A composite system approach to aircraft cabin fire safety

The thermochemical and flammability characteristics of two polymeric composites currently in use and seven others being considered for use as aircraft interior panels are described. The properties studied included: (1) limiting oxygen index of the composite constituents; (2) fire containment capability of the composite; (3) smoke evolution from the composite; (4) thermogravimetric analysis; (5) composition of the volatile products of thermal degradation; and (6) relative toxicity of the volatile products of pyrolysis. The performance of high temperature laminating resins such as bismaleimides is compared with the performance of phenolics and epoxies. The relationship of increased fire safety with the use of polymers with high anaerobic char yield is shown. Processing parameters of one of the baremaleimide composites are detailed

Paint Me Again

paint me again, o’ wise oak, and let your umbrage shed its leafy cloak upon me with prismic spectral wash in billows deep and sof

Food Choices in Schools – A School Improvement Plan

School Nutrition is an integral part of student education, but often overlooked. This school improvement plan establishes a district wide outline better nutrition and food choices. The plan addresses the need for healthy food education through health class and professional development, full community involvement from stakeholders, parents, teachers, and school nutrition directors to implement the change of food choices for school breakfast, lunch, and in vending machines. A review of literature was conducted to support the plan and examines how student nutrition affects student achievement and learning, and recognizes the increase in childhood obesity due to unhealthy food choices in schools

Evaluation of the stress singularities of plane V-notches in bonded dissimilar materials

According to the linear theory of elasticity, there exists a combination of different orders of stress singularity at a V-notch tip of bonded dissimilar materials. The singularity reflects a strong stress concentration near the sharp V-notches. In this paper, a new way is proposed in order to determine the orders of singularity for two-dimensional V-notch problems. Firstly, on the basis of an asymptotic stress field in terms of radial coordinates at the V-notch tip, the governing equations of the elastic theory are transformed into an eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with respect to the circumferential coordinate h around the notch tip. Then the interpolating matrix method established by the first author is further developed to solve the general eigenvalue problem. Hence, the singularity orders of the V-notch problem are determined through solving the corresponding ODEs by means of the interpolating matrix method. Meanwhile, the associated eigenvectors of the displacement and stress fields near the V-notches are also obtained. These functions are essential in calculating the amplitude of the stress field described as generalized stress intensity factors of the V-notches. The present method is also available to deal with the plane V-notch problems in bonded orthotropic multi-material. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate the accuracy and the effectiveness of the method

The Teacher

With overflowing exuberance, he hops from square to square, on the green quilted carpet of our classroom. Conspiring against our imaginations with penetrating gaze, and absolute certainty in his speech

Takeover, fixation and identifiability in finite neutral genealogy models

For neutral genealogy models in a finite, possibly non-constant population, there is a convenient ordered rearrangement of the particles, known as the lookdown representation, that greatly simplifies the analysis of the family trees. By introducing the dual notions of forward and backward neutrality, we give a more intuitive implementation of this rearrangement. We also show that the lookdown arranges subtrees in size-biased order of the number of their descendants, a property that is familiar in other settings but appears not to have been previously established in this context. In addition, we use the lookdown to study three properties of finite neutral models, as a function of the sequence of unlabelled litter sizes of the model: uniqueness of the infinite path (fixation), existence of a single lineage to which almost all individuals can trace their ancestry (takeover) and whether or not we can infer the lookdown rearrangement by examining the unlabelled genealogy model (identifiability). Identifiability of the spine path in size-biased Galton-Watson trees was previously studied, so we also discuss connections to those results, by relating the spinal decomposition to the lookdown.Comment: 43 pages, 4 figure

Survival of a genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida strain in soil and its potential to conjugatively transfer genes to indigenous soil bacteria

Non-Peer ReviewedThere is an interest in releasing genetically engineered bacteria into the environment as biofertilizers, biological control agents or to remediate contaminated soil. However, there is little information available on the factors affecting the persistence of genetically engineered bacteria or their potential to transfer genes to indigenous soil microorganisms. This study assessed the survival of a genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida strain CR30RNS (pADPTel) in bulk and rhizosphere soil and its ability to transfer genes for atrazine degradation and tellurite resistance to indigenous soil bacteria. The P. putida strain survived for ten weeks in bulk and rhizosphere soil at approximately 106 cfu per g soil. After the plants were harvested, the population of the P. putida strain declined to undetectable levels. However, upon the addition of water and a nutrient solution containing atrazine, the P. putida CR30RNS (pADPTel) population in the rhizosphere soil rebounded to a density of ca. 105 cfu per g soil while the population in bulk soil remained undetectable. The frequency of conjugative gene transfer to indigenous soil bacteria was assessed under laboratory conditions by the use of filter matings. Under optimal conditions a range of 1-10-2 transconjugants per recipient was observed. Recipient bacteria were identified by FAME analysis as Rahnella aquatilis strains. The results indicate that the genetically engineered bacteria survived better in the rhizosphere of canola than in bulk soil, and had the potential to transfer genes to indigenous soil bacteria

Digital experience and customer referral in banks in Morocco : The role of NPS in the phygital age

Cet article examine l\u27impact des outils de marketing relationnel numérique sur les recommandations clients dans le secteur bancaire marocain. Une enquête quantitative a été menée auprès de 500 clients de banques à l\u27aide d\u27un modèle conceptuel mobilisant les notions de satisfaction client, d\u27effort client, de phygitalisation et d\u27expérience numérique. Les résultats montrent que le parcours client numérique, la réduction perçue de l\u27effort et la qualité de l\u27expérience physique influencent significativement l’intention de recommander la banque. Le Net Promoter Score (NPS) s’impose ainsi comme un indicateur stratégique pour les banques à l’ère du numérique. L’article conclut sur les implications managériales et les pistes futures de recherche.This article examines the impact of digital relationship marketing tools on customer referrals within the Moroccan banking sector. A quantitative survey was conducted with 500 banking customers, employing a conceptual model that incorporates the concepts of customer satisfaction, customer effort, phygitality, and digital experience. The findings indicate that the digital customer journey, the perceived reduction of effort, and the quality of the physical experience significantly influence customer\u27s intention to recommend the bank. Consequently, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) emerges as a strategic indicator for banks in the digital age. The article concludes by discussing managerial implications and outlining future research direction

Les filles et les matières scientifiques au niveau secondaire

Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 201

The Use of Doxycycline in Asphyxiated Newborns

Asphyxia is a significant cause of newborn morbidity and mortality. Multiorgan injury and dysfunction is a common finding, mediated in part through an increase in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. We hypothesized administration of doxycycline, a known MMP inhibitor, would improve systemic and regional hemodynamics as well as attenuate myocardial, renal and intestinal injury and dysfunction in a clinically translatable newborn swine model of hypoxia-reoxygenation. Newborn piglets were subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation and received normal saline (control) or one of three doses of doxycycline five minutes into resuscitation. Doxycycline improved recovery of cardiac index, stroke volume index, systemic arterial pressure (SAP), systemic oxygen delivery and consumption with no effect on heart rate. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and PAP/SAP were reduced, while renal artery flow index and oxygen delivery were improved. Markers of myocardial, renal and intestinal injury were attenuated with doxycycline and associated with a reduction in tissue oxidative stress and total MMP-2 activity. We conclude that in a clinically translatable newborn swine model of hypoxia-reoxygenation, early administration of doxycycline during resuscitation improves systemic and regional hemodynamics, and attenuates myocardial, renal and intestinal injury