Computer aided process planning for rapid prototyping using a genetic algorithm

This thesis presents a new method for Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) for a subtractive Rapid Prototyping (RP) process. The CNC-RP process uses a 4-axis CNC machining center to create parts with flat end-mills. The objective is to determine the optimal system parameters for the RP process - those that enable parts to be created in a shorter amount of time. Two main contributions make this possible. First, a method of generating different machining orientation sets enables the part to be created with the same level of safety and quality available with the current system. Second, machining time is related to tool selection. These two contributions are combined into a single objective function. A Genetic Algorithm technique is implemented to determine the best machining tool sizes and machining orientations. The results show that a Genetic Algorithm can be applied to a RP process plan to reduce the total processing time

Is Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Still a Standard of Care in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Cytoreductive nephrectomy has been an integral part of management in metastatic renal cell carcinoma for patients with good performance status, based on the benefit shown by prospective trials in the interferon era and retrospective trials in the targeted therapies era. Clinical Trial to Assess the Importance of Nephrectomy (CARMENA), the first prospective phase III trial comparing a targeted agent alone (sunitinib) versus nephrectomy plus sunitinib, has been recently published, showing non-inferiority for the nephrectomy-sparing arm. In this article, we discuss the impact of nephrectomy including its immune-mediated effects, surgical morbidity and mortality, and the clinical data supporting the indications of nephrectomy in order to analyze the CARMENA trial in context, with the aim to identify optimal strategies for different patient populations in the metastatic setting

An Application of Conceptual Design and Multidisciplinary Analysis Transitioning to Detailed Design Stages

This paper presents conceptual design and feasibility analysis for oversized grain harvesting combine headers with dynamic topology. To meet customer harvesting productivity requirements, the harvesting header must increase in width from 40 to 60 feet, yet be usable on current generation combine harvesters. While designing concepts for an oversized harvester head is a complex problem by itself, it also presents a latent challenge with packaging and transporting. Transporting a 60ft harvester header using traditional methods will violate road transport regulations imposed by US state and federal governments. This warrants innovations in both designing an oversized header concepts and viable means to package it for domestic and international shipping. The Advanced Systems Design Suite (ASDS) was used to design, visualize and perform quick assessment of the proposed concept designs. Three preliminary design concepts were generated based on customer requirements and manufacturer’s guidelines, of which one design was chosen for transitioning into detailed design stages. Static engineering analysis showed that the combine harvester’s feederhouse mount can support the additional mass of the larger header. Articulation mechanisms were represented by primitive shapes created in ASDS to visualize the preliminary design solution for packaging the header for transportation. Finite Element Analyses (FEA) was performed to determine the required size, shape, and position of the articulation mechanisms. Harvest productivity analyses were performed to assess business feasibility on the oversized header design. Header performance requirements identified potential time and monetary savings of an articulated header compared to a non articulated head of the same size. Reducing the time required to perform “non-harvesting activities” with currently available combines enables the manufacturer to generate a more feasible detailed design addressing this difficult design challenge. The ASDS, along with supplementary analyses tools can be used to generate viable design concepts and the work presented in this paper shows that the oversized combine header design is feasible and is worthy of transitioning into detailed design stages

Sagittarius A* Small Satellite Mission: Capabilities and Commissioning Preview

SSCI is leading a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-funded team launching a mission in June 2021, dubbed Sagittarius A*, to demonstrate key hardware and software technologies for on-orbit autonomy, to provide a software testbed for on-orbit developmental test & autonomous mission operations, and to reduce risk for future constellation-level mission autonomy and operations. In this paper, we present the system CONOPs and capabilities, system architectures, flight and ground software development status, and initial commissioning status. The system will fly on Loft Orbital’s YAM-3 shared LEO satellite mission, and includes SSCI’s onboard autonomy software suite running on an Innoflight CFC-400 processor with onboard Automatic Target Recognition (ATR). The autonomy payload has attitude control authority over the spacecraft bus and command authority of the imaging payload, and performs fully-autonomous onboard request handling, resource & task allocation, collection execution, ATR, and detection downlinking. The system is capable of machine-to -machine tip-and-cue from offboard cueing sources via cloud-based integrations. Requests for mission data are submitted to the satellite throughout its orbit from a tactical user level via a smartphone application, and ISR data products are downlinked and displayed at the tactical level on an Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) smartphone. Follow-on software updates can be sent to the autonomy suite as over-the-air updates for on-orbit testing at any time during the on-orbit life of the satellite. Communications include GlobalStar inter-satellite communications for low rate task and status monitoring, and ground station links for payload data downloads. Planned demonstrations and opportunities will be discussed

