Evaporative cooling on a grooved surface

The transition point where water begins to accumulate on the surface during spray evaporative cooling was investigated experimentally to determine the temperatures and corresponding heat flux at which this transition occurs. Several pressure ranges were considered including one below the triple point of water. Additionally, the results using a grooved surface were compared to those using a smooth surface. It was determined that a grooved surface has no effect on the heat transfer

Design of a wrist and gripping mechanism for an upper limb prosthesis specifically for the game of golf

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, February 2009."June 2008." According to the MIT Registrar's Office degree list, the author graduated on Feb. 18th, 2009. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 29).An upper limb prosthesis used for the game of golf was designed. More specifically, the wrist and gripping mechanism was designed. The motivating factor behind his project was to improve a player's ability to make a smooth, reliable golf swing. An improved design was conceived that can overcome these limitations. Consideration was given to their design in order to overcome its limitations, especially for amputees that have lost their arm above the elbow. This project dealt primarily with only the gripping mechanism of the prosthesis. The rest of the prosthesis was worked on by another student. This project accomplished the primary goal of designing a simple device that addresses various problems in existing prosthetic devices.by Michael D. Yoder.S.B

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SHROOM PROTEIN FAMILY MEMBER, SHROOM4, AND ITS ROLE IN CYTOSKELETAL REARRANGEMENTS

The ability of an organism to adapt to its surrounding environment is at the essence of survival. In metazoa, this ability starts at the level of the individual cell, which utilizes a specialized set of cytoskeletal proteins to determine their overall shape and the organization of their intracellular protein complexes and organelles. During embryonic development, the dynamic nature of the actin cytoskeleton is critical for virtually all morphogenic events requiring changes in cell shape, migration, adhesion, and division. The behavior of the actin cytoskeleton is modulated by a myriad of accessory proteins. Shroom3 (Shrm3) is an actin binding protein that regulates neural tube morphogenesis by eliciting changes in cell shape through a myosin II-dependent pathway. The Shroom-related gene SHROOM4 (formerly called KIAA1202) has also been implicated in neural development, as mutations in this gene are associated with human X-linked mental retardation. To better understand the function of Shrm4 in embryonic development, the mouse Shrm4 gene was cloned and its protein product was characterized both in vivo and in vitro. Shrm4 is expressed in a wide range of tissue types during mouse development, including the vascular endothelium of the lung and the polarized epithelium of the neural tube and kidney. In endothelial cells and embryo fibroblasts, endogenous Shrm4 co-distributes with myosin II to a distinct cytoplasmic population of F-actin and ectopic expression of Shrm4 in multiple cell types enhances or induces the formation of this actin-based structure. This localization is mediated, at least in part, by the direct interaction of Shrm4 and F-actin. The actin-binding motif of mShrm4 defines a novel actin-binding element that has not yet been described in other proteins. The results described here suggest that mShrm4 is a regulator of the actin cytoskeleton and may play an important role during vertebrate development, particularly in the developing vasculature

Commentary: An Idea for Restructuring the Basic Communication Course: A Time When Needed Modular Approach

This commentary suggests a different way of structuring the basic communication course. Instead of trying to teach a variety of communication course, this commentary develops a modular approach to the basic course to be taught in smaller units and at times in a student\u27s studies when the communication skills in the specific units are more relevant. A tentative schedule for the units is suggested

Estimation Of Reference Crop Evapotranspiration Using Fuzzy State Models

Daily evapotranspiration (ET) rates are needed for irrigation scheduling. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining accurate field measurements, ET rates are commonly estimated from weather parameters. A few empirical or semi–empirical methods have been developed for assessing daily reference crop ET, which is converted to actual crop ET using crop coefficients. The FAO Penman–Monteith method, which is now accepted as the standard method for the computation of daily reference ET, is sophisticated. It requires several input parameters, some of which have no actual measurements but are estimated from measured weather parameters. In this study, we examined the suitability of fuzzy logic for estimating daily reference ET with simpler and fewer parameters. Two fuzzy evapotranspiration models, using two or three input parameters, were developed and applied to estimate grass ET. Independent weather parameters from sites representing arid and humid climates were used to test the models. The fuzzy estimated ET values were compared with direct ET measurements from grass–covered weighing lysimeters, and with ET estimations obtained using the FAO Penman–Monteith and the Hargreaves–Samani equations. The estimated ET values from a fuzzy model using three input parameters (Syx = 0.54 mm, r2 = 0.90) were found to be comparable to ET values estimated with the FAO Penman–Monteith equation (Syx = 0.50 mm, r2 = 0.91) and were more accurate than those obtained by the Hargreaves–Samani equation (Syx = 0.66 mm, r2 = 0.53). These results show that fuzzy evapotranspiration models with simpler and fewer input parameters can yield accurate estimation of ET

Wellbeing and Resilience: A Grounded Theory Using a Trauma-Informed Lens for a Healing-Centered Peacebuilding

In many parts of the world, entire generations and nations live in chronic violence and have existed in survival mode for decades. The exposure to violence has long-lasting effects that are not well accounted for in conflict analysis, stabilization efforts, peacebuilding, and governance initiatives. Extreme exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, and marginalization negatively affects levels of resilience and the ability of affected nations to transition from war to peace. Symptoms associated with trauma in individuals influence all levels of society and aspects of governance and security when large segments of a population are affected. There are three mainstream responses: the mental health approach, the psychosocial approach, and the “ignore it” approach. The study used Grounded Theory methodology within an action research framework to develop a new approach. The new approach gives a name to an approach not uncommon among peacebuilders dealing with the impacts of violence and trauma. A healing-centered peacebuilding approach refers to ways in which leaders, programs, and organizations mitigate the impact of chronic violence, bringing trauma awareness, knowledge, and skills into their organizational cultures, practices, and policies. A healing-centered peacebuilding approach requires fundamental changes in how systems are designed, organizations function, and practitioners engage with people, their communities, and their institutions. Key elements of the practice-based approach from the research included Inclusion, Customization, and Contextualization, Breaking Cycles of Violence, Systems Thinking, and Trauma-Informed Tools. A healing-centered peacebuilding approach considers mental distress to be a critical variable in violent conflict and instability. Trauma is not only a consequence of violence but also a cause of instability

Low Temperature Deposition of Si02 Films by ECR

SiO films of high quality have been deposited by Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) at temperatures less than 400 ° C. Chemistries of 02 and 25 % SiHqin Ar were used. Deposition rates of about 220 A/minute were obtained, studying films of typical thicknesses of 1100 A. Characteristics of the films studied include refractive index of 1.467 — 1.477, dielectric strengths of 5.0 — 9.0 MV/cm, dielectric constants of 3.8 — 4.2, and buffered HF etch rates of 19 - 21 A/second. These characteristics were shown to degrade around a deposition temperature of 200 °C, with temperatures on either side of this range yielding better characteristics. Optical emission spectroscopy was also utilized to identify the species present in the plasma