Journal articles on the topic 'Generalised n-body problem'

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the national prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as some associated lifestyle behaviours, for the first time in Iran.Design and SettingsThis population-based study was performed in early 2005 as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach to non-communicable diseases’ risk factor surveillance. Dietary and physical activity habits were assessed by WHO questionnaires.SubjectsThe study population comprised 89 532 subjects aged over 15 years living in the 28 provinces of Iran.ResultsOverall, 50.4% (n= 45 113) of the participants were male and 64.6% (n= 57 866) were from the urban areas. The national estimates of overweight, obesity and morbid obesity were 28.6%, 10.8% and 3.4%, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg m−2in men, women, urban residents and rural residents were found in 37%, 48%, 46.7% and 35.5%, respectively. Abdominal obesity was present in 43.4% of women, 9.7% of men, 28.5% of the urban residents and 23% of the rural residents. Overweight as well as generalised and abdominal obesity were more prevalent in the 45–64-year age group. Although there was no significant difference in frequency of consumption of the food groups in subjects with different BMI categories, various kinds of physical activities showed a steady decline with increasing BMI.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study provide alarming evidence for health professionals and policy makers about the very high prevalence of generalised and abdominal obesity in Iran. The unhealthy lifestyle habits, notably sedentary lifestyles in our community, are the major contributing factors for this emerging public health problem.

Introduction: Construction workers are at a risk of a number of health-related problems, and are exposed to a plethora of occupational hazards. Due to dearth of studies on construction workers about various determinants playing key role on their health. Objectives: 1) To determine the socio-demographic status of construction workers. 2) To assess workplace hazard exposure among study subjects. 3) To evaluate the overall health of the study subjects. Method: An opportunity was created in a general health camp organised by Department of Community Medicine, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi in collaboration with Central Public Work Department (C.P.W.D) Officers’ Wives Association. All the construction workers attending the health camp were approached and only those who consented were included in the study. An interviewer administered questionnaire was filled for all the study subjects. Along with the questionnaire, detailed clinical examination was done, blood pressure and random blood sugar was measured. Simple tables and cross tables were made to present the data. Result: Total 129 construction workers were included in the study. Nearly 87% of the workers were employed on temporary or contract basis. 63.6% (n=82) spent 8 to 12 hours per day at work. Around half of the construction workers earned Rs. 10,000 per month or less. Thermal stress affected the maximum number of workers (54.3%), followed by dust (53.5%), followed by noise (38%). Around 10% (13) of the workers complained of having some health problem. Various complaints were generalised body ache, headache, weakness, fever, cough, cold, blood in sputum, decreased appetite and blood in stools. Conclusion: Construction workers are suffering from adverse health problems. There is the importance of regulating work hours of construction workers, periodic training on safe work culture and ways to reduce workplace injuries.

We consider the classical three-body system with [Formula: see text] degrees of freedom [Formula: see text] at zero total angular momentum. The study is restricted to potentials [Formula: see text] that depend solely on relative (mutual) distances [Formula: see text] between bodies. Following the proposal by J. L. Lagrange, in the center-of-mass frame we introduce the relative distances (complemented by angles) as generalized coordinates and show that the kinetic energy does not depend on [Formula: see text], confirming results by Murnaghan (1936) at [Formula: see text] and van Kampen–Wintner (1937) at [Formula: see text], where it corresponds to a 3D solid body. Realizing [Formula: see text]-symmetry [Formula: see text], we introduce new variables [Formula: see text], which allows us to make the tensor of inertia nonsingular for binary collisions. In these variables the kinetic energy is a polynomial function in the [Formula: see text]-phase space. The three-body positions form a triangle (of interaction) and the kinetic energy is [Formula: see text]-permutationally invariant with respect to interchange of body positions and masses (as well as with respect to interchange of edges of the triangle and masses). For equal masses, we use lowest order symmetric polynomial invariants of [Formula: see text] to define new generalized coordinates, they are called the geometrical variables. Two of them of the lowest order (sum of squares of sides of triangle and square of the area) are called volume variables. It is shown that for potentials which depend on geometrical variables only (i) and those which depend on mass-dependent volume variables alone (ii), the Hamilton’s equations of motion can be considered as being relatively simple. We study three examples in some detail: (I) three-body Newton gravity in [Formula: see text], (II) three-body choreography in [Formula: see text] on the algebraic lemniscate by Fujiwara et al., where the problem becomes one-dimensional in the geometrical variables and (III) the (an)harmonic oscillator.

An improvement of the Stokesian Dynamics method for many-particle systems is presented. A direct calculation of the hydrodynamic interaction is used rather than imposing periodic boundary conditions. The two major difficulties concern the accuracy and the speed of calculations. The accuracy discussed in this work is not concerned with the lubrication correction but, rather, focuses on the multipole expansion which until now has only been formulated up to the so-called FTS version or the first order of force moments. This is improved systematically by a real-space multipole expansion with force moments and velocity moments evaluated at the centre of the particles, where the velocity moments are calculated through the velocity derivatives; the introduction of the velocity derivatives makes the formulation and its extensions straightforward. The reduction of the moments into irreducible form is achieved by the Cartesian irreducible tensor. The reduction is essential to form a well-defined linear set of equations as a generalized mobility problem. The order of truncation is not limited in principle, and explicit calculations of two-body problems are shown with order up to 7. The calculating speed is improved by a conjugate-gradient-type iterative method which consists of a dot-product between the generalized mobility matrix and the force moments as a trial value in each iteration. This provides an O(N2) scheme where N is the number of particles in the system. Further improvement is achieved by the fast multipole method for the calculation of the generalized mobility problem in each iteration, and an O(N) scheme for the non-adaptive version is obtained. Real problems are studied on systems with N = 400 000 particles. For mobility problems the number of iterations is constant and an O(N) performance is achieved; however for resistance problems the number of iterations increases as almost N1/2 with a high accuracy of 10−6 and the total cost seems to be O(N3/2).

To describe the "slow" motions of n interacting mass points, we give the most general four-dimensional (4D) noninstantaneous, nonparticle symmetric Galilei-invariant variational principle. It involves two-body invariants constructed from particle 4-positions and 4-velocities of the proper orthochronous inhomogeneous Galilei group. The resulting 4D equations of motion and multiple-time conserved quantities involve integrals over the worldlines of the other n-1 interacting particles. For a particular time-asymmetric retarded (advanced) interaction, we show the vanishing of all integrals over worldlines in the ten standard 4D multiple-time conserved quantities, thus yielding a Newtonian-like initial value problem. This interaction gives 3D noninstantaneous, nonparticle symmetric, coupled nonlinear second-order delay-differential equations of motion that involve only algebraic combinations of nonsimultaneous particle positions, velocities, and accelerations. The ten 3D noninstantaneous, nonparticle symmetric conserved quantities involve only algebraic combinations of nonsimultaneous particle positions and velocities. A two-body example with a generalized Newtonian gravity is provided. We suggest that this formalism might be useful as an alternative slow-motion mechanics for astrophysical applications.

Recently, operations research, especially linear integer-programming, is used in various grids to find optimal paths and, based on that, digital distance. The 4 and higher-dimensional body-centered-cubic grids is the nD (n≥4) equivalent of the 3D body-centered cubic grid, a well-known grid from solid state physics. These grids consist of integer points such that the parity of all coordinates are the same: either all coordinates are odd or even. A popular type digital distance, the chamfer distance, is used which is based on chamfer paths. There are two types of neighbors (closest same parity and closest different parity point-pairs), and the two weights for the steps between the neighbors are fixed. Finding the minimal path between two points is equivalent to an integer-programming problem. First, we solve its linear programming relaxation. The optimal path is found if this solution is integer-valued. Otherwise, the Gomory-cut is applied to obtain the integer-programming optimum. Using the special properties of the optimization problem, an optimal solution is determined for all cases of positive weights. The geometry of the paths are described by the Hilbert basis of the non-negative part of the kernel space of matrix of steps.

The mapping method of Wisdom (1982) has been generalized to encompass all n-body problems with a dominant central mass (Wisdom and Holman, 1991). The new mapping method is presented as well as a number of initial applications. These include billion year integrations of the outer planets, a number of 100 million year integrations of the whole solar system, and a systematic survey of test particle stability in the outer solar system.

AbstractHydrodynamic interactions among multiple circular cylinders translating in an otherwise undisturbed inviscid fluid are theoretically investigated. A constructive method for solving a Neumann boundary-value problem in a domain outside $N$ circles (one kind of Hilbert boundary-value problem in the complex plane) is presented in the study to derive the velocity potential of the liquid. The method employs successive offset functions combined with a ‘generalized cyclic permutation’ in turn to satisfy the impenetrable boundary condition on each circle. The complex potential is therefore expressed as $N$ isolated singularities in power series form and used to get instantaneous added masses of $N$ submerged circular cylinders. Then, based on the Hamilton variational principle, a dynamical equation of motion in vector form is derived to predict nonlinear translations of the submerged bodies under fully hydrodynamic interactions. Also, the equivalence of the energy-based Lagrangian framework and a momentum-type one in the two-dimensional body–liquid system is proved. It implies that the pressure integration around a submerged body is holographic, which provides information about velocities and accelerations of all bodies. The numerical solutions indicate some typical dynamical behaviours of more than two circular cylinders which reveal that interesting nonlinear phenomena would appear in such a system with simple physical assumptions.

Recent years have seen a growing interest in player modeling, which supports the creation of player-adaptive digital games. A central problem of player modeling is goal recognition, which aims to recognize players’ intentions from observable gameplay behaviors. Player goal recognition offers the promise of enabling games to dynamically adjust challenge levels, perform procedural content generation, and create believable NPC interactions. A growing body of work is investigating a wide range of machine learning-based goal recognition models. In this paper, we introduce GOALIE, a multidimensional framework for evaluating player goal recognition models. The framework integrates multiple metrics for player goal recognition models, including two novel metrics, n-early convergence rate and standardized convergence point. We demonstrate the application of the GOALIE framework with the evaluation of several player goal recognition models, including Markov logic network-based, deep feedforward neural network-based, and long short-term memory network-based goal recognizers on two different educational games. The results suggest that GOALIE effectively captures goal recognition behaviors that are key to next-generation player modeling.

AbstractObjectiveBody image is a vital and complex issue in cancer patients, but not well recognized. In the ambulatory psychiatric-oncology clinic, we assessed what portion of cancer patients endorsed appearance problems and if they differed in terms of depression, anxiety, or distress scores when compared with those who did not endorse appearance problems.MethodAll adult patients with active cancer diagnosis seen in the outpatient psychiatry oncology clinic (June 2014–January 2016) who provided informed consent were included (N = 1,939) in the cross-sectional study design. “Appearance problems” were assessed as a categorical, binomial variable (yes/no) using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer checklist. Other assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Distress Thermometer, and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale.ResultThe overall prevalence rate of individuals who endorsed appearance problems was approximately 36%; they were more likely to be younger, female, Black or Hispanic, and not in a committed relationship (all results for demographic variables were statistically significant; all p < .001). Importantly, those patients who endorsed appearance problems exhibited higher scores for depression (p < .0001), anxiety (p < .0001), and distress (p < .0001), and these differences were of medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.5−0.6).Significance of resultsThe current results underscore the need to identify patients with body image problems early given that they are likely to exhibit higher magnitude of anxiety, depression and distress symptoms while undergoing cancer care. The results highlight the importance of body image issues and the need to evaluate them in cancer patients.

Although previous studies have reported a facial expression classification deficit among adults with SDB, we do not know whether these findings can be generalized to children. In our study, children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) were divided into three groups: primary snoring (n = 51), mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (n = 39), and moderate/severe OSA (n = 26). All participants, including 20 healthy controls, underwent an overnight polysomnography recording and the Emotional Expression Recognition Task. Psychosocial problems were evaluated using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). There was a borderline significant interaction between expression category and group on reaction times. Further analysis revealed that positive classification advantage (PCA) disappeared in the moderate/severe OSA group, whereas it persisted in the control, primary snoring, and mild OSA groups. Emotional symptoms were positively correlated with OAHI. In both the happy and sad conditions, RT was negatively related to age and body mass index (BMI) but was independent of the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI), arterial oxygen (SaO2) and total sleep time. The accuracy of identifying a sad expression was negatively related to conduct problems. Children with moderate/severe OSA exhibited dysfunction in facial expression categorization, which could potentially affect social communication ability.

AbstractObjectivePreviously recorded rates of obesity in the Baltic Republics have been among the highest in the world although little is known about how they vary within the population. This study investigates the distribution of body mass index (BMI) and obesity in these countries.DesignThree cross-sectional surveys conducted in the summer of 1997.SettingEstonia, Latvia and Lithuania.SubjectsRepresentative national samples of adults with measured weight and height (Estonia: n = 1154; Latvia: n = 2292; Lithuania: n = 2096).ResultsBetween-country differences are particularly large among women: women from Latvia and Lithuania are approximately three times as likely to be obese as those from Estonia (17.4%, 18.3%, 6.0% respectively); only about one-third of this difference is explained by the sociodemographic and behavioural factors studied. In men, the prevalence of obesity varied only slightly among countries (Estonia: 9.9%; Latvia: 9.5%; Lithuania: 11.4%). While the prevalence of obesity increases with age within each republic, particularly in women, it is not associated with nationality or urban/rural region, and no consistent association is observed with income. Obesity is inversely related to education in Latvia and in Lithuanian women. Latvian men and women and Lithuanian men who smoked had a lower prevalence of obesity than non-smokers. Leisure time physical activity was not associated with obesity.ConclusionsObesity is a major health problem in the Baltic Republics, particularly among Latvian and Lithuanian women. The lack of association between obesity and most demographic, socioeconomic and behavioural factors suggests that the problem is generalized. Health promotion strategies aiming at preventing and controlling excess weight gain in the Baltic Republics will need to target the general population.

Abstract Little longitudinal research exists on health and working among older racial and ethnic minority adults. Following previous cross-sectional research, we examine the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (HABC) study comparing working vs. not working overtime among older adults. We hypothesize: 1) Black vs. White adults are more likely to work; 2) Black vs. White differences in working are greater among women than men; and 3) Working relates to fewer prevalent health problems than not working. We used gender-stratified descriptive statistics and generalized mixed-effects logistic regression with covariate adjustments to analyze the HABC cohort study, with community-dwelling, well-functioning Black (42%) and White older adults aged 70-79 in year 1 (n=3,069) to year 6 (n=2,091). We found support for all three hypotheses. Black vs. White adults were more likely to work overtime. Women were less likely to work overtime compared to men. White women were less likely to keep working compared to men and Black women. Lastly, older adults with fewer chronic conditions were more likely to continue working. Our study finds racial and gender differences among older adults working overtime. Intersectionality plays a role in older adults’ health and work disparities, leading us to explore the needs and/or benefits of working past retirement in specific groups. Our policy implication is for society to pro-actively invest in older adults’ health and productive activities, which may act as social determinants of health solutions to reduce disparities and growing social safety net program costs.

Background. Psychiatric disorders and being overweight are major health problems with increasing prevalence. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that being overweight is associated with a range of psychiatric conditions including minor and atypical depressive disorders, binge eating, and aggression.Method. Prospective community-based cohort study of young adults (n=591) followed between ages 19 and 40. Information derived from six subsequent semi-structured diagnostic interviews conducted by professionals over twenty years. Outcomes were being overweight [body-mass index (BMI)>25] and average yearly weight change between ages 20 and 40 (BMI slope).Results. 18·9% of the participants were classified as being overweight. Being overweight turned out to be a stable trait: 77·7% of subjects were assigned to the same weight class at each interview. Atypical depression and binge eating were positively associated with both, increased weight gain and being overweight, while psychiatric conditions associated with aggressive behaviors (aggressive personality traits, sociopathy) were positively associated with being overweight, but were not related to the rate of weight change. Generalized anxiety disorder was negatively associated with overweight. These results persisted after controlling for substance use, levels of physical activity, demographic variables and family history of weight problems.Conclusions. This study shows relatively strong associations between eating-related and aggressive psychopathology and being overweight. Given the high prevalence rates of these conditions, this study encourages further research on the causality of psychopathology-overweight associations that might provide insight on novel preventive approaches for major health problems.

Abstract Background Hospitalization-associated functional decline is a common problem for older adults, but it is unclear how hospitalizations affect physical performance measures such as gait speed. We sought to determine hospitalization-associated change in gait speed and likelihood of new limitations in mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods We used longitudinal data over 5 years from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study, a prospective cohort of black and white community-dwelling men and women, aged 70–79 years, who had no limitations in mobility (difficulty walking 1/4 mile or climbing 10 steps) or ADLs (transferring, bathing, dressing, and eating) at baseline. Gait speed, and new self-reported limitations in mobility and ADLs were assessed annually. Selected participants (n = 2,963) had no limitations at the beginning of each 1-year interval. Hospitalizations were self-reported every 6 months and verified with medical record data. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine hospitalization-associated change in gait speed and odds of new limitations over each 1-year interval. Fully adjusted models included demographics, hospitalization within the past year, health conditions, symptoms, body mass index, and health-related behaviors. Results In fully adjusted models, any hospitalization was associated with decrease in gait speed (−0.04 m/s; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.05 to −0.03) and higher odds of new limitations in mobility or ADLs (odds ratio = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.70–2.28), and separately with increased odds of new mobility limitation (odds ratio = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.90–2.60) and new ADL limitations (odds ratio = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.53–2.21). Multiple hospitalizations within a year were associated with gait speed decline (−0.06 m/s; 95% CI: −0.08 to −0.04) and greater odds of new limitations in mobility or ADLs (odds ratio = 2.96, 95% CI: 2.23–3.95). Conclusions Functionally independent older adults experienced hospitalization-associated declines in gait speed and new limitations in mobility and ADLs.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to investigate the presence of executive difficulties due to a lack of the management of cognitive conflict, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility in this group of patients. If executive difficulties are at the basis of uncontrolled alimentary behavior, these will be present also after a dramatic weight loss and could led to a poor compliance of the patient after plastic surgery procedures.Materials and methodsWe enrolled 21 consecutive post-bariatric patients. This clinical population was compared with a control group (n = 21) from the general population sharing the same clinical and demographic features. Psychiatric evaluation was performed. Executive difficulties were investigated through electroencephalography using the stroop task, sustained attention to response task, and task switching tests.ResultsThe patient group reported more frequently psychiatric disorders than control group. Patients had higher prevalence of lifetime major depression (58.3% vs. 14.3%), of lifetime panic disorder (36.1% vs. 4.8%) and generalized anxiety disorder (16.75% vs. 0%). Finally, patients were more frequently affected by body dismorphic disorder (chi2 = 8.867, P = .003). Electroencephalography confirmed the presence of executive difficulties sustained by a lack of the control of cognitive conflict and cognitive flexibility, and a difficulty of the inhibitory control in the patient group.ConclusionElectroencephalography confirmed for the first time the high prevalence of psychological/psychiatric problems in post-bariatric patients. Patients showing high values of executive difficulties will need a psychological/psychiatric support to sustain a positive outcome after post-bariatric plastic surgery.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In this second paper we define a post-minkowskian (PM) weak field approximation leading to a linearization of the Hamilton equations of Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) tetrad gravity in the York canonical basis in a family of nonharmonic 3-orthogonal Schwinger time gauges. The York time 3K (the relativistic inertial gauge variable, not existing in newtonian gravity, parametrizing the family, and connected to the freedom in clock synchronization, i.e., to the definition of the the shape of the instantaneous 3-spaces) is set equal to an arbitrary numerical function. The matter are considered point particles, with a Grassmann regularization of self-energies, and the electromagnetic field in the radiation gauge: an ultraviolet cutoff allows a consistent linearization, which is shown to be the lowest order of a hamiltonian PM expansion. We solve the constraints and the Hamilton equations for the tidal variables and we find PM gravitational waves with asymptotic background (and the correct quadrupole emission formula) propagating on dynamically determined non-euclidean 3-spaces. The conserved ADM energy and the Grassmann regularization of self-energies imply the correct energy balance. A generalized transverse–traceless gauge can be identified and the main tools for the detection of gravitational waves are reproduced in these nonharmonic gauges. In conclusion, we get a PM solution for the gravitational field and we identify a class of PM Einstein space–times, which will be studied in more detail in a third paper together with the PM equations of motion for the particles and their post-newtonian expansion (but in the absence of the electromagnetic field). Finally we make a discussion on the gauge problem in general relativity to understand which type of experimental observations may lead to a preferred choice for the inertial gauge variable 3K in PM space–times. In the third paper we will show that this choice is connected with the problem of dark matter.

Until now, chronic generalized periodontitis (CGP) has been a severe and common pathology of periodontal tissues. It is characterized by a prolonged course of a disease with periods of remission and relapse. CGP can often cause a significant dysfunction of the dentition, loss of the retaining dental apparatus and tooth loss. Local inflammatory phenomena certainly depend on changes in homeostasis at the body level. There is no doubt, that successful treatment of this severe periodontal disease is possible not only in case of local treatment, but also in case of remodeling at the body level. In this regard, systemic changes in homeostasis are of great importance, in particular information on the structural and functional state of red blood cells. The aim of the paper was to study the structural and functional state of red blood cells in various forms of CGP. Materials and Methods. The study involved 60 patients with mild CGP (n=32) and moderate CGP (n=28); the patients suffered from the disease for 5 to 15 years. The authors conducted a comprehensive examination of patients using clinical, laboratory and radiological diagnostic techniques. They also estimated structural and functional states of periodontal tissues according to various indices; erythrocytes were estimated according to the phospholipid composition of biomembranes, the level of primary and secondary products of lipid peroxidation, activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and phospholipase A2. Results. It has been established that inflammatory phenomena in periodontal tissues with CGP are accompanied by significant changes in the lipid metabolism of red blood cells and the dysfunction development. The severity of functional and metabolic changes in these blood elements correlates with the disease severity. Conclusion. The results are of particular importance as a separate component of chronic periodontitis pathogenesis. Chronic periodontitis is one of the initiators of the pathological reaction cascade leading to the formation of microcirculatory disorders and the occurrence of hemic and circulatory hypoxia, which is a universal link in the pathogenesis chain of any pathological process and a central problem of somatic pathology. Keywords: chronic periodontitis, red blood cells, lipid metabolism. До настоящего времени тяжелой и распространенной патологией тканей пародонта является хронический генерализованный пародонтит (ХГП), который характеризуется длительным течением с периодами ремиссий и рецидивов, часто приводит к существенной дисфункции зубочелюстной системы, утрате удерживающего аппарата зубов и потере последних. Безусловно, местные воспалительные явления во многом зависят от изменений гомеостаза на организменном уровне. Не вызывает сомнений факт, что успешная терапия этой тяжелой болезни пародонта возможна не только при местном лечении, но и при коррекции изменений на организменном уровне. В связи с этим важны сведения о системных изменениях гомеостаза, в частности о структурно-функциональном состоянии эритроцитов. Целью исследования явилось изучение структурно-функционального состояния эритроцитов при различной тяжести ХГП. Материалы и методы. В исследовании приняли участие 60 пациентов с ХГП легкой (n=32) и средней (n=28) степеней тяжести и продолжительностью заболевания от 5 до 15 лет. Проведено комплексное обследование больных с использованием клинико-лабораторных и рентгенологического методов исследования. Выполнена оценка структурно-функционального состояния тканей пародонта по различным индексам; эритроцитов – по фосфолипидному составу биомембран, уровню первичных и вторичных продуктов липопероксидации, активности каталазы, супероксиддисмутазы, фосфолипазы А2. Результаты. Установлено, что воспалительные явления в тканях пародонта при ХГП сопровождаются значительными изменениями липидного метаболизма эритроцитов с развитием дисфункциональных явлений. Выраженность функционально-метаболических изменений этих элементов крови коррелирует с тяжестью заболевания. Выводы. Выявленный факт представляет особую значимость как отдельный компонент патогенеза хронического пародонтита – одного из инициаторов каскада патологических реакций, приводящих к формированию микроциркуляторных расстройств и возникновению гемической и циркуляторной гипоксии, которая является универсальным звеном цепи патогенеза любого патологического процесса и центральной проблемой соматической патологии. Ключевые слова: хронический пародонтит, эритроциты, липидный метаболизм.

Background and Study Purpose. Body stability is an important factor in the manifestation of human motor skills. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the efficiency of balance exercises, applied for 28 weeks, with a frequency of one activity / week, on a group of undergraduate students of the “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați. Material and Methods. 195 subjects participated (99 males and 96 females), divided for analysis into 3 groups (underweight, N = 21, age = 20.16 ± .38, BMI = 17.46 ± .20); (normal weight, N = 111, age = 20.30 ± .21, BMI = 21.70 ± .17); (overweight / obese, N = 63, age = 19.90 ± .18, BMI = 30.69 ± .61). The tests were applied at 3 distinct times: initial T1 at the beginning of the academic year, intermediate T2 towards the end of semester 1 and final T3 at the end of semester 2. 3 static balance assessment tests were used (One leg standing test with closed eyes, Stork test and Flamingo test), respectively 4 tests to evaluate the dynamic balance (Bass test, Functional reach test, Walk and turn field sobriety test and Fukuda test). Results. ANOVA with repeated measurements and the differences between the test moments highlight in most cases values ​​of F associated with significant thresholds (p <0.05), so there is an improvement in results for all 3 groups. The differences between T1 and T2 tests are larger than those between T2 and T3, so for almost all tests the progress is higher in the first semester, and in semester 2 there is a slight reduction, as a result of adapting to the proposed exercises. Even if they progress significantly, the group of overweight people has obviously weaker average results than normal weight and underweight people, signaling numerous individual cases that have problems in maintaining static balance and commit errors in dynamic balance tests. The better performances of the underweight in 3 cases (One leg standing test, Flamingo test Fukuda test and Walk and turn field sobriety test) cannot be generalized due to their small number compared to the other 2 groups, and this aspect can be considered as a new direction of investigation. Conclusions. There are premises for a favorable evolution of the balance indices for the group tested in this age group, but it must be taken into account that the low initial fitness level (generated by the lack of concerns for a lifestyle based on physical activities) is a factor that facilitated these less spectacular advances, but still statistically significant.

