Lower Brackets Research Articles

Evaluation of correlation between compliance of a patient towards orthodontic treatment and plaque accumulation in lower anterior region with fixed orthodontic appliances. A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND &OBJECTIVE: Using orthodontic appliances can offer new spots for the oral microbiota and dental plaque to attach. Poor oral hygiene can lead to gingivitis and tooth decay resulting in the removal of braces to repair damage and delay treatment. Orthodontic patients who are mindful of their oral health often show greater compliance with their treatment. They tend to miss fewer appointments and avoid losing brackets, demonstrating a strong commitment to their orthodontic care. This study aims to find a correlation between plaque accumulation and patients’ compliance with their orthodontic treatment. METHODOLOGY:50 orthodontic patients (20 males and 30 females, aged 11 to 25 years) were assessed at their 3rd, 4th, or 5th appointments. The plaque index for each patient was calculated on these appointments. Patient compliance like appointment follow-ups and bracket failures was recorded. A correlation was found between the plaque index and compliance of the patient. RESULTS: A statistical analysis revealed a significant, strong negative correlation between the rate of following appointment follow-ups and the plaque scoring index (r = -0.832, P value < 0.001), and a significant, strongly positive correlation between bracket failure rate and plaque scoring index (r = 0.795, P < 0.001). Patients who had good attendance at follow-up appointments and low bracket failure had lower mean plaque score indices. CONCLUSION: Patients with good compliance in terms of low bracket failure rate and attending follow-up appointments regularly tend to have lower plaque scores.

Impact of financial well-being on gender affirmation surgery access and hospital course

Although gender affirmation surgery (GAS) can effectively treat gender dysphoria, it remains one of the most expensive components of gender affirming care. This study aims to identify the impact of financial well-being on GAS access and hospital course in the United States. The National Inpatient Sample database was queried from 2012 to 2019. US transgender patients undergoing GAS were identified. Predictors included patient sociodemographic variables. Outcomes included hospitalization course variables. Regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between predictor and outcome variables. Significance was set at α=0.05. A total of 5620 weighted GAS encounters were identified (genital surgery 92.3%, chest surgery 16.6%). 1825 (32.5%) patients were in the highest income bracket, compared with 1120 (19.9%) patients in the lowest bracket. Higher income was associated with younger age at the time of GAS. Patients in the highest income quartile were also 3.7 times more likely to be funded by private insurance and self-pay options than those in the lowest income quartile (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-4.4, p<0.0001). Additionally, patients in the lowest income quartile were 4.2 times more likely to require either home healthcare or transfer to a nursing facility post discharge than those in the highest income quartile (95% CI: 3.1-5.8, p<0.001). To promote equitable care to transgender patients, efforts to reduce financial barriers to healthcare access are much needed, particularly through broader insurance coverage of GAS procedures. Broadly, our results highlight the impact of socioeconomic variables on healthcare access and outcomes.

Effect of Remineralizing Agents on Shear Bond Strength of Orthodontic Brackets-In Vitro Study.

Orthodontic treatment can be effective only with the proper adhesion strength of the bonded elements on the teeth. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of different remineralization products on the brackets (Evolve Low Profile Brackets 0.022 Roth prescription (DB Orthodontics Ltd., Silsden, England) shear bond strength (SBS)). In all, 40 teeth were investigated for this study; n = 30 demineralized (immersed in 0.1% citric acid for 30 min, twice a day, for 20 consecutive days) and n = 10 immersed only in artificial saliva. After the demineralization process, remineralization agents were applied to each group (n = 10): Group I: Elmex Sensitive professional® toothpaste (CP, Gaba GmbH, Witten, Germany) and GC MI Paste Plus® (GC, Leuven, Belgium), Group II: Elmex Sensitive professional® toothpaste (CP, Gaba GmbH, Germany) and GC Tooth Mousse® (Leuven, Belgium), Group III: Elmex Sensitive professional® toothpaste (CP, Gaba GmbH, Germany). For the teeth in control group C, Elmex Sensitive professional® toothpaste was used. SBS tests were performed by means of an advanced materials-testing machine that generated maximum load and tensile strength values. The data obtained underwent statistical analysis (ANOVA and Tuckey test) with a statistical threshold of p < 0.05. The SBS values were higher for group II (14.20 MPa) and I (10.36 MPa) and lower for group III (4.25 MPa) and C (4.11 MPa), with statistically significant differences between groups I and II when compared with groups III and C (p < 0.05). In conclusion, GC Tooth Mousse® and MI-Paste Plus® have no adverse effect on brackets SBS and are recommended to be used for enamel remineralization during orthodontic treatment.

