4,967 research outputs found
Engineering enterprise through intellectual property education - pedagogic approaches
Engineering faculties, despite shrinking resources, are delivering to new enterprise
agendas that must take account of the fuzzying of disciplinary boundaries. Learning and
teaching, curriculum design and research strategies reflect these changes. Driven by changing
expectations of how future graduates will contribute to the economy, academics in
engineering and other innovative disciplines are finding it necessary to re-think undergraduate
curricula to enhance students’ entrepreneurial skills, which includes their awareness and
competence in respect of intellectual property rights [IPRs]. There is no well established
pedagogy for educating engineers, scientists and innovators about intellectual property. This
paper reviews some different approaches to facilitating non-law students’ learning about IP.
Motivated by well designed ‘intended learning outcomes’ and assessment tasks, students can
be encouraged to manage their learning... The skills involved in learning about intellectual
property rights in this way can be applied to learning other key, but not core, subjects. At the
same time, students develop the ability to acquire knowledge, rather than rely on receiving it,
which is an essential competence for a ‘knowledge’ based worker
Relaxation Design of Separable Tube Connectors
Design procedure to predict relaxation or time to leakage for separable tube connector
Tensin1 expression and function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
open access articleChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a major cause of morbidity and
mortality. Genome wide association studies have shown significant associations between airflow
obstruction or COPD with a non-synonymous SNP in the TNS1 gene, which encodes tensin1.
However, the expression, cellular distribution and function of tensin1 in human airway tissue and
cells are unknown. We therefore examined these characteristics in tissue and cells from controls
and people with COPD or asthma.
Airway tissue was immunostained for tensin1. Tensin1 expression in cultured human
airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) was evaluated using qRT-PCR, western blotting and
immunofluorescent staining. siRNAs were used to downregulate tensin1 expression.
Tensin1 expression was increased in the airway smooth muscle and lamina propria in COPD
tissue, but not asthma, when compared to controls. Tensin1 was expressed in HASMCs and
upregulated by TGFβ1. TGFβ1 and fibronectin increased the localisation of tensin1 to fibrillar
adhesions. Tensin1 and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) were strongly co-localised, and tensin1
depletion in HASMCs attenuated both αSMA expression and contraction of collagen gels.
In summary, tensin1 expression is increased in COPD airways, and may promote airway
obstruction by enhancing the expression of contractile proteins and their localisation to stress
fibres in HASMCs
Low-cycle fatigue of Type 347 stainless steel and Hastelloy alloy X in hydrogen gas and in air at elevated temperatures
An investigation was conducted to assess the low-cycle fatigue resistance of two alloys, Type 347 stainless steel and Hastelloy Alloy X, that were under consideration for use in nuclear-powered rocket vehicles. Constant-amplitude, strain-controlled fatigue tests were conducted under compressive strain cycling at a constant strain rate of 0.001/sec and at total axial strain ranges of 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 %, in both laboratory-air and low-pressure hydrogen-gas environments at temperatures from 538 to 871 C. Specimens were obtained from three heats of Type 347 stainless steel bar and two heats of Hastelloy Alloy X. The tensile properties of each heat were determined at 21, 538, 649, and 760 C. The continuous cycling fatigue resistance was determined for each heat at temperatures of 538, 760, and 871 C. The Type 347 stainless steel exhibited equal or superior fatigue resistance to the Hastelloy Alloy X at all conditions of this study
Effect of Magnetization Inhomogeneity on Magnetic Microtraps for Atoms
We report on the origin of fragmentation of ultracold atoms observed on a
permanent magnetic film atom chip. A novel technique is used to characterize
small spatial variations of the magnetic field near the film surface using
radio frequency spectroscopy of the trapped atoms. Direct observations indicate
the fragmentation is due to a corrugation of the magnetic potential caused by
long range inhomogeneity in the film magnetization. A model which takes into
account two-dimensional variations of the film magnetization is consistent with
the observations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Polyunsaturated fatty acid food frequency questionnaire valid-ation in people with end stage renal disease on dialysis
Comparison of BES measurements of ion-scale turbulence with direct, gyrokinetic simulations of MAST L-mode plasmas
Observations of ion-scale (k_y*rho_i <= 1) density turbulence of relative
amplitude dn_e/n_e <= 0.2% are available on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak
(MAST) using a 2D (8 radial x 4 poloidal channel) imaging Beam Emission
Spectroscopy (BES) diagnostic. Spatial and temporal characteristics of this
turbulence, i.e., amplitudes, correlation times, radial and perpendicular
correlation lengths and apparent phase velocities of the density contours, are
determined by means of correlation analysis. For a low-density, L-mode
discharge with strong equilibrium flow shear exhibiting an internal transport
barrier (ITB) in the ion channel, the observed turbulence characteristics are
compared with synthetic density turbulence data generated from global,
non-linear, gyro-kinetic simulations using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code
NEMORB. This validation exercise highlights the need to include increasingly
sophisticated physics, e.g., kinetic treatment of trapped electrons,
equilibrium flow shear and collisions, to reproduce most of the characteristics
of the observed turbulence. Even so, significant discrepancies remain: an
underprediction by the simulations of the turbulence amplituide and heat flux
at plasma periphery and the finding that the correlation times of the
numerically simulated turbulence are typically two orders of magnitude longer
than those measured in MAST. Comparison of these correlation times with various
linear timescales suggests that, while the measured turbulence is strong and
may be `critically balanced', the simulated turbulence is weak.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figure
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Improving plan quality and consistency by standardization of dose constraints in prostate cancer patients treated with CyberKnife.
Treatment plans for prostate cancer patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are often challenging due to the proximity of organs at risk. Today, there are no objective criteria to determine whether an optimal treatment plan has been achieved, and physicians rely on their personal experience to evaluate the plan's quality. In this study, we propose a method for determining rectal and bladder dose constraints achievable for a given patient's anatomy. We expect that this method will improve the overall plan quality and consistency, and facilitate comparison of clinical outcomes across different institutions. The 3D proximity of the organs at risk to the target is quantified by means of the expansion-intersection volume (EIV), which is defined as the intersection volume between the target and the organ at risk expanded by 5 mm. We determine a relationship between EIV and relevant dosimetric parameters, such as the volume of bladder and rectum receiving 75% of the prescription dose (V75%). This relationship can be used to establish institution-specific criteria to guide the treatment planning and evaluation process. A database of 25 prostate patients treated with CyberKnife SBRT is used to validate this approach. There is a linear correlation between EIV and V75% of bladder and rectum, confirming that the dose delivered to rectum and bladder increases with increasing extension and proximity of these organs to the target. This information can be used during the planning stage to facilitate the plan optimization process, and to standardize plan quality and consistency. We have developed a method for determining customized dose constraints for prostate patients treated with robotic SBRT. Although the results are technology specific and based on the experience of a single institution, we expect that the application of this method by other institutions will result in improved standardization of clinical practice
Acellular dermal regeneration template for soft tissue reconstruction of the digits.
PURPOSE: Trauma to the digits often leaves soft tissue defects with exposed bone, joint, and/or tendon that require soft tissue replacement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acellular dermal regeneration template combined with full-thickness skin grafting for soft tissue reconstruction in digital injuries with soft tissue defects.
METHODS: Acellular dermal regeneration template was used to reconstruct digital injuries with exposed bone, joint, tendon, and/or hardware not amenable to treatment with healing by secondary intention, rotation flaps, or primary skin grafts. Acellular dermal regeneration template was applied to 21 digits in 17 patients. Nineteen digits had exposed bone, 8 digits had exposed tendon, 6 digits had exposed joints, and 2 digits had exposed hardware. The acellular dermal regeneration template was sutured over the soft tissue defect. Over 3 weeks, a neodermis formed. The superficial silicone layer of the acellular dermal regeneration template was removed, and the digits received full-thickness epidermal autografting with cotton bolster.
RESULTS: The duration of postoperative follow-up extended to a minimum of 12 months. For the injury sites where acellular dermal regeneration template was applied, the total area of application ranged from 1 cm(2) to 24 cm(2), with the largest individual site measuring 12 cm(2). Twenty of 21 digits demonstrated 100% incorporation of the acellular dermal regeneration template skin substitute. One digit that had sustained multilevel trauma developed necrosis requiring revision amputation. Full-thickness epidermal autografting was performed an average of 24 days after acellular dermal regeneration template skin substitute application and demonstrated a 100% take in 16 of 20 digits and partial graft loss of 15% to 25% in 4 of 20 digits that did not require further treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Acellular dermal regeneration template combined with secondary full-thickness skin grafting is an effective method of skin reconstruction in complex digital injuries with soft tissue defects involving exposed bone, tendon, and joint. The neodermis increases tissue bulk and facilitates epidermal autografting with digital injuries that otherwise would require flap coverage or skeletal shortening of the digit.
TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV
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