Drop Off Research Articles

Some Expectations for Submesoscale Sea Surface Height Variance Spectra

AbstractIn anticipation of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) wide-swath altimetry mission, this study reviews expectations for sea surface height (SSH) variance spectra at wavelengths of 10–100 km. Kinetic energy spectra from in situ observations and numerical simulations indicate that SSH variance spectra associated with balanced flow drop off steeply with wavenumber, with at least the negative fourth power of the wavenumber. Such a steep drop-off implies that even drastic reductions in altimetry noise yield only a modest improvement in the resolution of balanced flow. This general expectation is made concrete by extrapolating SSH variance spectra from existing altimetry to submesoscales, the results of which suggest that in the extratropics (poleward of 20° latitude) SWOT will improve the resolution from currently about 100 km to a median of 51 or 74 km, depending on whether or not submesoscale balanced flows are energetic. Internal waves, in contrast to balanced flow, give rise to SSH variance spectra that drop off relatively gently with wavenumber, so SSH variance should become strongly dominated by internal waves in the submesoscale range. In situ observations of the internal-wave field suggest that the internal-wave signal accessible by SWOT will be largely dominated by internal tides. The internal-wave continuum is estimated to have a spectral level close to but somewhat lower than SWOT’s expected noise level.

Mapping recovery in simple and complex tibial plateau fracture fixation

The aim of this study was to determine the trajectory of recovery following fixation of tibial plateau fractures up to five-year follow-up, including simple (Schatzker I-IV) versus complex (Schatzker V-VI) fractures. Patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for tibial plateau fractures were enrolled into a prospective database. Functional outcome, using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary (SF-36 PCS), was collected at baseline, six months, one year, and five years. The trajectory of recovery for complex fractures (Schatzker V and VI) was compared with simple fractures (Schatzker I to IV). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated between timepoints. In all, 182 patients were enrolled: 136 (74.7%) in simple and 46 (25.3%) in complex. There were 103 female patients and 79 male patients with a mean age of 45.8 years (15 to 86). Mean SF-36 PCS improved significantly in both groups from six to 12 months (p < 0.001) and one to five years (simple, p = 0.008; complex, p = 0.007). In both groups, the baseline scores were not reached at five years. The SF-36 PCS was significantly higher in the simple group compared with the complex group at both six months (p = 0.007) and 12 months (p = 0.01), but not at five years (p = 0.17). Between each timepoint, approximately 50% or more of the patients in each group achieved an MCID in their score change, indicating a significant clinical change in condition. The complex group had a much larger drop off in the first six months, with comparable proportions achieving MCID at the subsequent time intervals. Tibial plateau fracture recovery was characterized overall by an initial decline in functional outcome from baseline, followed by a steep improvement from six to 12 months, and ongoing recovery up to five years. In simple patterns, patients tended to achieve a higher functional score by six months compared with the complex patterns. However, comparable functional scores between the groups achieved only at the five-year point suggest later recovery in the complex group. Function does not improve to baseline by five years in either group. This information is useful in counselling patients about the course of prospective recovery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1009-1014.

How to Foster Academic Promotion and Career Advancement of Women in Gastroenterology

How to Foster Academic Promotion and Career Advancement of Women in Gastroenterology

Effect of Superficial Air Velocity on Pressure Drop off Fluidized Chamber Experimentally and Computationally

Forming deposits, which remains unutilized and frequently cause ecological issues, could play an important role as energy source to fulfill the energy requirements. Present investigation has been carried out in a cold bed set up to know the hydrodynamic parameters of fluidized bed at atmospheric conditions. To execute this work a round cross-sectional vessel of 0.09 m internal diameter and 1.2 m height was fabricated using 4 mm thick transparent acrylic resin tube. Sand is chosen as an inert bed with mean diameter 0.4, 0.66 and 0.93 mm. Experiments are then conducted at different fluidizing velocities various from 0.272 to 0.544 m/s with three different fuels rice husk, saw dust and groundnut shells. The impact of sand molecule size on fluidization velocity of two components bio-fuel and sand is studied and recommended to use sand molecule of size 0.4 mm for rice husk, saw dust and 0.66 mm sand particle size for ground nut shells. Group of simulations are done through ANSYS FLUENT16; keeping bed conditions is same as that of experiment. The outcomes are presented in the form of contour plots with volume fraction of sand and biomass particles. Experimental data were compared with the simulation the resultsfollowed almost the same trend.

