Typical Family Research Articles

Development based on reverse engineering to manufacture aircraft custom-made parts

The need for custom-made parts is increasing constantly due to its application in different industrial sectors: medical prosthesis, car parts, aircraft parts, etc. In the aerospace sector, reverse engineering (RE) techniques are used to machine parts whose geometry requires to be customised for each produced aircraft. Due to discrepancies between the aircraft digital mock-up (DMU) and actual as-built components, the interface parts manufactured using only the aircraft DMU will not fit properly within the available physical space of each specific aircraft. Since they have to fit in with large components subject to variable deformation states in the assembly process. The MISTRAL project addresses such issue. Taking a file with 3D point cloud data as main input, it proposes an alternative approach to the one currently in use to manufacture custom-made parts. The result is a prototype development carried out mainly in CATIA v5. The developed solution was tested with a typical family of parts.

Families Living with Mental Illness

Mental illness is a growing reality of our times. Usually in a typical Indian family, the parents act as the primary caregivers for the child suffering from mental disorder. For adult sufferers, it can also be siblings or offspring, and at times even spouse or partner. Research on the experiences of families of mentally ill people has been minimal in the Indian context. This study aims to shift the focus from the mentally ill patients to the suffering of the caregivers and families of the patient keeping in mind the interconnected well being of the family in a collectivist culture. Following a qualitative approach, narratives have been taken from the family members of mentally ill (narratives of 8 families with mentally ill person) and also the mental health professionals (two) through semi structured interviews. The findings suggest that the family members suffer from a significant amount of stress accompanied by burden. Also, they feel secluded from the society and experience a lack of assistance to deal with the mentally ill member of the family.

Crosstalk between different family members: IL27 recapitulates IFNγ responses in HCC cells, but is inhibited by IL6-type cytokines

Interleukin-27 (IL27) is a type-I-cytokine of the IL6/IL12 family predominantly secreted by activated macrophages and dendritic cells. In the liver, IL27 expression was observed to be upregulated in patients with hepatitis B, and sera of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients contain significantly elevated levels of IL27 compared to healthy controls or patients with hepatitis and/or liver cirrhosis. In this study, we show that IL27 induces STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation in 5 HCC lines and 3 different types of non-transformed liver cells. We were especially interested in the relevance of the IL27-induced STAT3 activation in liver cells. Thus, we compared the IL27 responses with those induced by IFNγ (STAT1-dominated response) or IL6-type cytokines (IL6, hyper-IL6 (hy-IL6) or OSM) (STAT3-dominated response) by microarray analysis and find that in HCC cells, IL27 induces an IFNγ-like, STAT1-dependent transcriptional response, but we do not find an effective STAT3-dependent response. Validation experiments corroborate the finding from the microarray evaluation. Interestingly, the availability of STAT1 seems critical in the shaping of the IL27 response, as the siRNA knock-down of STAT1 revealed the ability of IL27 to induce the acute-phase protein γ-fibrinogen, a typical IL6 family characteristic. Moreover, we describe a crosstalk between the signaling of IL6-type cytokines and IL27: responses to the gp130-engaging cytokine IL27 (but not those to IFNs) can be inhibited by IL6-type cytokine pre-stimulation, likely by a SOCS3-mediated mechanism. Thus, IL27 recapitulates IFNγ responses in liver cells, but differs from IFNγ by its sensitivity to SOCS3 inhibition.

Dynamic Simulation of a Trigeneration Scheme for Domestic Purposes Based on Hybrid Techniques

In this paper, the design of a system providing electricity by coupling photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collectors and a wind turbine (WT), sanitary hot water (SHW) coming from the PVT and evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) and fresh water (FW) produced in two seawater desalting facilities (membrane distillation, MD, and reverse osmosis, RO), has been carefully analyzed by means of a dynamic model developed in TRNSYS®. This analysis is compulsory to operate a lab-scale pilot plant that is being erected at Zaragoza, Spain. A new model-type has been included in TRNSYS® in order to include the MD unit in the scheme. A sensitivity analysis of some free-design variables, such that the ETC surface, PVT and ETC tilt, water storage tank, batteries capacities, and mass flow rates delivered to the SHW service and/or feeding the MD unit has been performed in order to propose the definite design of the scheme. The proposed base case was able to produce up to 15,311 L per year in the MD system and cover an electric energy demand of 1890 kWh. Coverage of SHW, water (including RO and MD) and power is respectively 99.3%, 100% and 70%. However, daily and yearly assessment of FW, SHW and power produced with the optimized design gave a better coverage of water and energy demands for a typical single family home. The improved and definite design was able to increase its MD production in 35% and the electric energy in 7% compared with base case.

