Potential High-Temperature Shape-Memory-Alloy Actuator Material Identified

Shape-memory alloys are unique "smart materials" that can be used in a wide variety of adaptive or "intelligent" components. Because of a martensitic solid-state phase transformation in these materials, they can display rather unusual mechanical properties including shape-memory behavior. This phenomenon occurs when the material is deformed at low temperatures (below the martensite finish temperature, Mf) and then heated through the martensite-to-austenite phase transformation. As the material is heated to the austenite finish temperature Af, it is able to recover its predeformed shape. If a bias is applied to the material as it tries to recover its original shape, work can be extracted from the shape-memory alloy as it transforms. Therefore, shape-memory alloys are being considered for compact solid-state actuation devices to replace hydraulic, pneumatic, or motor-driven systems

Form, function and physics: The ecology of biogenic stabilization

The effect of biological cohesion on the behaviour of sediments is gaining increasing notice. This is partly supported by ecological theory in terms of the role of organisms as “ecosystem engineers” and the associated discussion of “niche construction”, suggesting an evolutionary role for habitat modification by biological action. In addition there is a strong societal and policy drive toward the “ecosystem approach” supporting an integrated examination of the functional roles of biota in selected habitats. In this context the increasing recognition of the importance of biological activity in the mediation the erosion, transport, deposition and consolidation (ETDC) cycle of sediments is important and advances in technology will improve our ability to examine these effect under their natural settings. This will shortly be combined with vastly enhanced molecular tools that will allowthe discrimination of microbial biodiversity and examination of their metabolism contribution to ecosystem function. This may lead to a step-change in our ability to research the influence of microbiota on natural sediment dynamics and opens an exciting era for new interdisciplinary research

A Subsumption Agent for Collaborative Free Improvisation

This paper discusses the design and evaluation of an artificial agent for collaborative musical free improvisation. The agent provides a means to investigate the underpinnings of improvisational interaction. In connection with this general goal, the system is also used here to explore the implementation of a collaborative musical agent using a specific robotics architecture, Subsumption. The architecture of the system is explained, and its evaluation in an empirical study with expert improvisors is discussed. A follow-up study using a second iteration of the system is also presented. The system design and connected studies bring together Subsumption robotics, ecological psychology, and musical improvisation, and contribute to an empirical grounding of an ecological theory of improvisation

Built environment and active play among Washington DC metropolitan children: A protocol for a cross-sectional study

Research has demonstrated that children who participate in active play are more likely to be physically active, thereby improving long-term health outcomes. Many adult studies have also shown that neighborhood built environments can encourage or discourage routine physical activity. Limited evidence has demonstrated that children who reside in neighborhoods with a built environment that is more inviting to active play exhibit lower overweight and obesity rates as well as an overall better state of well-being. This Built Environment and Active Play (BEAP) Study aims to develop a neighborhood playability rating system in the Washington, DC (DMV) area. Similar to walkability scores, these playability scores will estimate how affable a neighborhood is to active play. The BEAP Study will attempt to provide a broad view of factors influencing the level and type of active play among children. Using a cross-sectional design, the BEAP Study will collect data using a mail questionnaire administered to the parents and/or guardians of 2000 children aged 7-12 years residing in select DMV areas in October of 2014. Questionnaire data, including information on active play, home and neighborhood characteristics, parental perceptions, and sociodemographic characteristics will be merged through a geographic information system (GIS) with objective built environment measures in the participants’ neighborhoods. An ordered logit model will be used to regress an ordinal active play outcome on built environment exposure variables while adjusting for potential confounders. Upon the construction of the final model, predictor coefficients will be used as parameters in the scoring system to develop neighborhood playability scores. The BEAP Study intends to generate a neighborhood playability index by characterizing and quantifying children’s active play using parent-reported physical activity data in children, GIS data and built environment measures in participant neighborhoods. The BEAP Study will improve our understanding of the built environment and childhood playability relationship while also contributing to the body of evidence-based built environment and physical activity research.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-015-0070-

Potential High-Temperature Shape-Memory Alloys Identified in the Ti(Ni,Pt) System

