Piezoresistive effect of p-type single crystalline 3C-SiC on (111) plane

This paper presents for the first time the effect of strain on the electrical conductivity of p-type single crystalline 3C-SiC grown on a Si (111) substrate. 3C-SiC thin film was epitaxially formed on a Si (111) substrate using the low pressure chemical vapor deposition process. The piezoresistive effect of the grown film was investigated using the bending beam method. The average longitudinal gauge factor of the p-type single crystalline 3C-SiC was found to be around 11 and isotropic in the (111) plane. This gauge factor is 3 times smaller than that in a p-type 3C-SiC (100) plane. This reduction of the gauge factor was attributed to the high density of defects in the grown 3C-SiC (111) film. Nevertheless, the gauge factor of the p-type 3C-SiC (111) film is still approximately 5 times higher than that in most metals, indicating its potential for niche mechanical sensing applications

STRATEGIES OF INCUMBENT FIRMS IN DE NOVO ECOSYSTEMS: EXPLORING THE ELECTRO MOBILITY SECTOR

Current research has highlighted multiple facets of established ecosystem formations. We intend to add to the body of ecosystem literature by raising the question of how incumbent firms navigate in emerging de novo ecosystems. Using a grounded theory approach, we analyze incumbent firms in the nascent German electro mobility industry. The electro mobility sector is a particularly relevant field since different incumbents with different capabilities need to collaborate closely and build integrated solutions to realize electronic enabled mobility. Furthermore, several actors, previously operating in separated industries such as automotive, energy and infrastructure, converge in the electro mobility ecosystem and cooperatively pursue new strategies for value creation and capture. Our aim is to understand how the incumbents’ capabilities influence the navigation in the de novo electro mobility ecosystem

Robust model predictive kinematic tracking control with terminal region for wheeled robotic systems

This paper addresses the nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) for wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) under external disturbance. The decoupling technique is utilized based on the non-holonomic constraint description for separating the WMR model. This method is able to achieve the under-actuated kinematic sub-system without disturbance and fully-actuated dynamic sub-system in presence of disturbance. Thanks to the decoupling technique, the disturbance is lumped into dynamic sub-system. The novelty lies in that the MPC-based tracking control with fixed initial point guarantees the stability based on a new establishment of terminal region and equivalent terminal controller. The feasibility problem is demonstrated to lead the tracking problem using theoretical analysis. Moreover, the control structure is inserted more the robust nonlinear dynamic controller. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed control scheme are verified by numerical simulations using Yamip tool

A Comparison Between Actual and Preferred Participation In the Care Among Parents of Hospitalized Children in Vietnam

บทคัดย่อ วัตถุประสงค์: เพื่อเปรียบเทียบการมีส่วนร่วมกับความต้องการมีส่วนร่วมของบิดามารดาในการดูแลเด็กที่เข้ารับการรักษาในโรงพยาบาล และเปรียบเทียบแต่ละค่าว่ามีความต่างอย่างไรตามเพศของเด็กและคุณลักษณะของบิดามารดาในการดูแลเด็กเวียดนามที่เข้ารับการรักษาในโรงพยาบาล  วิธีการศึกษา: กลุ่มตัวอย่างเลือกแบบสะดวก เป็นบิดามารดาของเด็กชาวเวียดนามที่เข้ารับการรักษาในหอผู้ป่วยระบบทางเดินหายใจ โรงพยาบาลเด็กแห่งหนึ่งในประเทศเวียดนาม จํานวน 63 ราย สอบถามข้อมูลทั่วไป และใช้แบบสอบถามการมีส่วนร่วม แบบสอบถามความต้องการมีส่วนร่วม และแบบสอบถามการรับรู้ความรุนแรงการเจ็บป่วยของบุตร ค่าสัมประสิทธิ์ความเชื่อมั่นของ 3 แบบสอบถามเท่ากับ 0.81, 0.88 และ 0.81 ตามลําดับ รวบรวมข้อมูลระหว่างกุมภาพันธ์ถึงเมษายน 2559 ทดสอบความต่างของค่าเฉลี่ย ผลการศึกษา: ค่าเฉลี่ยของคะแนนการมีส่วนร่วมของบิดามารดาในการดูแล เท่ากับ 72.02 และความต้องการมีส่วนร่วมเท่ากับ 77.75 ซึ่งกิจกรรมที่ความต้องการมีส่วนร่วมกับการมีส่วนร่วมแตกต่างกันอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ ได้แก่ กิจกรรมที่ทำประจำ กิจกรรมทางการพยาบาล การแลกเปลี่ยนข้อมูลข่าวสาร และการตัดสินใจในการดูแล สรุป: พบว่าบิดามารดาของเด็กชาวเวียดนามที่เข้ารับรักษาในโรงพยาบาลมีความต้องการมีส่วนร่วมมากกว่าที่พบการมีส่วนร่วมจริง แสดงถึงความต้องการที่สามารถเอื้อให้บิดามารดาเหล่านี้พยายามได้อีก ดังนั้นพยาบาลเด็กควรสนับสนุนบทบาทของบิดามารดาในการดูแลเด็กป่วย และส่งเสริมการมีส่วนร่วมให้สอดคล้องกับความต้องการของบิดามารดา โดยอาจพัฒนาโปรแกรมช่วยส่งเสริมการมีส่วนร่วมของบิดามารดาดังกล่า คำสำคัญ: การมีส่วนร่วมของบิดามารดา, การมีส่วนร่วม, ความต้องการมีส่วนร่วม, เด็กป่วยที่เข้ารับการรักษาในโรงพยาบาล   Abstract Objective: To compare differences between actual and preferred parent participation among Vietnamese parents in the care of their hospitalized children and related factors including the child’s gender and parents’ characteristics. Methods: A convenience sample of 63 parents of the children hospitalized in the respiratory ward of a children hospital in Vietnam. In addition to demographic data collection form, three questionnaires consisting of actual parent participation, preferred parent participation, and perceived illness severity were used. Reliability coefficients of the three questionnaires were 0.81, 0.88 and 0.81, respectively. The survey was conducted from February to April, 2016. Mean score differences were tested. Results: The mean score of the actual parent participation was 72.02 while that of the preferred parent participation was 77.75. Activities with significant higher mean scores in the preferred participant than the actual participation included routine care, nursing care, information sharing, and decision making. Conclusion: Vietnamese parents of the hospitalized children had a preferred participation high than the actual participation. This indicates a possibility to enhance their participation in the care for their own hospitalized child. Pediatric nurses should encourage the parents for care participation. A program to promote such participation should be developed. Keywords: parent participation, participation, preferred participation, hospitalized chil