Premature newborns are a special category of children with their inherent morpho-functional immaturity and specific pathological conditions that cause significant differences in the survival, morbidity and their baby care consequences in comparison with children of other weight categories. The problems of premature babies are at the forefront of neonatal research and perinatal care. Purpose - to establish a link between the formation of adverse consequences in preschool children born prematurely, with a body weight of less than 1500 g, and placental changes. Materials and methods. The study involved 220 preschool children born prematurely. The results of a pathomorphological study of the placentae of mothers of 220 children were analyzed. Its results enabled to distinguish 5 groups of mothers according to the classification of changes in the placentae. In the course of the study, this category of children was under observation of the doctors the Prematurity and Hight-Risk Neonates Post-discharge Follow-ups Department in order to regular assess their health. Clinical indicators such as body weight, height, head circumference, neurological, general cognitive development and low severity dysfunction, the post-discharge history including respiratory diseases, skeletal system problems, hematological and metabolic disorders, were analyzed. Ophthalmological and audiological examinations were performed prospectively to assess vision and hearing. Depending on the severity of disabling pathology, children with severe disabling consequences (n=54) were isolated - 24.5%. Further analysis concerned the state of health of these children, divided into 5 groups according to the identified changes in the placentas of their mothers. Results. All the children involved in the study had a disease combination in the neonatal period that caused severe conditions. Pathological changes of the placenta significantly affected the course of the neonatal period. Thus, newborns with signs of inflammatory changes and immaturity were 10 times more likely to suffer generalized intrauterine infections and neonatal sepsis, they also significantly more frequently have intraventricular hemorrhages, periventricular leukomalacia, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The course of the neonatal period in groups of children with signs of premature aging of placenta and blood flow disorders was characterized by a low frequency of infections, but periventricular leukomalacia was diagnosed 5 times more often. Conclusions. It was found out that transplacental infection and pathological placenta immaturity had a negative impact on the health of children of groups III and IV, causing their birth 3 weeks prematurely, unlike the children in the comparison group. Newborns of groups III and IV needed resuscitation care in the delivery room 9 times more often, and the need for respiratory support was 10 times higher than in the comparison group, which predetermined a significantly longer duration of hospital stay for children of groups III and IV - on average 30-45 days longer compared to newborns of Group V. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local ethics committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interest was declared by the author. Key words: premature babies, Neonates Post-discharge Follow-ups Department, disability, long-term consequences.

Abstract STUDY QUESTION What is the effect of two guided self-administered interventions on psychological distress in women undergoing IVF or ICSI? SUMMARY ANSWER A brief mindfulness intervention significantly reduced depression and improved sleep quality, while the gratitude journal intervention showed no significant effect on any outcome variables. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Mindfulness and gratitude journal interventions have been found to be beneficial in reducing negative affect and improving well-being. However, there are very few mental health professionals who implement such interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, two guided self-administered interventions for women with infertility were designed to help them cope with their psychological distress. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A three-armed, randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the mindfulness and gratitude journal interventions for women undergoing IVF/ICSI. Between May 2016 and November 2017, at the reproductive center in a public hospital, 234 women were randomly assigned to the brief mindfulness group (BMG, n = 78), gratitude journal group (GJG, n = 78) or control group (CG, n = 78). The inclusion criteria were being a woman undergoing her first cycle of IVF, having at least junior middle school education and having no biological or adopted children. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Female infertility patients (n = 346) were approached, and 112 did not meet the inclusion criteria. All three randomized groups completed questionnaires on the day of down-regulation (T1), the day before embryo(s) transfer (T2), and 3 days before the pregnancy test (T3). The BMG completed four sessions and listened to a 20-minute audio daily, including guided mindfulness breathing and body scan. The GJG completed four sessions and wrote three gratitude journals daily. The CG received routine care. A generalized estimating equation was used in an intention-to-treat analysis. The primary outcome was depression. Secondary outcomes were anxiety, sleep quality, infertility-related stress, mindfulness and gratitude. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Participants of the BMG showed decreased depression (mean difference (MD) = −1.69, [−3.01, −0.37], d = 0.44) and improved sleep quality (MD = −1.24, [−1.95, −0.39], d = 0.43) compared to the CG, but the effect was not significant for anxiety, Fertility Problem Inventory totals, mindfulness, gratitude scores or pregnancy rates. The BMG showed a significant reduction in depression and improvement in sleep quality between T1 and T2, a continuous significant reduction between T1 and T3 and no reduction between T2 and T3. There were no significant effects on any of the variables for the GJG. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The inclusion criteria may result in bias because some participants with low education were excluded and only women with infertility were included. A low compliance rate occurred in the gratitude journals group. Moreover, men were not included in this study. Further research should consider including spouses of the target population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The brief mindfulness intervention was beneficial in decreasing depression and improving sleep quality. Implementation of guided self-administered mindfulness could make the psychological counseling service more accessible for patients with infertility in resource-poor settings. The efficiency and feasibility of the gratitude journal intervention needs to be investigated further. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the National Social Science Foundation (17BSH054). The authors have no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ChiCTR-IOR-16008452. TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE 9 May 2016 DATE OF FIRST PATIENT’S ENROLMENT 15 May 2016.

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Are physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) associated with irregular periods and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in Australian women? SUMMARY ANSWER Overweight and obese women have higher odds of both irregular periods and HMB than underweight/normal-weight women, but high levels of PA reduce the odds of HMB. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Most studies on relationships between PA and menstrual problems have focused on female athletes, but there have been few population-based studies. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Prospective cohort study, 10618 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health (ALSWH) who completed mailed surveys in 1996, with follow-ups in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants were aged 22 to 27 in 2000. They were asked to report their PA levels and the frequency of irregular periods and HMB in each survey. BMI was calculated at every survey from self-reported weight and height. Generalised estimating equation population-averaged model analyses were conducted to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE At age 22 to 27 years, the prevalence of irregular periods was 19.4%. This remained stable over 15 years. There were no associations between PA and irregular periods. Overweight and obese women had higher odds of irregular periods [overweight: OR 1.08, (95% CI 1.00–1.17); obese: OR 1.29, (95%CI 1.18–1.41)] than women who were underweight/normal weight. The prevalence of HMB at age 22–27 years was 15.9%; this doubled over 15 years. Women who were highly active had 10% lower odds of HMB than women who reported no PA [OR 0.90, (95%CI 0.82–0.98)]. Overweight and obese women had higher odds of HMB [overweight: OR 1.15, (95%CI 1.07–1.23); obese: OR 1.37, (95%CI 1.26–1.49)] than women who were underweight/normal weight. Among obese women, high levels of PA were associated with 19% [OR 0.81, (95%CI 0.68–0.97)] reduction in the odds of HMB. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Data collected in the ALSWH are self-reported, which may be subject to recall bias. Reverse causation, due to menstrual problems impacting PA, is possible although sensitivity analyses suggest this is unlikely to have affected the results. Other conditions, e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome, for which no or incomplete data were available, could have affected the results. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Intervention studies are needed to assess the effect of increasing PA in women with HMB, but these preliminary findings suggest that promoting PA could be an affordable and feasible strategy for reducing HMB in young adult women. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The ALSWH is funded by the Australian Government. Funding for these analyses was provided by a University of Queensland (UQ) International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and a UQ International Development Fellowship. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A

In the article the impact of regular taijiquan practice on the health level of people of different ages is considered. The practical experience of teachers of martial arts school „Peresvit‟ and scientific researches with the use of east sports and health technologies are analyzed and generalized. They will allow effectively and purposefully to improve physical, mental and spiritual health of human, applying various forms and methods of physical education, which will contribute to the formation of sustainable motivation for a healthy lifestyle. The pedagogical research was conducted from September, 14 to November 20, 2020 on the basis of the „All-Ukrainian Federation of Free Fight and Contact Martial Arts in Mixed Martial Arts‟. Except of physical education and involvement in the sports culture, people find new friends, gain knowledge about healthy lifestyles, the peculiarities of relationships between people, the life values, that help in solving problems outside the gym, and, as a result, improve health level, strengthen confidence in their own abilities and become healthy and successful people. Every year the federation conducts sports and health activities for school students in various picturesque places of Ukraine and the world, where everyone can demonstrate their results. And the best students have the opportunity to visit the legend, wrapped by the legends, the abode of the spirit of Martial Arts - the Shaolin Temple. A woman (n = 10) aged 30-35 years took part in the pedagogical experiment. The control measurement took place simultaneously for all participants. According to the internship program, a training program was developed, which included classes for two months on a schedule of Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The work plan is as follows: study and practice of basic exercises and basic movements of taijiquan; breathing and meditation in taijuan and tea ceremonies; performance of previously developed and studied movements in the complex; watching the movie "The Grandmaster". This technique and its application is aimed at the formation of basic physical and mental qualities, the impact on certain functional systems of the body, the activation of their backup capabilities and aims to expand knowledge on the construction of training sessions with different groups of the population, regardless of their knowledge in the field of physical education and sports and the ability to form a training load by means of taijiquan. After the training course, a pedagogical study was conducted in the direction of: anthropometric data (weight, height, age); risk assessment of cardiovascular diseases, authors Zapisochny A.Z, Dushanin S.A. 1980 (physical activity, ideal weight, blood pressure, etc.); assessment of physical performance by Ruffier test.

