A computer graphics program for general finite element analyses

Documentation for a computer graphics program for displays from general finite element analyses is presented. A general description of display options and detailed user instructions are given. Several plots made in structural, thermal and fluid finite element analyses are included to illustrate program options. Sample data files are given to illustrate use of the program

Any Time? Any Place? The impact on student learning of an on-line learning environment.

Original paper can be found at: http://www.actapress.com/Content_of_Proceeding.aspx?proceedingID=292#pages Copyright ACTA Press [Full text of this paper is not available in the UHRA]An increasing number of HE institutions are adopting virtual and managed learning environments (VLEs and MLEs), which offer flexible access to on-line learning materials all day and every day. There are multiple claims about e-learning enhancing learning and teaching (eg. [1] Britain and Liber, 1999; [2]Conole, 2002; [4]Allen, 2003; [5]Littlejohn and Higginson, 2003) such as supporting active learning, facilitative rather than didactic teaching and increased student motivation but these are not pre determined outcomes. Much depends on how lecturers use the available technology and how students respond to that use. This paper reports on a research project which has evaluated the students' own experience of on-line learning at the University of Hertfordshire. Using its own institution-wide MLE (StudyNet) academic staff at the university have been able to offer students on-line access to their study material from September 2001. Activities available for students using StudyNet include participating in discussion forums, using formative assessment materials and accessing journal articles as well as viewing and downloading courseware for each of their courses. Students were invited to participate in a questionnaire and focus groups to identify the characteristics of the on-line learning environment which benefited their learning

Technology improvement pathways to cost-effective vehicle electrification: Preprint

Electrifying transportation can reduce or eliminate dependence on foreign fuels, emission of green house gases, and emission of pollutants. One challenge is finding a pathway for vehicles that gains wide market acceptance to achieve a meaningful benefit. This paper evaluates several approaches aimed at making plug-in electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) cost-effective including opportunity charging, replacing the battery over the vehicle life, improving battery life, reducing battery cost, and providing electric power directly to the vehicle during a portion of its travel. Many combinations of PHEV electric range and battery power are included. For each case, the model accounts for battery cycle life and the national distribution of driving distances to size the battery optimally. Using the current estimates of battery life and cost, only the dynamically plugged-in pathway was cost-effective to the consumer. Significant improvements in battery life and battery cost also made PHEVs more cost-effective than today’s hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (CVs)

Owner perceptions of their cat's quality of life when treated with a modified University of Wisconsin-Madison protocol for lymphoma

The objectives of this study were to assess owner perceptions of their cat’s quality of life during treatment for lymphoma with a doxorubicin-containing multi-agent chemotherapy protocol, whether various health-related parameters correlated with quality of life scores, and to assess owner satisfaction with the protocol

Complexes of mercury(II) and zinc(II) with primary aromatic amines

A series of amine complexes has been prepared by reaction of zinc chloride and mercuric chloride with primary aromatic amines. A detailed assignment of the bands in the infra-red spectra of the complexes in the range 4000-625 cm [superscript]-1 is presented. The symmetric and asymmetric N-H stretching frequencies follow the relationship v(sym) = 345.5+ 0.876v(asym). The C-N stretching frequencies exhibit a linear relationship with the Hammett α-functions for the m- and p-substituted amines

Imaging haemodynamic changes related to seizures: comparison of EEG-based general linear model, independent component analysis of fMRI and intracranial EEG

Background: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI can reveal haemodynamic changes associated with epileptic activity which may contribute to understanding seizure onset and propagation. Methods: Nine of 83 patients with focal epilepsy undergoing pre-surgical evaluation had seizures during EEG-fMRI and analysed using three approaches, two based on the general linear model (GLM) and one using independent component analysis (ICA): 1. EEGs were divided into up to three phases: early ictal EEG change, clinical seizure onset and late ictal EEG change and convolved with a canonical haemodynamic response function (HRF) (canonical GLM analysis). 2. Seizures lasting three scans or longer were additionally modelled using a Fourier basis set across the entire event (Fourier GLM analysis). 3. Independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to the fMRI data to identify ictal BOLD patterns without EEG. The results were compared with intracranial EEG. Results: The canonical GLM analysis revealed significant BOLD signal changes associated with seizures on EEG in 7/9 patients, concordant with the seizure onset zone in 4/7. The Fourier GLM analysis revealed changes in BOLD signal corresponding with the results of the canonical analysis in two patients. ICA revealed components spatially concordant with the seizure onset zone in all patients (8/9 confirmed by intracranial EEG). Conclusion: Ictal EEG-fMRI visualises plausible seizure related haemodynamic changes. The GLM approach to analysing EEG-fMRI data reveals localised BOLD changes concordant with the ictal onset zone when scalp EEG reflects seizure onset. ICA provides additional information when scalp EEG does not accurately reflect seizures and may give insight into ictal haemodynamics