Working Lifetime Research Articles

La2O3-CuO2/CNTs electrode with excellent electrocatalytic oxidation ability for ceftazidime removal from aqueous solution

Carbon nanotubes are recognized as an advanced anode material for electrocatalysis oxidation recalcitrant antibiotics in wastewater. In this study, a novel La2O3-CuO2/CNTs electrode was synthesized by solvothermal method and calcination in nitrogen atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were conducted to illustrate the structure and elemental composition, and the La and Cu bimetallic composite oxide (La3O2, Cu2O) were observed on the surface of carbon nanotubes. Cyclic voltammetry analysis showed that the modified electrode had better catalytic activity and stable working lifetime. The Tafel curves indicated that the corrosion potential of the electrode increased while the corrosion current density decreased. The degradation of ceftazidime by modified electrode was studied through optimization of five parameters, including current density, electrode space, electrolyte concentration, pH and volume of solution. The results demonstrated that La2O3-CuO2/CNTs electrode exhibited the electrochemical degradation efficiency of 90% towards 1 mg L−1 ceftazidime within 30 min, which is much higher than those of pristine CNTs and dimensional stable anode. The optimal operating conditions were: volume of 100 mL, 1 g L−1 Na2SO4 as electrolyte, current density of 0.8 mA·cm-2, and electrode space is 2 cm. The degradation intermediates and routes of ceftazidime under modified electrode were deduced by LC–MS analysis. These results suggest that La2O3-CuO2/CNTs electrodes can be considered as promising catalysts for treating bio-refractory antibiotics with relatively low concentration.

High‐Performance Blue Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes with Balanced Charge Injection

AbstractThe balance of hole–electron injection is always a vital factor for the luminance, efficiency and working lifetime of quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs), especially blue QLEDs. However, currently most approaches proposed to solve this issue involve tedious optimization of device architecture or material composition. Here, high‐performance blue QLEDs are reported based on CdZnS/ZnS quantum‐dot (QDs) by utilizing ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and Al:Al2O3 as electron‐transporting layer (ETL) and cathode materials, respectively. The effect of post‐annealing temperature on the trap state density in ZnO NPs and the related mechanisms are investigated through optical and photoelectron spectroscopies. The method of controlling ZnO NPs annealing temperature leads to controllable electron‐mobility of ETL, which ultimately optimizes the balance of charge injection. Together with partially oxidized Al cathode (Al:Al2O3), high‐performance blue QLEDs are fabricated with luminance and external quantum efficiency (EQE) up to 27 753 cd m−2 and 8.92%. As far as is known, the peak luminance achieved is the record of deep blue QLEDs. This simple method for regulating charge injection balance via annealing temperature requires no modification of device architecture, making it applicable for a variety of QLEDs structures.

Static strength calculation of DN 350 branch pipe cutting-in in the main circulation pipeline of reactor plant WWER-1000

Nowadays the total electricity generated in nuclear power plants in Russian Federation is approximately 18% of all power generation. There are 36 reactors in operation in Russia, 19 of which are reactor plants WWER-1000. A planned operation lifetime of these plants is 30 years and most of them have served for this period. To extend reactor working lifetime it is necessary to carry out the calculation for possibility justification of continued operation of reactor equipment and pipelines. The paper presents the static strength calculation of DN 350 branch pipe cutting-in in the main circulation pipeline of reactor plant WWER-1000. According to calculation results a following conclusion is made: if the static strength of DN 350 branch pipe cutting-in meets the requirements of technical standard, the continued operation of this pipeline section will be possible.

Influence of Wear Test Parameters on the Electrical Contact Performance of Brass Alloy/Copper Contactors Under Fretting Wear

Fretting of mated electronic connectors may be due to extreme increase in contact resistance. We present a detailed analysis of contact resistance by fretting experiments using brass alloys/copper contact pairs. The relationship between wear mechanisms and contact resistance was determined. The influence of fundamental factors such as normal load, displacement amplitude, and current on contact resistance change was also evaluated. It was found out that displacement amplitude, normal load, and current are important parameters for infinite lifetime or stable electrical resistance during fretting condition. Influence of displacement amplitude on the electrical contact performance might be affected by wear debris in the contact area. Electric contact performance could be improved by increasing the power current, which could break down the thick oxide film formed. The predicted working lifetime and reliability requirements of the connector were determined to optimize and extend the service life under the working condition.