Abstract Abstract 808 The growing population of HCT survivors may be at risk for neuropsychological impairment due to exposure to neurotoxic agents. HCT survivors frequently report problems with memory and attention (Cancer 2002;95:183-192), and even though the patients are acutely aware of neuropsychological declines, these changes do not correlate well with impairment on standardized neuropsychological assessments (Bone Marrow Transplant 2005;36:695-702). This discrepancy suggests that the tests may not be sensitive enough to detect subtle changes that could nonetheless impact patients' societal reintegration, highlighting the importance of self-report instruments. The present study aims to assess the longitudinal trajectory of self-reported neuropsychological impairment in patients from pre-HCT to 1 year post-HCT; to evaluate the impact of demographic and clinical factors on self-reported neuropsychological impairment; to examine the relationship between self-reported neuropsychological impairment data and objective data collected using standardized assessments; and to understand the relationship between self-reported impairment and return to work. Participants were 182 adult patients undergoing HCT for hematological malignancies. Mean age at HCT was 50 years (range, 18-73); 60% were males; 68% were non-Hispanic whites; 62% received autologous HCT. Patients completed a 2-hour battery of standardized neuropsychological tests (domains: processing speed; immediate, general, and working memory; cognitive reserve; executive function) and a self-reported Neuropsychological Impairment Scale (NIS – scales: Global Measure of Impairment [GMI, an overall summary score], Cognitive Efficiency [COG], Attention [ATT], Memory [MEM], Learning-Verbal [L-V], Academic Skills [ACD]). Self-reported information on return to work was obtained at 6 months and 1 year after HCT. Demographic (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status) and clinical data (diagnosis, donor source, risk of relapse, conditioning exposures) were collected. Raw scores were converted to t-scores using normative data; individuals with t-scores above 1 SD of the normative distribution were classified as impaired. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine longitudinal trends. The prevalence of domain-specific impairment at specified time points is shown in the Table. After adjusting for significant covariates, GMI worsened at 6 months and plateaued thereafter (p=0.04) and ATT worsened at 6 months but returned to baseline at 1 year (p=0.006) (Figure). Multivariate analyses revealed the following risk factors: at pre-HCT: female gender and less than high school education (higher MEM impairment, p=0.03, p=0.05, respectively); at both 6 months and 1 year post-HCT: annual household income less than $20,000 (higher GMI impairment, p=0.02); exposure to total body irradiation (TBI: higher COG impairment, p=0.006, and higher ATT impairment, p=0.05); female gender (p=0.05) and 4-year college education (p=0.058) (higher MEM impairment). Correlations between NIS scores and standardized assessments were weak (range, r= -0.3 to 0.09). At 6 months, 57% of the patients had not returned to work. Patients with COG impairment were less likely to return to work (p=0.05), while patients with higher cognitive reserve were more likely to return to work (p=0.03). These results suggest that a significant proportion of patients undergoing HCT report neuropsychological impairment that may not be readily captured by standardized assessments. The present study identifies low household income, TBI, female gender, and college education as risk factors and describes the impact of self-reported neuropsychological impairment on the ability to return to work. This study therefore helps characterize a vulnerable population that needs to be followed closely for appropriate intervention to ensure appropriate societal reintegration after HCT.Table.Prevalence of neuropsychological impairment (t>60) by time pointGMICOGATTMEML-VACD Pre-HCT29%33%25%25%24%22% 6 months (n=94)32%40%32%27%33%22% 1 year (n=69)32%29%23%29%25%23% Disclosures: Forman: City of Hope: Employment.

Background How do we account for the persistent difficulty the U.S. community of science has in educating larger numbers of talented and diverse undergraduates? We posit that the problem lies in the community's unremitting focus on scientific subject matter knowledge and students’ ability to learn, to the neglect of interpersonal social relations—particularly trust. Our study focuses on trust in academic mentoring. This topic is particularly relevant in studies of the undergraduate segment of the pipeline into science that typically occurs in large, impersonal settings that often generate student alienation. Our study hypothesizes that trustworthy relations may be both a significant condition for academic mentoring as well as an important outcome. Purpose The study we report explores the promise of a new research direction in undergraduate science education, one focused on trust in academic mentoring. A focus on interpersonal trust is unusual, if not entirely overlooked, in most studies of undergraduate science education, and stands in sharp contrast to the situation in K–12 education where an emergent body of survey and field research measures trust and documents its educational importance. Our framework derives from social capital theory and cautions that a science curriculum that informs and motivates entails attention not only to cognition, as indicated by subject matter knowledge, but also to the educational significance of other complex forms of cognition that undergird social skill, relational awareness, and the development and maintenance of trust. Research Design Because the MARC-U*STAR training program funded by the National Institutes of Health sponsors only a select number of talented upper division science major students on each host campus, our correlational analyses were based on a unique and relatively small sample of data collected from undergraduate science major students (N=161) in 16 colleges and universities in the Pacific Southwest. We analyzed the data in two linked parts: (a) an analysis of the association between trust and motivation; and (b) an evaluation of whether the Program affects trust. We link the two parts by using the same longitudinal dataset in each and, further, by building the evaluation on the findings from models that compare trust and motivation among upper division science major students enrolled in the Program (n=49) with trust and motivation among upper division science major students not in the Program (n=112). Given the study's exploratory purpose and design limits, we situate the results near the front end of the continuum from preliminary studies designed to suggest further research directions to the kinds of precise predictions we can expect from truly randomized controlled experiments. Findings Despite its necessarily preliminary findings regarding trust, this study contributes to the literature on academic mentoring in undergraduate science education in several ways. First, our study develops a novel conceptual perspective on the measure and utility of trust as a crucial form of social capital. Second, we used this perspective to develop a set of structural models that suggest interpersonal trust is producible in undergraduate science education; is pedagogically powerful, not a mere nicety; and is particularly important for students who are members of groups historically underrepresented in the sciences. Third, and surprising because the literature on trust does not prepare for them, are results suggesting that trust may work differently for different groups of students in different contexts. Conclusions/Recommendations Our findings are unusual and encouraging, and they bring several issues to light regarding (a) the utility of theory in research and practice in undergraduate science education, (b) inequitable representation in the sciences, and (c) contextual complexities that condition the development and maintenance of trust within institutional settings. First, our framework on trust derives from social capital theory and cautions that a science curriculum that informs and motivates entails attention not only to cognition but also to the educational significance of other complex forms of cognition that undergird social skill, relational awareness, and the development and maintenance of trust. In cognitively and socially consequential exchanges in undergraduate science education, trust and mistrust are important. Next, our most unusual finding—that trust in a mentor seems to matter more for the motivation and career expectations of the MARC-U*STAR Program students than for non-Program students—raises the question: How does trust in a university mentor matter for equitable undergraduate education in science? With our data, we cannot fully account for this unexpected finding. Drawing from studies that disentangle the concept of interpersonal trust from more generalized notions of trust in the social environment, we have worked at a tentative interpretation: Perhaps interpersonal trust is especially impactful in situations where the more general social environment poses perceptible threats. Last, when the literature on trust is examined concurrently with our findings, trust emerges not as an invariant entity, but as supremely contextualized. We conclude by calling for a more expansive, multidisciplinary, and multimethod research agenda focused on trust, which may contribute to a reorientation of undergraduate science education.