"Shape memory" is a unique property of certain alloys that, when deformed (within certain strain limits) at low temperatures, will remember and recover to their original predeformed shape upon heating. It occurs when an alloy is deformed in the low-temperature martensitic phase and is then heated above its transformation temperature back to an austenitic state. As the material passes through this solid-state phase transformation on heating, it also recovers its original shape. This behavior is widely exploited, near room temperature, in commercially available NiTi alloys for connectors, couplings, valves, actuators, stents, and other medical and dental devices. In addition, there are limitless applications in the aerospace, automotive, chemical processing, and many other industries for materials that exhibit this type of shape-memory behavior at higher temperatures. But for high temperatures, there are currently no commercial shape-memory alloys. Although there are significant challenges to the development of high-temperature shape-memory alloys, at the NASA Glenn Research Center we have identified a series of alloy compositions in the Ti-Ni-Pt system that show great promise as potential high-temperature shape-memory materials

Suggested Insecticides for Managing Cotton Insects in the Southern, Eastern and Blackland Areas of Texas--2008

15 pp., 5 tablesThis publication lists suggested insecticides (by brand name) and application rates for controlling cotton pests found in the Southern, Eastern and Blackland areas of Texas. This publication should be used in conjunction with publication E-5 (nonchemical pest management practices) to avoid insecticide misuse

Probation staff experiences of managing suicidal and self-harming service users

The current study sought to explore the impact of suicidal behaviours on probation staff, in relation to their experiences of working with Probation service users who have carried out suicide, attempted suicide or self-harm. Thirteen in-depth interviews were carried out with probation staff who had direct contact with Probation service users in one Probation area, and had varying degrees of experience of managing suicidal or self-injurious service users. These were analysed using Thematic Analysis and five themes were identified. Findings indicate that staff felt that suicide and self-harm by service users are serious issues which need to be recognised and dealt with in an effective yet compassionate manner. However not attending the Suicide Prevention Training or lack of experience was perceived as restricting their ability to know how to deal with these individuals, and offer support. Furthermore, staff were emotionally affected by these incidents and it is recommend that they should continue to be provided with access to appropriate support services after an incident

Managing Cotton Insects in the Southern, Eastern and Blackland Areas of Texas 2008

17 pp., 15 tables, 2 charts, 10 drawingsCotton insect management techniques, including cultural control techniques that reduce the risk of crop damage, are discussed. The emphasis is on monitoring and identifying insect populations in cotton. A supplement (E-5A) lists insecticides recommended for cotton insect control

Automatic composition of music by means of Grammatical Evolution

This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive Version of Record was published in APL Quote Quad, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/604444.602249Proceedings of the 2002 conference on APL: array processing languages: lore, problems, and applications (Madrid)This work describes how grammatical evolution may be applied to the domain of automatic composition. Our goal is to test this technique as an alternate tool for automatic composition. The AP440 auxiliary processor will be used to play music, thus we shall use a grammar that generates AP440 melodies. Grammar evolution will use fitness functions defined from several well-known single melodies to automatically generate AP440 compositions that are expected to sound like those composed by human musicians.This paper has been sponsored by the Spanish Interdepartmental Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), project numbers TEL1999-0181 and TIC2001-0685-C02-1

International Trade and Investment Sanctions

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the theory of international economic sanctions and to provide estimates of the short-run economic impact on South Africa of externally imposed reductions of the imports and capital flows into that country. A macroeconomic picture of South Africa's "dependence" is drawn, and the economy's vulnerability in the short run is seen to be in its capacity to import, not in exports or capital flows. Trade and capital sanctions most clearly damage South Afnca's growth potential; the short-run impact is harder to quantify. A static linear programming model of the South African economy is constructed in an attempt at this quantification. This model estimates that small sanctions would have small impact—i.e., if imports were reduced by less than one-fourth, GDP would be cut by only about one half as large a percentage as imports. Larger import reductions cause greater damage. If imports were to be cut in half, not only would GDP be seriously reduced but massive unemployment and relocation of white labor would occur.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68182/2/10.1177_002200277902300401.pd