Teachers as Researchers: Skills and Challenges in Action Research Making

The study aims to determine the level of competency of teachers as researchers as well as determine the factors that affect them in action research. Quantitative research, specifically the descriptive design, was used. It was conducted in the second congressional district of Quezon Province, Philippines, composed of 147 elementary and secondary teachers who have started writing action research. Relevant data were gathered through a validated survey questionnaire. The study was facilitated with confidentiality. Responses were treated through weighted arithmetic mean. The results revealed that 1) 32 out of 38 skills in action research writing landed in the lower bracket of the competent level. However, six skills landed on the less competent level. It has been noted that teacher-researchers are weak in choosing the tools for data analysis and interpretation, encoding quantitative and qualitative data, and interpreting results from the software. They were also less competent in publishing their completed action research. 2) Knowledge, attitude, and resources were the factors that affected teachers in their engagement in conducting action research. The respondents were limited to 147 retrieved questionnaires from the districts of Dolores, San Antonio, Candelaria, Sariaya, and Lucena. For further study, it was suggested that future researchers might come up with a larger scope and population. The findings of the research may be important to teachers and administrators since it will serve as a baseline for the status of action research-making in the district. The results should be the focus of capability-building activities of teachers.

Electricity consumption, subsidies, and policy inequalities in Mexico: Data from 100,000 households

This paper estimates electricity consumption and subsidies for each of the Mexican households surveyed in the ENCEVI and the ENIGH in 2018. Using information from the Mexican Utility Federal Electricity Commission (CFE, Comisión Federal de Electricidad), we expand these two datasets into a comprehensive source of electricity consumption for 100,000 households representative of all of Mexico. Our estimates show that large consumers receive large subsidies, with the top 20 % of the highest consuming households receiving 50 % of the subsidies. We also find that electricity consumption is determined by socio-economic status. In the extremely hot region, families in the highest income decile consume 57 %–66 % more than those in the lowest. For this reason, Mexicans in the highest income brackets benefit the most from subsidies; the average subsidy per household for those in the two highest income brackets is almost twice the average subsidy for those in the lowest bracket.

Closing the GAP in Antimicrobial Resistance Policy in Benin and Burkina Faso.

ABSTRACTAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern that is geographically unevenly distributed, with low- and middle-income countries and African countries suffering in particular. The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan (GAP) for antimicrobial resistance identified five key objectives that aim to ensure the continued treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with the use of antibiotics. Countries signatory to the WHO GAP are expected to develop their own national action plans (NAPs) based on the global model. How low-income countries are able to achieve the GAP objectives is not well understood. This paper analyzes the progress of two West African countries in achieving the GAP targets, Benin and Burkina Faso, countries among the lowest bracket in the World Development Index. We present qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions with local policy-makers, nurses, doctors, animal breeders, veterinarians, and laboratory researchers, supported by participant observations and surveys within rural communities. The analysis is organized according to the five WHO GAP objectives to show the countries’ challenges in fulfilling them. The analysis shows that there are shortcomings in all of the WHO GAP areas in the two countries, making it a compounded and multifactorial problem—a stacking of lacks. In such contexts, calibrating a society toward AMR resilience/prevention requires overall development and attention to interdependencies. Active local research and policy communities with international, sustained financial support are essential for achieving the targets.IMPORTANCE The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is unequally distributed across the globe. Low-income countries face a more severe AMR situation and have fewer means to solve the problem. This paper brings out the voices of local experts, policy-makers, and members of the community in Benin and Burkina Faso across human health, animal health, and food production sectors, where the majority of antibiotic use is concentrated. We describe the difficulties that they face in implementing global action plans, targets set by the World Health Organization, for securing antibiotics and preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This paper argues that the various deficits in implementation are stacked, multisectoral, and compounded. We highlight the role of active local scientists and policy-maker networks in setting priorities to address the AMR problem; however, their activities need technical and financial support from international partners.