Does efficiency contribute to market valuation of banks Evidence from Turkish banking system

Purpose- Operational efficiency is one of the strategic concerns for bank management. The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of operational efficiency on banks’ market valuation. Methodology- We empirically examine the way in which the financial market evaluates different efficiency measures of banks, using a panel data of listed banks at Borsa Istanbul for the years 2010 – 2017. We employ three different efficiency measures as proxies. Those are i) operating expenses compared to total net income, ii) total net income per branch, and iii) total net income per employee. Findings- We find that cost efficiency, interest income as return on equity (ROE) and loan loss provisions (LLPs) are found to be statistically significant drivers of market valuation of banks. We use risk-weighted assets to total assets as a measure for risk-taking behavior of banks. The results suggest tentative findings for risk-taking behavior of banks. The findings also suggest that bank size and non-interest income as ROE do not significantly influence bank market valuation. Conclusion- We conclude that operating expenses compared to total net income as an efficiency measure is a determinant of market valuation of banks while income per branch and income per employee as efficiency measures are not related to market valuation of banks. Thus, we recommend bank managers boost net interest income while avoiding credit losses, and drop off operating costs compared to revenue in order to maximize bank’s market valuation.

A dynamic ridesharing dispatch and idle vehicle repositioning strategy with integrated transit transfers

We propose a ridesharing strategy with integrated transit in which a private on-demand mobility service operator may drop off a passenger directly door-to-door, commit to dropping them at a transit station or picking up from a transit station, or to both pickup and drop off at two different stations with different vehicles. We study the effectiveness of online solution algorithms for this proposed strategy. Queueing-theoretic vehicle dispatch and idle vehicle relocation algorithms are customized for the problem. Several experiments are conducted first with a synthetic instance to design and test the effectiveness of this integrated solution method, the influence of different model parameters, and measure the benefit of such cooperation. Results suggest that rideshare vehicle travel time can drop by 40–60% consistently while passenger journey times can be reduced by 50–60% when demand is high. A case study of Long Island commuters to New York City (NYC) suggests having the proposed operating strategy can substantially cut user journey times and operating costs by up to 54% and 60% each for a range of 10–30 taxis initiated per zone. This result shows that there are settings where such service is highly warranted.

Microdosimetry at the CATANA 62 MeV proton beam with a sealed miniaturized TEPC

A new mini-TEPC with cylindrical sensitive volume of 0.9 mm in diameter and height, and with external diameter of 2.7 mm, has been developed to work without gas flow. With such a mini counter we have measured the physical quality of the 62 MeV therapeutic proton beam of CATANA (Catania, Italy). Measurements were performed at six precise positions along the Spread-Out Bragg Peak (SOBP): 1.4, 19.4, 24.6, 29.0, 29.7 and 30.8 mm, corresponding to positions of clinical relevance (entrance, proximal, central, and distal-edge of the SOBP) or of high lineal energy transfer (LET) increment (distal-dose drop off). Without refilling the microdosimeter with new gas, the measurements were repeated at the same positions 4 months later, in order to study the stability of the response in sealed-mode operation.From the microdosimetric spectra the frequency-mean lineal energy y-F and the dose-mean lineal energy y-D were derived and compared with average LET values calculated by means of Geant4 simulations. The comparison points out, in particular, a good agreement between microdosimetric y-D and the total dose-average LET¯d, which is the average LET of the mixed radiation field, including the contribution by nuclear reactions.

