Determination of machinable volume for finish cuts in CAPP

Identification of machinable volume for finish cut is a complex task as it involves the details not only of the final product but also the intermediate part obtained from rough machining of the blank. A feature recognition technique that adopts a rule-based methodology is required for calculating this small, complex shaped finish cut volume. This paper presents the feature recognition module in a CAPP system that calculates the intermediate finish cut volume by adopting a rule based syntactic pattern recognition approach. In this module, the interfacer uses STEP AP203/214, a CAD neutral format, to trace the coordinate point information and to calculate the machinable volume. Two illustrative examples are given to explain the proposed syntactic pattern approach for prismatic parts

Measuring the effect of opportunity cost of time on participation in sports and exercise

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: There is limited research on the association between opportunity cost of time and sports and exercise due to lack of data on opportunity cost of time. Using a sample of 14142 adults from Health Survey for England (2006), we develop and test a composite index of op-portunity cost of time (to address the current issues with data constraint on opportunity cost of time) in order to explore the relationship between opportunity cost of time and sports participation. Methods: Probit regression models are fitted adjusting for a range of covariates. Opportunity cost of time is measured with two proxy measures: a) composite index (consisting of various indicators of wage earnings) con-structed using principal component analysis; and b) education and employment, approach in the literature. We estimate the relative impact of the composite index compared with current proxy measures, on prediction of sports participation. Findings: Findings suggest that higher opportunity cost of time is associated with increased likelihood of sports participation, regardless of the time intensity of activity or the measure of opportunity cost of time used. The relative impacts of the two proxy measures are comparable. Sports and exercise was found to be positively correlated with income. Another important positive correlate of sports and exercise is participation in voluntary activity. The research and policy implications of our findings are discussed

Multimodel combination techniques for analysis of hydrological simulations: Application to distributed model intercomparison project results

This paper examines several multimodel combination techniques that are used for streamflow forecasting: the simple model average (SMA), the multimodel superensemble (MMSE), modified multimodel superensemble (M3SE), and the weighted average method (WAM). These model combination techniques were evaluated using the results from the Distributed Model Intercomparison Project (DMIP), an international project sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD). All of the multimodel combination results were obtained using uncalibrated DMIP model simulations and were compared against the best-uncalibrated as well as the best-calibrated individual model results. The purpose of this study is to understand how different combination techniques affect the accuracy levels of the multimodel simulations. This study revealed that the multimodel simulations obtained from uncalibrated single-model simulations are generally better than any single-member model simulations, even the best-calibrated single-model simulations. Furthermore, more sophisticated multimodel combination techniques that incorporated bias correction step work better than simple multimodel average simulations or multimodel simulations without bias correction. © 2006 American Meteorological Society

Physical activity in England: Who is meeting the recommended level of participation through sports and exercise?

This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright © 2012 Anokye et al.Background: Little is known about the correlates of meeting recommended levels of participation in physical activity (PA) and how this understanding informs public health policies on behaviour change. Objective: To analyse who meets the recommended level of participation in PA in males and females separately by applying ‘process’ modelling frameworks (single vs. sequential 2-step process). Methods: Using the Health Survey for England 2006, (n = 14 142; ≥16 years), gender-specific regression models were estimated using bivariate probit with selectivity correction and single probit models. A ‘sequential, 2-step process’ modelled participation and meeting the recommended level separately, whereas the ‘single process’ considered both participation and level together. Results: In females, meeting the recommended level was associated with degree holders [Marginal effect (ME) = 0.013] and age (ME = −0.001), whereas in males, age was a significant correlate (ME = −0.003 to −0.004). The order of importance of correlates was similar across genders, with ethnicity being the most important correlate in both males (ME = −0.060) and females (ME = −0.133). In females, the ‘sequential, 2-step process’ performed better (ρ = −0.364, P < 0.001) than that in males (ρ = 0.154). Conclusion: The degree to which people undertake the recommended level of PA through vigorous activity varies between males and females, and the process that best predicts such decisions, i.e. whether it is a sequential, 2-step process or a single-step choice, is also different for males and females. Understanding this should help to identify subgroups that are less likely to meet the recommended level of PA (and hence more likely to benefit from any PA promotion intervention).This study was funded by the Department of Health’s Policy Research Programme

Behaviour Change in Public Health: Evidence and Implications

Article ID 598672The evidence on the role of particular lifestyles, smoking, binge drinking, lack of physical activity, and poor health care seeking, in increased risks for mortality and morbidity is compelling [1]. Understanding the pathways through which these various “unhealthy” behaviours affect health is complicated by the broader ecological context in which they occur. The complexity is further enhanced because behaviours do not occur in isolation and there is often a convergence of associations. Interventions to achieve changes in either single or multiple behaviours have therefore often been limited in their effectiveness and longer term sustainability. In order to develop and implement a meaningful behaviour change agenda we need to establish innovative ways of operationalizing and understanding the complexity of behavioural factors and their dynamic interrelationships and how these collectively affect health. The Behaviour Change Research Cycle (BCRC) (Figure 1) provides a simple illustration of the life cycle of evidence required

The trajectory to diagnosis with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a qualitative study

Objectives To investigate the patient's experience of the trajectory to receiving a diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inform the provision of care for this patient group. Design Qualitative study using in-depth one-to-one interviews and pictorial representations. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting Participants were interviewed in their own homes across England. Participants 30 patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (18 participants were women, mean age 56 and range 26-80 02years and time since diagnosis ranged from a few months to more than 12 02years) participated. Results All participants, regardless of the time since diagnosis, vividly described the process from manifestation of symptoms to receiving a confirmed diagnosis. The authors present data using three major themes: (i) making sense of symptoms, (ii) process of elimination and (iii) being diagnosed with PAH. Making sense of symptoms represented an early period of perseverance 14people tried to carry-on as usual despite 18unexplained breathlessness 19. As time progressed, this period was punctuated by critical events that triggered seeking medical advice. Once medical contact had been made, patients described a period of 18elimination 19 and convoluted contact with the medical profession. Dyspnoea misdiagnosis was a key factor that delayed the PAH diagnosis. Diagnosis disclosure by some medical professionals was also viewed as lacking empathy. More positive experiences were relayed when the medical team disclosing the diagnosis acknowledged previous limitations. Conclusions A lack of awareness of this illness from both the sufferer themselves and the medical profession emerged as a central theme and led to prolonged periods of being misdiagnosed. The application of a diagnostic pathway for unexplained dyspnoea that alerts practitioners to rare conditions could expedite the process of correct diagnosis

Nutritional Status of Households of Rural Field Practice Area of a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Introduction: In the world as a whole there appears to be a shift from under-nourishment towards over-nourishment making more and more children, adolescents, adults and even elderly to be overweight and obese. Objectives: Study aimed to find out the age and sex wise commonness of over-weight & obesity amongst the families of an overtly different socio-economic environment and its trend in the members of one type of families. Materials & Methods: The undergraduate medical students are supposed to maintain record of individual health (including height & weight) of their own family as well as that of the allotted family. The data collected (record maintained ) by students was utilized to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: Out of total 291 subjects (males 168; females 123) in students own family 28.9% (28.0%; 30.1%) were overweight and 5.9% (6.0%; 5.7%) were obese. The similar figures for 262 subjects (males 143 & females 119) in the allotted families were 20.2% (18.5%; 20.2%) and 6.5% (4.2%; 8.4%) respectively. The respective percentages of under nourished individuals were 18.6 (17.9; 19.5) and 35.5 (37.8; 32.8). Thus over-nutrition was more common amongst the members of students own families (34.8% vs. 26.7%) and under-nutrition was more common amongst the members of allotted families (35.5% vs. 18.6%) For the years 2000-2003, BMI amongst individuals of students own families the under-nutrition in the age group of 15-24 years amongst males increased from 15.9% to 32.9% and over-nutrition from 13.6% to 20.5%. There was no case of overweight and obesity up to the age of 34 years in the previous analysis which was 2.6% in the present analysis Previous results demonstrated overweight to be more common in males (32.4% Vs. 24.4% in females) and obesity being more common females ( 6.3% Vs. 2.6% in females). Conclusion: Males are increasingly becoming prey of malnutrition (adolescents for under-nutrition and adults & elderly for over-nutrition. More studies covering larger samples are required to be conducted on a more frequent basis

A case of porphyria cutanea tarda in the setting of hepatitis C infection and tobacco usage

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is the most common type of porphyria, presenting in middle-aged patients with a photodistributed vesiculobullous eruption, milia, and scars. Porphyria cutanea tarda occurs in relation to inhibition of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, a key enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway. A number of genetic and acquired factors increase susceptibility to PCT by reducing uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity. A handful of other vesiculobullous conditions may mimic PCT both clinically and histologically; therefore, both skin biopsy and laboratory evaluation are helpful in confirming the diagnosis. We report a case of PCT in the setting of cigarette usage and untreated hepatitis C infection