Utilisation of government-subsidised chronic disease management plans and cardiovascular care in Australian general practices

BackgroundGovernment-subsidised general practice management plans (GPMPs) facilitate chronic disease management; however, impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unknown. We aimed to determine utilisation and impact of GPMPs for people with or at elevated risk of CVD.MethodsSecondary analysis of baseline data from the CONNECT randomised controlled trial linked to Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) claims. Multivariate regression examining the association of GPMP receipt and review with: (1) ≥ 1 MBS-subsidised allied health visit in the previous 24 months; (2) adherence to dual cardioprotective medication (≥ 80% of days covered with a dispensed PBS prescription); and (3) meeting recommended LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure (BP) targets concurrently.ResultsOverall, 905 trial participants from 24 primary health care services consented to data linkage. Participants with a GPMP (46.6%, 422/905) were older (69.4 vs 66.0 years), had lower education (32.3% vs 24.7% high school or lower), lower household income (27.5% vs 17.0% in lowest bracket), and more comorbidities, particularly diabetes (42.2% vs 17.6%) compared to those without a GPMP. After adjustment, a GPMP was strongly associated with allied health visits (odds ratio (OR) 14.80, 95% CI: 9.08–24.11) but not higher medication adherence rates (OR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.52–1.29) nor meeting combined LDL and BP targets (OR 1.31, 95% CI: 0.72–2.38). Minor differences in significant covariates were noted in models using GPMP review versus GPMP initiation.ConclusionsIn people with or at elevated risk of CVD, GPMPs are under-utilised overall. They are targeting high-needs populations and facilitate allied health access, but are not associated with improved CVD risk management, which represents an opportunity for enhancing their value in supporting guideline-recommended care.

Construction of an In Vivo Debonding Device and Comparison of Bracket Failure Rate and Debonding Force for Indirect Orthodontic Bonding

A major limitation of indirect bonding is incomplete penetration of the curing light through transfer trays, leading to inadequate curing of light-cure adhesive resin, causing bracket bond failure. Dual-cure adhesive resin is both light and chemically cured, which reduces the requirement of light for curing of the composite. Comparative evaluation of bracket failure rate and bond strength between dual-cure composite and light-cure composite for indirect orthodontic bonding of brackets. A split-mouth randomized clinical study was carried out in 51 patients (30 females and 21 males). Indirect orthodontic bonding using Erkogum as adhesive to attach the bracket to cast and glue gun material was utilized to form a transfer tray. Conventional light-cure and dual-cure adhesive resins were compared with regard to their bracket failure rate, adhesive remnant index score, and in vivo clinical bond strength. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed to test the normality of data. Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test were performed for the quantitative variables and it was observed that both the groups showed similar results for the parameters being measured. The mandibular arch showed more bracket failure, the dual-cure composite group showed more bracket failure, however, the adhesive remnant index (ARI) score for both the groups was similar. No statistically significant difference was seen concerning the clinical bond strength between the two adhesive resins. Dual-cure adhesive system can be used for indirect bonding in orthodontics. The mandibular arch had a higher bond failure in the second premolar region. The sequence of bond failure was concordant among both the adhesive groups. However, dual-cure adhesive invariably showed more bracket failure. The highest bond strength was observed for the maxillary canine brackets in the light-cure group, and mandibular canine brackets in the dual-cure group. Whereas, the weakest bond strength in the light-cure group was observed for the mandibular second premolar brackets and for maxillary second premolar brackets in the dual-cure group. There was no significant difference between the in vivo clinical bond strength between the two adhesive systems. On debonding, majority of the adhesive was observed to be on the tooth surface. This study signifies that both light-cure and dual-cure resins can be used for indirect bonding procedures but light-cure composite resin shows a lower bracket failure rate as compared to dual-cure composite resin.

The Role Of Social Media In Improving Hygiene Practices Among General Public During COVID-19

Social media has been a vibrant source of education for the masses during Covid-19. These virtual platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp, educated the general public of Pakistan with abundance of information regarding hygienic and healthy lifestyle. With the help of social media, people sorted to exercise at home, healthy dieting, proper medication and sanitizing from germs during the lockdown in pandemic situation which they were not consistently practiced previously. This research intends to explore general public’s dependency on social media for hygiene, and its impact on their lives during their lockdown. This quantitative research consists of survey method with a convenient sample of 200 residents of Lahore consisting of 4 different age brackets. The data predicts that people with high age took social media messages of exercise, diet, medication and sanitization more seriously and applied precautions aptly while respondents with low age bracket were less worried about diet but more concern about body exercises and sanitizing. Respondents from almost all the age brackets indicated towards their learning about medical understanding of a disease and its treatment. The study found out that people with less interaction with social media relied more on it with strong impact. It also indicates that social media has made people more conscious about healthy exercises, nutritious diet and authentic medication for disease free life. People got training to fight a global pandemic by utilizing social media adequately.