Potential last-mile impacts of crowdshipping services: a simulation-based evaluation

Crowdsourced delivery services (crowdshipping) represent a shipping alternative to traditional delivery systems, particularly suitable for e-commerce. Although some benefits in terms of reduced pollution and congestion could be obtained by replacing dedicated freight trips, the impacts of crowdshipping are unclear and depend on several factors such as the transport mode used, the match between supply and demand, length of detours, and possible induced demand. For example, private drivers could modify their existing routes or engage in new trips to pick up and drop off packages; similarly, public transport users could carry along packages on their trips and drop them off at lockers installed around the stations. In this paper, we analyze by means of a simulation-based approach the potential impacts of alternative implementation frameworks. In order to account more realistically for last-mile delivery operations, a hybrid dynamic traffic simulation is adopted such that the macroscopic features of traffic (triggering of congestion, queue spillbacks and interactions with traffic signals) are reproduced in combination with the microscopic features of delivery operations (delivery vehicles are tracked along their routes). The effects on traffic and emissions are investigated for the adoption of crowdshipping by carriers delivering parcels in the city center of Rome, Italy. Results show that not only is the mode employed by crowdshippers crucial for the sustainability of such a measure, but also operational aspects involving the length of detour, parking behavior, and daily traffic variations. Crowdsourced deliveries by car have generally higher negative impacts than corresponding deliveries by public transit. However, limiting the deviations of crowdshippers from the original trips, providing adequate parking options, and incentivizing off-peak deliveries, could significantly reduce crowdshipping externalities.

Characterization of Sodium and Potassium Nitrate Contaminated Polyaniline-Poly (Ethylene Oxide) Composites Synthesized via Facile Solution Casting Technique.

Fabrication of composites by developing simple techniques can be an effective way to modify some properties of individual materials. The present study relates to facile synthesis of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) contaminated polyaniline (PANI) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) composites without using any additives, plasticizers, or fibers. The physic-chemical and rheological properties of synthesized composites were analyzed. The composites showed enhancement in both storage and loss modules in comparison with the polymer matrices. The dynamic viscosity of the synthesized materials has inverse relation with that of temperature and shear stress. Rheological analysis reveals a continuous drop off in viscosity by increasing shear stress. The flow behavior was affected little by temperature. However, the overall results showed a shear thinning effect suggesting that polymer composites show non-Newtonian behavior. The addition of NaNO3 and KNO3 had a profound effect on shear viscosity of the materials, although the overall shear thinning behavior prevails. The PANI-PEO composite follows, as the first approximation models, both Bingham and modified Bingham models, while the salt contaminated system follows only the Bingham model. Both show shear stress values. The greater values of storage (G′) and loss (G″) modulus of composites than PANI-PEO blend suggests excellent elasticity, better stiffness, and good mechanical strength of the composites. Furthermore, the composites were more thermally stable than pure polymers.

Responsiveness and Seasonal Variation of a 12x25m Swimming Test.

Critical speed (CS) and supra-CS distance capacity (D') are useful metrics for monitoring changes in swimmers' physiological and performance capacities. However, the utility of these metrics across a season has not been systematically evaluated in high level swimmers. Twenty-seven swimmers (18 female; age 19.1 ± 2.9 y, 9 male; 19.5 ± 1.9 y, mean ± SD) completed the 12x25m swimming test multiple times (4 ± 3 tests/swimmer) across a two-year period. Season-best times in all distances for the test stroke were sourced from publicly available databases. Swimmers' distance speciality was determined as the event with the time closest to world record. Four metrics were calculated from the 12x25m test: CS, D', peak speed and drop off %. Guyatt's Responsiveness Index values were calculated to ascertain the practically relevant sensitivity of each 12x25m metric: CS = 1.5, peak speed = 2.3, D' = 2.1 and drop off % = 2.6. These values are modified effect sizes (ES); all are large effects. Bayesian mixed-modelling showed substantial between-subject differences between genders and strokes for each variable, but minimal within-subject changes across the season. Drop off % was lower in 200 m swimmers (14.0 ± 3.3%) compared to 100 m swimmers (18.1 ± 4.1%, p = 0.003, ES = 1.10). The 12x25m test is best suited to differentiating between swimmers of different strokes and events. Further development is needed to improve its utility in quantifying meaningful changes over a season for individual swimmers.

Snapshot of antimicrobial stewardship programs in the hospitals of Pakistan: findings and implications

ObjectiveWe are unaware of the extent of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) among hospitals in Pakistan, which is a concern given the population size, high use of antibiotics across sectors and increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rates. Consequently, we sought to address this by undertaking a comprehensive survey. MethodIn this cross-sectional observational study in Punjab, an instrument of the measure was developed based on health care facility characteristics and ASPs after an extensive literature review. The questionnaire was circulated by mail or through drop off surveys to medical superintendents or directors/heads of pharmacy departments of hospitals. ResultsOut of 254, a total of 137 hospitals fully completed the questionnaire - 11 primary, 65 secondary, 46 tertiary and 15 specialized hospitals. The use of antimicrobial prescribing guidelines (68.7%), provision of infectious diseases consultation services (66.4%), clinical pharmacy service (65.7%), use of drug and therapeutics committees to approve antimicrobial prescribing (65.5%), regular audit by doctors on antimicrobial prescribing (54.1%) and use of a restricted formulary for antimicrobial (50.4%) were the most common ASPs. However, most of these activities were only somewhat or moderately successful. Whereas, electronic antimicrobial prescribing approval systems (15.3%), using a sticker to notify prescribers regarding the need to obtain approval for the antimicrobial prescribed (16.1%) and participation in the national antimicrobial utilization surveillance program (19.7%) were only seen in a few hospitals. ConclusionStudy inferred that there are inadequate ASPs in the hospitals of Pakistan. A multidisciplinary approach, clinical leadership and availability of motivated and trained individuals are essential elements for the success of future ASPs.

Simulation of Train Energy Consumption Based on UAS

High-speed trains are all electric locomotives. During the operation of EMU, the power supply network will be cut off due to bad weather, high voltage cable dropping off, catenary failure and power supply system failure, which will cause the whole train line to stop running and a large number of passengers to stay, causing serious harm. Therefore, on the vehicle energy management simulation platform UAS, a large number of simulations have been carried out for different vehicle energy storage, traction constant speed and operation modes, and the effects of initial battery power, constant speed and operation mode on traction energy consumption, auxiliary energy consumption and train operation time have been explored. The simulation has good application prospects in the future intelligent high-speed railway construction.

Determination of the Most Energy-saving Traction Speed Based on UAS Simulation

During the operation of EMU, the power supply network will be cut off and the train power will be lost due to bad weather, high voltage cable dropping off, catenary failure and power supply system failure, which will cause the whole train line to be stopped and a large number of passengers to be detained, causing serious harm. Therefore, the Emergency Guidance (UAS) simulation software for EMU is developed based on the QT platform, and a lot of simulations are carried out under different initial battery power, different traction constant speed and different operation modes. Based on the simulation data, the main energy consumption models of trains and the models of total operation energy consumption and traction constant speed under time-first operation mode are established, which can be found from the models. The constant speed of traction with the least energy consumption can help the driver to drive energy-saving and reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Finally, the model is validated and evaluated, which can be well applied to general situations. The simulation has good application prospects in the construction of energy-saving intelligent high-speed railway in the future.

Improvement of Color Quality and Luminous Flux of WLEDs with Dual-Layer Remote Phosphor Configurations

In comparison with the conformal phosphor or in-cup phosphor structure, remote phosphor structure has a superior luminous flux whereas its color quality is inferior to the others’. Due to this drawback, it is essential to conduct experiments to find the solution for the improvement of the color quality of WLEDs using remote phosphor structure. In this study, a dual-layer remote phosphor structure that is capable of enhancing the Color Rendering Index (CRI) and Color Quality Scale (CQS) for WLEDs was proposed. Three kinds of WLEDs with the similar structures but different color temperatures varying at 5600 K, 7000 K, and 8500 K are used in this article. The mission of this paper is to place a yellow-green emitting SrBaSiO4:Eu2+ phosphor layer or a red-emitting SrwFxByOz:Eu2+,Sm2+ phosphor layer on the YAG:Ce3+ phosphor layer and then select the most appropriate value of SrwFxByOz:Eu2+,Sm2+ concentration to get the greatest color quality. Experimental results were exactly as expected since SrwFxByOz:Eu2+,Sm2+ really succeeded in increasing CRI and CQS. Specifically, the larger the SrwFxByOz:Eu2+,Sm2+ concentration, the higher the CRI and CQS, resulting from the increase of the red light component in WLEDs. Meanwhile, the quality degree of luminous flux depends tightly on the SrBaSiO4:Eu2+ phosphor layer. However, if the SrwFxByOz:Eu2+,Sm2+ and SrBaSiO4:Eu2+ concentration exceeds, the luminous flux and color quality will have a tendency to drop off thanks to the theory of Mie scattering and the Lambert-Beer law. The result of this paper is a valuable reference in the production of high-quality WLEDs.

Leisure Experiences and Social Support Systems of Latino Students With DACA Status

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the leisure experiences of undocumented Latino young adults with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status in order to note any potential links between leisure experience and success in reaching higher education. This population faces a unique set of challenges in their transition to adulthood and their pursuit of and access to higher education. Research suggests that 3 common factors among undocumented young adults who have been successful in reaching higher education are extra-familial mentors, positive social supports, and supplementary educational programming. This study used these 3 factors and the principles of contact theory to examine leisure experiences of undocumented young adults with DACA status. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 young adults with DACA status who were enrolled in higher education. The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Due to the difficulty accessing this population, snowball sampling was used beginning with a volunteer database from a local Hispanic Alliance. The results support previous literature that has identified constraints this population faces when striving for higher education, as well as the capacity of populations that experience disadvantages for leisure constraint negotiation. The findings show leisure and recreational pursuits support the development of the above mentioned 3-factor support system, helpful in reaching higher education, from previous literature and document a severe drop off of both leisure and recreation participation after high school graduation. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Investigation into the Effects of Blade Tip Twist on Noise Reduction for a NACA 0012 Rotor Blade

The advancement of the urban air mobility concept is heavily dependent on the public acceptance of the aircraft vehicles used for air taxis. The importance of the perception of noise by humans is crucial to the passing of legislation and proposals working to implement the new transport system. The investigation into how the noise perception can be reduced is vital to the success of the personal air travel industry. The air taxi design has been geared towards the rotorcraft models. Therefore, the investigation into the rotor blade designs is necessary because, similar to helicopters, the main component in noise generation is the rotors and its blades. The blade-vortex interaction creates noise which humans perceive as the most annoying and disruptive type of noise produced by rotorcraft. The blade-vortex interaction noise is due to the interaction between the advancing blade and the vortexes generated by the tips of the previous rotor blade. This study looks into the effect of tip twist on rotor blades. Understanding how twist in a blade will affect thrust production and noise production will aid in the progress of developing the acceptance of the urban air mobility movement. This investigation is carried out through the use of high-fidelity rotorcraft modeling software developed by Continuum Dynamics Incorporated called the Comprehensive Hierarchical Aeromechanics Rotorcraft Model (CHARM) coupled with the aeroacoustic processing package PSU-WOPWOP to produce sound data files at the wake of the rotor blades. The noise reducing parameter under investigation is the tip twist of the rotor blades. Particularly, interest is on how this change affects the frequency of sound pressure levels. The reduction of this type of noise will aid in determining the design of efficient and safe air taxis that will utilize a system of smaller porting stations as drop off zones, similar, only in concept, to those ride-sharing services.

