Wrestling Windmills

This manuscript explores the teaching process by following the protagonist‟s four year journey at a middle school in Edinburg, Texas. The narrator passes through four distinct phases: first-year angst, pedagogic subversion, converting the natives, and, ultimately, personal and professional acceptance. Daily interaction disrupts the narrator‟s worldview, complicating his relationships with peers, colleagues, family, and the local community. In a series of moves designed to make himself more accessible to students, the narrator encounters sexual, racial, and gender bias—much of it his own. Finally, after a serious accident in Central Mexico during Spring Break, the protagonist relies on his students to oversee his physical and emotional health. He ultimately drops labels, such as “inconsistent liberal” or “neocolonist,” in favor of a personal pedagogy dominated by vulnerability, Eros, realistic goals, and flexibility

Single stage steam turbine

V bakalárskej práci, jednostupňová parná turbína sa zo zadaných parametrov prehriatej pary navrhuje predbežným výpočtom turbína s najvhodnejšou využitežnosťou a s najvyššou účinnosťou. Termodynamickým výpočtom prietočnej časti sme dostali skutočné rozmery turbíny, ktorú sme vybrali z predbežného vypočtu,The thesis deals with design of single stage steam turbine. Applicable alternatives with appraisal and variant solving were developed on the basis of overheated steam parameters. Main thesis output is design of the most appropriate variant with real turbine’s dimension and the most fitted applicability and the best effectiveness.

Condensing steam turbine

Diplomová práca sa zaoberá návrhom kondenzačnej turbíny v existujúcich teplárňach s protitlakovými turbínami. Podstata práce spočíva z termodynamického výpočtu regulačného stupňa a stupňovej časti turbíny. Podľa výsledkov výpočtu je spracovaná výkresová dokumentácia obsahujúca rez turbínou. Z vypočítaného výkonu turbíny je prevedený základný návrh prevodovky a dispozičné usporiadanie turbosústrojenstva.The master´s thesis concentrates on a project of condensing steam turbine for existing heating plant with back pressure turbine. The master´s thesis subject consists in the thermodynamic calculation of regulating stage and turbine stages. Design documentation is worked up according to the calculated record. From calculated power of turbine is worked a basic project of gearbox and disposal arrangement system.

Hot ductility of TiNb IF steel slab after hot torsion testing

The aim of the work was to evaluate the hot ductility loss in TiNb stabilized IF steel directly from the continuously-cast slab using hot torsion testing (plastometry) in the temperature range 600-1250 degrees C according to the basic programme, and also after temperature cycling. A good match of the temperature dependences of number of turns to failure (N-f) and intensity of deformation Se was confirmed. In both cases, the existence of three temperature areas with decrease in plasticity to a minimum was confirmed. The two-stage temperature cycling according to the CT1150 and CT900 programmes mostly resulted in a decrease in plasticity compared to the basic programme. The most significant effect of cycling was related to the CT900 programme below the maximum plasticity in the base programme at 850 degrees C. A less pronounced decrease was observed for CT1150 cycling below the maximum plasticity in the base program at 1050 degrees C. In the case of CT1150 cycling, more complex particles were observed at the fractures compared with the basic programme, namely carbonitrides of Ti and Nb in combination with oxisulfides respectively, then Ti nitrides with oxisulfides or oxides and, in addition, complex (Fe,Nb)P-4, (Ti,Nb)(3)S-4 type particles. Their mean size determined statistically using TEM was much finer, only 20 nm versus 42 nm in the basic programme. Similarly, CT900 cycling revealed finer particles with an average size of 37 nm compared to 105 nm in the basic programme. The observed particles were Al oxides, Ti(N, C) and (Ti, Nb) 2S, in contrast to the particles probably of TiFe and FeMnS in the basic programme. The decrease in plasticity corresponded to the finer particles, newly created in the temperature cycling.Web of Science97art. no. 75

Fe3O4 nanoparticles as additives for gamma-ray shielding: Structural and surface characterization

Monodisperse samples of magnetite nanoparticles in the size range of 5-13nm, were prepared by solvothermal synthesis and coprecipitation method. Obtained nanoparticles were characterized by different measurement techniques: X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction measurement, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Measurements confirmed that the utilized synthesis methods are able to produce size and shape-controlled nanoparticles of a high-quality, that is of the technological importance. The results of the performed study represent the first stage in preparation of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles as an additive to concrete, which will be used for the construction of the special military facilities where it is necessary to provide a protection against γ-ray radiation

Use of Systems Biology Approaches to Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies of Myocardial Infarction and Blood Cholesterol in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study

With the advance of genome-wide association studies and newly identified SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) associations with complex disease, important discoveries have emerged focusing not only on individual genes but on disease-associated pathways and gene sets. The authors used prospective myocardial infarction case-control studies nested in the Nurses’ Health and Health Professionals Follow-Up Studies to investigate genetic variants associated with myocardial infarction or LDL, HDL, triglycerides, adiponectin and apolipoprotein B (apoB). Using these case-control studies to illustrate an integrative systems biology approach, the authors applied SNP set enrichment analysis to identify gene sets where expression SNPs representing genes from these sets show enrichment in their association with endpoints of interest. The authors also explored an aggregate score approach. While power limited one’s ability to detect significance for association of individual loci with myocardial infarction, the authors found significance for loci associated with LDL, HDL, apoB and triglycerides, replicating previous observations. Applying SNP set enrichment analysis and risk score methods, the authors also found significance for three gene sets and for aggregate scores associated with myocardial infarction as well as for loci-related to cardiovascular risk factors, supporting the use of these methods in practice

The Effects of Isokinetic Contraction Velocity on the Concentric to Eccentric Strength Relationship of the Biceps Brachii

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of contraction velocity on the eccentric (ECC) and concentric (CON) torque production of the biceps brachii. After performing warm-up procedures, each male subject (n = 11) completed 3 sets of 5 maximal bilateral CON and ECC isokinetic contractions of the biceps at three different speeds on a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. The men received a 3-minute rest between sets and the order of exercises was randomized. Peak torque (Nm) values were obtained for CON and ECC contractions at each speed. Peak torque scores (ECC vs. CON) were compared using a t-test at each speed. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences between speeds. ECC peak torque scores were greater than CON peak torque scores at each given speed. No differences were found between the ECC peak torque scores (p = 0.62) at any of the speeds. Differences were found among the CON scores (p = 0.004). Post hoc analysis revealed differences. The data suggests that ECC contractions of the biceps brachii were somewhat resistant to a force decrement as the result of an increase in velocity, whereas CON muscular actions of the biceps brachii were unable to maintain force as velocity increased