Circulating fluidized bed combustion of a high-sulphur eastern canadian coal

Combustion tests were carried out with Minto coal in combination with three different limestones in the University of British Columbia (UBC) pilot scale (152 mm square x 7.3 m tall) circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) unit. Operating conditions were chosen to be typical of those employed in large-scale CFBC power boilers. Recycling of fine particles captured by the secondary cyclone was found to be of considerable importance in increasing sulphur capture, enhancing combustion efficiency and reducing the amount of calcium sulphide in the solids residues. NO_x emissions increased as the Ca:S ratio increased. Local gas concentrations inside the reactor were strongly influenced by the core-annulus solids distribution patterns which characterize circulating fluidized beds.     

HYDRODYNAMIC STUDIES IN A HALF SLOT-RECTANGULAR SPOUTED BED COLUMN

Experiments were carried out in a half slot-rectangular spouted bed to investigate the effects of slot width and lower section basal angle on column hydrodynamics. Flow regimes, minimum spouting velocity, spouting and maximum pressure drops, and maximum spoutable bed height were determined for 4 mm diameter polyethylene particles. The results are compared with those for conventional cylindrical and rectangular spouted beds. Correlations for each hydrodynamic parameter are developed and compared with equations available in the literature.     

Electromyographic evaluation of a bed assistive device for abdominal surgery patients in postoperative care

OBJECTIVE: Muscle activity with and without the use of commercially available patient assistive devices during bed rising and lowering was quantified. BACKGROUND: Limited research is available in understanding or evaluating the physical benefits of assistive devices for patient use following major abdominal surgery. METHODS: Twenty healthy participants (9 men, 11 women) took part in a laboratory study to test the effects of device configuration (five levels) and bed elevation angle (0 degree and 30 degrees) on mean and peak upper and lower rectus abdominis and external oblique concentric and eccentric muscle activity. RESULTS: Reduced muscle activity was associated with the use of an assistive device, as compared with manual bed rising (unassisted). Positioning the devices at a higher anchor height and/or increasing the bed elevation angle further reduced muscle activity. Objective and subjective differences between the two assistive devices evaluated in the study were found. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that self-assistive devices may speed recovery because of reduced loads on damaged tissues. APPLICATION: Potential applications of this research include the assessment of other commercially available lift aids or comparisons of self-assistive lift aids with hospital-housed lift aids used to speed recovery rates.     

Interfacing remote transaction services using UPnP

Transaction execution in mobile environments needs to be flexible, not only to support typical mobile computing characteristics, like movement, disconnections and limited resources, but also to support the variety of transactional properties that might be required by different applications. Existing models for mobile transaction management solve different aspects of transaction execution, but are not flexible enough to solve all required aspects. Instead of designing a new transaction model, we propose a middleware (MobileTSe) which utilize existing transaction models to handle various requirements for mobile transaction execution. This paper presents an approach for flexible transaction processing in mobile applications, and describes how MobileTSe makes transaction services with different properties available on mobile units. We suggest a solution with transaction service discovery and control using UPnP.     

Computing electromagnetic eigenmodes with continuous Galerkin approximations

Costabel and Dauge proposed a variational setting to solve numerically the time-harmonic Maxwell equations in 3D polyhedral geometries, with a continuous approximation of the electromagnetic field. In order to remove spurious eigenmodes, three computational strategies are then possible. The original method, which requires a parameterization of the variational formulation. The second method, which is based on an a posteriori filtering of the computed eigenmodes. And the third method, which uses a mixed variational setting so that all spurious modes are removed a priori. In this paper, we discuss the relative merits of the approaches, which are illustrated by a series of 3D numerical examples.     

Mind/body dualism in medicine: The case of chronic pelvic pain without organic pathology: a critical review of the literature

Chronic pelvic pain in the absence of organic pathology identifiable in medical terms is considered one of the most perplexing conditions that gynecologists confront. A critical analysis of the medical, psychiatric, and psychological literature on chronic pelvic pain without organic pathology reveals that the dichotomous construct of mind and body underpinning medical research and understanding is a barrier to the successful diagnosis and treatment of this condition, and indeed to the productive engagement of the health professional with the patient. The strict duality of the condition's etiology being understood in either physiological or psychogenic terms has been questioned at times over the last 40 years, but only recently has an "integrative model" been proposed. However, it is argued here that although the development of a multidisciplinary approach is important, only a radical deconstruction of the medical paradigm will truly address the problem and enable a real change in practice.     

The evaluation of cluster policy by fuzzy MCDM: Empirical evidence from HsinChu Science Park

In the recent years, industrial clusters have received considerable attention from economists and industrial analysts, because they are seen as the main reason for economic growth and success of certain economic region. This study systematically reviews past researches of industrial cluster. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of this issue regarding the driving forces for the growth of industrial cluster and find out the priority among these cluster policies. Taiwan HsinChu Science Park is a prime example for this paper, and its connection with the innovative participators. We begin with an examination of the literature on cluster about its driving forces and policies upon which we propose a conceptual framework. In doing so, we explore the cluster-based industrial system. Then this research adopts the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process as the analytical tool. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process method is used to determine the weightings for evaluation dimension among decision makers. From our research results, the Factor Conditions is the most important driving force for advancing the industrial cluster performance. Moreover, the promotion of international linkages policy and broader framework policies rank the first two priorities for cluster policy. Overall, this paper concludes with some simulations of cluster policy alternatives confronting the industry and the Taiwanese government.     

Applying a critical approach to investigate barriers to digital inclusion and online social networking among young people with disabilities

Despite the seeming ubiquity of young people's Internet use, there are still many for whom access to the Internet and online social networking remains inequitable and patterned by disadvantage. The connection between information technology and young people with disabilities is particularly under‐researched. This article contributes to the field of critical information systems research by exposing significant barriers and facilitators to Internet accessibility for young people with disabilities. It uses Bourdieu's critical theory to explore how the unequal distribution of resources shapes processes of digital inclusion for young people with disabilities. It highlights access needs and experiences that are both disability and non‐disability related. The article draws on interviews in South Australia with 18 young people aged 10–18 years with a physical disability (such as cerebral palsy) or acquired brain injury and with 17 of their family members. Interviews evaluated participants' and parents' reflections on the benefits of a home‐based, goal‐oriented intervention to increase the young person's Internet use for social participation purposes. The Bourdieuian analysis demonstrated how varying levels of accrued individual and family offline capital resources are related to digital/online resources and disability‐specific online resources. This revealed how unequal resources of capital can influence technology use and hence digital inclusion for young people with disabilities. Our study demonstrates that young people with particular types of disabilities require intensive, personalised and long‐term support from within and beyond the family to ‘get online’. We conclude that Internet studies need to more frequently adopt critical approaches to investigate the needs of users and barriers to information technology use within sub‐groups, such as young people with disabilities. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd