A General Design Rule for Bearing Failure of Bolted Connections Between Cold-formed Steel Strips

This paper presents the results of a finite element investigation on the structural performance of cold-formed steel bolted connections. A parametric study on various connection configurations was performed to relate the bearing resistances of cold-formed steel bolted connections with steel strengths and thicknesses, and bolt diameters. A semi-empirical design rule for bearing resistances of bolted connections based on finite element results is proposed in which the bearing resistances are directly related with the design yield strength, and the design tensile strength of steel strips, steel thickness, and also with bolt diameters. Design expressions for resistance contributions due to both bearing and friction actions are given after calibration against finite element results

Action Learning with Second Life - A Pilot Study

Virtual worlds, computer-based simulated environments in which users interact via avatars, provide an opportunity for the highly realistic enactment of real life activities online. Unlike computer games, which have a pre-defined purpose, pay-off structure, and action patterns, virtual worlds can leave many of these elements for users to determine. One such world, Second Life (SL), is frequently used as platform for revenue generation, information and knowledge sharing, and learning. As a learning environment, Second Life appears to be particularly amenable to action learning, where learners are not simply observers, but plan, implement, observe, and draw conclusions from their actions. We tested the usefulness of SL as an action learning environment in a senior course for management information systems students. The findings demonstrate learning in the SL environment contributes to the students’ perceived value of learning through the Action Learning steps

Finding symmetry in models of concurrent systems by static channel diagram analysis

Over the last decade there has been much interest in exploiting symmetry to combat the state explosion problem in model checking. Although symmetry in a model often arises as a result of symmetry in the topology of the system being modelled, most model checkers which exploit structural symmetry are limited to topologies which exhibit total symmetries, such as stars and cliques. We define the static channel diagram of a concurrent, message passing program, and show that under certain restrictions there is a correspondence between symmetries of the static channel diagram of a program and symmetries of the Kripke structure associated with the program. This allows the detection, and potential exploitation, of structural symmetry in systems with arbitrary topologies. Our method of symmetry detection can handle mobile systems where channel references are passed on channels, resulting in a dynamic communication structure. We illustrate our results with an example using the Promela modelling language

Mallampati score is a good and independent predictive factor for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)

published_or_final_versio

Anaerobic co-digestion of Euphorbia tirucalli with pig blood for volatile fatty acid production

Acidogenic fermentation of biomass to produce volatile fatty acids provides a renewable pathway to industrial chemicals ordinarily derived from petrochemicals. Crassulacean acid metabolism plants such as Euphorbia tirucalli are cultivable on marginal land and offer promising feedstocks for this purpose. This study investigated how the refining of E. tirucalli biomass to fatty acids could be augmented with a high-protein co-substrate, pig blood. Blood mono-digestions provided the highest titres of total fatty acid (up to 38 ± 2 g/L), while at high substrate concentrations, acetic acid was maximal in co-digestions. 75 % blood with 25 % E. tirucalli produced acetic acid titres 40.8 % (p < 0.001) and 30.8 % (p = 0.001) higher than those in mono-digestions of E. tirucalli and blood, respectively. Where acetate is the desired product, inclusion of blood as a co-substrate offers significant benefit for Euphorbia biorefining

Non-thermal Origin of the EUV and Soft X-rays from the Coma Cluster - Cosmic Rays in Equipartition with the Thermal Medium

The role of cosmic rays (CR) in the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies has been much debated. It may well be related to other fundamental questions, such as the mechanism which heats and virializes the intracluster medium (ICM), and the frequency at which the ICM is shocked. There is now compelling evidence both from the cluster soft excess (CSE) and the `hard-tail' emissions at energies above 10 keV, that many clusters are luminous sources of inverse-Compton (IC) emission. This is the first direct measurement of cluster CR: the technique is free from our uncertainties in the ICM magnetic field, and is not limited to the small subset of clusters which exhibit radio halos. The CSE emitting electrons fall within a crucial decade of energy where they have the least spectral evolution, and where most of the CR pressure resides. However their survival times do not date them back to the relic CR population. By using the CSE data of the Coma cluster, we demonstrate that the CR are energetically as important as the thermal ICM: the two components are in pressure equiparition. Thus, contrary to previous expectations, CR are a dominant component of the ICM, and their origin and effects should be explored. The best-fit CR spectral index is in agreement with the Galactic value.Comment: ApJ accepted; 10 pages LaTeX; 2 figures and 1 table in PostScrip