A computer tool for a minimax criterion in binary response and heteroscedastic simple linear regression models

Background and objectiveBinary response models are used in many real applications. For these models the Fisher information matrix (FIM) is proportional to the FIM of a weighted simple linear regression model. The same is also true when the weight function has a finite integral. Thus, optimal designs for one binary model are also optimal for the corresponding weighted linear regression model. The main objective of this paper is to provide a tool for the construction of MV-optimal designs, minimizing the maximum of the variances of the estimates, for a general design space. MethodsMV-optimality is a potentially difficult criterion because of its nondifferentiability at equal variance designs. A methodology for obtaining MV-optimal designs where the design space is a compact interval [a, b] will be given for several standard weight functions. ResultsThe methodology will allow us to build a user-friendly computer tool based on Mathematica to compute MV-optimal designs. Some illustrative examples will show a representation of MV-optimal designs in the Euclidean plane, taking a and b as the axes. The applet will be explained using two relevant models. In the first one the case of a weighted linear regression model is considered, where the weight function is directly chosen from a typical family. In the second example a binary response model is assumed, where the probability of the outcome is given by a typical probability distribution. ConclusionsPractitioners can use the provided applet to identify the solution and to know the exact support points and design weights.

Needs of Children Experiencing Homelessness who are Living in Shelters: A Qualitative Investigation of Perceptions of Care Workers to Inform Music Therapy Clinical Practice

On a single night in January in 2014 there were 194,000 children living with their families in shelters in the United States (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2015). A typical family experiencing homelessness consists of a single mother with two to three children. Children experiencing homelessness are more likely to face academic, social, and emotional problems compared to children in poverty. As there is currently a dearth of peer reviewed publications related to music therapy with children experiencing homelessness, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceived needs of children living in a homeless shelter through interviews with care workers and apply results to the music therapy clinical practice. Participants were seven staff members employed at a shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern part of the United States. Data analysis was based upon Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. Emerging themes included: (a) staff need to be positive role models and provide trusting and affectionate relationships, (b) older children require programming and opportunities for communication and emotional support, (c) wellbeing must be screened and monitored, and (d) routine and expectations are needed to promote a calm living environment. Implications for music therapy clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research concerning music therapy with children experiencing homelessness are provided.

Characterization of a Rolling-Circle Replication Plasmid pM411 from Lactobacillus plantarum 1–3

A cryptic plasmid pM411 isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum 1-3 consisted of a 2303-bp circular molecule with a G+C content 32.96%. Sequence analysis of pM411 revealed four putative open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 shared 99 and 94% similarities, respectively, with the Rep proteins of plasmids pLC2 and pYC2, which belong to the rolling-circle replication pMV158 family. A typical pMV158 family double-strand origin (dso) and a putative single-strand origin (sso) located upstream of the rep gene. Southern hybridization confirmed the presence of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) intermediates, suggesting that pM411 belongs to the RCR pMV158 family. Sequence homology analysis indicated that the sso belongs to the ssoW family. Furthermore, the relative copy number of pM411 was about 88 copies in each cell by real-time PCR.

Health Care Options Growing for Family Caregivers

Health Care Options Growing for Family Caregivers

Using standardized patient encounters to teach longitudinal continuity of care in a family medicine clerkship.

