Rdesign: A data dictionary with relational database design capabilities in Ada

Data Dictionary is defined to be the set of all data attributes, which describe data objects in terms of their intrinsic attributes, such as name, type, size, format and definition. It is recognized as the data base for the Information Resource Management, to facilitate understanding and communication about the relationship between systems applications and systems data usage and to help assist in achieving data independence by permitting systems applications to access data knowledge of the location or storage characteristics of the data in the system. A research and development effort to use Ada has produced a data dictionary with data base design capabilities. This project supports data specification and analysis and offers a choice of the relational, network, and hierarchical model for logical data based design. It provides a highly integrated set of analysis and design transformation tools which range from templates for data element definition, spreadsheet for defining functional dependencies, normalization, to logical design generator

The necessity for end-of-life photovoltaic technology waste management policy: a systematic review

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies in the energy industry are crucial for transitioning to a decarbonized era that relies on renewable energy sources. This systematic review aimed to identify the potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of PV technologies. To accomplish this, the review analysed literature from the last five years focused on life cycle assessment and evaluating PV technologies' environmental impacts/toxicity. In total, 72 final articles were collected and analysed, considering the year of publication, research methodology, and geographical context. Although there is substantial knowledge regarding potential impacts associated with end-of-life (EoL) PV technologies, only a limited number of regions have specific regulations regarding PV waste. With the incorporation of circular economy principles, targeted strategies for EoL treatments can be developed and implemented, leading to a substantial reduction in the environmental impacts caused by EoL PV modules, where this aspect represents a critical concern within the context of PV technologies. Therefore, this study emphasises the need to integrate life cycle assessment, circular economy, and systems thinking to achieve more sustainable development when utilizing PV technologies so that the diffusion of PV technologies helps decarbonization transitions without creating major unintended environmental problems in waste systems

Examining the impact of early longitudinal patient exposure on medical students’ career choices

Background: Medical schools include career direction experiences to help students make informed career decisions. Most experiences are short, precluding students from attaining adequate exposure to long-term encounters within medicine. We investigated the impact of the First Patient Program (FPP), which fosters longitudinal patient exposure by pairing junior medical students with chronically ill patients through their healthcare journey, in instilling career direction. Methods: Medical students who completed at least 6-months in the FPP participated in a cross-sectional survey. Students’ answers were analyzed with respect to the number of FPP appointments attended. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore qualitative responses.Results: One hundred and forty-eight students participated in the survey. Only 28 (19%) students stated that the FPP informed their career decisions. Thirty-nine percent of students who attended four or more appointments indicated that the FPP informed their career decisions, compared to 16% of students who attended less (p=0.021). Thematic analysis revealed two themes: 1) Students focused mainly on patient encounters within FPP; and 2) Students sought career directions from other experiences.Conclusion: The majority of students did not attain career guidance from the FPP, but rather used the program to understand the impact of chronic illness from the patient’s perspective

Pre-eclampsia is associated with a twofold increase in diabetes : a systematic review and meta-analysis

CSK and RH are funded by National Institute for Health Research Academic Clinical Fellowships. This study was supported by a grant from the North Staffs Heart Committee.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Improving industrial inspections combining high-frequency flexible ultrasonic arrays and coded excitation

In this study, a commercial 20-MHz 64-element 1 mm-pitch flexible linear array, developed by Novosound Ltd, was evaluated using two different coded excitation techniques to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and operability on flat and complex-geometry components. Chirp and Golay coded excitation techniques were employed with an arbitrary waveform generation tool to excite the array. A pulse compression technique consisting of a matched filter was implemented, weighted by a Chebyshev window for Chirp excitation

Golay-based total focusing method using a high-frequency, lead-free, flexible ultrasonic array to improve industrial inspections

High frequency (>15 MHz) ultrasound arrays have attracted considerable interest in recent years due to their ability to provide images with enhanced spatial resolution, offering higher sensitivity to smaller defects in materials and structures. Defects can be detected at earlier growth stages as compared to lower frequency counterparts. Conversely, high-frequency sound waves have limited penetration depth that can hinder the inspection of thicker components. Moreover, research into lead-free alternatives to lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is prominent due to the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulation. Achieving optimal ultrasound imaging with lead-free materials remains a persistent challenge, given the importance of transducer sensitivity. Here, an advanced approach combining a high-frequency, lead-free, flexible ultrasonic array and Golay-coded excitation to address the limitation in penetration depth in ultrasound imaging, particularly of samples with non-planar surface geometries, is presented.This study employed a commercial 20 MHz 64 element 1 mm pitch lead-free flexible linear ultrasonic array, developed by Novosound Ltd, using Golay-coded excitation to improve the penetration depth and exploit the flexibility for operation on both planar and non-planar components. Golay complementary sequences were designed and employed to excite the array. Pulse compression was realised through the application of a matched filter.A signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement verification study was conducted with the array deployed on a 20 mm thick planar aluminium sample. As anticipated, an increase in SNR was observed as the length of the Golay codes increased, matching the theoretical 3 dB improvement between successive length doubling. Furthermore, the appropriate Golay code length is contingent on the specific demands of the application with respect to acceptable SNR and minimisation of the dead zone to improve near surface inspection capability. The array offers the versatility to adapt to complex surface profiles. A curved test specimen with known defects was next explored. Total focusing method (TFM) images of the sample for both pulse and Golay excitations were obtained and compared. The Golay-based TFM outperformed the standard pulse-based TFM, resulting in an improved imaging penetration depth.The proposed approach, which integrates a RoHS-compliant, flexible array with Golay-coded excitation, has the potential to improve the quality of industrial inspections in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and reliability

SNPs Meet CNVs in Genome-Wide Association Studies: HGV2007 Meeting Report

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SNPs Meet CNVs in Genome-Wide Association Studies: HGV2007 Meeting Report

SNPs meet CNVs in genome-wide association studies: HGV2007 meeting repor

Genomic variation in a global village: Report of the 10th annual Human Genome Variation Meeting 2008

The Centre for Applied Genomics of the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto hosted the 10th Human Genome Variation (HGV) Meeting in Toronto, Canada, in October 2008, welcoming about 240 registrants from 34 countries. During the 3 days of plenary workshops, keynote address, and poster sessions, a strong cross-disciplinary trend was evident, integrating expertise from technology and computation, through biology and medicine, to ethics and law. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as well as the larger copy number variants (CNVs) are recognized by ever-improving array and next-generation sequencing technologies, and the data are being incorporated into studies that are increasingly genome-wide as well as global in scope. A greater challenge is to convert data to information, through databases, and to use the information for greater understanding of human variation. In the wake of publications of the first individual genome sequences, an inaugural public forum provided the opportunity to debate whether we are ready for personalized medicine through direct-to-consumer testing. The HGV meetings foster collaboration, and fruits of the interactions from 2008 are anticipated for the 11th annual meeting in September 2009. Hum Mutat 30:1–5, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63049/1/21008_ftp.pd