Effect of Proximity and Dimension of Two Artificial Pitting Holes on the Fatigue Endurance of Aluminum Alloy AISI 6061-T6 Under Rotating Bending Fatigue Tests

This work deals with the study of the two artificial pitting holes effects, caused by their dimensions and proximity, on the fatigue endurance of aluminum alloy AISI 6061-T6 under rotating bending fatigue tests. Stress concentration induced by artificial pitting holes is analyzed and correlated with the experimental fatigue life. It is found that the stress concentration increases exponentially when the two pitting holes approach, and this induces an important reduction in the fatigue life. Concerning the diameter variation of one pitting in regard to the second, no important influence was observed on fatigue life for a given separation between them; this implies that the separation between the two artificial pitting holes and the associated stress concentration is the principal parameter on the fatigue life under these conditions. Finally, results are discussed and conclusions are presented involving the fatigue life, proximity, and dimension of pitting holes, stress concentration factor, and fracture surfaces where the failure origin is identified.     

A participatory approach for the prevention of type 2 diabetes for francophone youth of New Brunswick]

Diabetes, a serious public health problem, is on the rise, claiming millions of victims. A considerable body of research exists on diabetes, but the development of effective primary prevention strategies is just beginning. This article presents the results of a project, based on an innovative approach where health professionals and community groups have come together to address the issue. The purpose of the project is to develop an intervention strategy for the prevention of type 2 diabetes directed at young francophones living in a minority environment in New Brunswick and adapted to their needs. Qualitative data were gathered from two focus groups and submitted for a content analysis. The process was evaluated. The young francophones have identified the school environment as ideal for intervention. According to them, the intervention should be adapted to the age of the youths. For the 5-to-13-year-old group, the intervention should target healthy eating habits and physical activity whereas for the 14-to-18-year-old group, the emphasis should be on preventing diabetes. The youth and the professionals acquired a greater understanding of the problem of diabetes and its prevention. Youth can now proceed to action, with appropriate guidance. The experience and knowledge of the professionals contributed to the development of the strategy. A shortage of dietitians in public health to work in the area of the prevention of diabetes has been noted.     

Le stress per?u et son influence sur le comportement alimentaire des étudiants de l'Université de Moncton, Campus de Moncton

Objectif. Mesurer et analyser le lien entre le stress per?u et le comportement alimentaire d'étudiants de première (Et1) et de quatrième année (Et4) à l'Université de Moncton au début (T1) et à la fin (T2) du trimestre universitaire. Méthodes. Quatre-vingt-quatorze sujets de divers programmes universitaires ont participé à l'étude. Le stress per?u a été mesuré à l'aide de la Perceived Stress Scale, la consommation alimentaire par un journal alimentaire de trois jours et la fréquence de consommation alimentaire par un questionnaire de fréquence. Résultats. Au début du trimestre, les Et1 et Et4 présentent un niveau de stress faible. Au T2, le stress per?u des Et4 augmente significativement (22,3+/-1,4; p=0,005). Le profil alimentaire mesuré selon le niveau de conformité au "Guide alimentaire canadien pour manger sainement" montre, avec l'accroissement du stress, une augmentation de la consommation de lait et produits laitiers (p=0,05) chez les Et1,T1 et de produits céréaliers (p=0,02) chez les Et4,T2. Une corrélation négative significative est observée chez les Et4 entre le stress per?u et l'ingestion de thiamine (r=-0,48, p=0,006) et de zinc (r=-0,42, p=0,02). Aucune corrélation n'est observée entre le stress, l'apport en calories et la consommation des autres nutriments étudiés. Conclusion. Ces résultats révèlent l'importance d'intervenir auprès des étudiants universitaires et d'implanter des sessions d'information favorisant la gestion du stress et l'adoption de comportements alimentaires sains.     

Outcomes of screening and nutritional intervention among older adults in healthcare facilities.

A nutritional screening and early intervention program was administered to older adults in a subacute care facility. The study group was recruited among patients aged 65 or older, who were admitted to the geriatric and rehabilitation units of two hospitals. Two simple, reliable, and valid tools were used to screen subjects for the risk or presence of malnutrition. Those determined to be at high nutritional risk (n=62) were included in the study. Dietitians then conducted a full nutritional assessment and implemented a nutritional care plan for these subjects. Weekly follow-up was completed to measure oral intake, weight, and biochemical indices. A Short-Form 36 Health Survey was administered upon admission and discharge. Results showed significant increases in energy (p=0.0001) and protein (p=0.01) intakes, and in serum albumin (p=0.001), prealbumin (p=0.003), transferrin (p=0.024), and hematocrit (p=0.026) levels. There was also a significant increase in seven of the eight dimensions of the health-related quality of life questionnaire (p<0.05). Outcomes improve when older adults are screened for the risk or presence of malnutrition and receive an early nutritional care program.     

Chromatographische Bestimmung der im Sesam-Samen vorkommenden Zucker

Summary Glucose, galactose, fructose, saccharose, plantoose and raffinose, present in Sesamum indicum, were determined qualitatively and quantitatively by thin layer chromatography.Zusammenfassung Im Sesam-Samen kommen Glucose, Galaktose, Fructose, Saccharose, Planteose und Raffinose vor. Sie wurden qualitativ und quantitativ durch Dünnschicht-Chromatographie bestimmt.

---

---

Vorliegende Arbeit wurde ausgeführt unter Leitung von Dr. M. BACHSTEZ, wissenschaftlicher Beirat des obigen Instituts.     

Cross-Layer Architecture for Adaptive Video Multicast Streaming Over Multirate Wireless LANs

Multicast video streaming over multirate wireless LANs imposes strong demands on video codecs and the underlying network. It is not sufficient that only the video codec or only the underlying protocols adapt to changes in the wireless link quality. Research efforts should be applied in both and in a synchronized way. Cross layer design is a new paradigm that addresses this challenge by optimizing communication network architectures across traditional layer boundaries. This paper presents cross-layer architecture for adaptive video multicast streaming over multirate wireless LANs where layer-specific information is passed in both directions, top-down and bottom-up. The authors jointly consider three layers of the protocol stack: the application, data link and physical layers. The authors analyze the performance of the proposed architecture and extensively evaluate it via simulations. The results show that the real-time video quality of the overall system can be greatly improved by cross-layer signaling.     

Effect of optical basicity on the stability of yttria‐stabilized zirconia in contact with molten oxy‐fluoride flux

Solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolysis process can produce high‐purity silicon from SiO₂ dissolved in molten oxy‐fluoride flux at elevated temperatures. Yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ), the preferred material for the oxygen‐conducting membrane for this application, is found to degrade over time upon exposure to the silica‐containing molten oxy‐fluoride flux. This YSZ degradation is caused by the acidity of the dissolved silica, especially when the optical basicity of the molten flux is lower than that of the yttria present in the YSZ membrane. To counteract this mismatch, the addition of CaO, a basic oxide, to the flux can adjust the optical basicity of the flux and successfully mitigate the YSZ membrane degradation. The detailed correlation between the rate of YSZ membrane degradation and the optical basicity of the flux is investigated by systematically testing a series of flux compositions. It is found that as the oxide optical basicity in the flux approaches that of the yttria in the YSZ, the degradation of the YSZ membrane is mitigated and essentially vanishes when the flux acidity with respected to the yttria is neutralized. This approach provides a guideline for eliminating membrane degradation during the production of silicon using the SOM electrolysis process.     

Integration of research into the dietetic practice of New Brunswick]

In New Brunswick, we have very little information that describes practice-based research in dietetics. To encourage and promote research in this province, it is crucial to describe the place that research has in dietetic practice and determine the number of dietician in New Brunswick that received an education in research methodology. A validated questionnaire was distributed to all the members of the New Brunswick Association of Dietitians; 76% of the members filled out the questionnaire. For 85% of them, their highest level of education is the internship; 15% have a postgraduate degree, and 55% have completed a research methodology course. The dietitians having completed graduate studies perceived fewer barriers to the integration of practice-based research. The Barrier that 81% of the dietitians in the province agreed was most influential in discouraging the implementation of research to daily practice was the time allowed for research at work. Nearly two-thirds (63%) agreed that it is very improbable that they will pursue graduate studies. The probability of pursuing graduate studies decreased with the age of the dietitians: 85% agreed that "family and personal obligations" and "lack of time" were the most important barriers in pursuing graduate studies. The attitude of New Brunswick dietitians towards research was nonetheless positive.     

ARSM: a cross-layer auto rate selection multicast mechanism for multi-rate wireless LANs

Multicast is an efficient paradigm for transmitting data from a sender to a group of receivers. According to the IEEE 802.11 standard, the multicast service is denned as an unreliable service, that is, it does not include the use of ACK frames. Furthermore, different to the unicast service, the multicast service makes use of a single rate out of the various rates included in the basic service set denned by the IEEE 802.11 standard. Even though various proposals have recently appeared in the literature addressing these issues, none of them has come out with a structured set of control mechanisms taking into account the varying conditions characterising the wireless channels as well as the requirements of various applications. A novel cross-layer auto rate selection multicast mechanism for multi-rate wireless LANs, namely auto rate selection for multicast, capable of adapting the data transmission to the varying conditions of the channel and taking into account the characteristics of various applications, is introduced. The simulation results show that our proposal outperforms the IEEE 802.11 standard and the mechanisms recently proposed in the literature.