Accumulation and depuration of tetramethyllead by rainbow trout

Tetramethyllead was found very toxic especially to juvenile rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). It was accumulated rapidly from the water by the fish and the highest concentration was found in the lipid layer of the intestine. Depuration of Me₄Pb from the fish organs was initially quite rapid, followed by a slower decrease and eventually reaching residual levels. Environmental concentrations of Me₄Pb detected in the fishery products thus represent a balance between uptake and depuration of this compound in fish.In conjunction with this study, a dosing system for exposing rainbow trout to Me₄Pb was developed.     

Spectral modeling of switched-mode power converters

A new modeling approach for the spectral analysis of pulsewidth modulated (PWM) converters with independent inputs is developed. The key of this approach is to extend the Volterra functional series to nonlinear systems with multiple independent inputs. After formulating the state-space equations describing the dynamical behavior of PWM converters, the Volterra transfer function characterizing the output frequency response can be obtained, which is then symmetrised to form the spectral model. Since the model is developed in a closed form, it is suitable for computer analysis. The modeling approach has been applied to various PWM converters, and the results are verified. The spectral models of different power converters can readily be obtained by using this general approach     

Design and fabrication of diffusive solar cell window

A diffusive solar cell window was designed and fabricated with uniformly distributed nanocomposite particles in a light diffusive plate that was sandwiched between two glass layers. The entire composite construction transfers light radiation to solar cells at the edge of the windows. It is based on a new combination of existing technologies because of it uses mature, mass-produced components - solar cells - as well as nanocomposite particles that are embedded inside the light-guide plate. They are integrated using an inexpensive and widely used method for making building windows. The result is an inexpensive, strong, stable, view quality-preserving solar energy-harvesting window that has no close competition. The diffusive solar cell window does not suffer from aging, and products that are made using diffusive solar cell window technology will be new entries to the solar power generation window market.     

The impact of orthokeratology lens wear on binocular vision and accommodation: A short-term prospective study

Purpose

To investigate the effects of short-term orthokeratology (OK) on accommodation and binocular visual function in young adults.

Experimental study of the characteristics of top-loaded microstrip monopoles

The characteristics of microstrip monopoles fed at the center with antiphase currents are investigated experimentally. First the impedance is measured as a function of frequency. It is found that the radiation resistance at the resonance nearL simeq 05 lambda, is very low while the radiation resistance at the resonance nearL simeq lambdais very high. For a given physical length of the monopole, the resonant frequency is dependent on the strip width and the substrate thickness. The effect of substrate thickness and strip width on the input impedance and bandwidth has also been studied. Finally theE-plane radiation pattern is found to contain two maxima, occurring at approximatelypm 40degfrom broadside.     

Stochastic grid bundling method for backward stochastic differential equations

ABSTRACT

In this work, we apply the Stochastic Grid Bundling Method (SGBM) to numerically solve backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs). The SGBM algorithm is based on conditional expectations approximation by means of bundling of Monte Carlo sample paths and a local regress-later regression within each bundle. The basic algorithm for solving the backward stochastic differential equations will be introduced and an upper error bound is established for the local regression. A full error analysis is also conducted for the explicit version of our algorithm and numerical experiments are performed to demonstrate various properties of our algorithm.     

Is activity-based working impacting health,work performance and perceptions? A systematic review

ABSTRACT

Numerous claims have been made about the benefits of activity-based working (ABW) on workers’ health and work performance. Yet, it is unclear if these claims are proven. This systematic review aims to establish whether there is an evidence base for the effects of ABW on health, work performance and perceptions of the work environment. Eight databases were searched in September 2016. Three reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed the studies and extracted the data. Seventeen studies involving 36,039 participants were included. The study designs varied in rigorousness from qualitative studies to pre–post-trials and in sample size ranging from 12 to 11,799. This review found that ABW has positive merits in the areas of interaction, communication, control of time and space, and satisfaction with the workspace; however, it is unfavourable for concentration and privacy. For physical and mental health, the evidence is equivocal. ABW seems to be a promising concept that can be implemented and promoted based on some benefits for work performance and perceptions of the work environment when it is coupled with appropriate management support and organization. More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence base further and establish its health effects.     

A Microcomputer Model for Flood Prediction with Applications

Abstract: A generally applicable mathematical model, tailored for use on a Personal Computer, as the design tool to simulate unsteady flood flow in a network of interconnected rivers has been developed and applied to the Sham Chun River along the border between Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. The effect on the improved Sham Chun River due to the proposed river training in the River Indus, one of its tributaries, is evaluated. The one-dimensional unsteady flow model itself is broadly applicable to a wide range of hydrologic conditions and varying field situations. It incorporates real hydraulic features including branched channels and 'tidal flats' flooding and drying. The time history of water stages and discharges are computed at any desired location throughout the connected essentially one-dimensional channel network subject to initial and boundary conditions. Details are given of techniques adapted in using the computational scheme to quantify the unsteady flow condition and the means to assure an efficient numerical solution as well as to verify the accuracy of the computed outputs by subjection to carefully selected schematic simplified test cases and real prototype cases with numerical solution method is a useful predictive engineering tool in river design.     

Determination of labile and strongly bound metals in lake water

Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry is applied to differentiate and determine the labile and strongly bound forms of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in lake water without preconcentration of the sample. The sensitivities as established for an oxidation peak current of 0·020 μA are: 0·2 ppb for Zn. 0·4 ppb Cd. 0·7 ppb Pb and 0·5 ppb for Cu. For the analysis of a lake water containing 5·0–24·5 ppb of the four metals, the relative S.D. ranged from 1·6 to 10 per cent. Interferences of cations and anions and the choice of a buffer system have been discussed. The method has been applied to study a number of small lakes in the Sudbury area. Ontario.     

Shear Yielding in Blown Oriented Polystyrene Films

Control over orientation is important for polystyrene (PS) films since it can affect brittleness in these materials. These authors discuss how the film morphology can be varied by orientation processing in amorphous bubble‐blown PS films and how it influences the properties and performance of the film. The Figure shows the film morphology resulting from straining along the transverse direction of the blown bubble.