Application of thermography in experimental studies of plasma jets

The paper presents the experimental studies of the optical properties for the plasma jet in the mid-IR range

Simulation of impact assessment of crown forest fires on boundary layer of atmosphere using software PHOENICS

Mathematical model of heat and mass transfer of crown forest fire is used in this paper, which is developed on the base of experimental research data and laws and methods of mechanics of reacting media. The numerical calculation carried out using software PHOENICS for non stationary three dimensional case. K-ε model of turbulence is taken into account. It is studied the influence of temperature and wind velocity in boundary layer of atmosphere on the turbulent kinematic viscosity coefficient value and distribution of temperature above the crown forest fire front

Justification of choice of the spectral range for the study of combustion processes with the use of thermography in the middle IR range

The paper presents the emission spectra of flame formed during combustion of different fuels and gives the grounds for application of various narrow spectral ranges in the mid-infrared region to record the temperature fields in flame and flame screened objects

The effect of pressure pulsation on diffusion combustion

The paper presents the results of a study of diffusion combustion of gasoline in the presence of external pressure pulsations with small amplitude. It is found that external pressure pulsations lead to characteristic changes in the temperature field, which are expressed by an increase in the amplitude of the temperature pulsation for certain modes of pressure pulsations. Analysis of the spectra of temperature changes in the entire recorded area showed an unevendistribution of frequency maxima

Early parenting intervention: Family risk and first-time parenting related to intervention effectiveness

The effects of cumulative risk and parity on the effectiveness of a home based parenting intervention were tested in a randomized controlled trial with 237 families with 1- to 3-year-old children screened for high levels of externalizing behavior. The intervention was aimed at enhancing positive parenting and decreasing externalizing behaviors. The results showed that cumulative risk was not associated with either change in child externalizing behaviors or change in positive parenting. When intervention effectiveness was compared for primiparas (i.e., first-time mothers) versus multiparas (i.e., mothers with more than one child), we found that intervention mothers of first-born children displayed an increase in their use of positive discipline strategies as compared to first-time mothers in the control group, whereas a similar effect for multiparas was absent. Among multiparas we found an intervention effect on sensitivity, with control group mothers showing an increase in sensitivity, whereas the intervention group showed a constant level of sensitivity over time. These results suggest that parity may be a moderator of intervention effectiveness. Implications for investigating moderators of intervention effectiveness are discussed. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Effectiveness of an implementation optimisation intervention aimed at increasing parent engagement in HENRY, a childhood obesity prevention programme - the Optimising Family Engagement in HENRY (OFTEN) trial: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Family-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity depend upon parents’ taking action to improve diet and other lifestyle behaviours in their families. Programmes that attract and retain high numbers of parents provide an enhanced opportunity to improve public health and are also likely to be more cost-effective than those that do not. We have developed a theory-informed optimisation intervention to promote parent engagement within an existing childhood obesity prevention group programme, HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young). Here, we describe a proposal to evaluate the effectiveness of this optimisation intervention in regard to the engagement of parents and cost-effectiveness. Methods/design: The Optimising Family Engagement in HENRY (OFTEN) trial is a cluster randomised controlled trial being conducted across 24 local authorities (approximately 144 children’s centres) which currently deliver HENRY programmes. The primary outcome will be parental enrolment and attendance at the HENRY programme, assessed using routinely collected process data. Cost-effectiveness will be presented in terms of primary outcomes using acceptability curves and through eliciting the willingness to pay for the optimisation from HENRY commissioners. Secondary outcomes include the longitudinal impact of the optimisation, parent-reported infant intake of fruits and vegetables (as a proxy to compliance) and other parent-reported family habits and lifestyle. Discussion: This innovative trial will provide evidence on the implementation of a theory-informed optimisation intervention to promote parent engagement in HENRY, a community-based childhood obesity prevention programme. The findings will be generalisable to other interventions delivered to parents in other community-based environments. This research meets the expressed needs of commissioners, children’s centres and parents to optimise the potential impact that HENRY has on obesity prevention. A subsequent cluster randomised controlled pilot trial is planned to determine the practicality of undertaking a definitive trial to robustly evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the optimised intervention on childhood obesity prevention

Effect of wood structure geometry during firebrand generation in laboratory scale and semi-field experiments

As the set of experiments result, statistically substantiated data were obtained on the laws of ignition of a model angular structure under conditions of a point source of heat exposure. The use of IR diagnostics made it possible to control the thermal picture in the experimental area, as well as to capture areas of the highest and lowest heating. In the Large Aerosol Chamber of IAO SB RAS, preliminary experiments were carried out on a “firebrand shower” model exposure, which is naturally occurring firebrands (flaming or glowing embers) with some types of construction materials (chipboards). The exposure of the samples to firebrands stream was provided using a firebrand generator of own original design. It was experimentally confirmed that particle size plays a significant role in the ignition of a building structure. If the characteristic particle size, which can be defined as the ratio of its volume to the surface area in contact with the wood, is less than a certain characteristic value, then the ignition mode with a sharp temperature maximum near the phase interface is not fulfilled. This can be explained by the prevailing heat removal into the external environment in comparison with the amount of heat coming from a heat gun and resulting from chemical reactions

Characterizing Community-Based Mental Health Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Disruptive Behavior Problems

This study describes the characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with disruptive behavior problems served in community-based mental health clinics, characterizes psychotherapy process and outcome, and examines differences between children with ASD and a non-ASD comparison group. Results indicate that children with ASD served in this setting are high functioning and diagnostically complex. Certain research-based behavioral and cognitive behavioral psychotherapeutic strategies were observed frequently, while parent training strategies and active teaching strategies were observed less frequently. The intensity or thoroughness with which strategies were pursued was relatively low. Outcome analyses indicate improvement in child symptoms and family functioning. Treatment delivery and outcome were similar for children with and without ASD. These findings represent the first detailed observational data characterizing community-based mental health services for children with ASD

Allele-Specific Deletions in Mouse Tumors Identify Fbxw7 as Germline Modifier of Tumor Susceptibility

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in finding associations between specific genetic variants and cancer susceptibility in human populations. These studies have identified a range of highly statistically significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to development of a range of human tumors. However, the effect of each SNP in isolation is very small, and all of the SNPs combined only account for a relatively minor proportion of the total genetic risk (5–10%). There is therefore a major requirement for alternative routes to the discovery of genetic risk factors for cancer. We have previously shown using mouse models that chromosomal regions harboring susceptibility genes identified by linkage analysis frequently exhibit allele-specific genetic alterations in tumors. We demonstrate here that the Fbxw7 gene, a commonly mutated gene in a wide range of mouse and human cancers, shows allele-specific deletions in mouse lymphomas and skin tumors. Lymphomas from three different F1 hybrids show 100% allele-specificity in the patterns of allelic loss. Parental alleles from 129/Sv or Spretus/Gla mice are lost in tumors from F1 hybrids with C57BL/6 animals, due to the presence of a specific non-synonymous coding sequence polymorphism at the N-terminal portion of the gene. A specific genetic test of association between this SNP and lymphoma susceptibility in interspecific backcross mice showed a significant linkage (p = 0.001), but only in animals with a functional p53 gene. These data therefore identify Fbxw7 as a p53-dependent tumor susceptibility gene. Increased p53-dependent tumor susceptibility and allele-specific losses were also seen in a mouse skin model of skin tumor development. We propose that analysis of preferential allelic imbalances in tumors may provide an efficient means of uncovering genetic variants that affect mouse and human tumor susceptibility