Improving Lifetime of Cell-Edge Smart Sensing Devices by Incentive Architecture Based on Dynamic Charging

In smart cities, a large number of smart sensing devices face the problem of limited portable battery capacity, which limits the working lifetime of smart sensing devices. However, wireless energy harvesting is an effective means to prolong their lifetime as soon as they are rechargeable. Most existing methods (e.g., mobile charging vehicles and dedicated power-beacons) are vulnerable to the smart sensing devices in complex terrain and difficult to care for all the charged objects. Moreover, they have high hardware maintaining cost. Therefore, we present a novel incentive architecture based on the dynamic charging to improve the lifetime of the cell-edge smart sensing devices. It leverages smart terminals carried by users as chargers to first provide wireless energy to a set of cell-edge smart sensing devices and then collect data from these sensing devices. Also, the smart terminals collecting data will act as forwarders, which will help the sensing devices transmit data to the data center through the base stations. The challenge is how to incentivize a smart terminal to act as both a charger and a forwarder. We propose the non-cooperative game for a set of smart terminals to address this issue, which can make these smart terminals get a satisfactory return and let the corresponding smart sensing devices improve their working lifetime. We conduct extensive simulations and demonstrate the effectiveness of our incentive architecture with the numerical results.

A short guide to working remotely.

We were ecstatic when our supervisors allowed us to work remotely. Friends in graduate school, we hadn't worked in the same place in years. But our lives had taken a similar turn. Paul—a scientist at a state agency at the time—was living apart from his wife on weekdays. Every Friday he'd leave his office and drive 3 hours to spend the weekend at home, but with his wife pregnant with their first child, that situation would soon become untenable. Lauren, a newly married postdoc, lived in a different state than her husband and was growing weary of long-distance romance. Our work lives revolved around computer analyses and writing, so remote work was feasible. It seemed like an ideal solution. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER Paul, an introvert, harbored fantasies of burying himself in computer tasks, free of the noise and distractions of offices. But when he started to work from home, he struggled to maintain focus and avoid getting sucked into house chores. As Wisconsin's bitter winter took hold, snow buried his office window, and he felt closed in. Three months into his new arrangement, he learned that Lauren, an extrovert, was also working from home. He found some relief in learning that she, too, was struggling with isolation. We weren't about to give up on remote work, but we needed better ways to cope. The two of us began to email back and forth, sharing challenges we faced and methods we'd found helpful for staying productive. After we got into the swing of things, we surveyed 16 other remote scientists to generate some tips for success. SET REALISTIC GOALS. When you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder, you become your own taskmaster. Setting small, manageable daily tasks that contribute to your longer-term goals can help keep you on track. Make sure to hold yourself accountable, for instance by scheduling regular check-ins with a supervisor or colleague. BE CONSISTENT. Wake up each morning, change out of your pajamas, and maintain a regular schedule. Act as if you have a job to go to—because, after all, you do. REDUCE DISTRACTIONS. Do not let laundry, dishwashing, cleaning, and other chores consume your workday. You may also have to guard against social disruptions, as some people seem to think that if you work remotely, you can do whatever you want at any time of day. CREATE A DISCRETE WORKSPACE. When you're working, be at work—both mentally and physically. It helps to have a separate office. If that's not possible, try to arrange your furniture in a way that distinguishes your work and nonwork space. REWARD PRODUCTIVITY. If you are productive for an hour or two and accomplish a task, then treat yourself to a 15-minute break. Get a cup of coffee, take a walk, browse the internet, play with your dog, or do something else that you enjoy. SEEK OUT HUMAN INTERACTION. Scientific discovery is collaborative, and it can be difficult to interact with colleagues while working from home. Get out and attend meetings and conferences. Schedule Skype calls with other scientists or communicate via Slack. Consider spending a few hours working in a social setting such as a coffee shop. When we first started to work remotely, we suffered from feelings of entrapment and isolation. But now—3.5 years in for Paul and 2 years in for Lauren—we've learned how to manage our new arrangement so that we can be productive scientists and live in the same city as our loved ones. We're not planning on a lifetime of full-time remote work—in fact, Lauren's remote journey will be over when she starts a faculty position next month—but we have to say that remote working has its perks. For one thing, it's hard to complain about a 10-second commute. [1]: pending:yes

Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy.

The Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy is given to a psychologist who has made a distinguished empirical and/or theoretical contribution to research in public policy, either through a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of work. This contribution may consist of such factors as research leading others to view specific national policies differently; research demonstrating the importance of the application of psychological methods and theory to public policy; or research clarifying the ways in which scientific knowledge of human behavior informs public policy. The 2018 recipients of the APA Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy were selected by the 2017 Committee on Psychology in the Public Interest Awards. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy: Nicholas Dickon Reppucci.

APA's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy is given to a psychologist who has made a distinguished empirical and/or theoretical contribution to research in public policy, either through a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of work. Nicholas Dickon Reppucci is the 2018 recipient of this award. For over forty years, Reppucci "has been deeply committed to the well-being of our communities through the formulation of public policy based on social science rather than intuition." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Deformation of Exposed Tool Parts for Crushing of Undesirable Advance Growth

Abstract Tools for crushing of undesirable advance growth and mulching wood are subjected to heavy wear in operation with the need for their frequent replacement shortly after deployment. It is important to address the problem of their wear due to price of tools, as well as the time necessary for their replacement. Tool life is shortened because of deformation taking place due to the loss of wolfram-carbide (WC) tips, what is an undesirable phenomenon. Solutions for increasing the tool lifetimes were designed on the basis of analysis of wear mechanisms that cause this deformation. Furthermore, effect of deformed layer was evaluated by measuring hardness and microhardness. It was found that there was a strain hardening the surface due to cyclic loading. Size and extent of deformation of the entire tool with the loss of material on the functional part were documented using an optical scanning sensor system. Effect of the deformation on the material structure change, as well as topography and extent of surface area affected by abrasive wear under impact loads, were assessed by means of light and electron scanning microscopy. On the basis of these analyses, an option for increasing the lifetime of exposed areas on the tool by application of hardfacing to increase the tool wear resistance was proposed. Prerequisite for extending their work lifetime in the field is creation of a sufficient coarse layer or multiple layers of wear resistant material at specific tool areas.

A Single-Stage Electrolytic Capacitor-Less AC-DC LED Driver

The electrolytic capacitor is the mainly component that impact the working lifetime of light-emitting diode (LED). If an ac-dc LED driver with ripple cancellation method, the electrolytic capacitor eliminate is of vital importance. Therefore, this paper present a solution with secondary side full-bridge structure for cancel the twice ac line ripple from the LED driver. In order to reduce the components cost and LED driver volume, a single-stage high efficiency electrolytic capacitor less isolate ac-dc LED driver is implement and discussed in detail, which is a discontinue conduction model (DCM) power factor correction (PFC) buck-boost converter integrated a isolate flyback converter. Finally, a 100W prototype has been built and tested. Experiment results demonstrated the effectiveness and high feasibility of the proposed LED driver.

Abiding changes

Abstract Abiding changes explores transitions in drawing practice produced by a professional artist/illustrator over a lifetime of work. It is a description of shifting ideas on the process and manufacture of drawing whilst managing work that is both an act of communication on a public platform and private programme of personal developmental initiatives. The paper examines means used to alter methods of working and possibly make ‘better’ practice to improve eloquence of expression. Writing on this subject explores the fluid nature of drawing and its ability to invent responses that question familiar modes of expression with unfamiliar actions in response to a changing context for work. The text explores the aesthetic evolution of particular ideas such as psychotropic drawing and the effects of risk on work. It describes efforts to shift practice from carefully rendered drawing to fast sketching ideas from measured notation to doodle responses, rediscovering drawing from nature and the risk of improvised reactions in constructed description.

The Fictility of Porcelain: Making and Shaping Meaning in Lady Dorothea Banks’s “Dairy Book”

While there are extensive records of Sir Joseph Banks’s lifetime of work, the “Dairy Book” is one of the few surviving documents that chart an aspect of the intellectual life of his wife, Lady Dorothea Banks. The Dairy Book represents a record of Dorothea’s interpretation of her porcelain collection, acquired through the Banks family’s international network of scholars, scientists, and manufacturers. Beginning with a discussion of its unusual materiality, this article argues that the Dairy Book is distanced from the ordinary book form and is instead closer to the porcelain collection in substance: occulted, disorderly, and excessive. The Dairy Book functions as a metonym for the porcelain collection and the substance itself. This article examines porcelain and the collector’s text as fictile material: a portable signifier and a repository for meanings that are shaped by the collector’s selection and display. The plasticity suggested by “fictile” destabilizes understandings of how meaning is created and communicated. It frames how porcelain may be interpreted through associated practices of synecdoche, metonymy, and transposition.

