Final design proposal: Delta Group-Nood Rider 821(tm)

The Nood Rider 821 (trademark) twin-engine, prop passenger aircraft is described. It is argued that the aircraft is very economical to operate and maintain, offering competitive advantages in the air travel marketplace. The aircraft was designed to operate in 'Aeroworld', a fictional world where the passengers are ping pong balls and the distances between cites are on the order of thousands of feet

Computer aided design of developable surfaces

The design of objects employing developable surfaces is of engineering importance because of the relative ease with which developable surfaces can be manufactured. The problem of designing developable surfaces is not new. Two space curves, defining the edges of the surface, are first created, then a set of rulings are constructed between the space curves under the constraint of developability. A problem with existing algorithms for designing developable surfaces is the tendency to introduce non developable portions of the surface; areas of regression. A more reliable solution to the problem of creating a developable surface is proposed. The key to the method is to define the developable surface in terms of a normal direc trix. The shape of the normal directrix defines the shape of the developable surface. Algorithms are defined to compute the shape of a normal directrix from a pair of space curves. A non-linear optimization technique was implemented to further refine the shape of the developable surface, but failed to yield satisfactory results. Other algorithms were also created to intersect adjacent developable surfaces and to generate the flat plate lay outs. The algorithms were implemented using the C++ programming language and the AutoCAD CAD package. Recommendations for further work are given. The design of objects employing developable surfaces is of engineering importance because of the relative ease with which developable surfaces can be manufactured. The problem of designing developable surfaces is not new. Two space curves, defining the edges of the surface, are first created, then a set of rulings are constructed between the space curves under the constraint of developability. A problem with existing algorithms for designing developable surfaces is the tendency to introduce non developable portions of the surface; areas of regression. A more reliable solution to the problem of creating a developable surface is proposed. The key to the method is to define the developable surface in terms of a normal directrix. The shape of the normal directrix defines the shape of the developable surface. Algorithms are defined to compute the shape of a normal directrix from a pair of space curves. A non-linear optimization technique was implemented to further refine the shape of the developable surface, but failed to yield satisfactory results. Other algorithms were also created to intersect adjacent developable surfaces and to generate the flat plate lay outs. The algorithms were implemented using the C++ programming language and the AutoCAD CAD package. Recommendations for further work are given.Applied Science, Faculty ofMechanical Engineering, Department ofGraduat

Embryo-independent mobilization of endosperm starch in cereal seeds

Endosperm mobilization studies in cereal seeds are typically based on the view that α-amylase synthesis in the aleurone tissue is controlled by gibberellins from the germinating embryo. However, α-amylase is often produced by de-embryonated endosperm segments in the absence of added gibberellins. Two specific systems exhibiting this phenomenon were examined; 1) the ability of amino acids to promote α-amylase production in de-embryonated wild oat segments and, 2) autonomous starch hydrolysis (in the absense of exogenous GA₃ or amino acids) in de-embryonated barley endosperm halves. Specific technical problems were addressed prior to the onset of these studies. Captan (66 μM) controlled fungal contamination in the incubation medium without inhibiting GA₃-induced sugar release, which occurs following seed sterilization in hypochlorite and ethanol. The Nelson-Somogyi reducing sugar assay was not suitable for quantifying sugar levels in incubation solutions containing amino acids as cysteine, cystine, serine, tryptophan and tyrosine interfered with the assay. Absorbance (540 nm) increased as concentrations increased from 0.1 to 1 mM; simultaneous additions of amino acids with glucose resulted in absorbance values higher than glucose alone. MnCl₂ (0.5 mM) inhibited absorbance in the presence of glucose and the amino acids serine, cystine, and tryptophan. The ability of individual amino acids to promote α-amylase production in wild oat endosperm halves is yet unclear. Although certain amino acids were shown to enhance enzyme production, the level was often quite different between replicated experiments. However, incubation of endosperm halves in a mixture of 18 amino acids consistently promoted α-amylase synthesis; enzyme production was further enhanced if a level of GA₃ (10⁻⁹ M), which was too low to promote α-amylase synthesis alone, was included within the amino acid mixture. Autonomous endosperm mobilization (AEM) was variable in different barley cultivars. High sugar release correlated well with α-amylase production; the levels were similar among individual cultivars harvested in two different seasons. The onset of AEM was delayed, as the majority of sugar was released in the second day of incubation. AEM was greatly reduced by inhibitors of RNA (6-methyl purine) and protein (cycloheximide) synthesis suggesting that AEM was a result of the de novo synthesis of α-amylase. Incubation conditions greatly affected AEM. Although AEM was high at acidic pH (4.6-5.6), it was greatly reduced at basic pH (7.6-8.6). AEM increased as the temperature was raised to 28°C. Low levels of Ca²⁺ (0.25-0.5 mM) enhanced AEM whereas higher amounts (0.5-1 mM) were inhibitory. Incubation of wild oat endosperm halves in solutions of pre-emergence herbicides affected GA₃-induced sugar release to varying extents when applied at field application levels. Only triallate (22% reduction) and trifluralin (21% reduction) prevented sugar release (only - 5 at 3x10⁻⁵ M); no inhibition was seen following incubation in EPTC (5xl0⁻⁵, 5xl0⁻⁶ M), metribuzin (5xl0⁻⁶, 1x10⁻⁶M) and oryzalin (3xl0⁻⁵, 3x10⁻⁶M). However, the higher concentrations of each herbicide effectively inhibited the development of wild oat seedlings.Land and Food Systems, Faculty ofGraduat

Así es

700 tr.; 26 cm

Red, Green, and Grey, Do Your Screenings Today! Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Healthcare Informatics to Improve Primary Care

Through interdisciplinary informatics collaboration, a school-based healthcare program established a streamlined system to track national screening standards. The alert coding stop-points (red, green, and gray) successfully led to increased mental health screens by more than 132% (n=58 to n=135)

Taking Action on Asthma: Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates in Pediatric Asthma Through Quality Improvement

Introduction: Through a QI Collaborative, a school-based health center (SBHC) program was tasked with identifying ways to decrease asthma mortality and promote national asthma guidelines with evidence-based interventions. Children with asthma are at increased risk for influenza complications such as pneumonia, hospitalization, and death. Flu vaccinations reduce these morbidities. Methods: Utilizing the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Framework, a clinical microsystems assessment and root cause analysis evaluated both enablers and barriers in improving flu vaccination rates in asthma students. Continuous quality improvement over three academic years with adaption of process efficiencies including asthma database tracking, flu vaccination rates, and asthma preventative visits was demonstrated. Results: The number of students with asthma who received their flu vaccination increased from 11% to 47%. Discussion: The SBHC program improved flu vaccination rates and targeted asthma preventative services. Additional successes included the adaptation of a vaccination campaign to 14 SBHCs, education on flu vaccination, and better electronic health record documentation of asthma severity