Characteristics and Sexual Risk Behavior of Men Who Never Tested for HIV in Zambia.

Compared with women and girls, proportionately fewer men and boys in sub-Saharan Africa receive HIV testing, treatment, and other services. This study determined factors associated with never testing for HIV and examined never testing as a predictor of sexual risk behavior among men in Zambia. The sample included 2,609 men aged 15 to 24 from the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression results revealed that compared with men who ever tested for HIV, men who never tested were more likely to be younger, have less education, have no children, be unemployed, and belong to the low wealth bracket. They also had a higher likelihood of not using a condom at last sex but were less likely to have more than five lifetime sexual partners. HIV prevention programs can use sociodemographic characteristics to identify those who have a lower likelihood of testing for HIV. Prevention programs can use sociodemographic characteristics to develop profiles of those who may especially need to be targeted by initiatives to promote HIV testing. Awareness does not always engender behavior change; therefore, in addition to knowledge of HIV status, risk reduction should also be emphasized.

Dynamic Design of the Test Bench of Electric Vehicle Motor

In order to avoid the resonance of the bench and the laboratory floor, it is necessary to carry out vibration analysis and dynamic design on the motor test bench. Firstly, the lightweight target and the constraint conditions related to the rigid body modal frequency and elastic modal frequency of the platform are set, and the structure of the platform is optimized. Then, the three-dimensional model of the whole bench is built and the finite element is meshed to carry out modal analysis. The optimized modal analysis results show that the natural frequencies of the designed bench will not be excited by various vibration excitation forces at the set speed of motor test, the vibration isolation rate of the lower bracket reaches more than 52% (except that the vibration isolation rate of the lower bracket is 36.30% at 1000 rpm), which effectively eliminates the resonance problem between the bench and foundation during motor NVH test, and the normal performance of motor and NVH test can be effectively ensured.

How Social Security Coordination Can Add Value to a Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Strategy

This study describes a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy that can add substantial value to many clients of financial advisors with financial portfolios worth up to $2 million. In early retirement years, these households can delay the start of their Social Security benefits and make Roth conversions to fill relatively low tax brackets, which are generally also their marginal tax rates. Once Social Security benefits begin, they can make tax-free Roth withdrawals to minimize the amount of tax-deferred account (e.g., 401(k)) withdrawals that are taxed at 185% of their tax bracket, due to the taxation of Social Security benefits. With a series of cases, we show that a financial advisor can add substantial value to many of their clients’ financial portfolios by recommending such a withdrawal strategy. <b>Key Findings</b> • Due to the taxation of Social Security benefits, there is a wide range of income where a household will have a marginal tax rate of 150% or 185% of their tax bracket, where marginal tax rate denotes the additional taxes paid on the next dollar of income. • This study presents a general tax-efficient withdrawal strategy that will help many singles and married couples with financial portfolios worth up to $2 million substantially reduce the present value of their lifetime income taxes. In addition, these withdrawal strategies can greatly reduce the percentage of these households’ lifetime Social Security benefits that will be taxable. • In the general tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, in early retirement years, these households should delay the start of their Social Security benefits and make Roth conversions to fill relatively low tax brackets, which are generally also their marginal tax rates. Once Social Security benefits begin, they can make tax-free Roth withdrawals to minimize the amount of tax-deferred account (e.g., 401(k)) withdrawals that are taxed at 185% of their tax bracket, due to the taxation of Social Security benefits.

60188 The coupled dynamic analysis of hydroelectric unit and powerhouse considering the bolt connection characteristics

As the increasing of the capacity and water head of the hydropower stations, the hydroelectric unit’s vibration and its induced powerhouse vibrations become a critical problem. The system of hydraulic-mechanical-electric-structural is coupled and with strong non-linear characteristics. The frame and head cover are all connected with the powerhouse pier via high-strength bolt. The paper is concentrated on the dynamic coupling mechanism and simulation model considering the bolt’s connection and load transmission characteristics. With the theory analysis and numerical simulation, the connection and transmission behaviour of the high-strength bolt would be studied and a more accurate and simple mechanical expression would be derived. The connection sliding law and dynamics modelling method of bolts are discussed. Based on the displacement-load curve of single lap and single bolt analysis it is concluded that the increasing preloading will improve the tangential bearing capacity of the bolted joint connection. Then the FEM coupling model of the lower bracket and powerhouse is established with the virtual medium method. Based on the free-vibration and dynamic response analysis the effects of the loosening of the bolt on the static stiffness of the coupling structure are discussed. The von-Mises stress’s increasing due to some of the bolt’s loosening would result to the material fatigue damage. Finally five preloading schemes of the bolts are discussed and the simulation results show that the preloading force has a greater lateral impact on the structure than on the longitudinal direction. The preloading force improves the coupling structure’s stiffness and reduces the vibration amplitude of the frame. As for the preloading force, when it is small the connection effect is not strong enough and the vibration level may be higher, so the actual preloading state should be exactly simulated. When the bolt preloading reaches 60-70% of the material yield strength, the rigid connection can be directly used in the modelling for the convenience of calculation.