Supporting Mental Health During Pregnancy and Beyond

Biological and psychosocial changes during pregnancy affect a women’s emotional well being and ability to cope with stress, making them vulnerable to depression and anxiety. Building community-based mental health support for pregnant women requires input from stakeholders and consideration of their perspectives before designing interventions. The purpose of the study was to assess community awareness of mental health concerns during pregnancy to determine future strategies to address the problem. Community-based participatory research, qualitative focus groups. Focus-group sessions at community sites (e.g., library, community center). A total of 22 women (8 pregnant women; 14 women who were new mothers < 2 years) and 6 maternity nurse–lay caregivers. Four focus-group sessions were conducted with three different groups of stakeholders: (a) pregnant women, (b) new mothers, and (c) professional and lay caregivers recruited though community partners and health care agencies that care for pregnant women in the community. Structured, open-ended questions were used to determine perspectives on sources of stress and ways to reduce stress during pregnancy or early motherhood. The focus-group sessions were electronically recorded and later transcribed to text. Thematic analysis techniques were used to determine common codes and themes concerning mental health needs of pregnant women from the viewpoint of the respective group of stakeholders. Themes included the following: (a) Frustration and Stress; (b) Finding Positive Support; (c) A “Drop Off” in Care After Birth; and (d) Needing Knowledge About Available Resources. The data inform community-based mental health strategies that nurses can use to address the identified barriers for women seeking help for stress during and after birth and plan stress-reduction strategies to promote resilience and prevent mental health problems.

Physician Based Practices and Instrument Sterilization- How do you do it?

BACKGROUND: Establishing an instrument sterilization program for physician-based practices (PBP) that are under a hospital license is an important aspect of a successful outpatient infection prevention (IP) program. PBP's struggle with the space and resources (staff and money) to adequately manage the sterilization of reusable instruments. Our objective is to develop a process that allows the PBP to operate efficiently and effectively but still be compliant with proper instrument reprocessing. METHODS: We created a program that removed all tabletop autoclaves and sterilization practices from the PBPs and provided them a service to have their instruments reprocessed at the hospital's sterile processing department. We obtained locking biohazard bins for the dirty instruments, red carts that housed the bins and green carts that held clean instruments returned to the PBP. We purchased a temperature-controlled truck that had segregated clean and dirty areas that securely held the carts and was only used for the transport of instruments. We established a schedule for pick up and drop off that accommodated each PBP's schedule. We established (up front) a 48?hour instrument turnaround time (TAT) for all practices. We held meetings with each PBP leadership team that discussed expectations of the program. RESULTS: The TAT was the most difficult aspect for the PBPs to manage in the beginning. All practices obtained additional instruments to accommodate the 48-hour TAT. Pick up schedules were adjusted to account for travel time and parking limitations that were not initially recognized. All PBPs effectively relinquished on site instrument sterilization practices without incident. CONCLUSIONS: Removing instrument sterilization from the PBPs provides an effective way to assure compliance with sterilization practices in an outpatient setting. It allows the PBP to concentrate on taking care of their patients and leaves reprocessing of instruments to the hospital sterile processing department.

Optimalisasi Kinerja Terminal Dengan Menggunakan Metode Penilaian Tingkat Kepentingan Dan Kepuasan Pengguna Terminal (Studi Kasus Terminal Poris Pelawad Kota Tangerang)

Terminal is the place for drop off and pick up of the people and transfer mode to next journey according trip end destination. The facility of terminal divided of vehicle facility, people facility, and operation facility. This facilities must be good performance, so can service the customer. But tf1e terminals officer, must be evaluation the facility conditions periodically. Importancei1erformance analysis method can be use, with interview the customer of terminal. Base on data from interview, percentage of importance level and satisfaction level can be measure. From this prercentage, problematic mapping shown for decided problem solving performance of terminal

PTSD coach mobile application with brief telephone support: A pilot study.

The number of health care mobile applications (MAs) has increased drastically in recent years, but research on efficacy and approaches to provide MA intervention is lacking. The PTSD Coach was designed to help individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to understand and manage symptoms. Use of MA tends to drop off quickly; this pilot study tested the use of the PTSD Coach with brief telephone support by paraprofessionals. A total of 29 participants with elevated PTSD symptoms recruited from Veterans Affairs primary care clinics completed baseline and 4-month follow-up surveys including the PTSD Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms, and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. Participants received PTSD Coach MA intervention plus paraprofessional brief telephone support reported the phone support was helpful and greater than 70% of participants maintained use of the MA throughout the 3-month intervention period. Results indicated that participants showed significant improvement on PTSD reexperiencing symptoms, depressive symptoms, and quality of life after intervention. The PTSD Coach MA plus brief telephone support is a promising approach for primary care patients managing psychiatric symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).