Outcomes in Trials for Management of Caries Lesions (OuTMaC):protocol

Background Clinical trials on caries lesion management use an abundance of outcomes, hampering comparison or combination of different study results and their efficient translation into clinical practice. Core outcome sets are an agreed standardized collection of outcomes which should be measured and reported in all trials for a specific clinical area. We aim to develop a core outcome set for trials investigating management of caries lesions in primary or permanent teeth conducted in primary or secondary care encompassing all stages of disease. Methods To identify existing outcomes, trials on prevention and trials on management of caries lesions will be screened systematically in four databases. Screening, extraction and deduplication will be performed by two researchers until consensus is reached. The definition of the core outcome set will by based on an e-Delhi consensus process involving key stakeholders namely patients, dentists, clinical researchers, health economists, statisticians, policy-makers and industry representatives. For the first stage of the Delphi process, a patient panel and a separate panel consisting of researchers, clinicians, teachers, industry affiliated researchers, policy-makers, and other interested parties will be held. An inclusive approach will be taken to involve panelists from a wide variety of socio-economic and geographic backgrounds. Results from the first round will be summarized and fed back to individuals for the second round, where panels will be combined and allowed to modify their scoring in light of the full panel’s opinion. Necessity for a third round will be dependent on the outcome of the first two. Agreement will be measured via defined consensus rules; up to a maximum of seven outcomes. If resources allow, we will investigate features that influence decision making for different groups. Discussion By using an explicit, transparent and inclusive multi-step consensus process, the planned core outcome set should be justifiable, relevant and comprehensive. The dissemination and application of this core outcome set should improve clinical trials on managing caries lesions and allow comparison, synthesis and implementation of scientific data. Trial registration Registered 12 April 2015 at COMET (http://www.comet-initiative.org

Orthogonal Adsorption Onto Nano-Graphene Oxide Using Different Intermolecular Forces for Multiplexed Delivery

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Wang, F., Liu, B., Ip, A. C.-F., & Liu, J. (2013). Orthogonal Adsorption Onto Nano-Graphene Oxide Using Different Intermolecular Forces for Multiplexed Delivery. Advanced Materials, 25(30), 4087–4092, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201301183. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Nano-graphene oxide can adsorb both doxorubicin and zwitterionic dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) liposomes in an orthogonal and non-competing manner with high capacities based on different surface and intermolecular forces taking place on the heterogeneous surface of the graphene oxide. The system forms stable colloids, allowing co-delivery of both cargos to cancer cells.University of Waterloo || Canadian Foundation for Innovation || Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council || Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation |

Early detection and personalized treatment in oral cancer: the impact of omics approaches

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is one of the most common malignant lesions of the head and neck. This cancer is an aggressive and lethal disease with no significant improvements in the overall survival in the last decades. Moreover, the incidence of oral HPV-positive tumors is rising, especially in young people. This oral neoplasm develops through numerous molecular imbalances that affect key genes and signaling pathways; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of oral tumors are still to be fully determined. In order to improve the quality of life and long-term survival rate of these patients, it is vital to establish accurate biomarkers that help in the early diagnosis, prognosis and development of target treatments. Such biomarkers may possibly allow for selection of patients that will benefit from each therapy modality, helping in the optimization of intensity and sequence of the treatments in order to decrease side effects and improve survival. CONCLUSION: In this review we discuss the current knowledge of oral cancer and the potential role of omics approaches to identify molecular biomarkers in the improvement of early diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. The pursuit to improve the quality of life and decrease mortality rates of the oral patients needs to be centralized on the identification of critical genes in oral carcinogenesis. Understanding the molecular biology of oral cancer is vital for search new therapies, being the molecular-targeted therapies the most promising treatment for these patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio