Study of process parameters on aluminium foam formation in the Al-6Si-3Mg alloy

The aim of this research was to study the process parameters that promote foam formation by injecting N2 into Al-6Si-3Mg wt % molten alloy with silicon carbide particles additions (SiC). An experimental design was proposed, in which the contents of SiC particles were 0, 10, 30 and 50 wt %, and the overheating was defined as ΔT= TF - TL , where TL is the liquidus temperature and was determined by the cooling curve method and the foaming temperatures were selected as TF at 630, 610, 580 and 570 °C. Flow and pressure of air blow were constant, 2,0 lt/min and 4,0 atm, respectively. The foam formation was possible only under two experimental conditions, 10 wt % SiC at ΔT > 12 °C and 30 wt % SiC at ΔT > 10 °C. The foams obtained under these conditions were stable, while with other conditions of experiments, bubble coallesence occurred. Finally, it was concluded that the foam formation occurred by SiC contents lower than 30 wt % SiC and temperatures slightly above the liquidus

CAD-Based Shielding Analysis for ITER Port Diagnostics

Radiation shielding analysis conducted in support of design development of the contemporary diagnostic systems integrated inside the ITER ports is relied on the use of CAD models. This paper presents the CAD-based MCNP Monte Carlo radiation transport and activation analyses for the Diagnostic Upper and Equatorial Port Plugs (UPP #3 and EPP #8, #17). The creation process of the complicated 3D MCNP models of the diagnostics systems was substantially accelerated by application of the CAD-to-MCNP converter programs MCAM and McCad. High performance computing resources of the Helios supercomputer allowed to speed-up the MCNP parallel transport calculations with the MPI/OpenMP interface. The found shielding solutions could be universal, reducing ports R&D costs. The shield block behind the Tritium and Deposit Monitor (TDM) optical box was added to study its influence on Shut-Down Dose Rate (SDDR) in Port Interspace (PI) of EPP#17. Influence of neutron streaming along the Lost Alpha Monitor (LAM) on the neutron energy spectra calculated in the Tangential Neutron Spectrometer (TNS) of EPP#8. For the UPP#3 with Charge eXchange Recombination Spectroscopy (CXRS-core), an excessive neutron streaming along the CXRS shutter, which should be prevented in further design iteration

A metadata reporting framework (FRAMES) for synthesis of ecohydrological observations

Metadata describe the ancillary information needed for data preservation and independent interpretation, comparison across heterogeneous datasets, and quality assessment and quality control (QA/QC). Environmental observations are vastly diverse in type and structure, can be taken across a wide range of spatiotemporal scales in a variety of measurement settings and approaches, and saved in multiple formats. Thus, well-organized, consistent metadata are required to produce usable data products from diverse environmental observations collected across field sites. However, existing metadata reporting protocols do not support the complex data synthesis and model-data integration needs of interdisciplinary earth system research. We developed a metadata reporting framework (FRAMES) to enable management and synthesis of observational data that are essential in advancing a predictive understanding of earth systems. FRAMES utilizes best practices for data and metadata organization enabling consistent data reporting and compatibility with a variety of standardized data protocols. We used an iterative scientist-centered design process to develop FRAMES, resulting in a data reporting format that incorporates existing field practices to maximize data-entry efficiency. Thus, FRAMES has a modular organization that streamlines metadata reporting and can be expanded to incorporate additional data types. With FRAMES\u27s multi-scale measurement position hierarchy, data can be reported at observed spatial resolutions and then easily aggregated and linked across measurement types to support model-data integration. FRAMES is in early use by both data originators (persons generating data) and consumers (persons using data and metadata). In this paper, we describe FRAMES, identify lessons learned, and discuss areas of future development

Octopus maya white body show sex-specific transcriptomic profiles during the reproductive phase, with high differentiation in signaling pathways

White bodies (WB), multilobulated soft tissue that wraps the optic tracts and optic lobes, have been considered the hematopoietic organ of the cephalopods. Its glandular appearance and its lobular morphology suggest that different parts of the WB may perform different functions, but a detailed functional analysis of the octopus WB is lacking. The aim of this study is to describe the transcriptomic profile of WB to better understand its functions, with emphasis on the difference between sexes during reproductive events. Then, validation via qPCR was performed using different tissues to find out tissue-specific transcripts. High differentiation in signaling pathways was observed in the comparison of female and male transcriptomic profiles. For instance, the expression of genes involved in the androgen receptor-signaling pathway were detected only in males, whereas estrogen receptor showed higher expression in females. Highly expressed genes in males enriched oxidation-reduction and apoptotic processes, which are related to the immune response. On the other hand, expression of genes involved in replicative senescence and the response to cortisol were only detected in females. Moreover, the transcripts with higher expression in females enriched a wide variety of signaling pathways mediated by molecules like neuropeptides, integrins, MAPKs and receptors like TNF and Toll-like. In addition, these putative neuropeptide transcripts, showed higher expression in females' WB and were not detected in other analyzed tissues. These results suggest that the differentiation in signaling pathways in white bodies of O. maya influences the physiological dimorphism between females and males during the reproductive phase

Diferencias de pesos entre terneros Braford enteros y castrados a diferentes edades

We compared entire versus castrated male Braford calves, at different ages of castration, with the objective to evaluate this effect on growth by means of the total and daily weight gain. Twenty-eight Braford male suckling calves, were used. Animals were randomly divided into groups of 7 individuals: C45: castrated at 45 days of age; E45: entire, with 45 days of age; C90: castrated at 90 days of age and E90: entire, with 90 days of age. Individual weights were recorded on day 0 (castration’s day) and then on days 15, 30 and 45. Castration was performed by means of surgery. The studied variables were total gain (GT, kg of live weight) and average daily gain (GMD, kg/day). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s test (p<0.05) were performed, considering as the main effect the age of castration (45 and 90 days), with the intact males as controls. The means for GT were: C45: 34.86 kg; E45: 37.29 kg; C90: 51.14 kg and E90: 44.29 kg. For GMD, they were: C45: 0.58 kg; E45: 0.62 kg; C90: 0.85 kg and E90: 0.74 kg. The ANOVA test showed significant differences for both variables, GT (p=0.0156) and GMD (p=0.0157), with C90 being the higher, considering the other groups. In particular, E90 group obtained intermediate values between C90 and calves of 45 days. Between C45 and E45, no significant differences were found for both variables. We conclude that a recommended castration time should be close to three months of age, since at 45 days of age live weight was more affected by the surgical technique.Se compararon terneros braford machos enteros y castrados, con diferentes edades de esterilización, con el objetivo de evaluar este efecto en el crecimiento mediante la ganancia total y diaria de peso. Se utilizaron 28 terneros al pie de madre en campo natural. Se dividieron aleatoriamente en grupos de 7 individuos: C45: castrados a los 45 días de edad; E45: enteros con 45 días de edad; C90: castrados a los 90 días de edad y E90: enteros con 90 días de edad. Los pesos se registraron individualmente el día 0 (día de la castración) y posteriormente los días 15, 30 y 45. La técnica de castración se realizó por cirugía cruenta. Las variables estudiadas para el peso vivo fueron: ganancia total (GT, kg) y ganancia media diaria (GMD, kg/día). Se obtuvieron estadísticas descriptivas, análisis de varianza (ANOVA) y test de Duncan (p<0,05), tomándose como efecto principal la edad de castración (45 y 90 días), obrando los enteros como testigos. Las medias para GT fueron: C45: 34,86 kg; E45: 37,29 kg; C90: 51,14 kg y E90: 44,29 kg. Para GMD fueron: C45: 0,58 kg; E45: 0,62 kg; C90: 0,85 kg y E90: 0,74 kg. El ANOVA arrojó diferencias significativas para ambas variables: GT (p=0,0156) y GMD (p=0,0157), siendo C90 superior al resto de los grupos. Por su parte, E90 obtuvo valoresintermedios entre C90 y los terneros de 45 días. Entre C45 y E45 no se hallaron diferenciassignificativas en ambas variables. Se concluye que el momento elegido para la castracióndebe ser cercano a los tres meses, ya que a los 45 días el peso vivo resultó más afectado porla cirugía

A Dyadic Approach to Managing Heart Failure with Confidence

Background: The majority of heart failure (HF) self-care research remains focused on patients, despite the important involvement of family caregivers. Although self-care confidence has been found to play an important role in the effectiveness of HF self-care management on patient outcomes, no known research has examined self-care confidence within a dyadic context. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify individual and dyadic determinants of self-care confidence in HF care dyads. Methods: Multilevel modeling, which controls for the interdependent nature of dyadic data, was used to examine 329 Italian HF dyads (caregivers were either spouses or adult children). Results: Both patients and caregivers reported lower-than-adequate levels of confidence, with caregivers reporting slightly higher confidence than patients. Patient and caregiver levels of confidence were significantly associated with greater patient-reported relationship quality and better caregiver mental health. Patient confidence in self-care was significantly associated with patient female gender, nonspousal care dyads, poor caregiver physical health, and low care strain. Caregiver confidence to contribute to self-care was significantly associated with poor emotional quality of life in patients and greater perceived social support by caregivers. Conclusions: Findings are supportive of the need for a dyadic perspective of HF self-care in practice and research as well as the importance of addressing the needs of both members of the dyad to maximize optimal outcomes for both

O USO DO FEEDBACK AUTOMÁTICO NO APLICATIVO EDUCACIONAL BUSUU E SUA INFLUÊNCIA NA APRENDIZAGEM DE LÍNGUAS

A tecnologia permeia a aprendizagem de línguas há muitos anos e de várias formas. É o caso do aplicativo Busuu, que possibilita a aprendizagem de 12 idiomas, colaborativa e gratuitamente, contando com 4 milhões de usuários no Brasil. Percebendo esse alcance do Busuu, observamos como se constitui o seu feedback automático, pois essa é sua principal forma de interação com o usuário, sendo essencial no processo de aquisição de uma LE. A base para a análise são as categorias de feedback de Leffa (2003) para AVAs, que são: genérico, situado e estratégico. Realizamos todos os modelos de tarefas do aplicativo em busca das formas de feedback que ele disponibiliza e de como o usuário as recebe. Constatamos que o feedback mais utilizado é o genérico, que pouco proporciona estratégias de aprendizagem e, em menor proporção, o feedback situado, o qual oferece dicas ao usuário para ajudá-lo a chegar na resposta correta

Assessing the Effect of Seasonal Agriculture on the Condition and Winter Survival of a Migratory Songbird in Mexico

  Migratory birds can spend 8 months of the year on their wintering grounds and the conversion of natural habitats to agriculture in Latin America has been implicated in population declines of several Neotropical migrants. Despite this, few studies have directly assessed the value of agricultural habitat for wintering migrants. We compared the condition and survival of Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia) occupying natural (riparian forest, scrub‐mangrove) and agricultural habitat (annually cropped sorghum, corn, and chili‐peppers separated by hedgerow) in western Mexico. We assessed condition with five metrics (daily and seasonal changes in size‐adjusted body mass, leukocyte profiles, rectrix regrowth rate, rectrix quality, and dates of departure on spring migration). We used Cormack–Jolly–Seber models fitted to mark‐resighting data collected over 4 years (2012–2015) to estimate January–May monthly survival rates. We found that birds occupying agricultural habitat and riparian forest had higher monthly apparent survival between January and May than birds in scrub‐mangrove. Birds in agricultural habitat also grew higher quality feathers (i.e., rectrices with a higher barbule density) than those in natural habitat. In contrast, birds in agricultural habitat were lighter than those in riparian habitat. We found no detectable effect of winter habitat use on daily or season changes in size‐adjusted mass and H/L ratios, although the effect of winter habitat use on departure rates differed for males and females. Our results demonstrate that agricultural habitat may provide suitable winter habitat for a long‐distance migrant and suggest that feather quality can be an indicator of winter habitat quality