Monte Carlo calculations of iceberg draft changes caused by roll

Draft changes in iceberg roll have been investigated using a Monte Carlo technique for generating iceberg shapes of constant, polygonal cross section. Stability is assessed from the potential energy curves calculated assuming vertical but not rotational hydrostatic equilibrium. No modelling of the roll dynamics has been included. The draft changes are approximately normally distributed, with increases almost as probable as decreases. Extreme draft changes (defined to be those in excess of 20%) are not uncommon. The mean draft change, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis depend on the number of sides in the berg model, and on the ratio of berg ice density to seawater density. In particular the fraction of extreme draft changes is a sensitive function of this ratio.     

Mobile technology dominates school children’s IT use in an advantaged school community and is associated with musculoskeletal and visual symptoms

This paper describes the contemporary use of information technology devices by children in a socio-educationally advantaged school. A sample of 924 children (50% girls) from grades 5 to 12 (ages 10–19 years) completed an online survey in class. Total daily technology use was high and similar for girls (mean 219 (SD 148) mins/day) and boys (207 (142), p=.186). Tablet computer was the dominant device used in grades 5–9, with laptop computer the dominant device in grades 10–12. Patterns of exposure were influenced by gender, device, grade and purpose of use interactions. For example, girls used mobile phones more than boys for social purposes for grades 10 and 11, but not grade 12. Whilst children’s attitudes to technology use were positive, musculoskeletal and visual symptoms were commonly reported. Hours/day tablet and phone use was related to neck/shoulder discomfort (OR = 1.07; 1.13) and visual symptoms (OR = 1.10; 1.07).

Practitioner Summary: Technology use by children appears to be quite different now to a decade ago. This paper describes contemporary school children’s use of various devices for various purposes. The survey of >900 children found high technology use, dominated by new mobile technologies, and associations with musculoskeletal and visual symptoms.     

Health-related quality of life in bereaved HIV-positive adults: Relationships between HIV symptoms, grief, social support, and Axis II indication.

Objective: This study evaluated a model of the impact of borderline and antisocial personality disorder indications on HIV symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in AIDS-bereaved adults, accounting for grief severity, social support, and years since HIV diagnosis. Design: Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model in a sample of 268 HIV-seropositive adults enrolled in an intervention for coping with AIDS-related bereavement. Main Outcome Measures: Functional assessment of HIV infection, HIV symptoms. Results: The proposed model demonstrated excellent fit with study data and all hypothesized paths were supported. Personality disorder indication was directly related to HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirectly related through both social support and grief severity. Social support was negatively related to HIV symptoms and positively related to HRQoL, while grief severity was positively related to HIV symptoms and negatively related to HRQoL. Finally, HIV symptoms had a direct negative relationship with HRQoL. Conclusion: Personality disorders have a direct negative effect on HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirect effects through grief severity and social support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Potential for autumn aeration of stored rough rice and the potential number of generations of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky in milled rice in Japan

Historical weather data from 84 sites in Japan were used to estimate the number of hours 15°C from 1 September to 31 October, based on the individual years from 1994 to1999, to evaluate the potential for using aeration at a threshold level of 15°C to cool rough rice stored during autumn. The number of hours 15°C in September and October ranged from 68±21 in Kyushu to 1067±27 h in northern Hokkaido. At an airflow rate of 0.0013 m³/s/m³, the time required to cool a storage silo containing rough rice to 15°C ranged from 85 days in southern Japan to 5 days in northern Japan. Weather data for the same sites were also used to estimate the number of hours below 15°C from 1 May to 30 September, to evaluate the potential of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, the maize weevil, to infest bagged milled rice at ambient or uncontrolled temperatures. The number of hours 15°C from 1 May to 30 September ranged from 33±15 h in Kyushu to 2392±130 h on the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. As temperature decreased, there was a predicted increase in the number of days required to complete a generation, and as relative humidity increased, a predicted increase in the number of generations that could be produced. These simulation studies show how historical weather data can be used to develop risk management models for storage of bulk rough rice and bagged milled rice in Japan. Aeration during autumn could be used to cool large-bulk storage silos containing rough rice, while the simulations for development of Sitophilus zeamais populations on bagged milled rice emphasize the importance of insect management strategies for value-added products.     

Oral analgesics: aspirin and paracetamol

The effect of polyamine on the total content of free amino acids and the structure of the amino acid fund in blood plasma and hepatic tissue was studied in rats with chronic alcoholic intoxication. Rapid utilization of exogenic introduced amino acids and a normalizing effect of the drug on the structure of the amino acid fund were demonstrated. The high concentration of aromatic amino acids in the drug may be among the causes of the increased content of this fraction of amino acids in the tissues studied after administration of the drug.     

Haptic Device Control – Will it Fit Standardized Input Models?

Over recent years a wide variety of interaction devices involving haptic feedback have been brought to the market, but they vary widely in terms of input measures recorded. These range from one dimensional input on a haptic feedback steering wheel to a six degree of freedom position and orientation device and further, to assemblies of such devices. On the surface most of the variations can be accommodated logically with standardized input models combining existing logical input devices and haptic feedback processes as acknowledgement/echos. However it is very uncertain whether such a model can adequately model the system requirements for effective haptic feedback. In this paper we review the input models that have developed over the past 20 years and ask “Is it the end of the road for the conceptual model of input incorporated into the early graphics standards and elaborated over the years?” In addition, to highlight the problems of implementation with haptic interaction, we describe a typical application, the simulation of a collision with a virtual wall.     

A comparison of trauma-focused and present-focused group therapy for survivors of childhood sexual abuse: A randomized controlled trial.

This randomized controlled trial compared trauma-focused group psychotherapy (TFGT) with present-focused group psychotherapy (PFGT) and a waitlist condition for 166 survivors of childhood sexual abuse who were at risk for HIV infection. Primary outcomes included risk for HIV infection (based on sexual revictimization, drug and alcohol use, and risky sex) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. It was hypothesized that TFGT would be superior to the PFGT and waitlist conditions and that receiving either treatment (combining both TFGT and PFGT) would be superior to no treatment (waitlist condition). Intention-to-treat analyses for HIV risk found that all conditions reduced risk; however, there was no effect for condition on HIV risk. Intention-to-treat analyses for PTSD symptoms found a reduction for all conditions. There was no advantage for either TFGT or PFGT in reducing PTSD symptoms; however, there was an effect for treatment compared with the waitlist condition. On secondary outcomes, there was a greater reduction in anger for TFGT compared with PFGT, and when comparing treatment with the waitlist condition, there was a greater reduction in hyperarousal, reexperiencing, anger, and impaired self-reference for the treatment condition. Adequate dose analyses generally confirmed the intention-to-treat findings and additionally found that treatment led to reductions in depression, dissociation, and sexual concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conferencing on the Internet

This paper discusses three key requirements for conferencing applications — user on conference location, latency, and scalability. It then looks at the IETF and ITU approaches to meeting these requirements. Finally a protocol called SUCCESS, which attempts to combine the benefits of both approaches, is outlined.     

Spatial variation in hepatic levels and patterns of PCBs and PCDD/Fs among young-of-the-year and adult Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) in the Hudson River estuary

Full congener-specific polychorinated biphenyl (PCB) and partial-congener-specific polychorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furan (PCDD/F) analyses were performed on livers from young-of-the-year (YOY) and adult Atlantic tomcod from the Hudson River estuary including multiple sites along the main-stem Hudson River and Newark Bay/Hackensack River, NJ, and from a reference river, the Miramichi River, NB. Highest hepatic burdens of PCBs were found in fish collected in the main-stem Hudson River between river miles (RM) 37 and 50 and in Newark Bay/Hackensack River. By far, the highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs were seen in fish from Newark Bay/Hackensack River. The di- to tetrachlorinated biphenyls dominated the PCB composition in YOY tomcod, whereas the penta- to nonachlorinated biphenyls predominated in adults with particular prevalence of the 2,4,5-substituted diortho congeners. Overall, using a direct mixing model an aroclor composition of approximate 1:1:1, A1242:A1254:A1260, was calculated from the hepatic PCB profiles in YOY tomcod. A linear increase in A1242 characteristics with river mile was seen in YOY collected between RM 0 and RM 80, which was likely due to the well-characterized A1242 source from the former capacitor manufacturing plants located upriver. However, tomcod caught upstream of RM 80 exhibited a PCB pattern with decreasing A1242 characteristics, and it was hypothesized that this was due to the increased depuration or decreased uptake of low chlorinated (log K(OW) < 6) congeners upon entry of the fish into freshwater from brackish water. The most abundant tetra-octa PCDD/F chlorohomologue in tomcod collected from the main stem of the Hudson River was TCDF, whereas 2,3,7,8-TCDD was the major congener detected in tomcod from Newark Bay/Hackensack River, which showed elevated total PCDD/F levels compared to tomcod from the main-stem Hudson River.     

Biophysical compensation mechanisms buffering E. coli protein-nucleic acid interactions against changing environments

All diseases related to chronic or intermittent hypoxaemia can be efficaciously treated with the conventional oxygen therapy. The effectiveness of alternative oxygen therapies (oxygen multistep therapy, intravenous oxygen insufflation, haematogen oxidation therapy and ultraviolet blood radiation) has not been proved for any of the alleged numerous indications. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be tried, in single cases, outside of its internationally recognized indications, for the treatment of acute hypoxy of the inner ear.