Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University, School of Public Affairs: Digital ScholarshipNot a member yet
21372 research outputs found
Sort by
Design of a Novel Wearable Sensor Device for Real-Time Bolted Joints Health Monitoring
No full textFlanged valves are ubiquitous in oil and gas pipeline networks. The valves help to both connect pipes together and control the flow of fluids. Depending on the location, the valve may experience high temperatures, high pressures, and corrosive agents, all of which degrade the integrity of the flange connection. Thus, flanged valves require regular inspection and maintenance. However, in cases where the valve is located in inaccessible areas, regular inspection can be difficult and costly. While certain methods are currently available for automatic inspection of flanged valves, they often suffer from impracticality issues, such as intrusiveness, unintuitive operation, or sensor fragility. Therefore, this paper introduces a sensing device that, as inspired by wearable technology, can be easily and noninvasively \u27worn\u27 onto the flanged valve and performs measurements in real-time. The device is composed of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers fortified by a layer of cushioning rubber and a metallic outer layer. This paper presents the design of the device, and verifies its performance using a 12-bolted flanged valve recovered from the field. The device is able to accurately track the tightness of the bolted connections. Unlike prior PZT-based monitoring methods, this device shows great promise for practical application
Motion of a superconducting loop in an inhomogeneous magnetic field: A didactic experiment
No full textWe present an experiment conductive to an understanding of both Faraday\u27s law and the properties of the superconducting state. It consists of an analysis of the motion of a superconducting loop moving under the influence of gravity in an inhomogeneous horizontal magnetic field. Gravity, conservation of magnetic flux, and friction combine to give damped harmonic oscillations. The measured frequency of oscillation and the damping constant as a function of the magnetic field strength (the only free parameter) are in good agreement with the theoretical model
Adult height is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: A Mendelian randomisation study
No full textBackground: Observational studies suggest greater height is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk, but cannot exclude bias and/or confounding as explanations for this. Mendelian randomisation (MR) can provide evidence which may be less prone to bias. Methods: We pooled data from 39 Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium studies (16,395 cases; 23,003 controls). We applied two-stage predictor-substitution MR, using a weighted genetic risk score combining 609 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Study-specific odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between genetically predicted height and risk were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Greater genetically predicted height was associated with increased ovarian cancer risk overall (pooled-OR (pOR) = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.11 per 5 cm increase in height), and separately for invasive (pOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) and borderline (pOR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02-1.29) tumours. Conclusions: Women with a genetic propensity to being taller have increased risk of ovarian cancer. This suggests genes influencing height are involved in pathways promoting ovarian carcinogenesis
HIV-TB Coinfection among 57 Million Pregnant Women, Obstetric Complications, Alcohol Use, Drug Abuse, and Depression
Get PDFObjective. HIV and tuberculosis represent diseases of major public health importance worldwide. Very little is known about HIV-TB coinfection among pregnant women, especially from industrialized settings. In this study, we examined the association between TB, HIV, and HIV-TB coinfection among pregnant mothers and obstetric complications, alcohol use, drug abuse, and depression. Method. We examined inpatient hospital discharges in the United States from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2014. We employed multivariable survey logistic regression to generate adjusted estimates for the association between infection status and study outcomes. Results. We analyzed approximately 57 million records of pregnant women and their delivery information. HIV-TB coinfection was associated with the highest risks for several obstetric complications, alcohol use, and drug abuse. The risk for alcohol abuse was more than twice as high among HIV-monoinfected as compared to TB-monoinfected mothers. That risk gap more than doubled with HIV-TB coinfection. Both HIV-monoinfected and HIV-TB coinfected mothers experienced similarly increased risks for depression. Conclusions. Mothers with HIV-TB coinfection experienced relatively heightened risks for obstetric complications, alcohol use, and drug abuse. The findings of this study underscore the importance of augmenting and enhancing social and structural support systems for HIV-TB coinfected pregnant women
Why Kagame Should Not Seek Another Term
Get PDFRecent constitutional changes in Rwanda cleared the way for President Paul Kagame to run for a third, fourth, and fifth term. Kagame expressed his interest in running for a third term in 2017 which he won in August. There is hopefully time to convince President Kagame that his current decision is not in the best interests of Rwanda, but merely self-interest. If Kagame stepped aside in 2017 he would have facilitated the country’s first peaceful transfer of power, respected the rule of law, and protected his own legacy. With his decision to seek a third term he risks international condemnation and loss of foreign aid
Understanding Why Households Foster-in Children: Evidence from Ghana
Get PDFChild fostering – that is, the practice of children living under the care of adults who are not their parents – is pervasive in many African societies. Using data from the 2012/2013 Ghana Living Standards Survey, this analysis examines the determinants of child fostering, with a view to identifying any economic underpinnings. The study’s findings suggest that households employ the fostering-in of children to adjust their size and composition, as well as meet their demand for labor. The results are also indicative that fostered and biological children may largely be treated as substitutes in household decision-making. The findings therefore support the view that child fostering decisions in the developing world are often consistent with rational economic reasoning. These findings have policy implications for the design of social interventions that have a direct bearing on household livelihoods
Academic response to storm-related natural disasters—lessons learned
Get PDFOn 30 October 2017, selected faculty and administrators from Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) grantee institutions gathered to share first-hand accounts of the devastating impact of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which had interrupted academic activities, including research, education, and training in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas. The presenters reviewed emergency response measures taken by their institutions to maintain community health care access and delivery, the storm-related impact on clinical and research infrastructure, and strategies to retain locally grown clinical expertise and translational science research talent in the aftermath of natural disasters. A longer-term perspective was provided through a comparative review of lessons learned by one New Orleans-based institution (now more than a decade post-storm) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Caring for the internal and external communities associated with each institution and addressing the health disparities exacerbated by storm-related events is one key strategy that will pay long-term dividends in the survival of the academic institutions and the communities they serve
Real-time monitoring of bond slip between GFRP bar and concrete structure using piezoceramic transducer-enabled active sensing
No full textGlass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) have received increasing attention in recent years due to their overall performance of light weight, low cost and corrosion resistance, and they are increasingly used as reinforcement in concrete structures. However, GFRP material has low elastic modulus and linear elastic properties compared with steel bars, which introduces different bonding characteristics between bars and concrete. Therefore, a reliable monitoring method is urgently needed to detect the bond slip in GFRP-reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, a piezoceramic-based active sensing approach is proposed and developed to find the debonding between a GFRP bar and the concrete structure. In the proposed method, we utilize PZT (lead zirconate titanate) as two transducers. One acts as an actuator which is buried in the concrete structure, and the other acts as a sensor which is attached to the GFRP bar by taking advantage of machinability of the GRRP material. Both transducers are strategically placed to face each other across from the interface between the GFRP bar and the concrete. The actuator provokes a stress wave that travels through the interface. Meanwhile, the PZT patch that is attached to the GFRP bar is used to detect the propagating stress wave. The bonding condition determines how difficult it is for the stress wave traveling through the interface. The occurrence of a bond slip leads to cracks between the bar and the concrete, which dramatically reduces the energy carried by the stress wave through the interface. In this research, two specimens equipped with the PZT transducers are fabricated, and pull-out tests are conducted. To analyze the active sensing data, we use wavelet packet analysis to compute the energy transferred to the sensing PZT patch throughout the process of debonding. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method can accurately capture the bond slip between the GFRP bar and the concrete