Dynamic Analysis and Design of Motorcycle Mounting System Subjected to Road Loads

This paper presents a comprehensive model of a motorcycle mounting system. The model presented herein consists of two main assemblies. The powertrain assembly and the swing-arm assembly are modeled as a six degree of freedom rigid bodies. The two assemblies are connected to each other using a shaft that is usually referred to as the coupler. The connection points on both assemblies are known.Unlike automobiles, motorcycle performance and handling is highly affected by the external disturbance. In addition to minimizing the shaking loads, the mounting system must be set up such that it also minimizes the external disturbance from the environment such as irregularities in the road profile and road bumps. This disturbance can be transmitted through the tire patch to the engine causing it to hit nearby components. The engine movement needs to be minimized due to space limitations surrounding the engine. In order to do so, these transmitted external loads must be minimized by the use of the mounting system. The load minimization process is achieved by selecting the optimum stiffness parameters, location and orientation of the mounting system that are supporting the engine. This goal is achieved by an optimization scheme that guarantees that the transmitted loads are minimized. An investigation will be done to explore the effect of different road profiles on the mount final geometrical shape

EUROMICRO - Context-based personalization of Web services composition and provisioning

This work presents an approach that aims at personalizing Web services composition and provisioning using context. Composition addresses the situation of a user\u27s request that cannot be satisfied by any available service, and thus requires the combination of several Web services. Provisioning focuses on the deployment of Web services according to users\u27 preferences. A Web service is an accessible application that other applications and humans can discover and trigger. Context is the information that characterizes the interactions between humans, applications, and the surrounding environment. Web services are subject to personalization if there is a need of accommodating users\u27 preferences during service performance and outcome delivery. To be able to track personalization in terms of what happened, what is happening, and what might happen three types of context are devised, and they are referred to as user-, Web service-, and resource-context

The adsorption of human recombinant factor VIII in the presence of the nonionic triblock surfactant Pluronic® F-68 at the air-water interface

The adsorption behavior of a human recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) in the presence of the nonionic, poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock surfactant Pluronic® F-68 was evaluated by dynamic air-water tensiometry. Surface tension kinetics were recorded for F-68 in the absence of protein at concentrations ranging from 0 to 10,000 ppm. The rate and extent of surface tension depression in these samples was compared to dynamic tensiometry measurements recorded for F-68 solutions in the presence of rFVIII. Surfactants are used in the biopharmaceutical industry to stabilize therapeutic proteins from aggregation and adsorption loss during manufacturing, and this comparison suggested a substantially different mechanism for rFVIII stabilization by F-68 than that consistent with the kinds of surfactants commonly used in downstream processing. In particular, comparative kinetic data were consistent with the notion that with sufficient F-68 in solution, rFVIII did not adsorb at the air-water interface even though the interface was only partially occupied by F-68. We hypothesized that F-68 stabilized rFVIII in these tests by strong association with the protein itself, rather than by its adsorption and subsequent establishment of a steric barrier at the air-water interface. To test this hypothesis, turbidimetric measurements of rFVIII aggregation behavior in solution and zeta potential measurements of rFVIII adsorption on (1 μm) colloidal silica particles, each in the presence of selected concentrations of F-68, were evaluated. Results recorded with these approaches were inconclusive, but not inconsistent with the original hypothesis

Physiological Interactions Of Calcium And Vitamin D In Colon

This study aimed to review the literature about possible physiological interactions of calcium and vitamin D in colon. Previous studies have indicated to protective effects of vitamin D and calcium in case of colon cancers. We wanted to check the physiological effects of both of vitamin D and calcium, and either of each of them alone. We suggested effects of metabolism through induction of changes in the levels of various biomarkers that have influences in carcinogenesis including p53, heat shock proteins, iNOS and WT1 gene

Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the good death inventory (GDI-A) questionnaire tested on Palestinian family members of deceased adult cancer patients

