Digital Commons Network^™

Guidance Booklet On Safe Handling Of Nanoparticles, Declan Mccormack, Norbert Malanowski, Paul Sermon, Juergen Hoeck

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Nanotechnologies are a fast evolving scientific and technological field with a high potential impact on science, economy and society. Like with all new and quickly developing technologies it is important to weigh benefits versus risks at the earliest possible convenience. Building on the results of the ImPart project, this booklet is intended to give a review of the actual knowledge in the field of nanospecific risks, deriving recommendations for the safe handling of nanoparticles for executives in industry, public organizations and NGOs. This booklet is also intended to give an outlook on possible developments in the near future and "life …

Plasma-Controlled Metal Catalyst Saturation And The Initial Stage Of Carbon Nanostructure Array Growth, Igor Levchenko, Ken Ostrikov, Davide Mariotti, Anthony Bruce Murphy

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The kinetics of the nucleation and growth of carbon nanotube and nanocone arrays on Ni catalyst nanoparticles on a silicon surface exposed to a low-temperature plasma are investigated numerically, using a complex model that includes surface diffusion and ion motion equations. It is found that the degree of ionization of the carbon flux strongly affects the kinetics of nanotube and nanocone nucleation on partially saturated catalyst patterns. The use of highly ionized carbon flux allows formation of a nanotube array with a very narrow height distribution of half-width 7 nm. Similar results are obtained for carbon nanocone arrays, with an …

Reducing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: Oceans Provide A Huge Opportunity For Sequestration, Jules Chiavaroli

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The scientific community is fairly unified in their assessment of climatological change. It is happening primarily as the result of excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere produced by unrelenting world industrialization. If it continues unabated it will cause major physical changes to the earth that will dramatically alter how mankind lives. And, the world has until the middle of this century to cap CO2 levels short of where they will cause this irreversible change. For many experts involved in this issue, actively reducing existing CO2 levels is a necessary component for a total solution to the problem. This paper …

Hand-Held Flyback Driven Coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge: Development And Characterization, Victor J. Law, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Neil O’Connor, James F. Lalor, Steven Daniels

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The development of a handheld single and triple chamber atmospheric pressure coaxial dielectric barrier discharge driven by Flyback circuitry for helium and argon discharges is described. The Flyback uses external metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor power switching technology and the transformer operates in the continuous current mode to convert a continuous dc power of 10–33 W to generate a 1.2–1.6 kV 3.5 μs pulse. An argon discharge breakdown voltage of ∼768 V is measured. With a 50 kHz, pulse repetition rate and an argon flow rate of 0.5–10 argon slm (slm denotes standard liters per minute), the electrical power density deposited in …

Alaska Resources Library And Information Services: Pioneering Partnerships On The Last Frontier, Daria O. Carle, Juli Braund-Allen

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Five federal agencies, one state agency, one state-federal entity, and one university combined their library resources to create the Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), which opened in Anchorage in 1997. This new library focuses on Alaska’s natural and cultural resources, and serves agency personnel, university faculty and students, and local and international researchers from the public and private sectors. Funded by its parent agencies and collectively directed by a team of six librarians, ARLIS is recognized for its unique and innovative structure, one-of-a-kind collections, and quality in-depth service.

A Web-Based And Mobile Environmental Management System, James Carswell, Keith Gardiner, Michela Bertolotto, Andrea Rizzini, A Mandrak

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This paper describes a Web-based and mobile system specifically developed to monitor fish species at risk. Such a system integrates spatial functionality to allow users not only to visualise maps and metadata of the area of concern but also to perform context-aware queries and updating of spatial datasets. The spatial datasets are provided by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the prototype is customised to the specific needs of the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS) Fish Habitat Section requirements for fish species at risk assessment. Currently, researchers, habitat biologists and enforcement officers have …

Temperature Dependence Of Macrobending Loss In All-Fiber Bend Loss Edge Filter, Pengfei Wang, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell

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A theoretical model for macrobending-induced temperature dependent loss (TDL) for a standard singlemode fiber (SMF28) with dual coating layers is presented, with good agreement demonstrated between theoretical calculations and experimental results. The impact of temperature on two examples of an all-fiber based edge filter is also investigated theoretically and experimentally and using the developed model, it is shown that it is possible to predict the impact of temperature variations on an all-fiber based edge filter.

