Power systems related to operations of a landed planetary capsule

Power systems related to Mars landing capsul

A datamining approach to identifying spatial patterns of phosphorus forms in the Stormwater Treatment Areas in the Everglades

The Everglades ecosystem in Florida, USA, is naturally phosphorus (P) limited, and faces threats of ecosystem change and associated losses to habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem function if subjected to high inflows of P and other nutrients. In addition to changes in historic hydropattern, upstream agriculture (sugar cane, vegetable, citrus) and urbanization has placed the Everglades at risk due to nutrient-rich runoff. In response to this threat, the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) were constructed along the northern boundary of the Everglades as engineered ecological systems designed to retain P from water flowing into the Everglades. This research investigated data collected over a period from 2002 to 2014 from the interior of the STAs using data mining and analysis techniques including (a) exploratory methods such as Principal Component Analysis to test for patterns and groupings in the data, and (b) modelling approaches to test for predictive relationships between environmental variables. The purpose of this research was to reveal and compare spatial trends and relationships between environmental variables across the various treatment cells, flow-ways, and STAs. Common spatial patterns and their drivers indicated that the flow-ways do not function along simple linear gradients; instead forming zonal patterns of P distribution that may increasingly align with the predominant flow path over time. Findings also indicate that the primary drivers of the spatial distribution of P in many of these systems relate to soil characteristics. The results suggest that coupled cycles may be a key component of these systems; i.e. the movement and transformation of P is coupled to that of nitrogen (N)

Testiranje spojnog smicanja dubokih okluzalnih kompozitnih restauracija postavljenih preko podloge od Dycal, Dycal LC, konvencionalnog ili smolom modifikovanog glas-jonomer cementa

Background/Aim. The longevity of a dental restoration may be predicted to some degree by its adhesive ability, and this, in turn, can be measured by bond strength testing between restorative materials and tooth structure. The aim of this study was to test an innovative joggle lap shearing jig that integrates the tooth and the entire biomechanical unit into testing, to compare the shear bond strengths of Class I occlusal composite restorations in deep cavity preparations lined with Dycal, Dycal LC, conventional glass ionomer or resin-modified glass ionomer. The mode of failure (adhesive, cohesive, mixed) after debonding was determined by stereomicroscopy. Methods. A total of 150 standardized occlusal cavities were prepared and divided into five groups. The group I cavities (n = 30) were coated with adhesive (ExciTE®F) and filled directly with composite (TetricEvoCeram). The group II and III cavities were lined with Dycal (n = 30) or Dycal LC (n = 30) before placing composite. The groups IV and V specimens were based with Fuji IX (n = 30) or Fuji II LC (n = 30). Shear bond strengths were determined with a universal testing machine and fractured bonding sites were analyzed under stereomicroscope. The mean bond strengths were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test (p lt 0.05) and the means between the groups were analyzed with Student's t-test. Results. The shear bond strength (MPa) of composite restorations in cavities without base (23.91 ± 4.54) was higher than cavities lined with Fuji II LC (17.45 ± 2.74), Fuji IX (8.76 ± 2.57), Dycal LC (13.07 ± 1.84) or Dycal (6.12 ± 1.28). The results using the jogged lap shearing jig were consistent with the literature. Conclusion. The shear bond strength of occlusal composite restorations in deep cavities without liners was greater than cavities lined with Fuji II LC > Fuji IX > Dycal LC > Dycal.Uvod/Cilj. Trajnost zubnih nadoknada može se donekle predvideti vstom adhezivne sposobnosti materijala i može se meriti testiranjem snage adhezije restorativnih materijala i zubnih struktura. Cilj ove studije bio je da se da se testira preklapanje spoja koji povezuje zub i biomehaničku jedinicu i da se uporedi jačina veze okluzalnih kompozitnih ispuna postavljenih u duboke kavitete preko podloge od Dycal, Dycal LC, konvencionalnog ili smolom-modifikovanog glas-jonomer cementa. Metode. Ukupno 150 standardizovanih okluzalnih kaviteta bilo je podeljeno u pet grupa (n = 30): I - kaviteti premazani adhezivom (ExciTE®F) i direktno ispunjeni kompozitom (TetricEvoCeram); II i III - kaviteti sa podlogom od Dycal ili Dycal LC pre postavljanja kompozitnog materijala; IV i V - uzorci sa bazom od Fuji IX ili Fuji II LC (n = 30). Jačina vezivne snage određena je pomoću univerzalne mašine, a način neuspeha (adhezivna, kohezivna, mešovita fraktura) određen je stereomikroskopom. Srednje vrednosti su analizirane pomoću ANOVA testa (p lt 0,05), a značajnost razlika između grupa analizirana je Student-ovim t-testom. Rezultati. Jačina vezivne snage (MPa) kompozitnih ispuna u kavitetima bez podloge (23,91 ± 4,54) bila je veća u poređenju sa ispunima postavljenim preko Fuji II LC (17,45 ± 2,74), Fuji IX (8,76 ± 2,57), Dycal LC (13,07 ± 1,84) ili Dycal (6.12 ± 1.28). Zaključak. Smicanje ili pomaknuće okluzalnih kompozitnih ispuna u dubokim kavitetima bez lajnera je veće nego u kavitetima postavljenim preko Fuji II LC > Fuji IX > Dycal LC > Dycal

The secret world of shrimps: polarisation vision at its best

Animal vision spans a great range of complexity, with systems evolving to detect variations in optical intensity, distribution, colour, and polarisation. Polarisation vision systems studied to date detect one to four channels of linear polarisation, combining them in opponent pairs to provide intensity-independent operation. Circular polarisation vision has never been seen, and is widely believed to play no part in animal vision. Polarisation is fully measured via Stokes' parameters--obtained by combined linear and circular polarisation measurements. Optimal polarisation vision is the ability to see Stokes' parameters: here we show that the crustacean \emph{Gonodactylus smithii} measures the exact components required. This vision provides optimal contrast-enhancement, and precise determination of polarisation with no confusion-states or neutral-points--significant advantages. We emphasise that linear and circular polarisation vision are not different modalities--both are necessary for optimal polarisation vision, regardless of the presence of strongly linear or circularly polarised features in the animal's environment.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Healthy ageing and home: The perspectives of very old people in five European countries

This paper reports on in-depth research, using a grounded theory approach, to examine the ways in which very old people perceive healthy ageing in the context of living alone at home within urban settings in five European countries. This qualitative study was part of a cross-national project entitled ENABLE-AGE which examined the relationship between home and healthy ageing. Interviews explored the notion of healthy ageing, the meaning and importance of home, conceptualisations of independence and autonomy and links between healthy ageing and home. Data analysis identified five ways in which older people constructed healthy ageing: home and keeping active; managing lifestyles, health and illness; balancing social life; and balancing material and financial circumstances. Older people reflected on their everyday lives at home in terms of being engaged in purposeful, meaningful action and evaluated healthy ageing in relation to the symbolic and practical affordances of the home, contextualised within constructions of their national context. The research suggests that older people perceive healthy ageing as an active achievement, created through individual, personal effort and supported through social ties despite the health, financial and social decline associated with growing older. The physicality and spatiality of home provided the context for establishing and evaluating the notion of healthy ageing, whilst the experienced relationship between home, life history and identity created a meaningful space within which healthy ageing was negotiated

Volumes of polytopes in spaces of constant curvature

We overview the volume calculations for polyhedra in Euclidean, spherical and hyperbolic spaces. We prove the Sforza formula for the volume of an arbitrary tetrahedron in $H^3$ and $S^3$. We also present some results, which provide a solution for Seidel problem on the volume of non-Euclidean tetrahedron. Finally, we consider a convex hyperbolic quadrilateral inscribed in a circle, horocycle or one branch of equidistant curve. This is a natural hyperbolic analog of the cyclic quadrilateral in the Euclidean plane. We find a few versions of the Brahmagupta formula for the area of such quadrilateral. We also present a formula for the area of a hyperbolic trapezoid.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 58 reference

Annual Greenland accumulation rates (2009–2012) from airborne snow radar

Contemporary climate warming over the Arctic is accelerating mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet through increasing surface melt, emphasizing the need to closely monitor its surface mass balance in order to improve sea-level rise predictions. Snow accumulation is the largest component of the ice sheet's surface mass balance, but in situ observations thereof are inherently sparse and models are difficult to evaluate at large scales. Here, we quantify recent Greenland accumulation rates using ultra-wideband (2–6.5 GHz) airborne snow radar data collected as part of NASA's Operation IceBridge between 2009 and 2012. We use a semiautomated method to trace the observed radiostratigraphy and then derive annual net accumulation rates for 2009–2012. The uncertainty in these radar-derived accumulation rates is on average 14 %. A comparison of the radar-derived accumulation rates and contemporaneous ice cores shows that snow radar captures both the annual and long-term mean accumulation rate accurately. A comparison with outputs from a regional climate model (MAR) shows that this model matches radar-derived accumulation rates in the ice sheet interior but produces higher values over southeastern Greenland. Our results demonstrate that snow radar can efficiently and accurately map patterns of snow accumulation across an ice sheet and that it is valuable for evaluating the accuracy of surface mass balance models

For whom is a health-promoting intervention effective? Predictive factors for performing activities of daily living independently

BACKGROUND: Health-promoting interventions tailored to support older persons to remain in their homes, so-called "ageing in place" is important for supporting or improving their health. The health-promoting programme "Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone," (EPRZ) was set up for this purpose and has shown positive results for maintaining independence in activities of daily living for older persons 80 years and above at 1- and 2 year follow-ups. The aim of this study was to explore factors for maintaining independence in the EPRZ health-promoting programme.METHODS: Total of 459 participants in the original trial was included in the analysis; 345 in the programme arm and 114 in the control arm. Thirteen variables, including demographic, health, and programme-specific indicators, were chosen as predictors for independence of activities of daily living. Logistic regression was performed separately for participants in the health promotion programme and in the control arm.RESULTS: In the programme arm, being younger, living alone and self-rated lack of tiredness in performing mobility activities predicted a positive effect of independence in activities of daily living at 1-year follow-up (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 1.73, 3.02) and 2-year, (OR 1.13, 2.01, 2.02). In the control arm, being less frail was the only predictor at 1-year follow up (OR 1.6 1.09, 2.4); no variables predicted the outcome at the 2-year follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: Older persons living alone - as a risk of ill health - should be especially recognized and offered an opportunity to participate in health-promoting programmes such as "Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone". Further, screening for subjective frailty could form an advantageous guiding principle to target the right population when deciding to whom health-promoting intervention should be offered.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The original clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT00877058 , April 6, 2009