The effects of asymmetrical cold rolling on kinetics,grain size and texture in IF steels

Asymmetrical rolling is a promising way to achieve high rolling reductions and potentially grain refinement. However in steels the effect of asymmetrical rolling is not thoroughly quantified. In this paper the impact of cold asymmetrical rolling obtained by changing the roll velocity ratio (from 1.1 to 1.45) on the deformation and recrystallization features has been finely investigated by Electron Back-Scattering Diffraction in a Scanning Electron Microscope. In the investigated conditions (with low thickness reduction), it is found that asymmetrical rolling induces grain refinement and more homogeneous gamma fiber texture.     

Modelling the effectiveness and risks of vaccination strategies to control classical swine fever epidemics

In a recent update of the Dutch contingency plan for controlling outbreaks of classical swine fever (CSF), emergency vaccination is preferred to large-scale pre-emptive culling. This policy change raised two questions: can emergency vaccination be as effective as pre-emptive culling, and what are the implications for showing freedom of infection? Here, we integrate quantitative information available on CSF virus transmission and vaccination effects into a stochastic mathematical model that describes the transmission dynamics at the level of animals, farms and livestock areas. This multilevel approach connects individual-level interventions to large-scale effects. Using this model, we compare the performance of five different control strategies applied to hypothetical CSF epidemics in The Netherlands and, for each of these strategies, we study the properties of three different screening scenarios to show freedom of infection. We find that vaccination in a ring of 2 km radius around a detected infection source is as effective as ring culling in a 1 km radius. Feasible screening scenarios, adapted to the use of emergency vaccination, can reduce the enhanced risks of (initially) undetected farm outbreaks by targeting vaccinated farms. Altogether, our results suggest that emergency vaccination against CSF can be equally effective and safe as pre-emptive culling.     

Synthesis and characterization of CdS quantum dots with carboxylic-functionalized poly (vinyl alcohol) for bioconjugation

In the present research it is reported the synthesis and characterization of CdS nanoparticles (NPs) prepared using carboxylic-functionalized poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the ligand via aqueous route at room temperature and ambient pressure. Different molar concentrations of carboxylic-PVA and PVA were investigated aiming at producing stable colloidal systems. Carboxylic-PVA was conjugated with BSA (bovine serum albumin) and used as capping ligand in the preparation of CdS nanocrystals. UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the kinetics and the relative stability of polymer-capped CdS nanocrystals. The results have clearly indicated that the carboxylic-functionalized PVA was much more effective on nucleating and stabilizing colloidal CdS nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions compared to PVA. In addition, the CdS nanocrystals were obtained in the so-called “quantum-size confinement regime”, with the calculated average size below 4.0 nm and fluorescent activity. Thus, a novel simple route was successfully developed for synthesizing nanohybrids based on quantum dots and water-soluble chemically functionalized polymers with incorporated carboxylic moiety with the possibility of direct bioconjugation.     

Algorithmic Aspects of Proportional Symbol Maps

Proportional symbol maps visualize numerical data associated with point locations by placing a scaled symbol—typically an opaque disk or square—at the corresponding point on a map. The area of each symbol is proportional to the numerical value associated with its location. Every visually meaningful proportional symbol map will contain at least some overlapping symbols. These need to be drawn in such a way that the user can still judge their relative sizes accurately.     

Quantitative assessment of solid waste treatment systems in the industrial ecology perspective by exergy analysis

