A fabric deformation methodology for the automation of fiber reinforced polymer composite manufacturing

This thesis presents a new fabric deformation method, referred to as shifting, for the layup of non-crimp fabric (NCF) plies with the intent of creating an automated layup solution. The mathematical model for the new method has been presented to describe the method and provide the ground work for future path planning of an automation solution. Testing has been completed to show that shifting can produce layups with 2 dimensional geometry without generating out-of-plane distortion. Fatigue tensile testing was conducted in order to understand the effect of the shifting method on the properties of composite components. Coupons with constant curvature and varying discrete shift quantities were tested to failure. Results are presented with an equation relating discrete shifting quantities to the fatigue life. This equation also predicts the lifetime of a coupon with continuous shifting. This relationship will be necessary in optimizing the path planning for an automated solution. Finally, a conceptual design and process schematic are presented to show the feasibility of using the shifting method for an automated system

I hvilken grad kan samfunnsansvar fremmes gjennom offentlige bygge- og anleggskontrakter?

Offentlige kontrakter utgjør en betydelig andel av den samlede bygge- og anleggs aktiviteten i Norge. Samtidig er det nedfelt som en nasjonal strategi at offentlige innkjøp skal brukes som verktøy for å påvirke leverandører til å utvise og øke sitt samfunnsansvar (Corporate Social Responsibility - CSR). Sett i lys av dette er det åpenbart at byggeprosessene blir et viktig verktøy for å sette denne strategien ut i livet. For å belyse problematikken har vi arbeidet ut fra følgende primære problemstilling: l hvilken grad kan samfunl1sansvar fremmes gjen110m offentlige bygge- og anleggskontrakter? I tilknytning til hovedproblemstillingen har vi sett på hvordan samfunnsansvar kan gi et forbedret omdømme, og formulert følgende sekundære tilleggsproblemstillinger: e l hvilken grad kan CSR og et godt omdømme fremme økt effektivitet i offentlig sektor? e l hvilken grad kan CSR og et godt omdømme fremme økt konkurranseevne i bedrifter? Vi har søkt svar på problemstillingene gjennom dybdeintervjuer med fem informanter, og drøfting av funnene fra disse intervjuene opp mot teori. Analysen viser at offentlige byggherrer har erfaring med å stille CSR-relaterte krav, spesielt innen områdene sosiale og miljørelaterte ytelser. Dette kan langt på vei forklares med at mange forhold er i ferd med å bli regulert ved hjelp av lover og forskrifter. Utover dette har de fleste byggherrene erfaring med å stille CSR-krav ut fra egne strategier, uten at det kan vises til entydig positive erfaringer fra dette. Regelverket for offentlige anskaffelser viser seg å ofte bli et hinder for å kunne sette krav som ellers ville blitt formulert med de beste intensjoner. Erfaring viser også at enkelte typer kraver svært vanskelig å etterprøve og kontrollere, og at de derfor kanskje ikke bør stilles da kravetterprøving er en absolutt bestemmelse i Forskrift om offentlige anskaffelser satt for å unngå forskjellsbehandling og konkurransevridning. Videre bør det vurderes om ytterligere fremming av CSR i sterkere grad og med fordel bør skje gjennom utvidelser av lov- og forskriftsverket, og gjennom sterke politiske føringer som etter hvert skal skape en felles offentlig praksis på bestemte CSR-områder. Dette fordi frivillig fremming av CSR gjennom egeninitierte og selvpålagte krav hos den enkelte byggherre, bare skjer i mindre grad i dag. Det kan også nevnes at byggherrer er klar over at en kontraktsmodell med byggherre st yre delentrepriser gir bedre kontroll med ett av de største problemene i bransjen: prispress mot underentreprenører og underleverandører. Problemet berører flere av kjerneområdene i CSRtankegangen, først og fremst forhold omkring sosial dumping og bidrag til generell økonomisk utvikling. Kontraktsrnodellen blir likevel ofte valgt bort, med den forklaring at byggherren ikke har ressurser til å følge opp flere sidestilte delentrepriser samtidig. Informantene i denne undersøkelsen har en klar oppfatning av at entreprenører som holder en høy es R-profil, samtidig opparbeider seg et forbedret omdømme. Erfaringer viser at dette ofte gir høyere effektivitet i samarbeidet, ved at oppdragsgiveren reduserer ressursbruken til oppfølging og kontroll av entreprenøren. Hovedårsaken til dette er at godt omdømme gir tillit. Spørsmålet om hvorvidt bedre omdømme gir bedre konkurranseevne gir et noe mer uklart svar. Byggherrene ville gjerne gi konkurransefortrinn til anbydere med disse egenskapene, men opplever at det overordnede regelverket for konkurransene ikke tillater det. Studien viser at det kreves betydelig tverrfaglig kompetanse for å kunne håndtere en situasjon hvor eSR-relaterte krav blir satt gjennom anbudsdokumenter og kontrakter. Kunnskap om de krav som ønskes satt er ikke tilstrekkelig, byggherreorganisasjonen må også ha betydelig kompetanse om anbudsprosesser og innkjøpsregelverk

Strategies for a diversified organic pork production – an upcoming project

The objective of this project is to identify strategies for a diversified organic pork production with superior sensory quality based on pigs foraging in the cropping system. Three categories of slaughter pigs (young entire male pigs, female pigs of more than 100 kg and first parity sows) will be investigated and a traditional breed will be compared with a modern crossbred

Do findings identified on magnetic resonance imaging predict future neck pain? a systematic review

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to identify pathology contributing to neck pain. However, the importance of findings on MRI remains unclear.To investigate whether findings on cervical spine MRI predict future neck pain.Systematic review.People with or without neck pain.Clinically important neck pain outcomes such as pain and disability.The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO [CRD42016049228]. MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE databases were searched. Included were prospective cohort studies investigating the association between baseline MRI findings and clinical outcome. Cohorts with serious underlying diseases as the cause of their neck pain were excluded. Associations between MRI findings and neck pain outcomes were extracted from the included studies.A total of twelve studies met all inclusion criteria. Eight studies presented data on participants with current neck pain, two studies included a mixed sample, two studies included a sample of participants with no current neck pain. Due to the heterogeneity between the studies in terms of MRI findings, populations and clinical outcomes investigated, it was not possible to pool the results. No consistent associations between MRI findings and future outcomes were identified. Single studies of populations with neck pain reported significant associations for neck muscle fatty infiltrate (risk ratio (RR) 21.00, 95% CI 2.97 to 148.31) with persistent neck disability; disc protrusion (mean difference (MD) ranged from -1.83 to -2.88 on 10- point pain scale) and disc degeneration (RR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.98) with neck pain. In a population without pain, the development of foraminal stenosis over a 10 year period was associated with development of neck pain (RR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.23 to 7.23).The limited number, heterogeneity and small sample size of the included studies, do not permit definitive conclusions on the association between MRI findings of the cervical spine with future neck pain

The Performance of a Rapid Diagnostic Test in Detecting Malaria Infection in Pregnant Women and the Impact of Missed Infections.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent screening and treatment in pregnancy (ISTp) is a potential strategy for the control of malaria during pregnancy. However, the frequency and consequences of malaria infections missed by a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for malaria are a concern. METHODS: Primigravidae and secundigravidae who participated in the ISTp arm of a noninferiority trial in 4 West African countries were screened with an HRP2/pLDH RDT on enrollment and, in Ghana, at subsequent antenatal clinic (ANC) visits. Blood samples were examined subsequently by microscopy and by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. RESULTS: The sensitivity of the RDT to detect peripheral blood infections confirmed by microscopy and/or PCR at enrollment ranged from 91% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88%, 94%) in Burkina Faso to 59% (95% CI, 48%, 70% in The Gambia. In Ghana, RDT sensitivity was 89% (95% CI, 85%, 92%), 83% (95% CI, 76%, 90%) and 77% (95% CI, 67%, 86%) at enrollment, second and third ANC visits respectively but only 49% (95% CI, 31%, 66%) at delivery. Screening at enrollment detected 56% of all infections detected throughout pregnancy. Seventy-five RDT negative PCR or microscopy positive infections were detected in 540 women; these were not associated with maternal anemia, placental malaria, or low birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of an RDT to detect malaria in primigravidae and secundigravidae was high at enrollment in 3 of 4 countries and, in Ghana, at subsequent ANC visits. In Ghana, RDT negative malaria infections were not associated with adverse birth outcomes but missed infections were uncommon

Multidisciplinary discovery of ancient restoration using a rare mud carapace on a mummified individual from late New Kingdom Egypt.

Funder: Rundle Foundation for Egyptian ArchaeologyCT scans of an unnamed mummified adult from Egypt, now in the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney (NMR.27.3), reveal it to be fully sheathed in a mud shell or carapace, exposing a mortuary treatment not previously documented in the Egyptian archaeological record. The carapace was placed between layers of linen wrappings thus it was not externally visible. Radiocarbon dating of textile samples provide a range of c.1370-1113 cal BC (95.4% probability), with a median date of 1207 cal BC. When assessed against mummification techniques of the era, the individual is placed in the late 19th-20th Dynasty, at the later end of this date range. Multi-proxy analysis including μ-XRF and Raman spectroscopy of carapace fragments from the head area revealed it to consist of three layers, comprising a thin base layer of mud, coated with a white calcite-based pigment and a red-painted surface of mixed composition. Whether the whole surface of the carapace was painted red is unknown. The carapace was a form of ancient conservation applied subsequent to post-mortem damage to the body, intended to reconfigure the body and enable continued existence of the deceased in the afterlife. The carapace can also be interpreted as a form of elite emulation imitating resin shells found within the wrappings of royal bodies from this period

Socioeconomic Position Is Associated With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Mid-Childhood: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Background-Lower socioeconomic position (SEP) predicts higher cardiovascular risk in adults. Few studies differentiate between neighborhood and family SEP or have repeated measures through childhood, which would inform understanding of potential mechanisms and the timing of interventions. We investigated whether neighborhood and family SEP, measured biennially from ages 0 to 1 year onward, was associated with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) at ages 11 to 12 years. Methods and Results-Data were obtained from 1477 families participating in the Child Health CheckPoint study, nested within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Disadvantaged family and neighborhood SEP was cross-sectionally associated with thicker maximum carotid IMT in separate univariable linear regression models. Associations with family SEP were not attenuated in multivariable analyses, and associations with neighborhood SEP were attenuated only in models adjusted for family SEP. The difference in maximum carotid IMT between the highest and lowest family SEP quartile measured at ages 10 to 11 years was 10.7 mu m (95% CI, 3.4-18.0; P=0.004), adjusted for age, sex, pubertal status, passive smoking exposure, body mass index, blood pressure, and arterial lumen diameter. In longitudinal analyses, family SEP measured as early as age 2 to 3 years was associated with maximum carotid IMT at ages 11 to 12 years (difference between highest and lowest quartile: 8.5 mu m; 95% CI, 1.3-15.8; P=0.02). No associations were observed between SEP and mean carotid IMT. Conclusions-We report a robust association between lower SEP in early childhood and carotid IMT in mid-childhood. Further investigation of mechanisms may inform pediatric cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention strategies.This work has been supported to date by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (1041352, 1109355), the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation (2014- 241), Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the University of Melbourne, National Heart Foundation of Australia (100660), Financial Markets Foundation for Children (2014-055) and Victorian Deaf Education Institute. The following authors were supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia: Clinical Postgraduate Research Scholarship (1114567) to Liu, Senior Research Fellowships (1046518) to Wake and (1064629) Burgner, Early Career Fellowship (1037449) and Career Development Fellowship (1111160) to Mensah. Liu is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Magnussen is supported by the National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (100849). Juonala is supported by the Federal Research Grant of Finland to Turku University Hospital, Finnish Cardiovascular Foundation, Juho Vainio Foundation, Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Maud Kuistila Foundation, the Paulo Foundation, and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Fellowship). Wake is supported by Cure Kids, New Zealand. Research at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is supported by the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Program

Non-falciparum malaria infections in pregnant women in West Africa

Background Non-Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections are found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa but little is known about their importance in pregnancy. Methods Blood samples were collected at first antenatal clinic attendance from 2526 women enrolled in a trial of intermittent screening and treatment of malaria in pregnancy (ISTp) versus intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) conducted in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana and Mali. DNA was extracted from blood spots and tested for P. falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale using a nested PCR test. Risk factors for a non-falciparum malaria infection were investigated and the influence of these infections on the outcome of pregnancy was determined. Results P. falciparum infection was detected frequently (overall prevalence by PCR: 38.8 %, [95 % CI 37.0, 40.8]), with a prevalence ranging from 10.8 % in The Gambia to 56.1 % in Ghana. Non-falciparum malaria infections were found only rarely (overall prevalence 1.39 % [95 % CI 1.00, 1.92]), ranging from 0.17 % in the Gambia to 3.81 % in Mali. Ten non-falciparum mono-infections and 25 mixed falciparum and non-falciparum infections were found. P. malariae was the most frequent non-falciparum infection identified; P. vivax was detected only in Mali. Only four of the non-falciparum mono-infections were detected by microscopy or rapid diagnostic test. Recruitment during the late rainy season and low socio-economic status were associated with an increased risk of non-falciparum malaria as well as falciparum malaria. The outcome of pregnancy did not differ between women with a non-falciparum malaria infection and those who were not infected with malaria at first ANC attendance. Conclusions Non-falciparum infections were infrequent in the populations studied, rarely detected when present as a mono-infection and unlikely to have had an important impact on the outcome of pregnancy in the communities studied due to the small number of women infected with non-falciparum parasites