List of abstracts and authors:1. Comparative benefits of Atypical antipsychoticsDiana P Morrison2. Evidence-based management of depression in SchizophreniaAndre F Joubert3. Second generation Antipsychotics: An African updateDave Swingler4. The drug management of patients with HIV/Aids in the Mental Health Care setting: A therapeutic challengeDenise White5. New developments in the treatment of Bipolar depressionJospeh R Calabrese6. Dual action antidepressants: Faster onset, more remission, better value?Roger M Pinder7. Antisocial personality disorder: A reviewDonald W Black8. The South African study of stress and health: An overviewDavid R Williams9. Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder: Psychiatric apsects of body image disturbanceDavid Castle10. Over diagnosed or under recognized? Treating ADHDDora Wynchank11. The contagious effects of trauma and their impact on human service organisationsKerry Gibson12. Temporal lobe epilepsy in adolescence - 'Understanding the narrative'Helen Clark13. The effectiveness of treatment programs for Methaqualone (Mandrax) dependenceGreg McCarthy, Nandi Siegfried, Bronwyn Myers14. Community influence on alcohol and marijuanaAlan J Flisher, Robyn Mallett, Gary King, Neo Morojele, Martie Muller, Carl Lombard15. Psychiatric presentations of medical illnessSebastian Akalula16. Imaging of brain function using SpectJames Warwick17. Selected neuropsychological test performances and SSRI usageTheophilus Lazarus18. Comparative effectiveness and safety of antipsychotic treatments for outpatient SchizophreniaFrans Korb, Adel Sadak, Aly Akram, Sunar Birsoz, Abderrahmane Belaid19. Evidence-based mental healthcare - What do you know, think, feel?Nandi Siegfried, George Swingler, Soraya Seedat, Martie Muller, Rachel Churchill, Dan Stein20. Competitions Act - Anti-competitive health care practicesZ Nthakwana21. Unique approach to mental wellness by medical SchemesPetro Kempen22. What happens to my medical aid contribution?Eugene Allers23. Financial issues in a modern private practiceMike Edwards24. Transcranial magnetic stimulation: Uses in brain function research and medical interventionAlan St Clair Gibson25. The Neurochemistry of dreams: Implications for PsychiatryMark Solms26. Tenascin-R expression in the Central Nervvous system of lower vertebratesRuth Jarvis, N-. Hsu, P. Pesheva and D.M. Lang25. Localisation of the Nogo-A receptor in Neronal Lipid raftsEdward Nyatia, D.M. Lang26. Characterising an animal model for early life trauma using time dependent sensitisationJoachim D.K. Uys, Willie M.U. Daniels, Dan J. Stein27. Tolmetin affords protection against Quinoclinic acid induced Neurotoxixity in Rat brainAmichand Dairam, S Daya28. Acetaminophen and aspirin inhibit superoxide anion generation and Lipid Peroxidation, and protect against 1-Methyl-4Phenyl Pyridinim-induced Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in ratsH. Maharaj, D.S. Maharaj, K. S. Saravanan, K.P. Mohanakumar, S. Daya29. Can exercise provide Neuroprotection in a rat model for Parkinson's disease?M Mabandla, L Kellaway, A St Clair Gibson, M Lambert, V Russell30. Treatment of rapid cycling Bipolar disorderJoseph R. Calabrese31. Depression as a Neurodegenerative Disorder: The need for achieving remissionRoger M Pinder32. Side-effects induced by modern antidepressants- Overview and managementFranco Colin33. The Placebo response in antidepressant clinical trialsRobin Emsley34. Impulse control disorders: An overviewDonald W. Black35. Post traumatic stress disorder: The Wits trauma clinic experienceUgash Subramaney36. Post traumatic stress disorder among recently diagnosed patients with HIV in South AfricaSoraya Seedat, Bo Olley, D J Stein37. Improving outcome in SchizophreniaDiana P Morrison38. Reviewing post Graduate trainingCliff W Allwood39. Ethics in HIV ResearchKeimanthro Moodley40. Improving and maintaining ethical standrads in Psychiatric researchTuviah Zabow=============================================================Posters: Neurosciences section (Presenting author only)1. Blunted Acth response correlates with altered Neurotransmitter function in maternally separatedratsW M U Daniels2. A mechanism for zinc toxicity in Neuroblastoma cellsW M U Daniels3. The effects of Hypericum Perforatum, Quercetin, and Fluoxetine on receptor densities in the Rat BrainL Heiderman4. Trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder: Clinical and genetic comparisons within a South African populationS M J Hemmings5. Expression of Nogo-A in the amphibian central nervous systemN. J. Hsu6. Biochemical model for inflammation of the brain: The role of iron, transferring and toxiferring in Lipid PeroxidationS J Van Rensburg7. Improvement in Alzheimer's disease patients with antioxidant supplementation over 15 monthsS J Van Rensburg8. The Placebo effect - Is it all in the mind?S J Van Rensburg9. Very low serum iron concentrations in elderly patients with active CarcinomaS J van Rensburg10. Melatonin affords protection against Rotenone-induced NeurotoxicityR John11. Effect of enriched environment on Ca uptake via NMDA receptors into barrel cortex slices of spontaneously HypertensiveratsM Lehohla12. Effects of Methylpenidate in a rat model for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderG. L. S. Lelaka13. 6-Hydroxymelatonin converts Fe (III) to Fe(II) and reduces iron-induced Lipid PeroxidationD S Maharaj14. Metrofinate Potentiates Quinolinic Acid and Potassium Cyanide induced NeurotoxicityA Ramsunder15. The effect of chronic Intra-Amylgdala CRF injections on rat behaviour and HPA-Axis functionL Richter16. Effect of Glutamate in the Prefrontal Cortex of a rat model for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderV Russell17. An investigation into the relationship between Corticosterone and Neuron Cell deathP J Van Vuuren=============================================================41. Blunted Acth response correlates with altered Neurotransmitter function in maternally separated RatsW M U Daniels, C Y Pietersen, M E Carstens, D J Stein42. A mechanism for Zinc Toxicity in NeuroBlastoma CellsW M U Daniels, J Hendricks, R Salie, S J Van Rensburg43. The effects of Hypericum Perforatum, Quercetin and Fluoxetine on receptor densities in the rat brainL Heideman and S Daya44. Trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder: Clinical and genetic comparisons withn a South African populationS M J Hemmings, C J Kinnear, C Lochner, H Moolman-Smook, D J H Niehaus, V Corfield, D J Stein45. Expression of Nogo-A in the amphibian central nervous systemN. J. Hsu, R Jarvis, D. M. Lang46. Biochemical model for inflammation of the brain: The role of iron, transferring and Toxiferring in Lipid PeroxidationS J Van Rensburg, R T Erasmus, J M van Zyl, D Hon, W M U Daniels, F C V Potocnik, M J Kotze, N J De Villiers, P R Hurly47. Improvement in Alzheimer's Disease patients with antioxidant supplementation over 15 monthsS J van Rensburg, F C V Potocnik, J M Van Zyl, B J Van der Walt, D Hon, A Roos, E Rienhardt, R T Erasmus48. The Placebo effect - Is it all in the mind?S J van Rensburg, R A Emsley, C M Smuts, M Kidd, S Van der Merwe, C C Myburgh, P Oosthuizen, H Bleeker49. Very low serum Iron concentrations in elderly patients with active CarcinomaS J van Rensburg, R Erasmus, D Hon, C Bouwens50. Melatonin affords protection against Rotenone-induced NeurotoxicityR John, S Daya51. Effect of enriched environment on Ca uptake via NMDA Receptors into barrel Cortex slices of spontaneously Hypertensive ratsM Lehohla, V Russell, L Kellaway52. Effects of Methylpenidate in a rat model for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderG. L. S. Lelaka, V. A. Russel, L. A. Kellaway53. 6-Hydroxymelatonin converts Fe (III) to Fe (II) and reduces iron-induced Lipid PeroxidationD S Maharaj, S Daya54. Metrofinate Potentiates Quinolinic Acid and Potassium Cyanide induced NeurotoxicityA Ramsunder, S Daya55. The effect of chronic Intra-Amygdala CRF injections on rat behaviour and HPA-Axis functionL Richter, W Daniels, D J Stein56. Effect of Glutamate in the Prefrontal Cortex of a rat model for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderV Russell, M Lehohla, L Kellaway57. An investigation into the relationship between Corticosterone and Neuron cell deathP J Van Vuuren, J Hendricks, W M U Daniels=============================================================Posters: Psychiatry Section1. Descriptive study of Tardive Dyskinesia in a South African Xhosa populationS Brink2. Alcohol drinking problems at three urban High Schools in UmtataO Alonso Betancourt3. Childhood and adolescent sexual abuse - Demographic, traumatic and clinical signpostsP D Carey4. Inositol in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive DisorderP D Carey5. A review of factors associated with Suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents admitted to Tygerberg HospitalT Du Plessis6. Psychological and physical outcomes fo elective abortion; Local Anaesthesia vs Intravenous SedationT Ericksen7. Mental health literacy of Human Resource Practitioners in South AfricaC J Hugo8. The importance of a specialized clinic for the care of patients with first episodes of psychosisN Keyter9. Self-report vs Urinary drug screening in Schizophrenia: A pilot studyL Koen10. The effect of aggression on the use of Psychotropics in Schizophrenia: A naturalistic studyH Lategan11. Factor analysis of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in patients with obssessive-compulsive disorder: Clinical and Genetic correlatesC Lochner12. Experiences in obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Trichotillomania: Role of childhood traumaC Lochner13. Delusional systems in Xhosa Schizophrenia SibpairsJ E Muller14. OCD Heteogeneity reflected by lack of Genealogically determined founder effectD J H Niehaus15. The efficacy and tolerbaility of low-dose vs standard dose Haloperidol in first episode Psychosis. A randomised, double-blind studyP P Oosthuizen16. Treatment with low-dose Haloperidol does not protect against Tardive DyskinesiaP P Oosthuizen17. Do healthcare funders discriminate against members on the grounds of mental illness?O Scholtz18. Treatment strategies in patients with Clozaopine-resistant Schizophrenia at Stikland Hospital: A critical evaluation of one optionA Schulte19. Early coadministration of Clonazepam with Paroxetine for generalized social anxiety disorderS Seedat20. Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in adolescents: A schools' survey in Cape Town (South Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya)S Seedat21. The QTC effects of Thioridazine when used as a second line Anti-psychotic ( at Stikland Hospital)C Seller22. Brain imaging and substance related disordersD J Stein23. Gender differences in trauma exposure & post traumatic stress disorder in a clinic sampleS Suliman24. Assessing the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among clinica at Tygerbeg Academic Hospital and controlsH Van der Bijl25. Pharmacological challenge with a serotonin ID Agonist in alcohol dependenceB Vythilingum26. The treatment of ADHD in adultsW Verbeeck=============================================================58. Descriptive study of Tardive Dyskinesia in a South African Xhosa populationS Brink, D J H Niehaus, L Koen, J E Muller59. Alcohol drinking problems at three Urban High Schools in UmtataO Alonso Betancourt, M Morales Herrera60. Childhood and adolescent sexual abuse - Demographic, traumatic and clinical signpostsP D Carey, J Walker, S Seedat, D J Stein61. Inositol in the treatment of obsessive compulsive DisorderP D Carey, S Seedat, D J Stein62. A review of factors associated with suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents admitted to Tygerberg HospitalT Du Plessis, S M Hawkridge, F H Theron, S A Du Plessis63. Psychological and physical outcomes of elective abortion: Local anaestheisa vs Intravenous sedationT Ericksen, S Seedat, P Labuschagne, D J Stein64. Mental health literacy of Human resource practitioners in South AfricaC J Hugo, H D Vos, D J Stein65. The importance of a specialized clinic for the care of patients with first episodes of psychosisN Keyter, P P Oosthuizen, R A Emsley, H J Turner66. Self-reort vs urinary drug screening in Schizophrenia: A pilot studyL Koen, D J H Niehaus, J E Muller, C Seller, N Keyter67. The effect of aggression on the use of Psychotropics in Schizophrenia: A naturalistic studyH Lategan, L Koen, D J H Niehaus68. Factor analysis of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in patients with obsessive-compulsive Disorder: Clinical and genetic correlatesC Lochner, D J H Niehaus, S M J Hemmings, C J Kinnear, V A Corfield, J C Moolman-Smook, D J Stein69. Experiences in obsessive-compulsive disorder and Trichotillomania: Role of childhood traumaC Lochner, S Seedat, P D Carey, D J Stein70. Delusional systems in Xhosa Schizophrenia SibpairsJ E Muller, D J H Niehaus, L Koen, C Seller, N Keyter, C Laurent, R A Emsley71. OCD Heteogeneity reflected by lack of Genealogically determined founder effectD J H Niehaus, L Endeman, I Bosman, S Hemmings, C Lochner, L Koen, H Moolman-Smook, V A Corfield, D J Stein72. The efficacy and tolerability of low-dose vs standard dose Haloperidol in first episode Psychosis. A randomised, double-blind studyP P Oosthuizen, R A Emsley, H J Turner, N Keyter73. Treatment with low-dose Haloperidol does not protect against Tardive DyskinesiaP P Oosthuizen, R A Emsley, H J Turner, N Keyter74. Do healthcare funders discriminate against members on the grounds of mental illness?O Scholtz, P P Oosthuizen, C Hugo, B Richards75. Treatment strategies in patients with Clozapine resistant Schizophrenia at Stikland Hospital: A critical evaluation of one optionA Schulte, D J H Niehaus, L Koen, J E Muller, P P Oosthuizen, R A Emsley76. Early coadministration of Clonazepam with Paroxetine for generalised Social Anxiety DisorderS Seedat, M B Stein77. Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in adolescents: A schools' survey in Cape Town (South Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya)S Seedat, C Nyamap, F Njenga, B Vythilingum, D J Stein78. The QTC effects of Thioridazine when used as a second line Antipsychotic (at Stikland Hospital)C Seller, P P Oosthuizen79. Brain imaging and substance related disordersD J Stein80. Gender differences in trauma exposure & post traumatic stress disorder in a clinic sampleS Suliman, S Seedat, F Gxama, J Walker, W Rossouw81. Assessing the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among clinicians at Tygerberg Academic Hospital and controlsH Van der Bijl, P P Oosthuizen82. Pharmacological challenge with a Serotonin ID agonist in alcohol dependenceB Vythilingum, C Wessels, S Maritz, W P Pienaar, D J Stein83. The treatment of ADHD in adultsW Verbeeck

Open water swimming ultra-marathon events ≥10 km have become increasingly popular amongst master athletes. However, very little is known about the timing of training sessions and the impact on sleep. This study aimed to examine sleep behaviours, sleep problems and disorders and the relationship with training timings. This study used a longitudinal observational design for 42 nights with 24 masters' swimmers (n = 13 females), aged 39 ± 11 years, body mass index of 26 ± 3 kg/m2 during a training squad for an ocean ultra-swim (19.7 km) in Western Australia. Objective measures of sleep were obtained from a wrist-activity monitor, the Readiband™ (Fatigue Science Inc., Canada). Swimmers completed a survey instrument related to sleep problems, disorders, chronotype, anthropometric and demographic information. Generalised linear mixed models were fitted to examine relationships between predictor variables and sleep responses. Body mass index was associated with a decline in Total Sleep Time (TST), each one-unit increase in BMI was associated with 5 min less TST (p = 0.04). Swimmers with a “high risk” of sleep apnea had 21 min more wake time (p = 0.04) and 5% lower Sleep Efficiency (p = 0.04). Sleep Offset on the morning of a morning training session was earlier by 48 min (p < 0.001) resulting in less TST by 39 min (p < 0.001). This study provides evidence that coaches need to consider sleep behaviours and problems before designing training schedules. Swimmers need to plan and allocate an adequate sleep opportunity and those who have a suspected sleep disorder or problem should seek the support of a sleep physician.

Abstract General reduction of the elliptic hypergeometric equation to the level of complex hypergeometric functions is described. The derived equation is generalized to the Hamiltonian eigenvalue problem for new rational integrable $N$-body systems emerging from particular degenerations of the elliptic Ruijsenaars and van Diejen models.

We consider the problem of minimizing the relative perimeter under a volume constraint in an unbounded convex body C ⊂ R n C\subset \mathbb {R}^{n} , without assuming any further regularity on the boundary of C C . Motivated by an example of an unbounded convex body with null isoperimetric profile, we introduce the concept of unbounded convex body with uniform geometry. We then provide a handy characterization of the uniform geometry property and, by exploiting the notion of asymptotic cylinder of C C , we prove existence of isoperimetric regions in a generalized sense. By an approximation argument we show the strict concavity of the isoperimetric profile and, consequently, the connectedness of generalized isoperimetric regions. We also focus on the cases of small as well as of large volumes; in particular we show existence of isoperimetric regions with sufficiently large volumes, for special classes of unbounded convex bodies. We finally address some questions about isoperimetric rigidity and analyze the asymptotic behavior of the isoperimetric profile in connection with the notion of isoperimetric dimension.

AbstractIn the planar circular restricted three-body problem and for any value of the mass parameter $$\mu \in (0,1)$$ μ ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) and $$n\ge 1$$ n ≥ 1 , we prove the existence of four families of n-ejection–collision (n-EC) orbits, that is, orbits where the particle ejects from a primary, reaches n maxima in the (Euclidean) distance with respect to it and finally collides with the primary. Such EC orbits have a value of the Jacobi constant of the form $$C=3\mu +Ln^{2/3}(1-\mu )^{2/3}$$ C = 3 μ + L n 2 / 3 ( 1 - μ ) 2 / 3 , where $$L>0$$ L > 0 is big enough but independent of $$\mu $$ μ and n. In order to prove this optimal result, we consider Levi-Civita’s transformation to regularize the collision with one primary and a perturbative approach using an ad hoc small parameter once a suitable scale in the configuration plane and time has previously been applied. This result improves a previous work where the existence of the n-EC orbits was stated when the mass parameter $$\mu >0$$ μ > 0 was small enough. Moreover, for decreasing values of C, there appear some bifurcations which are first numerically investigated and afterward explicit expressions for the approximation of the bifurcation values of C are discussed. Finally, a detailed analysis of the existence of n-EC orbits when $$\mu \rightarrow 1$$ μ → 1 is also described. In a natural way, Hill’s problem shows up. For this problem, we prove an analytical result on the existence of four families of n-EC orbits, and numerically, we describe them as well as the appearing bifurcations.

Electron–electron interactions and correlations form the basis of difficulties encountered in the theoretical solution of problems dealing with multi-electron systems. Accurate treatment of the electron–electron problem is likely to unravel some nice physical properties of matter embedded in the interaction. In an effort to tackle this many-body problem, a symmetry-dependent all-electron potential generalized for an n -electron atom is suggested in this study. The symmetry dependence in the proposed potential hinges on an empirically determined angular momentum-dependent partitioning fraction for the electron–electron interaction. With the potential, all atoms are treated in the same way regardless of whether they are open or closed shell using their system specific information. The non-relativistic ground-state ionization potentials for atoms with up to 103 electrons generated using the all-electron potential are in reasonable agreement with the existing experimental and theoretical data. The effects of higher-order non-relativistic interactions as well as the finite nuclear mass of the atoms are also analysed.

BackgroundPeer relationships are an important aspect of child development that are often overlooked. Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) may influence peer relationships through intrauterine mechanisms affecting fetal neurodevelopment or through postnatal mechanisms including social discrimination of the obese mother/child. This study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and child peer-relationship problems around 5 years old, including preterm and term-born children.Methods and findingsMaternal BMI and offspring peer-relationship problems were assessed in participants of three French birth cohorts: EDEN (n = 1,184 children born at term), ELFE (n = 10,889 children born ≥33 weeks of gestation) and EPIPAGE-2 (n = 2,646 children born 23–34 weeks of gestation). Reported or measured pre-pregnancy weight (kg) and height (m) were collected from mothers and used to calculate BMI (kg/m2). Offspring peer-relationship problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 5.5 years. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) of a high peer-relationship problem score (≥3) in EDEN and ELFE, and generalized estimated equations were used in EPIPAGE-2 to account for the large number of multiple births. Paternal BMI was used as a negative control in sensitivity analyses. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with increased odds of a high peer-relationship problem score in all three cohorts, independent of confounding factors [adjusted OR 2.27 (1.32, 3.88); 1.52 (1.29, 1.78); 1.44 (1.04, 1.99); for EDEN, ELFE and EPIPAGE-2, respectively]. Additional analysis based on negative controls (i.e., adjusting for paternal BMI) showed the same pattern of associations.ConclusionHigh maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with greater likelihood of a high peer-relationship trouble score in offspring around 5 years of age in both children born preterm and at term.

Abstract Motivated by the Penrose-Onsager criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation we propose a functional theory for targeting low-lying excitation energies of bosonic quantum systems through the one-particle picture. For this, we employ an extension of the Rayleigh-Ritz variational principle to ensemble states with spectrum w and prove a corresponding generalization of the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem: The underlying one-particle reduced density matrix determines all properties of systems of N identical particles in their w-ensemble states. Then, to circumvent the v-representability problem common to functional theories, and to deal with energetic degeneracies, we resort to the Levy-Lieb constrained search formalism in combination with an exact convex relaxation. The corresponding bosonic one-body w-ensemble N-representability problem is solved comprehensively. Remarkably, this reveals a complete hierarchy of bosonic exclusion principle constraints in conceptual analogy to Pauli's exclusion principle for fermions and recently discovered generalizations thereof.

Abstract The long-term dynamical evolution is a crucial point in recent planetary research. Although the amount of observational data is continuously growing and the precision allows us to obtain accurate planetary orbits, the canonical stability analysis still requires N-body simulations and phase space trajectory investigations. We propose a method for stability analysis of planetary motion based on the generalized Rényi entropy obtained from a scalar measurement. The radial velocity data of the central body in the gravitational three-body problem is used as the basis of a phase space reconstruction procedure. Then, Poincaré’s recurrence theorem contributes to finding a natural partitioning in the reconstructed phase space to obtain the Rényi entropy. It turns out that the entropy-based stability analysis is in good agreement with other chaos detection methods, and it requires only a few tens of thousands of orbital period integration time.

In this study, a two-dimensional (2D), steady-state, discrete dynamic model of a double-planet planetary gearset is proposed. The dynamic model is generalized such that it can consist of N number of planet branches and can operate under any operating conditions (load and speed). The contact between each external to external and external to internal gear pair is modeled to obtain stiffnesses and mesh displacement excitations using a generalized load distribution model. The natural modes are computed by solving the corresponding eigenvalue problem. The forced vibration response to gear mesh excitations is obtained by applying the modal summation technique. The model is capable of predicting gear mesh dynamic load and dynamic transmission error spectra for each gear mesh, dynamic bearing load spectra for each bearing as well as gear body dynamic displacements. Forced vibration response of an example system that consists of three double-planet branches is studied to demonstrate the influence of some of the key design parameters.

This paper presents a vector method for measuring rigid body motion from marker coordinates, including both finite and infinitesimal displacement analyses. The common approach to solving the finite displacement problem involves the determination of a rotation matrix, which leads to a nonlinear problem. On the contrary, infinitesimal displacement analysis is a linear problem that can be easily solved. In this paper we take advantage of the linearity of infinitesimal displacement analysis to formulate the equations of finite displacements as a generalization of Rodrigues’ formula when more than three points are used. First, for solving the velocity problem, we propose a simple method based on a mechanical analogy that uses the equations that relate linear and angular momenta to linear and angular velocities, respectively. This approach leads to explicit linear expressions for infinitesimal displacement analysis. These linear equations can be generalized for the study of finite displacements by using an intermediate body whose points are the midpoint of each pair of homologous points at the initial and final positions. This kind of transformation turns the field of finite displacements into a skew-symmetric field that satisfies the same equations obtained for the velocity analysis. Then, simple closed-form expressions for the angular displacement, translation, and position of finite screw axis are presented. Finally, we analyze the relationship between finite and infinitesimal displacements, and propose vector closed-form expressions based on derivatives or integrals, respectively. These equations allow us to make one of both analyses and to obtain the other by means of integration or differentiation. An experiment is presented in order to demonstrate the usefulness of this method. The results show that the use of a set of markers with redundant information (n>3) allows a good accuracy of measurement of kinematic variables.

AbstractWe conducted a multicentre cross-sectional survey of COVID-19 patients to evaluate the acute psychological impact on the patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during isolation treatment based on online questionnaires from 2 February to 5 March 2020. A total of 460 COVID-19 patients from 13 medical centers in Hubei province were investigated for their mental health status using online questionnaires (including Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, and Insomnia Severity Index scales). Among all 460 COVID-19 patients, 187 (40.65%) of them were healthcare workers (HCWs). 297 (64.57%) of them were females. The most common psychological problems were somatization symptoms (66.09%, n = 304), followed by depression (53.48%, n = 246), anxiety (46.30%, n = 213), problems of insomnia (42.01%, n = 171), and then self-mutilating or suicidal thoughts (23.26%, n = 107). Of all the patients, 15.65% (n = 72) had severe somatization symptoms, and 2.83% (n = 13) had severe (almost every day) self-mutilating or suicidal thoughts. The most common psychological problems for HCWs were somatization symptoms (67.84%, n = 125), followed by depression (51.87%, n = 97), anxiety (44.92%, n = 84), problems of insomnia (36.18%, n = 55), and then self-mutilating or suicidal thoughts (20.86%, n = 39). Patients with lower education levels were found to be associated with higher incidence of self-mutilating or suicidal thoughts (odds ratio [OR], 2.68, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.66–4.33 [P < 0.001]). Patients with abnormal body temperature were found to be associated with higher incidence of self-mutilating or suicidal thoughts (OR, 3.97, 95% CI, 2.07–7.63 [P < 0.001]), somatic symptoms (OR, 2.06, 95% CI, 1.20–3.55 [P = 0.009]) and insomnia (OR, 1.66, 95% CI, 1.04–2.65 [P = 0.033]). Those with suspected infected family members displayed a higher prevalence of anxiety than those without infected family members (OR, 1.61, 95% CI, 1.1–2.37 [P = 0.015]). Patients at the age of 18–44 years old had fewer somatic symptoms than those aged over 45 years old (OR, 1.91, 95% CI, 1.3–2.81 [P = 0.001]). In conclusion, COVID-19 patients tended to have a high prevalence of adverse psychological events. Early identification and intervention should be conducted to avoid extreme events such as self-mutilating or suicidal impulsivity for COVID-19 patients, especially for those with low education levels and females who have undergone divorce or bereavement.

Summary The workplace has been suggested as a good setting for the promotion of healthy lifestyles. This article examines the impact of Activate Your Health programme, provided over an average of 1.35 years, on employee health and lifestyle habits (actual and intention to improve). Companies selected one of the programme’s four options (number of interventions in parentheses): Control (2), Light (8), Moderate (13) and High (14). Employees (n = 524) completed an online questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention. Mixed-effect models and generalized estimating equations models were used, where appropriate. There was an interaction effect of time by option for the number of employees intending to improve sleep habits (p = 0.030): +11.0% in Light (p = 0.013). No significant interaction effect of time by option was observed for body weight, body mass index, number of health problems or lifestyle habits (actual and intention to improve). When stratified by sex, there was an interaction effect of time by option for the number of women intending to improve sleep habits (p = 0.023): −26.1% in Moderate (p = 0.014). There was an interaction effect of time by option for body weight in men (p = 0.001): −0.58 kg in High (p = 0.031) and +2.58 kg in Control (p = 0.005). Other outcomes of interest were stable or improved post-intervention, regardless of option. The Activate Your Health programme allowed employees to maintain or improve outcomes related to health and lifestyle habits. A package like High may be beneficial for body weight regulation in men.

COVID-19 is a deadly viral infection that mainly affects the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cavities before the lung in the human body. Early detection followed by immediate treatment can potentially reduce lung invasion and decrease fatality. Recently, several COVID-19 detections methods have been proposed using cough and breath sounds. However, very little study has been done on the use of phoneme analysis and the smearing of the audio signal in COVID-19 detection. In this paper, this problem has been addressed and the classification of speech samples has been carried out in COVID-19-positive and healthy audio samples. Additionally, the grouping of the phonemes based on reference classification accuracies have been proposed for effectiveness and faster detection of the disease at a primary stage. The Mel and Gammatone Cepstral coefficients and their derivatives are used as the features for five standard machine learning-based classifiers. It is observed that the generalized additive model provides the highest accuracy of 97.22% for the phoneme grouping “/t//r//n//g//l/.” This smearing-based phoneme classification technique can also be used in the future to classify other speech-related disease detections.

For a general J wheeled mobile platform capable of up to three-degrees-of-freedom planar motion, there are up to two J independent input parameters yet the output of the platform is completely represented by three independent variables. This leads to an input parameter resolution problem based on operational criteria, which are in development just as they have been developed for n input manipulator systems. To resolve these inputs into a meaningful decision structure means that all motions at the wheel attachment points must have clear physical meaning. To this effect, we propose a methodology for kinematic modeling of multiwheeled mobile platforms using instant centers to efficiently describe the motion of all system points up to the nth order using a generalized algebraic formulation. This is achieved by using a series of instant centers (velocity, acceleration, jerk, and jerk derivative), where each point in the system has a motion property with its magnitude proportional to the radial distance of the point from the associated instant center and at a constant angle relative to that radius. The method of instant center provides a straightforward and physically intuitive way to synthesize a general order planar motion of mobile platforms. It is shown that a general order motion property of any point on a rigid body follows two properties, namely, directionality and proportionality, with respect to the corresponding instant center. The formulation presents a concise expression for a general order motion property of a general point on the rigid body with the magnitude and direction separated and identified. The results are summarized for up to the fifth order motion in the summary table. Based on the initial formulation, we propose the development of operational criteria using higher order properties to efficiently synthesize the motion of a J wheeled mobile platform.