An investigation of mental imagery in bipolar disorder: Exploring "the mind's eye".

OBJECTIVES: Mental imagery abnormalities occur across psychopathologies and are hypothesized to drive emotional difficulties in bipolar disorder (BD). A comprehensive assessment of mental imagery in BD is lacking. We aimed to test whether (i) mental imagery abnormalities (abnormalities in cognitive stages and subjective domains) occur in BD relative to non-clinical controls; and (ii) to determine the specificity of any abnormalities in BD relative to depression and anxiety disorders. METHODS: Participants included 54 subjects in the BD group (depressed/euthymic; n=27 in each subgroup), subjects with unipolar depression (n=26), subjects with anxiety disorders (n=25), and non-clinical controls (n=27) matched for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and premorbid IQ. Experimental tasks assessed cognitive (non-emotional) measures of mental imagery (cognitive stages). Questionnaires, experimental tasks, and a phenomenological interview assessed subjective domains including spontaneous imagery use, interpretation bias, and emotional mental imagery. RESULTS: (i) Compared to non-clinical controls, the BD combined group reported a greater impact of intrusive prospective imagery in daily life, more vivid and "real" negative images (prospective imagery task), and higher self-involvement (picture-word task). The BD combined group showed no clear abnormalities in cognitive stages of mental imagery. (ii) When depressed individuals with BD were compared to the depressed or anxious clinical control groups, no significant differences remained-across all groups, imagery differences were associated with affective lability and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to non-clinical controls, BD is characterized by abnormalities in aspects of emotional mental imagery within the context of otherwise normal cognitive aspects. When matched for depression and anxiety, these abnormalities are not specific to BD-rather, imagery may reflect a transdiagnostic marker of emotional psychopathology

The Sierra Leone Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI): process and effectiveness review

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The free healthcare initiative in Sierra Leone: Evaluating a health system reform, 2010-2015

Sophie Witter - orcid: 0000-0002-7656-6188 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7656-6188This article presents the findings of a theory-based evaluation of the Sierra Leone Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), using mixed methods. Analytical approaches included time-series analysis of national survey data to examine mortality and morbidity trends, as well as modelling of impact using the Lives Saved Tool and expenditure trend analysis. We find that the FHCI responded to a clear need in Sierra Leone, was well designed to bring about needed changes in the health system to deliver services to the target beneficiaries, and did indeed bring funds and momentum to produce important systemic reforms. However, its ambition was also a risk, and weaknesses in implementation have been evident in a number of core areas, such as drugs supply. We conclude that the FHCI was one important factor contributing to improvements in coverage and equity of coverage of essential services for mothers and children. Modelled cost-effectiveness is high-in the region of US$420 to US$ 444 per life year saved. The findings suggest that even-or perhaps especially-in a weak health system, a reform-like fee removal, if tackled in a systematic way, can bring about important health system gains that benefit vulnerable groups in particular.sch_iih33pub5153pub

NIRS for vicine and convicine content of faba bean seed allowed GWAS to prepare for marker-assisted adjustment of seed quality of German winter faba beans

Die antinutritiven Inhaltsstoffe Vicin und Convicin (V, C) in Samen von Winterackerbohnen wurden einer GWAS unterzogen. V-, C- und V + C-Werte von 189 Inzuchtlinien (fünf Umwelten) wurden mittels NIRS ermittelt. In diesen Linien kommt das starke „vc-“-Allel (VC1-Locus) nicht vor. Labor-Resultate von 646 Proben führten zu unserer NIRS-Kalibration, die gut für V und V + C tauglich war allerdings nicht tauglich für C. Die Erblichkeit war hoch für V und V + C (0,911; 0,868) und niedriger für C (0,737). Von den 2542 kartierten SNPs waren 47 signifikant mit V und einer mit V + C assoziiert. Vier SNPs, die nahe beim VC1-Lokus kartierten, waren für V signifikant. Anscheinend trugen nicht-„vc-“-Allele an diesem Locus zur V-Variation bei. Markergestützte Züchtung in diesem Genpool kann die V + C-Gehalt auf etwa 0,44 % reduzieren, im Vergleich zur aktuell niedrigsten Linie mit 0,55 %. Weitere Forschung wird zeigen, wie diese Ergebnisse der Agronomie und Züchtung dienlich sein werden.GWAS was applied to the antinutritive compounds vicine and convicine (V, C) in winter faba bean. V, C and V + C data for 189 inbred lines (five environments) were predicted by NIRS. These lines do not carry the strong “vc-“ allele (locus VC1). Lab data for 646 samples enabled our NIRS calibration, which performed well for V and V + C yet poor for C. Heritability was high (0.911; 0.868) for V and V + C and lower for C (0.737). From the 2542 mapped SNPs, 47 were significantly associated with V and one with V + C. Four SNPs mapped near to the VC1 locus and were significant for V. Seemingly, non-“vc-“ alleles at that locus contributed to V variation. Marker-assisted breeding with this germplasm can reduce the V + C content to about 0.44%, compared to the current lowest line with 0.55%. Further research will show inasmuch this can serve agronomy and breeding

Como reduzir o índice de resíduos e sucatas no processo de produção? / How to reduce the rate of waste and scrap in the production process?

O presente estudo é uma pesquisa de campo realizado em uma empresa de grande porte do segmento de energia e telecomunicações, localizada na cidade de São José dos Pinhais no estado do Paraná, a qual apresenta um índice de resíduos e sucatas acima da meta que é de 2,5%. Diante disso o estudo tem como objetivo elaborar uma proposta para reduzir o índice de resíduos e sucatas gerados no processo de produção, sendo que para mensurar o problema foram levantados os índices de sucatas do período de fevereiro de 2019 a janeiro de 2020. A coleta de dados e informações ocorreu por meio da observação não participativa realizada em visita na empresa para entender os processos de produção, da pesquisa documental para levantar os dados, do brainstorming por meio do qual foram identificadas oito causas do problema. Depois de analisadas cada uma das causas foram priorizadas cinco, para as quais foi elaborado o plano de ação utilizando o 5W2H. As soluções apresentadas objetivam eliminar as causas priorizadas, e se as ações apresentadas forem aplicadas irão contribuir para reduzir o índice de resíduos e sucatas gerados no processo de produção e assim atender a meta determinada pela empresa.

Single-molecule in vivo imaging of bacterial respiratory complexes indicates delocalized oxidative phosphorylation

Chemiosmotic energy coupling through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is crucial to life, requiring coordinated enzymes whose membrane organization and dynamics are poorly understood. We quantitatively explore localization, stoichiometry, and dynamics of key OXPHOS complexes, functionally fluorescent protein-tagged, in Escherichia coli using low-angle fluorescence and superresolution microscopy, applying single-molecule analysis and novel nanoscale co-localization measurements. Mobile 100-200nm membrane domains containing tens to hundreds of complexes are indicated. Central to our results is that domains of different functional OXPHOS complexes do not co-localize, but ubiquinone diffusion in the membrane is rapid and long-range, consistent with a mobile carrier shuttling electrons between islands of different complexes. Our results categorically demonstrate that electron transport and proton circuitry in this model bacterium are spatially delocalized over the cell membrane, in stark contrast to mitochondrial bioenergetic supercomplexes. Different organisms use radically different strategies for OXPHOS membrane organization, likely depending on the stability of their environment