BackgroundDespite demonstrated benefits of continuity of care, longitudinal care experiences are difficult to provide to medical students. A series of standardized patient encounters was developed as an innovative curricular element to address this gap in training for medical students in a family medicine clerkship. The objective of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of the curriculum, evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum for increasing student confidence around continuity of care and chronic disease management, and explore student opinions of the value of the experience.MethodsThe encounters simulate continuity of care in typical family medicine practice over four standardized patient visits, providing students with experience in longitudinal relationships, ongoing management of chronic and acute conditions, lifestyle counseling, and the use of an electronic medical record. Perceptions of the curriculum were obtained using a pre-post survey asking students to self-rate experience and confidence in continuity relationships, chronic disease management, and lifestyle counseling. Students were also asked about the overall effectiveness of the encounters for simulating family practice and continuity of care. Open-ended comments were gathered through weekly reflection papers submitted by the students.ResultsOf 138 third-year medical students, 137 completed the pre-survey, 126 completed the post-survey, and 125 (91%) completed both the pre- and the post-survey. Evaluation results demonstrated that students highly valued the experience. Complete confidence data for 116 students demonstrated increased confidence pre-post (t(115) = 14.92, p < .001) in managing chronic disease and establishing relationships. Open-ended comments reflected how the experience fostered appreciation for the significance of patient-doctor relationships and continuity of care.ConclusionsThis curriculum offers a promising approach to providing students with continuity of care experience. The model addresses a general lack of training in continuity of care in medical schools and provides a standardized method for teaching chronic disease management and continuity relationships.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0733-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Farmer perceptions, policy and reforestation in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Extensive reforestation may be required to avert dramatic loss of biodiversity, system resilience and ecosystem services from Brazil's Atlantic Forest, and is legally required by Brazil's Forest Code. Restoration on farmland however threatens agricultural output and the livelihoods of small family farmers, leading to weak enforcement of the law and a national debate over the Code which resulted in revisions in 2012 that significantly reduced legally mandated restoration. To inform the design of effective environmental policies, we interviewed 60 typical dairy family farmers utilizing pasture-based agroecological grazing practices to assess their perceptions and knowledge of the pre-2012 Forest Code, its impacts and their willingness to comply. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) identified three distinct clusters: farmers who understood the forest code and its ecological impacts and were willing to comply; farmers who understood the ecological benefits of restoration, but were unwilling to comply; and those with little knowledge of benefits or interest in compliance. We evaluate three policy options for promoting restoration, paying particular attention to their impacts on farmer livelihoods and on their intrinsic willingness to restore and preserve forest cover. We conclude that payments for ecosystem services in the form of subsidies for agroecology practices are promising.

Contribution of waste products in single-layer ceramic building envelopes to overall energy savings

The contribution of waste materials to the overall energy savings in buildings with single-layer ceramic envelopes is twofold. They can not only enhance the thermal properties of the brick blocks but also reduce the total energy necessary for the brick production. In this paper the contribution of waste products to the energy performance is demonstrated for a typical brick family house in the climatic conditions of Prague, Czech Republic. The energy calculations are conducted using Energy Plus with pre-calculated parameters given by the PHPP model. Specific computational modules for the calculation of effective thermal conductivity of brick blocks are utilized as integral parts of the energy performance calculation tool. Five different types of external walls are analyzed. They are made of solid clay bricks, sawdust-lightweighted solid clay bricks and a new type of highly perforated ceramic block with improved geometry which was developed recently by a Czech brick producer in three versions, having the cavities filled with air, waste polyurethane and mineral wool. The obtained results show that perforating the bricks, together with lightening their body and applying thermal insulating cavity fillers, can reduce the specific heating demands of the analyzed building up to 79.4%.

Fate in Thunderstorm by Cao Yu and Hippolytus by Euripides

Theatre, as opposed to traditional Chinese drama, was introduced to China through the first Opium War, and the establishment of Chunliushe in Japan is regarded as the birth of the real Chinese play in 1907. Hereafter, many plays were written and performed in China and were accepted as new form plays. Thunderstorm (Leiyu) , Cao Yu’s first play, was published in 1934, and became the first masterpiece of modern Chinese theatre, symbolizing its becoming mature. As the playwright admitted, it was influenced by classical Greek Plays, as well as by Henrik Ibsen. This paper reflects upon the theme of fate in Thunderstorm by Cao Yu and Hippolytus by Euripides. Although Cao Yu interpreted that he was influenced by western plays consciously or unconsciously, Thunderstorm has its own Chinese roots. Similarities and differences in the themes of fate are compared by time or history; ethnic or family aspects; and the individual or feminine. The indescribable fate of the protagonists leads to the agony they suffer inside and also effects them outside because of typical social beliefs and family life; meanwhile, it helped to bring fame to the two tragedies.

The sequence, structural, and functional diversity within a protein family and implications for specificity and safety: The case for ETX_MTX2 insecticidal proteins

The need for sustainable insect pest control is driving the investigation and discovery of insecticidal proteins outside of the typical 3-domain Cry protein family from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Examples include Cry35 and Cry51 that belong to protein families (Toxin_10, ETX_MTX2) sharing a common β-pore forming structure and function with known mammalian toxins such as epsilon toxin (ETX). Although β-pore forming proteins are related to mammalian toxins, there are key differences in sequence and structure that lead to organism specificity that is useful in the weight-of-evidence approach for safety assessment. Despite low overall amino acid sequence identity among ETX_MTX2 proteins, sequence and structural similarities are found in the tail region responsible for the shared oligomerization and pore formation functions (causing the “relatedness”). Conversely, most of the sequence and structural diversity is located in the head region that is likely responsible for differential receptor binding and target species specificity (e.g., insecticidal vs. mammalian). Therefore, inclusion of a domain-based protein characterization approach that includes bioinformatic and functional comparisons of conserved and diverse domains will enhance the overall weight of evidence safety assessment of proteins including recently reported Cry51 protein variants (Cry51Aa1, Cry51Aa2, and Cry51Aa2.834_16).

Opera for the Domestic Apocalypse

“America's house of cards is crumbling,” sings one of the inhabitants of the homestead at the center of Dog Days, a new chamber opera featured at the 2016 Prototype Festival. “Well, you can only be on top for so long, I guess,” he shrugs. Set in the middle of a total war of unknown origins, Dog Days places a small cross-section of society under the microscope, and we watch as it dissolves before our eyes. A seemingly typical nuclear family, complete with mother, father, daughter, two sons, and a dog makes up the heart of the work. It is the kind of traditional middle-class family unit exemplary of what politicians refer to as the “real America,” save for the fact that the pet dog is actually a homeless man in a dog costume.

P-03-076 Female sexual desire and genital sexual arousal dysfunction after ovarian cancer therapy

A 30 year old woman came in for a consultation because of the absence of sexual desire and problematic arousal, lubrication, orgasm and pain after the ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment. Her sexuality declined and has not significantly improved after the therapy in time. She wanted to improve her sexual life before undergoing in vitro fertilisation. The bio-psycho-social approach was used to elicit the patient’s history. In 2006, at the age of 23, she underwent bilateral adnexectomy due to ovarian cancer. The surgery was followed by a chemotherapy treatment. She did not have birth prior to adnexectomy therefore her eggs were removed and frozen. Due to surgical menopause symptoms after the operation she is being treated by the hormonal menopause treatment Cycolo-Progynova (norgestrel and estrogen). She is scheduled for the IVF and ET. She comes from a typical patriarchal family where sex was considered taboo. She felt embarrassed about sex and when there was kissing on TV, she looked away in shame. She has a negative self-image and low self-esteem. She had her first sexual intercourse at the age of 21 and it does not incite bad memories. She did not have any sexual problems before the treatment of ovarian cancer. She masturbated before the adnexectomy, but she has not felt any need for it since. In the past she gained weight. She focuses all her energy on her hobbies: gardening, jewellery making and running. She has a good relationship with her current partner. Their main sexual script is coitus.

Performance and Usability of Tablet Computers by Family Caregivers in the United States and China

Mobile-based health information software offers the potential to support family caregivers who live at home or have difficulty accessing health care centers. The current study examined factors predicting perceived usability and performance of computer tablets among typical family caregivers caring for older adults in their homes in the United States and China. A multi-part study was conducted with 100 caregivers age 55 and older, comprising a short written survey, practice-based observation, and follow-up survey combining standard usability items and open-ended questions. Results show the target population from both regions would be willing and able to adopt new tablet-based software, but participants' attitudes about the complexity of tablets and software present a potential barrier. This finding was true especially among caregivers from China, who expressed more concerns (yet performed equally well) possibly because they had less prior experience with the technology. Results suggest information and training be provided to address caregiver concerns before the introduction of new tablet-based software interventions. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2016; 9(4):183–192.]