Solid waste treatment options (recycling, incineration, and landfilling; the two latter processes both with co-generation of heat and electricity) have been studied for cardboard, newspaper, polyethylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(vinyl chloride) waste. The conversion processes have been analyzed in terms of the second law of thermodynamics. The analysis allows calculating the exergy (useful energy) embodied in conversion products that can be obtained from the required inputs for the treatment processes. Taking into account the waste materials and the resources to convert them, it proved that recycling is the most efficient option for polyethylene with an efficiency of 62.5% versus 43.6% for incineration and 0.9% for landfilling. Next, waste treatment has been put into the broader perspective of industrial ecology. Exergetic efficiencies of industrial metabolic options have been calculated. Here resources for manufacturing and converting solid products have been considered. Furthermore, selection of one type of conversion excludes the generation of other potential conversion products. Therefore, it has to be taken into account that these latter products still have to be produced starting from virgin resources. Recycling proved to be the most efficient strategy: the ratio eta between exergy embodied in all delivered products on one hand, and all exergy withdrawn from the ecosphere or from waste materials on the other hand, is the highest. For polyethylene, eta proved to be 0.568, whereas eta is 0.503 and 0.329 for incineration and landfilling, respectively. On the other hand, if R the ratio between exergy of delivered products on one hand and exergy of virgin materials on the other hand is calculated, the differences between the industrial metabolic options are larger. Recycling polyethylene showed a ratio R of 0.936, whereas ratios of 0.772 and 0.531 were found for incineration and landfilling, respectively. It has been shown that the exergy concept allows a quantitative comparison of different industrial metabolic options, contributing to a better assessment of sustainability of technology with respect to resource management.     

A randomized trial of three diabetes registry implementation strategies in a community internal medicine practice

BACKGROUND: Disease registries are powerful tools with the potential to transform the way chronic diseases are managed. To date, however, little work has been done to determine how to optimize the implementation of a chronic disease registry in practice. METHODS: Twenty-nine physicians and their nurse teams in a large community internal medicine practice participated in this 6-month prospective randomized trial in 2000. Teams were assigned to one of three implementation strategies using information from a diabetes registry. Process and outcome measures for diabetes management were analyzed. Process measures included the percentage of patients completing glycosylated hemoglobin (Hgb) testing within 6 months and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) testing within 12 months. Outcome measures included the percentage of patients with a glycosylated Hgb > 9.3% (equivalent to a HgbA1c > 8.0%), the percentage of patients with an LDL cholesterol > 130 mg/dl, and the percentage of patients with controlled blood pressure, defined as < 130/85 millimeters of mercury. Mean change in LDL and glycosylated Hgb values was also measured. RESULTS: Teams randomized to an intervention strategy that included direct letters to patients showed significant improvement across a number of measures. The improvement was most apparent among patients without recent testing or with poorly controlled disease. The two interventions that did not include direct patient letters resulted in limited improvement. DISCUSSION: Disease registries can be used to improve outcomes in the management of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Better outcomes were seen in patients who received letters based on registry-generated data. This strategy should be included as part of a comprehensive chronic disease management plan. Further refinements in the use of registries should result in further incremental improvement.     

Light scattering by arbitrarily oriented rotationally symmetric particles

We use the T-matrix approach and the analytical orientation-averaging technique to formulate the problem of light scattering by an ensemble of rotationally symmetric particles in arbitrary orientation. The mathematical formulation yields analytical expressions for the elements of the ensemble-averaged scattering matrix that involve no more than four nested summations. An expansion into generalized spherical functions is used in the particular case where the scatterers are partially aligned along the direction of incidence. A computer code that implements the analytical expressions derived is publicly available on the World Wide Web at http://irctr.et.tudelft.nl/ -Skaropoulos/T-matrix.htm.     

Is the SADPERSONS Scale accurate for the veterans affairs population?

The SADPERSONS Scale is a simple, easily administered instrument developed to determine the likelihood for suicidal behavior in the community mental health setting. In order to determine if this instrument can be used within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, it was completed on 271 veteran patients at a large Midwest Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Results indicated that the veteran population is different enough from the general mental health population that the use of this instrument results in unacceptable false-positive and false-negative identification rates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of Mismatch Detection Methods in DNA Computing

In many implementations of DNA computing, reliable detection of hybridization is of prime importance. We have applied several well-established DNA mutation scanning methods to this problem. Since they have been developed for speed and accuracy, these technologies are very promising for DNA computing. We have benchmarked a heteroduplex migration assay and enzymatic detection of mismatches on a 4 variable instance of 3SAT, using a previously described blocking algorithm. The first method is promising, but yielded ambiguous results. On the other hand, we were able to distinguish all perfect from imperfect duplexes by means of a CEL I mismatch endonuclease assay.