380,584 research outputs found
Data transfer between Cad system and RP system: a report
Rapid Prototyping (RP) is a technology that transform a design generated in Computer Aided Design (CAD) to a 3D model parts. CAD models are usually done on a CAD system and then transported into the RP system. A good interface between the CAD and the RP system is one of the key factors of producing a good quality prototype. This paper reports on the results of an experimentation carried out to identify the problems in transferring data between a CAD system (UNIGRAPHICS) and an RP system (QUICKSLICE). Based on the experimentation’s results and analysis, a basic guideline is proposed for a safer data transfer between the CAD system (UNIGRAPHICS) and an RP system (QUICKSLICE)
Differentiation of definitive endoderm from human induced pluripotent stem cells on hMSCs feeder in a defined medium
Background: The Definitive Endoderm (DE) differentiation using the undefined media and non-human feeders can cause contaminations in the generated cells for therapeutic applications. Therefore, generating safer and more appropriate DE cells is needed. This study compared five different methods to establish an appropriate method for inducing an efficient DE differentiation from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) on an appropriate feeder in a more defined medium. Methods: Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) were cultured on inactivated feeders. Passaged hiPSCs, without feeder, were incubated for three days with Activin-A and different endodermal differentiation media including 1-FBS, 2-B27, 3- ITS and albumin fraction-V, 4-B27 and ITS and 5-like the third medium. The feeder cells in the first four methods were Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) and in the fifth method were human adult bone marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs). DE markers FOXA2, SOX17 and CXCR4 and also pluripotency marker OCT4 were evaluated using qRT-PCR, as well as FOXA2 by the immunocytochemistry. Results: QRT-PCR analysis showed that after three days, the expression levels of DE and pluripotency markers in the differentiated hiPSCs among all five groups did not have any significant differences. Similarly, the immunocytochemistry analysis demonstrated that the differentiated hiPSCs expressed FOXA2, with no significant differences. Conclusion: Despite this similarity in the results, the third differentiation medium has more defined and cost effective components. Furthermore, hMSC, a human feeder, is safer than MEF. Therefore, the fifth method is preferable among other DE differentiation methods and can serve as a fundamental method helping the development of regenerative medicine. © 2016, Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology. All rights reserved
Classification of agricultural systems based on pesticide use intensity and safety
An analysis of socio-economic driving forces in crop protection is proposed to improve the implementation of sustainable strategies. The analysis includes: (1) a classification of agricultural systems based on pesticide use intensity and safety, (2) an evaluation of the profitability of farming systems and identification of socio-economic factors that influence pesticide use and (3) formulation of policy recommendations. We find that for cereals and for fruit trees alike, crop yields are much higher for agricultural systems with high doses of pesticides. The safety of applied pesticides does not affect crop protection costs significantly. For cropping systems characterised by low-intensity in pesticide use, the application of safer products has a positive effect on reduction of crop protection costs.pesticide use, driving forces in crop protection, economic analysis of agricultural systems, Crop Production/Industries,
Parallelism-Aware Memory Interference Delay Analysis for COTS Multicore Systems
In modern Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) multicore systems, each core can
generate many parallel memory requests at a time. The processing of these
parallel requests in the DRAM controller greatly affects the memory
interference delay experienced by running tasks on the platform. In this paper,
we model a modern COTS multicore system which has a nonblocking last-level
cache (LLC) and a DRAM controller that prioritizes reads over writes. To
minimize interference, we focus on LLC and DRAM bank partitioned systems. Based
on the model, we propose an analysis that computes a safe upper bound for the
worst-case memory interference delay. We validated our analysis on a real COTS
multicore platform with a set of carefully designed synthetic benchmarks as
well as SPEC2006 benchmarks. Evaluation results show that our analysis is more
accurately capture the worst-case memory interference delay and provides safer
upper bounds compared to a recently proposed analysis which significantly
under-estimate the delay.Comment: Technical Repor
Sexual Pressure and Safer Sex Behaviors among Women Who Have Sex with Women and Women Who Have Sex with Men
Purpose: Women who experience sexual pressure are less likely to use condoms and other safer sexual behaviors despite having knowledge of or intentions to do so (Fair & Vanyur, 2011). This may be one reason women disproportionately contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs; CDC, 2010). What is not known is if sexual pressure and safer sexual behaviors differ between women who have sex with women (WSW) and women who have sex with men (WSM). The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between sexual pressure and safer sex behaviors among these women.
Method: This exploratory study is a secondary analysis of a larger study examining the psychometric properties of a new instrument assessing sexual risk.
Sample: Women (N = 349; 18 – 32 yrs.) participated.
Procedure: After IRB approval, all undergraduate women attending OSU were sent an advertisement for the parent study. Interested women contacted the PI and were sent information and a link to register for the study. On the study site women answered questions about their eligibility, completed an electronic informed consent, and responded to a series of questionnaires assessing their sexual risk and demographic information. Women, 2-weeks later, were invited back to complete the questionnaires for test-retest reliability for the parent study with a 98% return rate. For this analysis, the relationship between three single-item questions regarding perceived pressure to engage in sexual activity and a composite score of safer sex behaviors (DiIorio’s Safer Sex Behavior Questionnaire) will be analyzed from the initial data. Difference by sub-group (WSM and WSW) of the major study variables of sexual pressure and safer sex will also be examined.
Results: Moderate levels of sexual pressure and safer sex behaviors were experienced in both groups. WSW and WSM had no significant differences in levels of safer sex behaviors. The only difference in sexual pressure was having sex before ready; WSW were significantly more likely to do so. In general, sexual pressure variables related to each other and are negatively associated with safer sex behaviors.
Conclusions: More research is required to better understand the sexual behaviors of WSW to tailor interventions for this population. Practitioners need to be aware of that both groups need interventions to counteract sexual pressure. Development and testing of interventions that focus on assertive communication skills are needed to empower women in sexual health decision-making.No embarg
Toward Safer Skies: An Analysis of Global Governance Gaps and Civil Aviation Accidents
Billions of people around the world use the global airspace system for their travel needs every year. Given the rising number of passengers traveling by air annually, it is crucial that pilots, airlines, regulatory agencies, governments, and international organizations work together to ensure the integrity of a safe and efficient global airspace system. While air travel is statistically one of the safest forms of transportation, accidents in which civilian aircraft operating on standard routes and schedules are shot down are not unprecedented. Not all airspace around the globe designated for civilian use is free from geopolitical conflict. In this project, I consider the role that global governance gaps, which stem from the idea that there is no single global government, play in producing unsafe airspace and situations in which civilian airliners are downed. Two incidents from the late Cold War, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 and Iran Air Flight 655, and one recent incident, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, are reviewed. Using archival material and official responses of pertinent parties to each of the three selected incidents, this study investigates the constellations of global governance gaps and related factors that are responsible for producing instances of airliner downings that the international community should endeavor to avoid in the future. The project seeks to contribute to ongoing discussions about aviation policy decisions and safety practices that aircraft operators, governments, and international organizations might employ to mitigate the occurrence of similar accidents in the future
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