Experimental study of the solar photovoltaic contribution for the domestic hot water production with heat pumps in dwellings

The present paper describes experimental work, carried out during an entire year on a heat pump used for domestic hot water (DHW) production, which is powered from photovoltaic panels and the grid simultaneously. The system was designed and controlled to give priority to the renewable source to reach the maximum solar contribution.The aim of the study was to analyze the real possibilities of using photovoltaic energy to produce DHW with heat pumps in dwellings. The system developed (heat pump + PV) works without batteries and therefore the energy storage is carried out by the hot water accumulated in the tank.The design of the system was carried out in order to optimize the solar contribution. Some key aspects of the design are: the heat pumps' power, the water storage volume, the control strategy and a device to derive the excess of PV electricity to a secondary heater.The system was tested for typical DHW production of a typical family of 4 residence: 130 liters at 55°C, about 6.2 kWh a day. Tests were carried out in the university laboratory located in Alicante (Spain). The results during a year of study demonstrates that the annual average efficiency of the heat pump (SPFHP) could be close to 3.5 and the annual average efficiency of the whole system would be near 9, while the solar contribution would be higher than 60%.

Indigenous families: who do you call family?

ABSTRACTAlthough commonly perceived as a typical family type in western society, the nuclear family structure may not resonate with other cultures, including Indigenous populations. This study explored the conceptualization of Indigenous families in Canada. 15 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the perception of Indigenous family may be framed through a personal or institutional perspective. At the personal level, the perception of an Indigenous family was influenced by culture, specifically social ties, language, childrearing practices, and residential location. At the institutional level, the perception of an Indigenous family was defined through demographic or legal terms, and influenced by temporal change, though generally through a non-Indigenous lens. These findings suggest that current (standard) western definitions of the family may not accurately represent Indigenous families; cultural influences need to be taken into consideration. However, institutional definitions of family may serve specific purposes.

TCTP contains a BH3-like domain, which instead of inhibiting, activates Bcl-xL.

Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) is anti-apoptotic, key in development and cancer, however without the typical Bcl2 family members’ structure. Here we report that TCTP contains a BH3-like domain and forms heterocomplexes with Bcl-xL. The crystal structure of a Bcl-xL deletion variant-TCTP11–31 complex reveals that TCTP refolds in a helical conformation upon binding the BH3-groove of Bcl-xL, although lacking the h1-subregion interaction. Experiments using in vitro-vivo reconstituted systems and TCTP+/− mice indicate that TCTP activates the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-xL, in contrast to all other BH3-proteins. Replacing the non-conserved h1 of TCTP by that of Bax drastically increases the affinity of this hybrid for Bcl-xL, modifying its biological properties. This work reveals a novel class of BH3-proteins potentiating the anti-apoptotic function of Bcl-xL.

Cloning and expression analysis of the Hsp70 gene ZmERD2 in Zea mays

ABSTRACTIn this study, an Hsp70 gene was isolated from maize and was designated as ZmERD2 (Early Responsive to Dehydration 2). The full cDNA sequence of ZmERD2 was 2375 bp. It includes a 1949 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 649 amino acids. The calculated molecular mass was 71.163 kDa. The protein encoded by ZmERD2 contains an Hsp70 conservative structure domain, three typical Hsp70 family signature sequences and a cytosolic Hsp70-specific motif, which belongs to the Hsp70 family. Phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that ZmEDR2 shares high similarity (92%–95%) with Hsp70 of other plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana (NP 195870), Triticum urartu (EMS52605), Aegilops tauschii (EMT07406) and Nicotiana tabacum (AAR17080), and was clustered together with T. urartu and A. tauschii. The promoter of ZmERD2, which was located at about 2.2 kb upstream of ZmERD2, was cloned and was predicted to contain important regulatory elements, including TATA-box, CAAT-box and drought-, heat-, cold-, salicylic acid- and methyl jasmonate-responsive elements. Analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, the expression of ZmERD2 in maize was induced by heat, high-salt, cold, polyethylene glycol, heat stress and dehydration treatments, but not by abscisic acid. The expression of ZmEDR2 was quickly induced at 42 °C and reached its peak after 1 h of heat stress, with an expression of 40-fold above the control level. These results suggested that ZmERD2 might be a stress-related gene in maize.