Race, Income, and the Timeliness of Cleft Palate Repair in the United States.

ObjectiveTo determine if differences exist in the timing of cleft palate repair with respect to sex, race, income, and geographical location within the United States.DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study using the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) from 1997 to 2009.SettingInpatient.PatientsChildren with cleft palate with or without cleft lip undergoing inpatient cleft palate repair.Main outcome measuresAge at the time of palatoplasty (in months) by sex, race, income quartile, and geographic location.ResultsA total of 7,218 children with cleft palate underwent repair at a mean age of 12.1 months (95% CI 12.0-12.3). Females underwent palatoplasty at an older age (13.6 months) than males (13.2 months), a difference of 0.47 months (SE: 0.19, p=0.015). White children underwent surgery at an earlier age (12.1 months) than Black (12.9 months) (difference: 0.73 months, SE: 0.37, p=0.045), Hispanic (12.7 months) (difference: 0.57 months, SE 0.25, p=0.025), and Asian children (15.7 months) (difference: 3.60 months, SE 0.49, p<0.0001). Asian children were also found to undergo repair later than Hispanic (difference 3.03 months, SE 0.51, p<0.0001) and Black (difference: 2.87 months, SE 0.59, p<0.0001) children. Patients born into the highest income brackets were repaired 0.75 months earlier than those in the lowest bracket (SE: 0.26, p=0.005). Patients in the Midwest underwent palatoplasty later (14.3 months) than in the Northeast (12.9 months) (difference: 1.36 months, SE: 0.31, p<0.0001), South (13.2 months) (difference: 1.05 months, SE: 0.36, p=0.004), and West (13.2 months) (difference: 1.09 months, SE: 0.32, p=0.0007).ConclusionsAfter controlling for confounding factors, our results suggest that in recent history, Black, Hispanic, and Asian children with cleft palate were repaired later than their White counterparts. In addition, children of affluent families were repaired earliest, and economically disadvantaged children were repaired later than their peers.

Emergency Equity: Access and Emergency Medical Services in San Francisco

In 2020, California required San Francisco to consider equity in access to resources such as housing, transportation, and emergency services as it re-opens its economy post-pandemic. Using a public dataset maintained by the San Francisco Fire Department of every call received related to emergency response from January 2003 to April 2021, we calculated the response times and distances to the closest of 48 fire stations and 14 local emergency rooms. We used logistic regression to determine the probability of meeting the averages of response time, distance from a fire station, and distance to an emergency room based on the median income bracket of a ZIP code based on IRS statement of income data. ZIP codes in the lowest bracket ($25,000-$50,000 annually) consistently had the lowest probability of meeting average response metrics. This was most notable for distances to emergency rooms, where calls from ZIP codes in the lowest income bracket had an 11.5% chance of being within the city’s average distance (1 mile) of an emergency room, while the next lowest probability (for the income bracket of $100,000-$200,000 annually) was 75.9%. As San Francisco considers equity as a part of California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” it should evaluate the distribution of access to emergency services. Funding Information: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Declaration of Interests: None declared.

Comparative analysis of the life cycle assessment for the assembly operations of railcar components

The need for improved performance and environmental friendliness of railcar during its manufacturing processes has occupied the front burner in recent times. This is because of the growing interest for environmental protection as well as the need to develop the railcar system in line with the best global practices. This study considers the comparative analysis of the life cycle assessment (LCA) for the assembly operations of the railcar components in order to evaluate the environmental impact of the assembly operations. Data which covers the material and energy usage as well as emission characteristics of the energy used were obtained from a primary source. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) considered the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) as well as the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) during the assembly of the railcar lower brackets and bogie frame respectively.

Near-surface Palaeocene fluid flow, mineralisation and faulting at Flamborough Head, UK: new field observations and U–Pb calcite dating constraints

Abstract. We present new field observations from Selwicks Bay, NE England, an exposure of the Flamborough Head Fault Zone (FHFZ). We combine these with U–Pb geochronology of syn- to post-tectonic calcite mineralisation to provide absolute constraints on the timing of deformation. The extensional frontal fault zone, located within the FHFZ, was active at ca. 63 Ma, with protracted fluid activity occurring as late as ca. 55 Ma. Other dated tensile fractures overlap this time frame and also cross-cut earlier formed fold structures, providing a lower bracket for the timing of folding and compressional deformation. The frontal fault zone acted as a conduit for voluminous fluid flow, linking deeper sedimentary units to the shallow subsurface, potentially hosting open voids at depth for a significant period of time, and exhibiting a protracted history of fracturing and fluid flow over several million years. Such fault-hosted fluid pathways are important considerations in understanding chalk reservoirs and utilisation of the subsurface for exploration, extraction and storage of raw and waste materials. Most structures at Selwicks Bay may have formed in a deformation history that is simpler than previously interpreted, with a protracted phase of extensional and strike-slip motion along the FHFZ. The timing of this deformation overlaps that of the nearby Cleveland Dyke intrusion and of regional uplift in NW Britain, opening the possibility that extensional deformation and hydrothermal mineralisation at Selwicks Bay are linked to these regional and far-field processes during the Palaeocene.

Maternal influences on fetal brain development: The role of nutrition, infection and stress, and the potential for intergenerational consequences

An optimal early life environment is crucial for ensuring ideal neurodevelopmental outcomes. Brain development consists of a finely tuned series of spatially and temporally constrained events, which may be affected by exposure to a sub-optimal intra-uterine environment. Evidence suggests brain development may be particularly vulnerable to factors such as maternal nutrition, infection and stress during pregnancy. In this review, we discuss how maternal factors such as these can affect brain development and outcome in offspring, and we also identify evidence which suggests that the outcome can, in many cases, be stratified by socio-economic status (SES), with individuals in lower brackets typically having a worse outcome. We consider the relevant epidemiological evidence and draw parallels to mechanisms suggested by preclinical work where appropriate. We also discuss possible transgenerational effects of these maternal factors and the potential mechanisms involved. We conclude that modifiable factors such as maternal nutrition, infection and stress are important contributors to atypical brain development and that SES also likely has a key role.

Finite Element Analysis and Lightweight Design of Hydro Generator Lower Bracket

Lower bracket is an important component in hydro generator. Taking lower bracket as the research object, the strength, the stiffness and the dynamic characteristics of lower bracket have been simulated and analyzed by means of establishing a finite element model. With the two design indexes of maximum normal stress and stiffness as the constraint conditions, aiming at an optimized design with the minimum mass and proposed a lightweight optimization method. The design parameters of the optimized model of hydro generator lower bracket are determined by using the compound form method with optimization iteration. Through lightweight optimization design, the maximum normal stress and maximum displacement of lower bracket are within the allowable value range, modal analysis shows that the dynamic characteristics of the optimized structure also meet the requirements, with the potential of material further utilized. The lightweight optimization design reduced the weight of lower bracket in hydro generator by 790kg and the weight-loss ratio reaches 44.38%, thus achieving the purpose of lightweight. The optimization results are applied in the improvement design of lower bracket and the method is practical and suitable for engineering applications.

Socioeconomic bias in influenza surveillance.

Individuals in low socioeconomic brackets are considered at-risk for developing influenza-related complications and often exhibit higher than average influenza-related hospitalization rates. This disparity has been attributed to various factors, including restricted access to preventative and therapeutic health care, limited sick leave, and household structure. Adequate influenza surveillance in these at-risk populations is a critical precursor to accurate risk assessments and effective intervention. However, the United States of America’s primary national influenza surveillance system (ILINet) monitors outpatient healthcare providers, which may be largely inaccessible to lower socioeconomic populations. Recent initiatives to incorporate Internet-source and hospital electronic medical records data into surveillance systems seek to improve the timeliness, coverage, and accuracy of outbreak detection and situational awareness. Here, we use a flexible statistical framework for integrating multiple surveillance data sources to evaluate the adequacy of traditional (ILINet) and next generation (BioSense 2.0 and Google Flu Trends) data for situational awareness of influenza across poverty levels. We find that ZIP Codes in the highest poverty quartile are a critical vulnerability for ILINet that the integration of next generation data fails to ameliorate.