Acoustic Properties of Soybeans

Acoustic transmission and impact force response methods were investigated for classification of soybeans. The transmission method was slow and not suitable for real-time application. A polynomial was fitted to the deconvolved frequency spectrum of acoustic impulse data for soybeans. The curve fitting procedure successfully predicted the mass of each soybean. The size of soybeans was related to the bandwidth. Diseased soybeans consistently showed narrower bandwidths than healthy soybeans. The diseased and damaged soybeans had broad variations in low frequency which was quantifiable by threshholding the error of fit in the curve fitting procedure

High efficiency multi-junction solar cell design

Energy from the sun is the best option for electricity generation as it is abundantly available everywhere and sustainable source. Advance of Photovoltaic (PV) technology in recent years has made solar energy one of the practical alternative energy sources available in the energy market. In order to make the PV energy more affordable and cost effective, major focus of the research community and industry is improvement on power efficiency of PV systems. Early stage of solar panel manufacturing known as process technology plays a crucial role in achieving above limits. This paper presents a novel process technology for solar panel with 6 junctions

Beam optics study for a potential VHEE beam delivery system

VHEE (Very High Energy Electron) therapy can be superior to conventional radiotherapy for the treatment of deep seated tumours, whilst not necessarily requiring the space and cost of proton or heavy ion facilities. Developments in high gradient RF technology have allowed electrons to be accelerated to VHEE energies in a compact space, meaning that treatment could be possible with a shorter linac. A crucial component of VHEE treatment is the transfer of the beam from accelerator to patient. This is required to magnify the beam to cover the transverse extent of the tumour, whilst ensuring a uniform beam distribution. Two principle methodologies for the design of a compact transfer line are presented. The first of these is based upon a quadrupole lattice and optical magnification of beam size. A minimisation algorithm is used to enforce certain criteria on the beam distribution at the patient, defining the lattice through an automated routine. Separately, a dual scattering-foil based system is also presented, which uses similar algorithms for the optimisation of the foil geometry in order to achieve the desired beam shape at the patient location

Elementary Quantum Mechanics in a Space-time Lattice

Studies of quantum fields and gravity suggest the existence of a minimal length, such as Planck length \cite{Floratos,Kempf}. It is natural to ask how the existence of a minimal length may modify the results in elementary quantum mechanics (QM) problems familiar to us \cite{Gasiorowicz}. In this paper we address a simple problem from elementary non-relativistic quantum mechanics, called "particle in a box", where the usual continuum (1+1)-space-time is supplanted by a space-time lattice. Our lattice consists of a grid of $\lambda_0 \times \tau_0$ rectangles, where $\lambda_0$, the lattice parameter, is a fundamental length (say Planck length) and, we take $\tau_0$ to be equal to $\lambda_0/c$. The corresponding Schrodinger equation becomes a difference equation, the solution of which yields the $q$-eigenfunctions and $q$-eigenvalues of the energy operator as a function of $\lambda_0$. The $q$-eigenfunctions form an orthonormal set and both $q$-eigenfunctions and $q$-eigenvalues reduce to continuum solutions as $\lambda_0 \rightarrow 0 .$ The corrections to eigenvalues because of the assumed lattice is shown to be $O(\lambda_0^2).$ We then compute the uncertainties in position and momentum, $\Delta x, \Delta p$ for the box problem and study the consequent modification of Heisenberg uncertainty relation due to the assumption of space-time lattice, in contrast to modifications suggested by other investigations such as \cite{Floratos}

Health Insights: The Efficacy of Current Prenatal Education on Listeria Monocytogenes

Every year, at least one major Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) outbreak occurs within the United States. If pregnant women are uninformed of possible ramifications of contracting Listeria, the mother and child are at risk for health complications. One possibly effective communication approach to this population regarding prevention and risk is through Listeria Educational Materials (LEM). In order to ascertain the status and effectiveness of currently available LEM for pregnant women, a systematic literature review was conducted. Literature searches were conducted using widely accepted public/private databases. The mesh terms used included “Listeria pregnancy”, “listeria education”, “Listeriosis”, “Listeria pregnancy prevalence” “Listeria monocytogenes”. Articles published within the past 10 years pertaining to educational materials for pregnant women were evaluated. Articles relating to general information of Listeria, were also narrowed to specific characteristics, traits, and origin for exposure. References to Listeria in elderly and immunocompromised individuals were excluded. Four studies involving Listeria interventions including LEM for pregnant women were identified. These studies all concluded a majority of pregnant women were still not provided with sufficient information on infection prevention of Listeria. Most educational materials provided to the women were in the form of pamphlets, and the majority of pregnant women who had heard of Listeria gathered the information through their own research efforts. The current evaluation of the available studies concludes there is inadequate emphasis placed on educational interventions for pregnant women regarding Listeria risk. These interventions concluded more must be done to inform these pregnant women of the dangers of Listeria as well as on the high-risk foods they consume on a daily basis

Dynamic Yield Strength of Mild Steel under Impact Loading

Dynamic yield strength of mild steel is estimated when impacted by the steel balls launchedby two stage-light gas gun in the velocity region 1900-5200 m/s. The ball impact provides a radialmomentum to the target material resulting in a crater which spreads out until it is stopped bythe target yield strength. The dynamic yield strength of target metal is calculated by incorporatingthe densities of ball and target material along with experimentally measured crater radius andimpact velocity in modified Bernoulli™s equation. The dynamic yield strength of mild steel hasbeen found to be around 2000 MPa under high velocity impact, causing the material to deformat strain rates > 106 s-1. Impact phenomenon was also simulated on Autodyn 2-D using Eulerprocessor. Simulation results reveal that the target material is subjected to the highest strain rateof 105 - 106 s-1 at the impact point and then decreases as the penetration progresses through thetarget. Predicted results of crater radius depth, and splash of material match with the experimentalmeasurements

Predicted equations for ventilatory function among Kuching (Sarawak, Malaysia) population

Spirometry data of 869 individuals (males and females) between the ages of 10 to 60 years were analyzed. The analysis yielded the following conclusions: 1. The pattern of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1) for the selected subgroups seems to be gender dependant: in males, the highest values were seen in the Chinese, followed by the Malay, and then the Dayak; in females, the highest values were seen in the Chinese, followed by the Dayak, and then the Malay. 2. Smoking that did not produce respiratory symptom was not associated with a decline in lung function, in fact we noted higher values in smokers as compared to nonsmokers. 3. Prediction formulae (54 in total) are worked out for FVC & FEV1 for the respective gender and each of the selected subgroups

Twenty-two points to consider for clinical trials in systemic sclerosis, based on EULAR standards

Objective. SSc is clinically and aetiopathogenically heterogeneous. Consensus standards for more uniform trial design and selection of outcome measures are needed. The objective of this study was to develop evidence-based points to consider (PTCs) for future clinical trials in SSc. Methods. Thirteen international SSc experts experienced in SSc clinical trial design were invited to participate. One researcher with experience in systematic literature review and three trainees were also included. A systematic review using PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted and PTCs when designing clinical trials in SSc were developed. As part of that development we conducted an Internet-based Delphi exercise regarding the main points to be made in the consensus statement. Consensus was defined as achieving a median score of ≥7 of 9. Results. By consensus, the experts decided to develop PTCs for each individual organ system. The current document provides a unifying outline on PTCs regarding general trial design, inclusion/exclusion criteria and analysis. Consensus was achieved regarding all the main points of the PTCs. Conclusion. Using European League Against Rheumatism suggestions for PTCs, a general outline for PTCs for controlled clinical trials in SSc was developed. Specific outlines for individual organ systems are to be published separately. This general outline should lead to more uniform and higher-quality trials and clearly delineate areas where further research is neede