Variety Of Specific Applications Research Articles

Processing, Characteristics And Applications Of Bulk Nanostructured Metals And Alloys

: An ability to achieve useful properties in structural materials is largely dependent on their bulk microstructure. Over the years, the innate ability to achieve noticeable improvements in structural materials has relied upon processing as a viable means and/or alternative, which in turn determines the resulting microstructure and properties or behavior. Sustained research and development efforts in the domains encompassing materials science, materials engineering and manufacturing processes has made possible the arrival of a time period in which specific properties of a material can be obtained by carefully controlling the architecture of its constituents. Nanostructuring of materials to include both metals and their alloy counterparts is a key for obtaining extra ordinary properties that made them attractive for purpose of selection and use in both structural applications and functional applications. In recent years, the production of bulk nanostructured materials [BNMs] by techniques of severe plastic deformation [SPD] has attracted considerable scientific and technological interest since it offers new opportunities for the fabrication of commercial nanostructured metals and alloys that can be chosen for use in a variety of specific applications. Such nanostructured materials must essentially be not only porosity free and but also contaminant free, which makes them an ideal choice for studying, observing and documenting their characteristics spanning microstructure, properties and mechanical behavior. In this paper, we provide a compelling overview of the approaches most widely used for the purpose of achieving grain refinement using the technique of plastic deformation. An outline of the four most commonly used plastic deformation processing techniques is provided. Salient aspects specific to the technique of equal channel angular pressing [ECAP], high pressure torsion [HPT], accumulative roll bonding [ARB] of bulk nanostructured metals and surface mechanical attrition treatment [SMAT] of nanostructured layers is provided and briefly discussed. A need for the selection of certain metals and alloys for use in specific applications in the domains spanning medicine and technology are briefly discussed. The emergence and use of computational nanotechnology, which in essence synergizes the rapid developments in computational techniques and material development is presented and briefly discussed.

Basic Research in Plasma Medicine - A Throughput Approach from Liquids to Cells.

In plasma medicine, ionized gases with temperatures close to that of vertebrate systems are applied to cells and tissues. Cold plasmas generate reactive species known to redox regulate biological processes in health and disease. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence points to beneficial effects of plasma treatment in the healing of chronic ulcer of the skin. Other emerging topics, such as plasma cancer treatment, are receiving increasing attention. Plasma medical research requires interdisciplinary expertise in physics, chemistry, and biomedicine. One goal of plasma research is to characterize plasma-treated cells in a variety of specific applications. This includes, for example, cell count and viability, cellular oxidation, mitochondrial activity, cytotoxicity and mode of cell death, cell cycle analysis, cell surface marker expression, and cytokine release. This study describes the essential equipment and workflows required for such research in plasma biomedicine. It describes the proper operation of an atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet, specifically monitoring its basic emission spectra and feed gas settings to modulate reactive species output. Using a high-precision xyz-table and computer software, the jet is hovered in millisecond-precision over the cavities of 96-well plates in micrometer-precision for maximal reproducibility. Downstream assays for liquid analysis of redox-active molecules are shown, and target cells are plasma-treated. Specifically, melanoma cells are analyzed in an efficient sequence of different consecutive assays but using the same cells: measurement of metabolic activity, total cell area, and surface marker expression of calreticulin, a molecule important for the immunogenic cell death of cancer cells. These assays retrieve content-rich biological information about plasma effects from a single plate. Altogether, this study describes the essential steps and protocols for plasma medical research.

Basic Research in Plasma Medicine - A Throughput Approach from Liquids to Cells

In plasma medicine, ionized gases with temperatures close to that of vertebrate systems are applied to cells and tissues. Cold plasmas generate reactive species known to redox regulate biological processes in health and disease. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence points to beneficial effects of plasma treatment in the healing of chronic ulcer of the skin. Other emerging topics, such as plasma cancer treatment, are receiving increasing attention. Plasma medical research requires interdisciplinary expertise in physics, chemistry, and biomedicine. One goal of plasma research is to characterize plasma-treated cells in a variety of specific applications. This includes, for example, cell count and viability, cellular oxidation, mitochondrial activity, cytotoxicity and mode of cell death, cell cycle analysis, cell surface marker expression, and cytokine release. This study describes the essential equipment and workflows required for such research in plasma biomedicine. It describes the proper operation of an atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet, specifically monitoring its basic emission spectra and feed gas settings to modulate reactive species output. Using a high-precision xyz-table and computer software, the jet is hovered in millisecond-precision over the cavities of 96-well plates in micrometer-precision for maximal reproducibility. Downstream assays for liquid analysis of redox-active molecules are shown, and target cells are plasma-treated. Specifically, melanoma cells are analyzed in an efficient sequence of different consecutive assays but using the same cells: measurement of metabolic activity, total cell area, and surface marker expression of calreticulin, a molecule important for the immunogenic cell death of cancer cells. These assays retrieve content-rich biological information about plasma effects from a single plate. Altogether, this study describes the essential steps and protocols for plasma medical research.

Aberration analysis of a compensation scheme to monitor second-order concave reflecting surfaces

The aberration requirements for refractive compensators in autocollimator systems used to monitor second-order concave aspherical surfaces are determined from the underlying principles of optical system design. The aberration properties of the refractive elements were taken into account in determining the functional contribution of each element to achieve the desired results. The results of this paper can be used as a scientific foundation for optimization of prefocal and postfocal optical compensation systems for a variety of specific applications.

Relaxed two points projection method for solving the multiple-sets split equality problem

The multiple-sets split equality problem, a generalization and extension of the split feasibility problem, has a variety of specific applications in real world, such as medical care, image reconstruction, and signal processing. It can be a model for many inverse problems where constraints are imposed on the solutions in the domains of two linear operators as well as in the operators’ ranges simultaneously. Although, for the split equality problem, there exist many algorithms, there are but few algorithms for the multiple-sets split equality problem. Hence, in this paper, we present a relaxed two points projection method to solve the problem; under some suitable conditions, we show the weak convergence and give a remark for the strong convergence method in the Hilbert space. The interest of our algorithm is that we transfer the problem to an optimization problem, then, based on the model, we present a modified gradient projection algorithm by selecting two different initial points in different sets for the problem (we call the algorithm as two points algorithm). During the process of iteration, we employ subgradient projections, not use the orthogonal projection, which makes the method implementable. Numerical experiments manifest the algorithm is efficient.

Self‐Adaptive and Relaxed Self‐Adaptive Projection Methods for Solving the Multiple‐Set Split Feasibility Problem

Given nonempty closed convex subsets Ci⊆Rm, i = 1, 2, …, t and nonempty closed convex subsets Qj⊆Rn, j = 1, 2, …, r, in the n‐ and m‐dimensional Euclidean spaces, respectively. The multiple‐set split feasibility problem (MSSFP) proposed by Censor is to find a vector such that , where A is a given M × N real matrix. It serves as a model for many inverse problems where constraints are imposed on the solutions in the domain of a linear operator as well as in the operator’s range. MSSFP has a variety of specific applications in real world, such as medical care, image reconstruction, and signal processing. In this paper, for the MSSFP, we first propose a new self‐adaptive projection method by adopting Armijo‐like searches, which dose not require estimating the Lipschitz constant and calculating the largest eigenvalue of the matrix ATA; besides, it makes a sufficient decrease of the objective function at each iteration. Then we introduce a relaxed self‐adaptive projection method by using projections onto half‐spaces instead of those onto convex sets. Obviously, the latter are easy to implement. Global convergence for both methods is proved under a suitable condition.

A self-adaptive projection method for solving the multiple-sets split feasibility problem

The multiple-sets split feasibility problem, a generalization and extension of the split feasibility problem, has a variety of specific applications in real world, such as medical care, image reconstruction and signal processing. It can be a model for many inverse problems where constraints are imposed on the solutions in the domain of a linear operator as well as in the operator's range. Censor et al (2005 Inverse Problems 21 2171–84) proposed a method for solving the multiple-sets split feasibility problem, whose efficiency depends heavily on step size, a fixed constant related to the Lipschitz constant of ∇p(x) (see the definition in section 1). To estimate the Lipschitz constant is a very difficult, if not an impossible task. On the other hand, even if we know the Lipschitz constant, a method with fixed step size may be slow. In this paper, we propose a new method for solving the multiple-sets split feasibility problem by adopting variable step sizes, which chooses suitable step sizes self-adaptively, based on the information from the current iterate. It thus avoids the difficult task of estimating the Lipschitz constant, while the efficiency is enhanced greatly. We prove the global convergence of the new method and report our numerical results, which are promising.

Stuck Behind the Math: Just How Helpful Can One Expect Technology to be in the Economics Classroom?

This paper studies the efficacy and motivation for using technology when explaining mathematical concepts in economics pedagogy. It links practice with theory by examining the use of technology in light of current literature on active and cooperative learning in economics in conjunction with extensive research in mathematics education concerning the effectiveness of technology in teaching. Suggestions on how to implement teaching strategies with computer technology are discussed within the context of the computer algebra system, Maple. A variety of specific applications using Maple technology are provided in an online appendix.

Team Wisdom: Definition, Dynamics, and Applications

This paper focuses on wisdom manifested in work teams, defined here as groups of interdependent individuals who share responsibility for specific outcomes for their organizations (Sundstrom, DeMeuse & Futrell, 1990). Understanding how wisdom applies in teams has particular urgency, considering their ubiquity in today's organizations - at every level, from executive teams to customer service and production teams, across disciplines from health care to engineering, in a seemingly endless variety of specific applications such as surgery, intercontinental flights, and emergency rescue (Edmondson, 2002, 2003; Nielsen, Sundstrom, & Halfhill, 2002). In exploring how wisdom applies to work teams, we begin by offering a definition of team wisdom based on four inherent tensions of teamwork that must be managed to achieve effectiveness. We then offer a framework outlining and analyzing the dynamics of team wisdom. Subsequent sections apply the framework in four ways. First, we use it as a basis for organizing a review of current research and practice relevant to team wisdom. Second, we apply our framework to identify how the four inherent tensions of teamwork impact teams differently. Third, we apply it by identifying potential ways of developing team wisdom. We conclude with a discussion of potential implications for current theory and research about work teams.

Bayesian Calibration of Computer Models

Summary We consider prediction and uncertainty analysis for systems which are approximated using complex mathematical models. Such models, implemented as computer codes, are often generic in the sense that by a suitable choice of some of the model's input parameters the code can be used to predict the behaviour of the system in a variety of specific applications. However, in any specific application the values of necessary parameters may be unknown. In this case, physical observations of the system in the specific context are used to learn about the unknown parameters. The process of fitting the model to the observed data by adjusting the parameters is known as calibration. Calibration is typically effected by ad hoc fitting, and after calibration the model is used, with the fitted input values, to predict the future behaviour of the system. We present a Bayesian calibration technique which improves on this traditional approach in two respects. First, the predictions allow for all sources of uncertainty, including the remaining uncertainty over the fitted parameters. Second, they attempt to correct for any inadequacy of the model which is revealed by a discrepancy between the observed data and the model predictions from even the best-fitting parameter values. The method is illustrated by using data from a nuclear radiation release at Tomsk, and from a more complex simulated nuclear accident exercise.

Inorganic small colloidal particles

The emphasis of study of small inorganic particles is shifting from the single particle to self-assembled aggregates of particles. Accordingly, the colligative properties of ensembles have also become a focus of interest. Advances in the synthesis and in the understanding of the physical properties of ensembles have led to the practical utilization of such networks and arrays, and this trend seems set to continue in the future. Molecular control over the process of particle self-assembly will allow the tailoring of the production of two- and three-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles for a variety of specific applications, probably in optical microelectronics and sensor technologies.

Colleges and the Marketing Curriculum from the Business Man's Standpoint

INTERVIEWS with approximately one hundred business men, a large number of professors of marketing, advertising, accounting and other typical courses in the business schools of a number of the leading universities, and a group of students indicate that we have three very definite problems. In the first place, the business men almost without exception have a very critical attitude toward the job that the universities are doing in the way of training students in the business schools. In the second place, the university professor is thoroughly convinced that he is doing the most constructive job possible under the circumstances, and that the average business man does not realize the degree to which he is really being helped by the university. In the third place, the student is completely bewildered on the one hand by the attitude of the professors, and on the other hand by the attitude of the business man. The average student hopes that he can get a good job and earn a maximum income within a relatively short time after he finishes his business training. To achieve this result presupposes that the things that the student has been taught while he is in the university will be a finely balanced combination of theory, basic principles and concepts general to all businesses, and a wide variety of specific applications of all these main theories, concepts and principles to actual cases, not with the thought in mind of training the student to make any given specific application, but simply so that he underst nds something of the range of possible applications of these principles to these practical problems. When you get down to the bottom of the situation, you find there is really no quarrel between the professors and the business men as to what should be accomplished in the preparation of students. The quarrel comes between the executives' conception of what is being accomplished and what the professor, to the best of his ability, is actually doing. The universities have done an inexcusably poor job of making the leaders of American industries familiar with the changes that have taken place in the teaching of business courses generally in the universities in the past decade. The average business man is hardly justified in criticizing the whole university set-up because of his bad experience with university graduates, for just as it is true in business that out of every hundred candidates that a firm may have, there are never more than a half dozen who are exceptionally brilliant, so it is true, that in the average university out of every hundred students there will never be more than a half dozen who turn out to be shining lights either capable of absorbing the practical slants which the professor may give them, or worse, even having any interest in the subject which they are presumably studying. Nearly all of the seniors and graduate students interviewed said that they wished their courses could include more field work and actual case study. The average student has a very hazy idea either as to what he