Background Despite the importance of understanding the concept of good death (GD) from different cultural perspectives, it has not been assessed in Arab communities because of the unavailability of validated instruments. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Good Death Inventory (GDI-A) questionnaire used among Palestinian bereaved family members of cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional methodological study was applied. An online survey was adopted as a data collection method. The online survey was delivered through Qualtrics and posted in cancer and health-related social media groups on Facebook, the most commonly utilized social media platform in Palestine. A convenient and snowball sampling of 285 family members of deceased adult cancer patients was adopted. The participants were asked to complete GDI online survey. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), content validity, and internal consistency reliability were assessed. Results Participants showed a good perspective about death (M = 300.01, SD = 31.09). Significant differences in GDI-A total score were reported with the “patient’s relationship with family” (M = 303.02, SD = 31.42), F(2, 282) = 7.787, p = .001, “educational level” (M = 305.97, SD = 28.38), F(4, 280) = 3.685, p = .006, and “member’s relationship with the patient” (M = 311.74, SD = 16.57), F(5, 279) = 3.125, p = .009. The Arabic version scale-level content validity index and the scale-level content validity index-universal agreement were 0.96 and 0.85, respectively. Factor analysis with a varimax rotation matrix revealed that 16 factors explained 76.08% of the variance. Conclusion This study provides the literature with an Arabic questionnaire for understanding the concept of a GD from the perspective of bereaved families. The GDI Arabic translated version is a psychometrically robust instrument with satisfactory measurement, which can be used for evaluating a GD among bereaved families

Boiler-Feed and Process Water Reclamation from Biotreated Palm Oil Mill Effluent (BPOME): A Developmental Review

Increased water shortages and new environmental policies and regulations have stimulated significant development in reuse programs in the past 20 years.1 Reclaimed water has been recognized as a vital and drought-proof water source to ensure economic and agricultural activities. According to the conclusions of various water reuse surveys, the best water reuse projects, in terms of economic viability and public acceptance, are those that substitute reclaimed water in lieu of potable water for use in industrial, irrigation, environmental restoration, cleaning and toilet flushing. The main benefits of using reclaimed water in these situations are conservation of water resources and pollution reduction. 1 Low Pressure Membranes (LPMs) such as Microfiltration (MF) and Ultrafiltration (UF) integrated with adsorption system could be a viable option for separation of contaminants in wastewater for reuse as boiler-feed or process water in industry. This article technically discusses the main constituents of concern in boiler-feed and process water requirements and finally suggests potentially efficient and low-energy-low-cost hybridized LPM /adsorption treatment facilities to achieve this paradigm shift towards new water sources

THE PREVALENCE OF MALOCCLUSION AND ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEED IN A SAMPLE OF SYRIAN CHILDREN

Knowledge of a population’s epidemiological situation is vital in planning and provision of dental health services. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need in Syrian children. A randomly selected sample of 200 Syrian children aged between 8 and 13 years was collected from three different public schools in Damascus. For each participant, the records were a pair of dental study casts and a frontal intra-oral photograph. Firstly, Angle’s classification was used to classify malocclusion and the treatment need was assessed utilizing the Aesthetic Component (AC) and the Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The treatment demand was also evaluated in association with gender and the connection between the two components of IOTN was statistically ascertained. The results of the study showed that more than one third of the subjects in the sample were in moderate to great need for orthodontic treatment. No significant difference in treatment need was found between genders and a statistically significant association was expressed between the two components of IOTN

Quality of Life of Teachers of Children with Disabilites

This survey study aimed at investigating the level of QOL of special education teachers (n=137) working in schools that provide special education services at the Ministry of Education in the 2013/2014 academic years in Jordan. Data from this study was collected using a quality of life scale that was designed, validated, and implemented to measure and assess these teachers’ perceptions of their quality of life within three main domains: the social, the physical, and the psychological domains. Results from this study showed that the overall QOL level was high. While the social domain showed to be the lowest domain of their QOL, the physical and psychological domains were the highest. Results also indicated that there were no significant differences in teachers’ level of QOL due to gender. Yet, significant differences were found in teachers’ level of QOL in special education settings particularly between the hearing impairments teachers and the learning disabilities teachers in favor of the learning disabilities. Discussion and recommendations are presented in the study. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p4

A Validated RP HPLC-PAD Method for the Determination of Hederacoside C in Ivy-Thyme Cough Syrup

A simple reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method coupled with a photodiode array detector (PAD) has been developed and validated for the analysis of hederacoside C, the marker of ivy plant, in Ivy-Thyme cough syrup. Separation of hederacoside C was achieved using a Phenomenex-Gemini C18 column isothermally at 40°C. A mobile phase system constituted of solvent A (water: acetonitrile: orthophosphoric acid (85%), 860 : 140 : 2 v/v) and solvent B (acetonitrile: orthophosphoric acid (85%), 998 : 2 v/v) was used, at gradient conditions, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Analysis was performed using UV-detection (205 nm). The method was linear over the range (0.03–0.15) mg/mL of hederacoside C (r = 0.9992). Repeatability and intermediate precision were acceptable (RSD <2%). Limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 0.011 and 0.032 mg/mL, respectively. Percentage recovery was found to lie between 99.69% and 100.90% (RSD <2%). The method was also proved to be specific (peak-purity coefficient = 0.996)