Some Rather Mechanical Reflections On Symmetry: In Art, Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Etc., Jim Mcgovern

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This Inaugural Lecture consists of some of my rather mechanical, being an engineer, reflections on symmetry in diverse areas such as art, science, engineering, mathematics, etc. I explain what symmetry is to me, giving examples with lots of images and mentioning or at least barely referencing art, science, architecture, engineering, heritage, cosmology, bicycles, flight, invention, ingenuity, history, wallpaper, mathematics, typography, structures, regular shapes, coordinate systems, spacetime, thermodynamics and suchlike.

A Technique For Characterization Of Dimensional Changes In Slanted Holographic Gratings By Monitoring The Angular Selectivity Profile, Nitesh Pandey, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

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A method has been developed for retrieving the complete angular selectivity profile of transmission holographic gratings in one step. The method is applied to study in real time the shrinkage and changes in the effective optical thickness of a slanted holographic grating recorded in an acrylamide-based photopolymer. It can form the basis of a holographic sensor of analytes that cause a thickness change in the holographic medium. It can also be useful for the study and optimization of holographic recording materials and for quality control during production of holographic optical elements.

Equi-Biaxial Fatigue Of Elastomers: The Effect Of Oil Swelling On Fatigue Life, Stephen Jerrams, John Hanley, Niall Murphy, Ali Hassan

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The effect of oil swelling on the fatigue life of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) has been studied under conditions of equi-biaxial cycling using dynamic bubble inflation. Specimens were subjected to varying degrees of swelling in reference mineral oils and fatigued at constant engineering stress amplitudes. The reference oils used for swelling the EPDM had known aniline points, allowing the rubber-oil compatibility to be determined. The inflation fluid for fatigue testing was selected with a solubility parameter that would produce a desired level of incompatibility with the test specimens, thereby limiting the amount of additional swelling during cycling. Wöhler …

Programme Oriented And Institutional Oriented Approaches To Quality Assurance: New Developments And Mixed Approaches, Deirdre Lillis, Tara Ryan

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This paper considers the programme validation arrangements in place in one half of the Irish higher education sector. It outlines how responsibility for programme validation can be safely delegated to Institutions within a robust overarching framework for quality assurance. It compares programme validation in Institutions with self awarding status with Institutions that have their programmes validated by a national Awarding agency. The paper concludes that when programme validation in Ireland and (potentially) across Europe is examined more closely, processes that appear to be very different on the surface can be quite similar in reality. From a philosophical perspective it appears …

Rampart Roads In The Peat Lands Of Ireland: Genesis, Development And Current Performance, Juan Pablo Osorio, Eric R. Farrell, Brendan C. O'Kelly, Tom Casey

Articles

The construction and improvement of roads on peat lands has always been a challenging task in geotechnical engineering. Rampart roads, which are a particular feature of the bog roads in Ireland, are caused by the excavation of peat from the roadsides over many years for use as a domestic fuel. The historical development of rampart roads and current performance under the added traffic loading is discussed. Various road improvement methods have been applied to improve the road ability to carry traffic and the technical aspects and performance of the methods are discussed. In particular, the performance of the improvement methods …

Famous For Fifteen Minutes: Ip And Internet Social Networking, Patricia S. Abril, Jonathan Darrow, Peter Ludlow, Michael J. Monahan

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No abstract provided.

Health Privacy In A Techno-Social World: A Cyber-Patient's Bill Of Rights, Patricia S. Abril, Anita Cava

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No abstract provided.

Force Measurement Methods In Telerobotic Surgery: Implications For End-Effector Manufacture, Dean Callaghan, Mark Mcgrath, Eugene Coyle

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Haptic feedback in telesurgical applications refers to the relaying of position and force information from a remote surgical site to the surgeon in real-time during a surgical procedure. This feedback, coupled with visual information via microscopic cameras, has the potential to provide the surgeon with additional ‘feel’ for the manipulations being performed at the instrument-biological tissue interface. This increased sensitivity has many associated benefits which include, but are not limited to; minimal tissue damage, reduced recuperation periods, and less patient trauma. The inclusion of haptic feedback leads to reduction in surgeon fatigue which contributes to enhanced performance during operation. Commercially …

A Force Measurement Evaluation Tool For Telerobotic Cutting Applications: Development Of An Effective Characterization Platform, Dean Callaghan, Mark Mcgrath, Eugene Coyle

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Sensorized instruments that accurately measure the interaction forces (between biological tissue and instrument endeffector) during surgical procedures offer surgeons a greater sense of immersion during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Although there is ongoing research into force measurement involving surgical graspers little corresponding effort has been carried out on the measurement of forces between scissor blades and tissue. This paper presents the design and development of a force measurement test apparatus, which will serve as a sensor characterization and evaluation platform. The primary aim of the experiments is to ascertain whether the system can differentiate between tissue samples with differing mechanical …

In Transit - Transition Movement Inspires Dramatic Carbon Cuts In House Refurb, Joseph Little

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Drawing on the ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’ he developed at Kinsale, Rob Hopkins and his team launched Transition Town Totnes (in the UK) one and a half years ago. 64 recognised transition communities and 600 other groups (and counting) are now in communication with Rob’s team to launch their versions of this initiative in their communities worldwide.¹ The Transition Ireland Network is coordinated by Davie Philip of Cultivate and several transition initiatives are underway here.

