Forest harvesting in rural properties: Risks and worsening to the worker’s health under the ergonomics approach

Through an ergonomic approach, this study aimed to evaluate whether workers involved in forest harvesting activities in rural properties are subject to the development of work-related diseases, as well as their consequences. A cross-sectional study with 267 forest workers in rural properties in the Brazilian Central region was used. The following evaluations were performed for each of the activities (felling, delimbing, tracing, manual extraction and manual loading): physical workload evaluation; biomechanical evaluation; risk of repetitive strain injuries/work-related musculoskeletal disorders; environmental noise and vibration factors, where relevant, and thermal overload through the Wetbulb Globe Temperature index. The results showed that in general the physical workload was very high, exceeding the cardiovascular load limits and adding to the need for work reorganization. All activities exposed workers to serious and imminent risks of developing injuries to the spine and lower limbs. Likewise, in general the risk of the appearance of RSI/WMSDs was very high for all activities evaluated. Such results are due to the combination of organizational work factors and factors of the work environment such as exposure to bad weather, uneven terrain, lifting and handling loads above tolerable limits, excessive noise and thermal overload. All of this allows to conclude that ergonomic risks and workers’ health hazards in forest harvesting in rural properties are latent and very worrying, and that these workers are exposed to a form of labor exploitation that invariably leads to physical and emotional exhaustion and therefore to their decreased labor capacity and useful working life.     

A CALPHAD-type Young's modulus database of Ti-rich Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system

Accurate Young's modulus is the necessity for the design of biomedical Ti alloys. A combinatorial method of the diffusion couple, nanoindentation, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) techniques has been utilized to construct the Young's modulus database of Ti alloys with various compositions in the present work. Two groups of body-centered cubic (bcc) Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo quaternary diffusion couples annealed at 1273 K for 25 h were experimentally prepared. Subsequently, the composition-dependent mechanical properties in the wide compositional range of Ti-based alloys were obtained by using EPMA and nanoindentation probes. Finally, on the basis of the measured Young's moduli in the present and previous work and the modeling parameters of Young's modulus of Ti–Nb–Zr system, the Young's modulus database of bcc Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system was established through the CALPHAD approach. The CALPHAD-type database of bcc Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system can provide the accurate Young's moduli of Ti alloys with wide compositions.     

Probability densities for conditional statistics in the cubic sensor problem

This paper applies the techniques of Malliavin’s stochastic calculus of variations to Zakai’s equation for the one-dimensional cubic sensor problem in order to study the existence of densities of conditional statistics. Let {X _t} be a Brownian motion observed by a cubic sensor corrupted by white noise, and let denote the unnormalized conditional estimate of φ(X _i ). If φ₁,...,φ _n are linearly independent, and if , it is shown that the probability distribution of admits a density with respect to Lebesgue measure for anyn. This implies that, at any fixed time, the unnormalized conditional density cannot be characterized by a finite set of sufficient statistics. Research supported in part by NSF Grant No. MCS-8301880 and by the Institute for Mathematics and It Applications, Minneapolis, Minnesota.     

人群头发元素分布及某些特征研究

本文介绍用堆中子活化分析法测定人群头发中I、Br、Mg、Mn、Cu、Na、V、Cl、Al、Ca、S等11种元素。研究人发中元素分布特征、相关性特征、性别年令分布特征。方法学中还从法庭科学应用角度介绍同一性识别中差异率和重合几率的双判据方法。     

Kinetics of volume expansion during infusion of Ringer’s solution based on two volume model

In this work mathematical models were developed to represent the kinetics of volume changes of fluid spaces associated with infusion of Ringer’s solution. During infusion of Ringer’s solution, the human body is assumed to be characterized by the two-fluid space model which has second volume space in addition to the first volume so that fluid exchanges between these two spaces are possible. Various infusion types were tested to accommodate different medical situations. Volunteers were given Ringer’s solution and the changes in blood hemoglobin were detected. From the comparison with experimental data, the two-fluid space model was found to represent adequately the kinetics of human volume expansion during infusion of Ringer’s solution.     

Synthesis of tertiary poly(amido-amine)s with amido- and amino-groups randomly arranged along the macromolecular chain

A new synthesis of poly(amido-amine)s from bis (secondary amine)s and acryloyl chloride has been studied, leading to polymers in which the amido- and amino-groups are randomly arranged along the macromolecular chain. A poly(amido-amine) based on piperazine, chosen as the mother compound, has been fully characterized by ¹³C n.m.r. as well as by identification and quantitative evaluation of its hydrolysis products.     

A conservative discontinuous Galerkin scheme for the 2D incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

In this paper we consider a conservative discretization of the two-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. We propose an extension of Arakawa’s classical finite difference scheme for fluid flow in the vorticity–stream function formulation to a high order discontinuous Galerkin approximation. In addition, we show numerical simulations that demonstrate the accuracy of the scheme and verify the conservation properties, which are essential for long time integration. Furthermore, we discuss the massively parallel implementation on graphic processing units.     

Recommending suitable learning scenarios according to learners’ preferences: An improved swarm based approach

The paper presents a new approach for recommending suitable learning paths for different learners groups. Selection of the learning path is considered as recommendations to choosing and combining the sequences of learning objects (LOs) according to learners’ preferences. Learning path can be selected by applying artificial intelligence techniques, e.g. a swarm intelligence model. If we modify and/or change some LOs in the learning path, we should rearrange the alignment of new and old LOs and reallocate pheromones to achieve effective learning recommendations. To solve this problem, a new method based on the ant colony optimisation algorithm and adaptation of the solution to the changing optimum is proposed. A simulation process with a dynamic change of learning paths when new LOs are inserted was chosen to verify the method proposed. The paper contributes with the following new developments: (1) an approach of dynamic learning paths selection based on swarm intelligence, and (2) a modified ant colony optimisation algorithm for learning paths selection. The elaborated approach effectively assist learners by helping them to reach most suitable LOs according to their preferences, and tutors – by helping them to monitor, refine, and improve e-learning modules and courses according to the learners’ behaviour.     

In-situ monitoring of the stabilization with hydrogen of free radicals thermally induced from coal using high pressure e.s.r., d.t.a. and p.d.a. equipment

High temperature, high pressure e.s.r. measurements of the hydrogenation reaction of Taiheiyo coal in the presence of catalysts were carried out to understand the stabilization of thermally and/or catalytically induced free radicals. A decrease in free radical concentration with increasing temperature was observed for ZnCl₂ and SnCl₂ · 2H₂O catalysts at 10MPa under hydrogen gas. High pressure modified single-cell d.t.a. and p.d.a. equipment augmented the uniquely designed high temperature, high pressure e.s.r. cell. The hydrogenation reaction was monitored under the same experimental conditions as for e.s.r. From the results of the combination of high temperature, high pressure e.s.r. with high pressure d.t.a. and p.d.a., it was established that H₂ molecules can react efficiently with free radicals from coal molecules created by the presence of ZnCl₂ and SnCl₂ · 2H₂O catalysts.     

超低功耗智能监护报警器研究与设计

该文针对现有国内婴幼儿智能护理产品的优缺点,深入分析了如何防止睡觉受凉和尿床等问题,并对国外婴幼儿护理产品和婴幼儿护理理论进行了深入研究,设计了一种新型的智能化监护报警器。该报警器以低成本的松翰单片机为核心,采用纽扣电池供电,实现了超低功耗设计。实验表明,该装置集尿湿报警、走失报警、踢被报警、发烧报警和人工呼救多功能于一体,在具有使用安全、性能可靠、低功耗、报警及时、准确等优点的同时,还具有极好的性价比。