Potential gains in life expectancy by eliminating deaths from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus in the working life ages among Slovak population

BackgroundIn recent years, high mortality from cardiovascular diseases (chronic ischemic heart disease, acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, hypertensive diseases) and diabetes mellitus have burdened economic and health system of the Slovak Republic considerably. By eliminating these deaths, the life expectancy could be prolonged. Since the mortality of population during working period has higher importance in terms of economic consequences of diseases, this article aims to assess the potential gains in life expectancy (PGLEs) of the Slovak population comparing the entire life span and working life-time.MethodsData are obtained from the National Health Information Center mortality reports by sex during 1996–2014, and the method of constructing abridged life tables is used to compute the corresponding PGLEs. The added years, which would be gained by eliminating causes of deaths, are decomposed by the two sets of working age groups population (25–44 and 45–64 years).ResultsThe highest impact on life expectancy was recorded in chronic ischemic heart disease for both sexes aged 45–64 years (0.078 for males, 0.019 added years for females) over 1996–2014. However, they showed a small declining trend (− 16%) for males and even an increasing trend (2%) for females. At present, the labour force potential of working group (25–44 years) is most threatened by deaths from cerebrovascular diseases, while population of working age (45–64 years) by deaths from chronic ischemic heart disease. Relative importance of acute coronary syndrome for males (45–64 years) increased, when comparing the entire with working time life.ConclusionsThe findings pose new and immediate challenges to policy makers and provoke discussion about prevention program strategies leading to increasing the life expectancy.

Illuminating Roman Vishniac: A Career in Biological Photography and Cinematography.

Despite the fame of Roman Vishniac's photography of Jewish communities in pre-Holocaust Europe; what is relatively unknown today to the photography or science communities - despite the recognition it received at the time of its creation - is that Vishniac's major efforts in photography were neither documentary nor artistic. Rather, the vast majority of his lifetime of photographic work focused on the biological world. Reviewed here is the phenomenal scope and quantity of biological photography and cinematography produced by Roman Vishniac over a five-decade period. From zoo animals to the tiniest of microorganisms, from time-lapse studies of vascular physiology to widely distributed biology classroom films, from spreads in LIFE magazine to advertisements for an insect sting analgesic; Vishniac's ability to capture and create images - almost exclusively of living subjects - was sought after by scientific researchers, popular magazines, movie producers, news organizations and commercial entities. Vishniac's body of scientific photography, both still and ciné, often produced by him from initial concept through writing and shooting - in an age before the technological advances in imaging that we all now enjoy - and despite its later eclipse by his own earlier images, was regarded as the finest and most imaginative of its time.

Fabrication and application of nano/microcrystalline composite diamond coated drawing dies using alternative carbon sources

Abstract Nano/microcrystalline composite diamond films were deposited on the holes of WC-6%Co drawing dies by a two-step procedure using alternative carbon sources, i.e., methane for the microcrystalline diamond (MCD) layer and acetone for the nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) layer. Moreover, the monolayer methane-MCD and acetone-NCD coated drawing dies were fabricated as comparisons. The adhesion and wear rates of the diamond coated drawing dies were also tested by an inner hole polishing apparatus. Compared with mono-layer diamond coated drawing die, the composite diamond coated one exhibits better comprehensive performance, including higher adhesive strength and better wear resistance than the NCD one, and smoother surface (Ra=65.3 nm) than the MCD one (Ra=95.6 nm) after polishing at the same time. Compared with the NCD coated drawing die, the working lifetime of the composite diamond coated one is increased by nearly 20 times.

Tribological behaviour of laser textured Ti6Al4V alloy coated with MoS2 and graphene

Ti-6Al-4V alloy was laser textured with cross groove patterns and then coated with graphene or MoS2, evaluating its tribological behaviour. The samples were textured by a solid state Nd:Vanadate (Nd:YVO4) laser, making crossed grooves with two different crossing angles, 45°and 60°, shaping a rhombus-like pattern. The percentage of surface area textured was 18, 40 and 64%. Solid lubricants were deposited by the cloth burnishing technique. Bidirectional sliding wear tests were performed to evaluate the tribological behaviour of the alloy. Lubricant working lifetimes were longer on textured and coated surfaces than on polished surfaces. Graphene presented longer lifetime than the MoS2 for 18 and 40% of textured density but rather similar for the 64%.

Ageing simulation of a hydraulic engine mount: A data-informed finite element approach

Hydraulic engine mounts are key elements in an automotive vehicle suspension system that typically experience a change of their designed function during their working lifetime due to progressive material ageing, primarily from the elastomeric component. Ageing of the engine mount, resulting from severe and continuous mechanical and thermal loads, can have a detrimental impact on the ride and comfort and long-term customer satisfaction. This paper introduces a new practical methodology for simulating the ageing behaviour of engine mounts resulting from the change in properties of their elastomeric main spring component. To achieve this, a set of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis tests were conducted on elastomeric coupons taken from a set of engine mounts with different service and ageing conditions. These experimental results were used to characterise the change in mechanical response of the elastomer and to build up an empirical elastomer ageing model. Then a finite element model of the main spring was developed that used the elastomer ageing model so that the ageing behaviour of the engine mount could be simulated. The resulting ageing model was verified by using experimental results from a second batch of ex-service engine mounts. The results show an increasing trend of the vertical static stiffness of the engine mounts with distance travelled (or age) up to a certain distance (approximately 95,000 km). The trend is then reversed and a softening effect is observed. Moreover, the results reveal that both the maximum stiffness value and the distance travelled at the peak stiffness decrease as the temperature increases.

Investigating daily schedules of married couple by focusing on work-life balance : Comparison of work-life time by gender according to couple-combined work schedules

Investigating daily schedules of married couple by focusing on work-life balance : Comparison of work-life time by gender according to couple-combined work schedules

National unity and unity o Faith in the Speeches of Patriarch Miron Cristea

By remembering Patriarch Miron Cristea, we do not only recall a person, or a hierarch, but we actually evoke a lifetime of work and activity, abnegation and sacrifice, humbleness and spiritual elevation – a lifetime dedicated to calling, like an apostle, the whole Romanian Orthodox nation to follow his example. A distinguished scholar, keen on studying, endowed with great willpower and capacity for effort, an orator with a calling, loving our ancestral faith and language, an enlightened patriot, a fighter for justice and for national freedom: these are the main features that characterize his outstanding personality. As it is known, the name of the first Patriarch of Romania, Miron Cristea, is forever inscribed in the Golden Book containing the names of the great Romanian men who were part of the golden generation that forged the Great Union of 1 December 1918, at Alba Iulia. The historic events occurring in late 1918 found Miron Cristea at the bishopric see of Caransebeş, where he had been elected in 1909, but where he could be installed only in 1910, because the government of Budapest had delayed acknowledging the elections

Exploring the Optimal Design of an Employer-Sponsored Sickness-Disability Compensation Insurance Plan When Sickness Presenteeism Is Penalized

We explore the impact of presenteeism, absenteeism, and shirking on the optimal design of an employer-sponsored sickness-disability compensation insurance plan when the employer penalizes sickness presenteeism. We assume an employee's health follows a simple multistate model with a “severely ill” sickness state. To combat absenteeism, the employer randomly verifies an employee's claim of sickness. However, to combat presenteeism, we also introduce the new concept of a presenteeism penalty whereby employees who are found to be at work in the “severely ill” sickness state are sent home and receive a penalized sick pay that is lower than the normal sick pay. Thus sick employees must decide whether to stay at home and receive a sick pay or go to work sick and run the risk of being sent home and penalized. We further assume (1) employees are risk-averse utility maximizers, (2) each employee has a strategy for staying home or working while sick that maximizes his or her lifetime expected discounted utility, and (3) an employee's strategy is unknown to the employer. The primary plan design factors that affect an employee's lifetime expected discounted utility and the employer's discounted expected accounting profits over an employee's working lifetime are the sick pay, the presenteeism penalty, and two health check probabilities. Volterra integral equations are used to derive expressions for an employee's lifetime expected discounted utility and the employer's expected discounted accounting profits over an employee's lifetime under various employee strategies. Laplace transforms are used to derive asymptotic expressions for the solutions to these integral equations. These asymptotic solutions are used to explore the impact of these factors on the optimal sickness compensation insurance plan design.