Computer program provides improved longitudinal response analysis for axisymmetric launch vehicles

Computer program calculates axisymmetric launch vehicle steady-state response to axisymmetric sinusoidal loads. A finite element technique is utilized to construct the total launch vehicle stiffness matrix and mass matrix by subdividing the prototype structure into a set of axisymmetric shell components, fluid components, and spring-mass components

Wood-Raw Material for Plastics

SOME people are inclined to think of plastics as synthetic materials that can be molded into any shape and then hardened. In fact, that is about the way Webster defines a plastic. In the case of wood, however, the term plastic is frequently used to indicate changes made either by impregnating resins, by compression, or by remolding component parts after separation. Such separation can ·be mechanical or chemical. This paper outlines some of these procedures

Treatment of Facial Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Review

Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are locally destructive malignancies of the skin. They are the most common type of cancer in the western world. The lifetime incidence may be up to 39%. UV exposure is the most common risk factor. The majority of these tumours occur on the head and neck. Despite BCCs being relatively indolent the high incidence means that their treatment now contributes a significant and increasing workload for the health service. A good understanding of the options available is important. Management decisions may be influenced by various factors including the patient's age and comorbidities and the lesion subtype and location. Due to the importance of a good cosmetic and curative outcome for facial BCCs treatment decisions may differ significantly to those that would be made for BCCs arising elsewhere. There is little good randomized controlled data available comparing treatment modalities. Although traditionally standard excision has been the treatment of choice various other options are available including: Mohs micrographic surgery, curettage and cautery, cryosurgery, radiotherapy, topical imiquimod, photodynamic therapy and topical 5-fluorouracil. We discuss and review the literature and evidence base for the treatment options that are currently available for facial BCCs

EMCCDs for space applications

This paper describes a qualification programme for Electron-Multiplication Charge Coupled Devices (EMCCDs) for use in space applications. While the presented results are generally applicable, the programme was carried out in the context of CCD development for the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) instrument on the European Space Agency's cornerstone Gaia mission. We discuss the issues of device radiation tolerance, charge transfer efficiency at low signal levels and life time effects on the electron-multiplication gain. The development of EMCCD technology to allow operation at longer wavelengths using high resistivity silicon, and the cryogenic characterisation of EMCCDs are also described

The CCD and readout electronics for the OMC instrument on Integral

The Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) on ESA's Integral gamma-ray astronomy satellite is devoted to optical wavelength observations simultaneously covering the same field-of-view as the gamma-ray and X-ray instruments. The OMC consists of a refracting telescope with a CCD as the imaging device in the focal plane. Here we describe the CCD and its associated readout electronics, in particular pointing out features of interest to users of the OMC instrument and its data

Advancing imaging technologies for patients with spinal pain : with a focus on whiplash injury

Background: Radiological observations of soft-tissue changes that may relate to clinical symptoms in patients with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal disorders are highly controversial. Studies are often of poor quality and findings are inconsistent. A plethora of evidence suggests some pathoanatomical findings from traditional imaging applications are common in asymptomatic participants across the life span, which further questions the diagnostic, prognostic, and theranostic value of traditional imaging. Although we do not dispute the limited evidence for the clinical importance of most imaging findings, we contend that the disparate findings across studies may in part be due to limitations in the approaches used in assessment and analysis of imaging findings. Purpose: This clinical commentary aimed to (1) briefly detail available imaging guidelines, (2) detail research-based evidence around the clinical use of findings from advanced, but available, imaging applications (eg, fat and water magnetic resonance imaging and magnetization transfer imaging), and (3) introduce how evolving imaging technologies may improve our mechanistic understanding of pain and disability, leading to improved treatments and outcomes. Study Design/Setting: A non-systematic review of the literature is carried out. Methods: A narrative summary (including studies from the authors' own work in whiplash injuries) of the available literature is provided. Results: An emerging body of evidence suggests that the combination of existing imaging sequences or the use of developing imaging technologies in tandem with a good clinical assessment of modifiable risk factors may provide important diagnostic information toward the exploration and development of more informed and effective treatment options for some patients with traumatic neck pain. Conclusions: Advancing imaging technologies may help to explain the seemingly disconnected spectrum of biopsychosocial signs and symptoms of traumatic neck pain

Exploring Screen Time Habits and the Life Empowerment Divide at an HBCU

College students at a historically black university used their social media accounts to recruit 1,232 of their peers to take an online survey that explored digital screen time and social media habits at this HBCU. The study revealed that 51% devoted daily screen time to academic empowerment, 31% devoted it to leisure, and 11% devoted it to life empowerment. Sixty-six percent said they spent too much screen time on leisure and not enough on life empowerment, i.e., using resources in the digital world to improve their lives. The paper explored the divide, its implications, and how to narrow it

How Engineers Use Evolution to Invent Things

You may have heard of evolution in terms of plants and animals, but did you know that this natural process can also be used by engineers to invent things? Animals and plants have evolved in amazing ways to survive in their environments. Biologists have been investigating how evolution works for a long time. Mathematicians and computer scientists have worked alongside biologists to create computer programs that can evolve designs, to help engineers invent things. These are called evolutionary optimization algorithms, and they can be used to evolve faster airplanes, stronger bridges, or even better video games. In this article, we will explain how these algorithms work and what their strong and weak points are