ROVE: Robotics Mining Platform

Our project focused on improving upon the current robot design for the upcoming 2019 competition while adhering to the new rules of NASA’s Robotic Mining Competition. After analyzing the robot, we found that the previous manufacturing of the digging scoops, selection of gearbox, and dated electronic hardware all contribute towards negatively impacting the robot’s efficiency. Possible solutions were to manufacture chain guides and altering the scoop fastening design to resolve the digging ineffectiveness. To achieve full autonomy, we swapped out the previous complex control system to a more integrated and unified hardware. Together with camera vision and sensors, our robot can operate autonomously and be ready to compete in the 2019 Robotic Mining Competition

Exploring and Measuring Project Complexity

Project complexity is a term that is not well understood in the construction industry in relation to academia and practice. Project complexity often refers to a measurement of the number of project elements and interactions between project elements or a relative comparison of difficulty to what was previously accomplished. Project complexity is a very critical factor that presents additional challenges to achieving project objectives. Impacts of project complexity can be negative if it is not assessed and managed appropriately. Developing a methodology to assess and measure project complexity can help project teams increase the likelihood of success and predictable project outcomes. This research proposed a constructive approach to assess and measure project complexity as a separate factor influencing projects including a model that helps identify the levels of project complexity. In this research, first, the concepts of complexity and its attributes were explored, and the literature relevant to defining and assessing project complexity was studied. A working definition of project complexity was then developed as a basis for describing project complexity. Project complexity was intentionally described in terms of managing projects rather than project physical features such as facility technology, types of materials, or project physical components to ensure that the research results could be generalized across a wide range of industry sectors. The possible project complexity attributes were then identified using complexity theory variables, the literature review results, and industry experience. The identified complexity attributes were used to develop the complexity indicators deemed to measure the associated attributes. The developed complexity indicators were then converted to survey questions for data collection purpose. The collected data was analyzed using statistical methods to test the significance of complexity indicators in differentiating low complexity projects from high complexity projects. The research result showed that thirty-seven complexity indicators associated with twenty-three complexity attributes were significant. These significant complexity indicators were considered to be truly representative of project complexity. The thirty seven significant indicators were then used as the input for the model development process. The model developed in this research is a binary logistic regression that predicts the probability of high complexity or low complexity given the values of complexity indicators. In the research, the multivariable analysis was used as the method to develop the model, and the univariate method was used as an approach to selecting a subset of explanatory variables. The univariate method resulted in a set of 27 complexity indicators out of 37 initial significant indicators that functioned as the measures of project complexity. To generate the required input for the proposed model, the variable reduction process called Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was applied during the model development process to reduce the number of explanatory variables. PCA process resulted in a significantly smaller number of principal components functioning as the moderating variables in the model (10 PCs). However, this number of moderating variables was still not small enough to create a stable model. Therefore, the univariate method was applied the second time to the set of principle components. The second application of univariate method resulted in the final set of 8 principle components. Those principle components functioned as the final set of moderating variables in the developed model as it was sufficient to generate a stable model. This process helped in generating a numerically stable model while the subject observations were limited. The developed model helps scholars and practitioners in the field of project management assess complexity level of a project based on the applicably identified complexity measures. Given the identified complexity levels, project practitioners can facilitate the management process and formulate a management plan by applying an appropriate complexity management strategy

The contribution of free radicals in paracetamol degradation by UV/NaClO

UV/Chlorine is an emerging advanced oxidation process which forms several reactive species including •OH, •Cl, •OCl. This study investigated the contribution of three main free radicals: •OH, •Cl, •OCl on Paracetamol degradation under different conditions. Benzoic acid (BA), Nitro benzene (NB) and DMOB were used as probe compounds. The second rate constant of •OH, •Cl, •OCl with PRC were determined: 4.19 (±0.15) ×109 M-1s-1; 3.71 1010 M-1s-1; 3.532×109 M-1s-1, respectively. The formation of free radicals depends on pH. In particular, at pH 5: the contribution of •OH and     (-•OCl, •Cl) are 45 %, 41 %, respectively, at pH 8.5, the contribution of free radicals increases up to 63 %. Keywords. Paracetamol, UV/Chlorine process, reactive species

Creep behavior and elastic properties of annealed cold-drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate): The role of the smectic structure as a precursor of crystallization

5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table.-- PACS: 81.40.Lm; 61.41.+e; 62.20.Hg; 62.20.Dc; 81.40.Jj; 62.20.Mk; 62.20.Qp; 68.35.Gy; 81.40.Np; 62.20.Fe; 81.40.GhThe creep behavior and elastic properties of cold-drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films, annealed in the range 60–240 °C have been investigated by means of microindentation testing. Two indentation methods have been used. The imaging method has been employed to examine the viscoplastic properties of the polymer materials while the depth-sensing method was used for the determination of Young's modulus values. The creep behavior (plastic flow) of cold-drawn PET is shown to be intimately correlated to the nanostructural changes occurring upon annealing. The observed decrease in the rate of creep, when the glassy material is annealed at 60 °C, has been associated with the emerging smectic structure, which confers to the material a higher mechanical performance. The elastic properties of the smectic phase are found to be comparable to those of the glassy state. Young's modulus E values of the semicrystalline samples are discussed in light of the parallel model of crystalline and amorphous layers. E values are shown to depend on the crystalline lamellar thickness and the degree of crystallinity. Results suggest that Young's modulus values of the amorphous constrained regions within the crystals are higher than the E value of the fully amorphous material.Grateful acknowledgment is due to MCYT (Grant No. BFM2000-1474) for the support of this investigation. One of the authors (A.F.) is also grateful to the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid for the award of a postdoctoral grant.Peer reviewe

BeWith: A Between-Within Method to Discover Relationships between Cancer Modules via Integrated Analysis of Mutual Exclusivity, Co-occurrence and Functional Interactions

The analysis of the mutational landscape of cancer, including mutual exclusivity and co-occurrence of mutations, has been instrumental in studying the disease. We hypothesized that exploring the interplay between co-occurrence, mutual exclusivity, and functional interactions between genes will further improve our understanding of the disease and help to uncover new relations between cancer driving genes and pathways. To this end, we designed a general framework, BeWith, for identifying modules with different combinations of mutation and interaction patterns. We focused on three different settings of the BeWith schema: (i) BeME-WithFun in which the relations between modules are enriched with mutual exclusivity while genes within each module are functionally related; (ii) BeME-WithCo which combines mutual exclusivity between modules with co-occurrence within modules; and (iii) BeCo-WithMEFun which ensures co-occurrence between modules while the within module relations combine mutual exclusivity and functional interactions. We formulated the BeWith framework using Integer Linear Programming (ILP), enabling us to find optimally scoring sets of modules. Our results demonstrate the utility of BeWith in providing novel information about mutational patterns, driver genes, and pathways. In particular, BeME-WithFun helped identify functionally coherent modules that might be relevant for cancer progression. In addition to finding previously well-known drivers, the identified modules pointed to the importance of the interaction between NCOR and NCOA3 in breast cancer. Additionally, an application of the BeME-WithCo setting revealed that gene groups differ with respect to their vulnerability to different mutagenic processes, and helped us to uncover pairs of genes with potentially synergetic effects, including a potential synergy between mutations in TP53 and metastasis related DCC gene