the Tables: Using Students’ Motivation to Escape Work to Improve Task Productivity and Accuracy

Differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior is a technique in which students can escape a portion of a task they perceive to be unpleasant by reaching a predetermined criterion. In this article, we define the negative reinforcement trap and review research on differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior. We then describe procedural steps for teachers to effectively prevent students from escaping tasks or activities they find unpleasant as well as increase work accuracy and productivity.

Performance Enhancement in LC Series Resonant Inverters with Current-Controlled Variable-Transformer and Phase Shift for Induction Heating

This article presents an analysis of a converter based on an LC resonant inverter for induction heating applications. It employs a current-controlled variable transformer (VT) in conjunction with phase shift regulation (PS) to operate at a fixed frequency close to the resonance frequency. The converter maintains a small switching angle, enabling substantial load variations without sacrificing zero voltage switching (ZVS) for the transistors. This innovative method enhances the inverter’s performance across the entire operating range. Additionally, a new design of the transformer structure with a variable ratio will be analyzed, enabling mathematical modeling. The obtained results demonstrate a performance exceeding 99%. Both the inverter and variable transformer designs were experimentally validated using a 15 kW, 200 kHz converter for induction heating applications with silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs.