Determining factors in the overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless: Evidence from Madrid, Spain.

People living homeless are quite heterogeneous groups, including different subgroups with specific characteristics that vary substantially. Within this group, women living homeless are an understudied subgroup with specific necessities which in most cases have not been addressed in general studies related to the group. The present study examines determining factors that influence the levels of overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless. To fulfill this objective, a survey was conducted on a group of women living homeless in the city of Madrid (Spain). The results of a structural equation modeling analysis found that having a larger and stable social support network, loneliness, and good health conditions without any problems associated with drug abuse are the main factors influencing their levels of overall happiness and their outlook for the future. The proposed model has also shown that stressful life events play an important role in the analysis, unlike economic aspects, which have a limited impact on their situation. This article provides new information and innovation in research about homelessness, in particular women living homeless, thus being important for extending and replicating its findings to an international context.

Modeling of the Influence of Input AM Parameters on Dimensional Error and Form Errors in PLA Parts Printed with FFF Technology.

As is widely known, additive manufacturing (AM) allows very complex parts to be manufactured with porous structures at a relatively low cost and in relatively low manufacturing times. However, it is necessary to determine in a precise way the input values that allow better results to be obtained in terms of microgeometry, form errors, and dimensional error. In an earlier work, the influence of the process parameters on surface roughness obtained in fused filament fabrication (FFF) processes was analyzed. This present study focuses on form errors as well as on dimensional error of hemispherical cups, with a similar shape to that of the acetabular cup of hip prostheses. The specimens were 3D printed in polylactic acid (PLA). Process variables are nozzle diameter, temperature, layer height, print speed, and extrusion multiplier. Their influence on roundness, concentricity, and dimensional error is considered. To do this, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) models were used. It was observed that dimensional error, roundness, and concentricity depend mainly on the nozzle diameter and on layer height. Moreover, high nozzle diameter of 0.6 mm and high layer height of 0.3 mm are not recommended. A desirability function was employed along with the ANFIS models in order to determine the optimal manufacturing conditions. The main aim of the multi-objective optimization study was to minimize average surface roughness (Ra) and roundness, while dimensional error was kept within the interval Dimensional Error≤0.01. When the simultaneous optimization of both the internal and the external surface of the parts is performed, it is recommended that a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm be used, to have a temperature of 197 °C, a layer height of 0.1 mm, a print speed of 42 mm/s, and extrusion multiplier of 94.8%. This study will help to determine the influence of the process parameters on the quality of the manufactured parts.

Analysis of AM Parameters on Surface Roughness Obtained in PLA Parts Printed with FFF Technology.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology allows very complex parts to be obtained at a relatively low cost and in reduced manufacturing times. In the present work, the effect of main 3D printing parameters on roughness obtained in curved surfaces is addressed. Polylactic acid (PLA) hemispherical cups were printed with a shape similar to that of the acetabular part of the hip prostheses. Different experiments were performed according to a factorial design of experiments, with nozzle diameter, temperature, layer height, print speed and extrusion multiplier as variables. Different roughness parameters were measured-Ra, Rz, Rku, Rsk-both on the outer surface and on the inner surface of the parts. Arithmetical mean roughness value Ra and greatest height of the roughness profile Rz are usually employed to compare the surface finish among different manufacturing processes. However, they do not provide information about the shape of the roughness profile. For this purpose, in the present work kurtosis Rku and skewness Rsk were used. If the height distribution in a roughness profile follows a normal law, the Rku parameter will take a value of 3. If the profile distribution is symmetrical, the Rsk parameter will take a value of 0. Adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models were obtained for each response. Such models are often employed to model different manufacturing processes, but their use has not yet been extended to 3D printing processes. All roughness parameters studied depended mainly on layer height, followed by nozzle diameter. In the present work, as a general trend, Rsk was close to but lower than 0, while Rku was slightly lower than 3. This corresponds to slightly higher valleys than peaks, with a rounded height distribution to some degree.

Immigrant women living homeless in Madrid (Spain).

Homeless people are one of the most obvious embodiments of the phenomenon of social exclusion, and homeless immigrants and homeless women are considered 2 particularly vulnerable groups. The objective of this article is to analyze the differences between women living homeless born in Spain (nonimmigrants) and those born abroad (immigrants). The study was carried out based on the data obtained from a sample of women living homeless in Madrid (Spain; N = 136). The information was collected using a structured interview. The results show major similarities between immigrant and nonimmigrant homeless women in terms of their basic sociodemographic characteristics (age, marital status, number of children), their state of health, satisfaction with their family and/or partner relationships, and feelings of loneliness or abandonment. Fewer immigrant women had their documentation in order, they received fewer financial benefits and their contact with their family of origin was more limited. However, the immigrant women became homeless at an older age and were subject to less chronic homelessness, their levels of consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances were lower, they had experienced fewer stressful life events, more of them had completed higher education, and more of them used mobile telephones and the Internet. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimal Machining Strategy Selection in Ball-End Milling of Hardened Steels for Injection Molds.

In the present study, the groups of cutting conditions that minimize surface roughness and its variability are determined, in ball-end milling operations. Design of experiments is used to define experimental tests performed. Semi-cylindrical specimens are employed in order to study surfaces with different slopes. Roughness was measured at different slopes, corresponding to inclination angles of 15°, 45°, 75°, 90°, 105°, 135° and 165° for both climb and conventional milling. By means of regression analysis, second order models are obtained for average roughness Ra and total height of profile Rt for both climb and conventional milling. Considered variables were axial depth of cut ap, radial depth of cut ae, feed per tooth fz, cutting speed vc, and inclination angle Ang. The parameter ae was the most significant parameter for both Ra and Rt in regression models. Artificial neural networks (ANN) are used to obtain models for both Ra and Rt as a function of the same variables. ANN models provided high correlation values. Finally, the optimal machining strategy is selected from the experimental results of both average and standard deviation of roughness. As a general trend, climb milling is recommended in descendant trajectories and conventional milling is recommended in ascendant trajectories. This study will allow the selection of appropriate cutting conditions and machining strategies in the ball-end milling process.

Clinical and molecular characterization of a cardiac ryanodine receptor founder mutation causing catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a difficult-to-diagnose cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD). We identified a family of 1400 individuals with multiple cases of CPVT, including 36 SCDs during youth. OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify the genetic cause of CPVT in this family, to preventively treat and clinically characterize the mutation-positive individuals, and to functionally characterize the pathogenic mechanisms of the mutation. METHODS: Genetic testing was performed for 1404 relatives. Mutation-positive individuals were preventively treated with ß-blockers and clinically characterized with a serial exercise treadmill test (ETT) and Holter monitoring. In vitro functional studies included caffeine sensitivity and store overload-induced calcium release activity of the mutant channel in HEK293 cells. RESULTS: We identified the p.G357S_RyR2 mutation, in the cardiac ryanodine receptor, in 179 family members and in 6 SCD cases. No SCD was observed among treated mutation-positive individuals over a median follow-up of 37 months; however, 3 relatives who had refused genetic testing (confirmed mutation-positive individuals) experienced SCD. Holter monitoring did not provide relevant information for CPVT diagnosis. One single ETT was unable to detect complex cardiac arrhythmias in 72% of mutation-positive individuals, though the serial ETT improved the accuracy. Functional studies showed that the G357S mutation increased caffeine sensitivity and store overload-induced calcium release activity under conditions that mimic catecholaminergic stress. CONCLUSION: Our study supports the use of genetic testing to identify individuals at risk of SCD to undertake prophylactic interventions. We also show that the pathogenic mechanisms of p.G357S_RyR2 appear to depend on ß-adrenergic stimulation.

Cavitation in Block Copolymer Modified Epoxy Revealed by In Situ Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering.

Simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and tensile experiments were performed on epoxies modified with approximately 30 nm diameter rubbery and glassy core block copolymer micelles. The in situ SAXS data, interpreted using established analytical models, reveals efficient and coherent cavitation of the spherical rubbery cores coincident with yielding and absence of cavitation in the glassy nanodomains. These results are quantitatively anticipated by recent theory that accounts for cavitation in rubber toughened plastics as a function of particle size.

Role of Localized Network Damage in Block Copolymer Toughened Epoxies.

The underlying mechanisms responsible for the toughening of block copolymer modified thermoset epoxies are not completely understood. A current theory targets cavitation of the rubbery cores in dispersed micelles as the key event that triggers shear yielding, resulting in enhanced toughness. To evaluate this hypothesis, we prepared spherical micelle forming block copolymers with rubbery cores (prone to cavitation) and glassy cores (unable to cavitate). Surprisingly, both systems enhance fracture toughness, although the rubbery core micelles outperform the glassy core counterparts. This finding challenges previous deductions regarding the toughening mechanism. We propose that the mechanical integrity of the region immediately surrounding the micelle core is compromised by the presence of the corona blocks, facilitating local deformation of the matrix. We speculate that the compliant nature of the rubber amplifies this effect.