Hubble Space Telescope Near-Infrared Snapshot Survey Of 3cr Radio Source Counterparts. Ii. An Atlas And Inventory Of The Host Galaxies, Mergers, And Companions, David J.E. Floyed, David J. Axon, Stefi A. Baum, Christopher P. O'Dea, Et Al.

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We present the second part of an H-band (1.6 μm) “atlas” of z < 0.3 3CR radio galaxies, using the Hubble Space Telescope Near Infrared Camera and Multi- Object Spectrometer (HST NICMOS2). We present new imaging for 21 recently acquired sources, and host galaxy modeling for the full sample of 101 (including 11 archival) – an 87% completion rate. Two different modeling techniques are applied, following those adopted by the galaxy morphology and the quasar host galaxy communities. Results are compared, and found to be in excellent agreement, although the former breaks down in the case of strongly nucleated sources.

Shared-Sensing And Control Using Reversible Transducers, Tuhin Das, Ranjan Mukherjee

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As an alternative to self-sensing, we propose the concept of shared-sensing for reversible transducers. In shared-sensing, reversible transducers are continuously switched between actuator and sensor modes. This results in a hybrid system, and, in this paper, we investigate stability properties of the equilibrium for linear systems and a class of nonlinear systems with a single shared-sensing transducer. Our theoretical results are validated through simulations and experiments with a dc servo motor.

Working Report On The Status Quo Of Nanomaterials Impact On Health And Environment, Harald Krug, Margarita Apostolova, Marite Arija Bake, Gordon Chambers, Horia Chiriac, Eva Herzog, Victoria Hand, Jürgen Höck, Peter Hoet, Nicoleta Lupu, Declan Mccormack, Maja Remskar, George Robillard, Jamila Smisterova, Jan Stetkiewicz, Speranta Tanasescu, Aris Tsatsakis, David Vaughn, Peter Wick, Jörg Wörle-Knirsch

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Nanotechnology is regarded as one of the key technologies of the future and associated with high expectations by politics, science and economy. Artificially produced nanosized particles and nanoscale system components have new properties which are of importance for the development of new products and applications. Such new properties of materials and substances result from the special properties of surfaces and interfaces and in part, from the geometric shape of the material. In theory nanoparticles (NPs) can be produced from nearly any chemical; however, most NPs that are currently in use today have been made from transition metals, silicon, carbon (single-walled …

Data Points And Duration For Estimating Fuel Consumption Of A Diesel Engine, Dennis G. Watson, Tony V. Harrison, Richard W. Steffen

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Accurate measurement of fuel consumption is required to quantify the efficiency of an engine or predict emissions. As part of a larger project, accurate instantaneous fuel consumption data was required for a John Deere 4045T diesel engine. While establishing test criteria, it became evident that literature did not provide clear recommendations on the number of data points or time duration for data collection, for a diesel engine. Fuel consumption tests were conducted using up to 15 data points of percent fuel rate and up to 15 min of data collection. Based on statistical analysis of test results, at least 2 …

The Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera For Surveys Coma Cluster Survey. I. Survey Objectives And Design, David Carter, Paul Goudfrooij, Bahram Mobasher, Dan Batcheldor, David Merritt, Et Al.

Articles

We describe the HST ACS Coma cluster Treasury survey, a deep twopassband imaging survey of one of the nearest rich clusters of galaxies, the Coma cluster (Abell 1656). The survey was designed to cover an area of 740 arcmin2 in regions of different density of both galaxies and intergalactic medium within the cluster. The ACS failure of January 27th 2007 leaves the survey 28% complete, with 21 ACS pointings (230 arcmin2) complete, and partial data for a further 4 pointings (44 arcmin2). Predicted survey depth for 10 detections for optimal photometry of point sources is g′ = 27.6 in the …

Frame It - Thoughts On Education, Reducing Carbon And Vapour, Joseph Little, Robbie Cousins

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Joseph Little believes timber frame can be the backbone of a new generation of low-carbon, energy-efficient housing, and be used as an intelligent response to Climate Change and fuel prices. But he tells Robbie Cousins that timber frame manufacturers, suppliers and architects need to gear-up and work more closely together if the true potential of this vision is to be realised.

Joseph Little’s chief bugbear is poor construction standards & details on site and the core of this issue is how the knowledge set of architects and builders and how standards are controlled. The seeds of this idea may have …

The Effect Of Vibratory Milling On The Powder Properties Of Zinc Oxide Varistors, Maura Kelleher, M.S.J. Hashmi

Articles

The formation of powders from multi-elemental oxides for the subsequent formation of a green and sintered compact body is a major processing operation in the manufacture of ZnO varistors. The physical and chemical properties of the metal oxides are crucial not only for the formation of a varistor component with optimum microstructure and thus electrical characteristics but also for avoiding the introduction of flaws and reduced yield during subsequent manufacturing stages. The effect of vibratory milling using cylindrical zirconia media on the physical and chemical properties of the mixed multi-elemental oxide additives of a commercial ZnO varistor formulation was studied. …

High-Power Low-Frequency Ultrasound: A Review Of Tissue Dissection And Ablation In Medicine And Surgery, Brendan O'Daly, Edmund Morris, Graham Gavin, John O'Byrne, Garrett Mcguinness

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High-power low-frequency ultrasound in the range 20–60 kHz has wide ranging clinical applications in surgical and medical instruments for biological tissue cutting, ablation or fragmentation, and removal. Despite widespread clinical application and common device operating characteristics, there is an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of tissue failure, removal and damage. The relative contribution of cavitation, direct mechanical impact and thermal effects to each process for specific tissue types remains unclear. Different and distinct mechanisms and rates of tissue removal are observed for interaction with soft and hard tissue types. Device operating parameters known to affect the interaction include frequency, peak–peak …

Impact Of Channel Errors On Decentralized Detection Performance Of Wireless Sensor Networks: A Study Of Binary Modulations, Rayleigh-Fading And Nonfading Channels, And Fusion-Combiners, Venkateshwara R. Kanchumarthy, Ramanarayanan Viswanathan, Madhulika Madishetty

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We provide new results on the performance of wireless sensor networks in which a number of identical sensor nodes transmit their binary decisions, regarding a binary hypothesis, to a fusion center (FC) by means of a modulation scheme. Each link between a sensor and the fusion center is modeled independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) either as slow Rayleigh-fading or as nonfading. The FC employs a counting rule (CR) or another combining scheme to make a final decision. Main results obtained are the following: 1) in slow fading, a) the correctness of using an average bit error rate of a link, …

Towards Arabic To English Machine Translation, Yasser Salem, Arnold Hensman, Brian Nolan

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This paper explores how the characteristics of the Arabic language will effect the development of a Machine Translation (MT) tool from Arabic to English. Several distinguishing features of Arabic pertinent to MT will be explored in detail with reference to some potential difficulties that they might present. The paper will conclude with a proposed model incorporating the Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) technique to achieve this end.

Towards A Model Of Critical Ethics To Inform The Research Process In Postgraduate Research, Aidan Kenny

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The ethics narrative has become embedded in the contemporary research process, as evident in the emergence of Ethical Committees in faculty and both public and private organisations. Ethics have been codified, made visible and accessible as text artefacts in the forms of (both voluntary and regulatory) codes, statements, conventions, guidelines, principles, procedures, practices. In this short paper I explore this codification of ethics from the period post WWII, detailing some of the milestone text artefacts.

Discourse Analysis As An Approach To Intercultural Competence In The Advanced Efl Classroom, Sue Norton

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In 1991 Michael McCarthy wrote in his Preface to Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers that discourse analysis is ‘not a method of teaching languages; it is a way of describing and understanding how language is used’. By 1994 he had reformulated his position and, with Ronald Carter, published Language as Discourse: Perspectives for Language Teaching, which argued in favour of providing students with a metalanguage by which to analyse the language they were learning. These days, owing to the work of McCarthy, Carter, and others, the basics of discourse analysis can indeed comprise an appropriate subject matter for the advanced …

Robots Assist In Treatment Of Stroke Patients, Philip Deering, David Kennedy, James Conlon

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Robotic rehabilitation is a field of biomedical engineering which combines precise mechanical design with control technology through the interaction of medical and engineering professionalss to produce a new tool in medical rehabilitation. This article provides an overview of an interactive robot for the medical rehabilitation of stroke victims.