Characterizing Stress-Strain Behavior of Materials through Nanoindentation

Nanoindentation is a widely used state of the art facility to precisely and conveniently evaluate the mechanical properties of a wide group of materials. Along with the determination of elastic modulus and hardness of materials, this chapter particularly aims to explore the possibilities to assess the corresponding stress–strain characteristics of elastic–plastic materials and most importantly unique pseudoelastic materials. The suitability of continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) based nanoindenter systems along with the adaptability of the instrument without CSM for precisely evaluating the deformation behavior of specialized materials is discussed in details. In this regard, the roll of indenter tip geometry and size is greatly emphasized. The recent research in the field is reviewed thoroughly and the updated protocol generated is illustrated

An end-to-end, interactive Deep Learning based Annotation system for cursive and print English handwritten text

With the surging inclination towards carrying out tasks on computational devices and digital mediums, any method that converts a task that was previously carried out manually, to a digitized version, is always welcome. Irrespective of the various documentation tasks that can be done online today, there are still many applications and domains where handwritten text is inevitable, which makes the digitization of handwritten documents a very essential task. Over the past decades, there has been extensive research on offline handwritten text recognition. In the recent past, most of these attempts have shifted to Machine learning and Deep learning based approaches. In order to design more complex and deeper networks, and ensure stellar performances, it is essential to have larger quantities of annotated data. Most of the databases present for offline handwritten text recognition today, have either been manually annotated or semi automatically annotated with a lot of manual involvement. These processes are very time consuming and prone to human errors. To tackle this problem, we present an innovative, complete end-to-end pipeline, that annotates offline handwritten manuscripts written in both print and cursive English, using Deep Learning and User Interaction techniques. This novel method, which involves an architectural combination of a detection system built upon a state-of-the-art text detection model, and a custom made Deep Learning model for the recognition system, is combined with an easy-to-use interactive interface, aiming to improve the accuracy of the detection, segmentation, serialization and recognition phases, in order to ensure high quality annotated data with minimal human interaction.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Invasive Plants Distribution Modeling: A Tool for Tropical Biodiversity Conservation With Special Reference to Sri Lanka

The potential threats and habitat preferences of noxious plants in tropical countries are poorly known. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is a robust tool that can be used in conservation planning for early detection of invasion risks. However, the use of SDM for the strategic management of increasing risks of such plant invasions in Sri Lanka has not been undertaken due to several underlying reasons including the long-lasting data gap, technical, technological, and financial issues. In addition, the literature relevant to SDM applications in the country is substantially poor, scattered, and unpublished. Therefore, in this article, we explore SDM applications relevant to invasive plants in Sri Lanka with implications similar to other countries in the tropics. We examine the challenges and potentials for utilization of SDM technology in conservation planning in Sri Lanka and discuss data gap as a major obstacle. We also identify the potential SDM interventions relevant to invasive plants control and management in Sri Lanka and recommend conservation planners to prioritize them and apply for the strategic management of invasive plants in Sri Lanka. Finally, we suggest some recommendations to make an enabling environment in relevant institutions for the utilization of SDM technology in ecosystem management planning in Sri Lanka

KONSTRUKSI PESAN DISIPLIN DALAM TAYANGAN PROGRAM REALITY SHOW 86 NET TV PADA TANGGAL 1-30 AGUSTUS 2015 : STUDI ANALISIS FRAMING DENGAN MODEL ZHONGDANG PAN DAN GERALD M KOSICKI

Tayangan reality show adalah acara televisi yang menggambarkan adegan yang seakan-akan benar-benar berlangsung tanpa skenario, dengan pemain yang umumnya khalayak umum biasa, bukan mereka yang memiliki pekerjaan di bidang seni peran. Acara reality show umumnya menampilkan kenyataan yang di modifikasi, seperti menaruh partisipan di lokasi-lokasi eksotis atau situasi-situasi yang tidak lazim, memancing reaksi tertentu dari partisipan, dan melalui penyuntingan dan teknik-teknik pasca produksi lainnya. Adapun fokus penelitian yang hendak dikaji pada penelitian ini adalah: Bagaimana struktur sintaksis, struktur skrip, struktur tematik, dan struktur retoris tentang pesan disiplin dalam program reality show 86 Net Tv ? Hasil penelitian yang ditemukan antara lain: ( 1 ) Hilangnya kesadaran masyarakat akan pentingnya berdisiplin dalam menaati setiap peraturan yang telah di tetapkan pemerintah di indonesia. ( 2 ) Kurangnya pemahaman masyarakat tentang arti berdisiplin dan banyak di antara pelanggar aturan tata tertib menghindar dan merasa ketakutan ketika melihat polisi serta banyak yang melarikan diri dari upaya pendisiplinan yang dilakukan oleh petugas kepolisian. ( 3 ) Banyaknya pencitraan yang dilakukan oleh pihak kepolisian dalam tayangan ini dan tidak sesuai dengan realita sosok polisi yang ada dalam dunia nyata. Bertitik tolak dari penelitian ini, saran dari peneliti untuk tim Produksi tayangan reality show 86 Net TV selajutnya peneliti harapkan untuk memperhatikan kode etik jurnalistik mengenai hak perlindungan pelaku dan korban untuk selalu di samarkan yang berkaitan dengan tayangan ini. Karena peneliti masih melihat ada sebagian tayangan yang masih memperlihatkan wajah dari pelaku dan korban hal ini yang di khawatirkan adalah baik korban ataupun pelaku akan dikucilkan dari masyarakat sebagai tindakan pelanggaran norma hukum yang ada di masyarakat, mengingat di indonesia masih kental dengan adat norma – norma yang berlaku dalam masyarakat

Formation of β-Ti phase during L-PBF processing of martensitic NiTi

Shape memory activations in martensitic NiTi are highly influenced by the processing technique used. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is a metal additive manufacturing method being investigated for NiTi processing. The rapid transient thermal effects involved in L-PBF processing are found to cause microstructural anomalies which can result in unfavourable mechanical and functional properties. In this paper, anomalous hard protrusions observed in L-PBF processed NiTi microstructure were investigated in detail. The spatial distribution and cause of these protrusions were analysed. Studies were conducted using EDX, BSE, EBSD, TEM, DSC, AFM and nanoindentation, to identify the compositions, crystal structures, thermal characteristics and nanomechanical properties of these protrusions. The protrusions were identified to be hard β – Ti phase

Land use-based participatory assessment of ecosystem services for ecological restoration in village tank cascade systems of Sri Lanka

Village Tank Cascade System (VTCS) landscapes in the dry zone of Sri Lanka provide multiple ecosystem services (ESs) and benefits to local communities, sustaining the productivity of their land use systems (LUSs). However, there is a lack of adequate scientific research on the ESs of LUSs, despite the recent land use changes that have greatly impacted the provisioning of ESs. Collection of baseline ESs data is a pre-requisite for decision making on ESs-based ecological restoration and management of the VTCS. Thus, this study aimed at assessing ESs of the Mahakanumulla VTCS (MVTCS) located in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka by using a participatory approach involving the integration of local knowledge, expert judgements and LUSs attribute data to assess the ESs. The methodology was designed to integrate the biodiversity and land degradation status of LUSs in a way that is directly linked with the supply of ESs. The study identified twenty-four ESs of the MVTCS based on community perceptions. The identified ESs were assessed as a function of LUSs to develop an ecosystem service supply (ESS) and demand (ESD) matrix model. The results reveal that the current overall ESD for regulating and supporting ESs is higher than the ESS capacity of MVTCS. The assessment also revealed that land degradation and biodiversity deterioration reduce the capacity to provide ESs. Downstream LUSs of the meso-catchment were found to be more vulnerable to degradation and insufficient to provide ESs. Further, the study established that ESs in the MVTCS are generated through direct species-based and biophysical-based providers. In addition, it emerged that social and cultural engagements also played an important role in association with both providers to generate certain types of ESs. Therefore, it can be concluded that VTCS ecological restoration depends on the extent to which integrated effort addresses the levels of ecological complexity, as well as the social engagement of communities and stakeholders. The results of this study provide a scientific basis that can inform future land use decision making and practices that are applicable to successful ESs-based ecological restoration and management of the VTCSs in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

The Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery : defining a model for antimicrobial stewardship-results from an international cross-sectional survey

Background: Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) have been promoted to optimize antimicrobial usage and patient outcomes, and to reduce the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. However, the best strategies for an ASP are not definitively established and are likely to vary based on local culture, policy, and routine clinical practice, and probably limited resources in middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate structures and resources of antimicrobial stewardship teams (ASTs) in surgical departments from different regions of the world. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in 2016 on 173 physicians who participated in the AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections) project and on 658 international experts in the fields of ASPs, infection control, and infections in surgery. Results: The response rate was 19.4%. One hundred fifty-six (98.7%) participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary AST. The median number of physicians working inside the team was five [interquartile range 4-6]. An infectious disease specialist, a microbiologist and an infection control specialist were, respectively, present in 80.1, 76.3, and 67.9% of the ASTs. A surgeon was a component in 59.0% of cases and was significantly more likely to be present in university hospitals (89.5%, p <0.05) compared to community teaching (83.3%) and community hospitals (66.7%). Protocols for pre-operative prophylaxis and for antimicrobial treatment of surgical infections were respectively implemented in 96.2 and 82.3% of the hospitals. The majority of the surgical departments implemented both persuasive and restrictive interventions (72.8%). The most common types of interventions in surgical departments were dissemination of educational materials (62.5%), expert approval (61.0%), audit and feedback (55.1%), educational outreach (53.7%), and compulsory order forms (51.5%). Conclusion: The survey showed a heterogeneous organization of ASPs worldwide, demonstrating the necessity of a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach in the battle against antimicrobial resistance in surgical infections, and the importance of educational efforts towards this goal.Peer reviewe

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened