A Combined Finite Element-Multiple Criteria Optimization Approach for Materials Selection of Gas Turbine Components

The design of critical components for aerospace applications involves a number of conflicting functional requirements: reducing fuel consumption, cost, and weight, while enhancing performance, operability and robustness. As several materials systems and concepts remain competitive, a new approach that couples finite element analysis (FEA) and established multicriteria optimization protocols is developed in this paper. To demonstrate the approach, a prototypical materials selection problem for gas turbine combustor liners is chosen. A set of high temperature materials systems consisting of superalloys and thermal barrier coatings is considered as candidates. A thermo-mechanical FEA model of the combustor liner is used to numerically predict the response of each material system candidate. The performance of each case is then characterized by considering the material cost, manufacturability, oxidation resistance, damping behavior, thermomechanical properties, and the FEA postprocessed parameters relating to fatigue and creep. Using the obtained performance values as design criteria, an ELECTRE multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) model is employed to rank and classify the alternatives. The optimization model is enhanced by incorporating the relative importance (weighting factors) of the selection criteria, which is determined by multiple designers via a group decision-making process.Engineering and Applied Science

Survivors' experiences of dysphagia-related services following head and neck cancer: implications for clinical practice

Backgroun

Cyberfeminism: A Relationship between Cyberspace, Technology, and the Internet

The current of cyberfeminism has been active for 30 years now, also referred to as the “third wave” of feminism. Despite being an ambiguous and multifaceted movement involving multiple instances, cyberfeminism is represented in the imagination by women with strong knowledge of media and digital technologies. The purpose of this article is to analyze the socially and culturally constructed value that the media assume in this movement. The very concept of identity is undergoing a phenomenon of control whereby it is redefined by “control grids” (D. Haraway) that prevent free access to participation in life on the web. The utopian theories of feminists actually alternate with fundamental gender analyses within cyberspace that determine the amount of access to resources. The last phase of this phenomenon is instead characterized by the intent to break down gender inequalities through a series of digital products that produce changes in common percep- tions: online magazines, YouTube channels, webinars, and entrepreneurship actions on the web. New media and, more generally, access to information are fundamental to social and political participation, in which the phenomenon of exclusion or production of inequalities is more visible. Gender divisions on the web also reinforce sociocultural barriers and sometimes create regressive and destructive forms of social bonds. Globaliza- tion also affects these dynamics and accentuates exaggerated forms of individualism and cognitive stiffening, which further accentuate the distinctive traits of gender inequalities in cyberspace

The Universal Phase Space of AdS3 Gravity

We describe what can be called the "universal" phase space of AdS3 gravity, in which the moduli spaces of globally hyperbolic AdS spacetimes with compact spatial sections, as well as the moduli spaces of multi-black-hole spacetimes are realized as submanifolds. The universal phase space is parametrized by two copies of the Universal Teichm\"uller space T(1) and is obtained from the correspondence between maximal surfaces in AdS3 and quasisymmetric homeomorphisms of the unit circle. We also relate our parametrization to the Chern-Simons formulation of 2+1 gravity and, infinitesimally, to the holographic (Fefferman-Graham) description. In particular, we obtain a relation between the generators of quasiconformal deformations in each T(1) sector and the chiral Brown-Henneaux vector fields. We also relate the charges arising in the holographic description (such as the mass and angular momentum of an AdS3 spacetime) to the periods of the quadratic differentials arising via the Bers embedding of T(1)xT(1). Our construction also yields a symplectic map from T*T(1) to T(1)xT(1) generalizing the well-known Mess map in the compact spatial surface setting.Comment: 41 pages, 2 figures, revised version accepted for publication in Commun.Math.Phy

Communication changes following non-glottic head and neck cancer management: The perspectives of survivors and carers

Purpose. Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors may experience functional changes to their voice, speech and hearing following curative chemoradiotherapy. However, few studies have explored the impact of living with such changes from the perspective of the HNC survivor and their carer. The current study employed a person-centred approach to explore the lived experience of communication changes following chemoradiotherapy treatment for HNC from the perspective of survivors and carers. Method. Participants included 14 survivors with non-glottic HNC and nine carers. All participants took part in in-depth interviews where they were encouraged to describe their experiences of living with and adjusting to communication changes following treatment. Interviews were analysed as a single data set. Result. Four themes emerged including: (1) impairments in communication sub-systems; (2) the challenges of communicating in everyday life; (3) broad ranging effects of communication changes; and (4) adaptations as a result of communication changes. Conclusion. These data confirm that communication changes following chemoradiotherapy have potentially negative psychosocial impacts on both the HNC survivor and their carer. Clinicians should consider the impact of communication changes on the life of the HNC survivor and their carer and provide adequate and timely education and management to address the needs of this population

The lived experience of dysphagia following non-surgical treatment for head and neck cancer

The prevalence and severity of dysphagia in people treated non-surgically for primary head and neck cancer (HNC) is well documented. However, few studies have looked beyond the physiological impairment to explore the lived experience of dysphagia in the post-treatment period of HNC. The current study adopted a person-centred, qualitative approach to describe the experiences of people living with dysphagia in the months and years following non-surgical treatment for HNC. Using maximum variation sampling, 24 participants who had undergone radiotherapy treatment for HNC were recruited. Individual interviews were conducted to explore the impact of dysphagia on participants' everyday lives. The themes identified included: (1) physical changes related to swallowing; (2) emotions evoked by living with dysphagia; (3) altered perceptions and changes in appreciation of food; and (4) personal and lifestyle impacts. The data revealed the breadth and significance of the impact of dysphagia on the lives of people treated curatively for HNC. Assessment and management in the post-treatment period must be sufficiently holistic to address both the changing physical states and the psychosocial needs of people with dysphagia following HNC. Rehabilitation services which focus only on impairment-based management will fail to fully meet the support needs of this clinical population

Formazione metodologica, tecnologie didattiche ed esperienze nella promozione delle competenze di insegnamento e apprendimento

La situazione di emergenza rinveniente dalla diffusione del Covid-19 ha deter- minato una condizione straordinaria per tutte le istituzioni formative. In questo contributo l’attenzione è focalizzata in modo particolare sull’università che ha visto migliaia di docenti improvvisamente alle prese con la necessità di adottare soluzioni di didattica a distanza per i propri studenti pur non avendo specifiche competenze ed esperienze maturate in questo ambito. Questa situazione ha messo in evidenza una serie di bisogni collegati ad una specifica domanda di formazione che interessa tanto gli aspetti formativi quanto quelli di ricerca di- dattica che sta cercando di fornire una lettura del fenomeno al fine di alimentare una riflessione matura sul rapporto tra media, ambienti (reali o virtuali) di ap- prendimento e strategie di insegnamento. Tuttavia, da questa situazione di emergenza possono derivare situazioni inedite di riprogettazione qualificata della formazione superiore innanzitutto attraverso un aggiornamento della di- dattica universitaria e, dunque, di specifiche competenze dei propri docenti in grado di utilizzare strategie, metodi e strumenti (sia in presenza che a distanza) per favorire l’apprendimento attivo, costruttivo e interattivo. Il contributo, par- tendo dal framework di innovazione nell’alta formazione proposto da Gilly Sal-mon, presenta un’analisi esplorativa sui MOOC offerti da alcune delle princi- pali piattaforme a livello internazionale come opportunità di formazione meto- dologica per i docenti durante il periodo più difficile dell’emergenza Covid-19

Cervical cancer screening: target age bracket, screening frequency and screening method: review of recent evidence and comparison with the Portuguese performance indicator

Esta revisão teve por objetivo avaliar a força de evidência do indicador de desempenho português relativo ao rastreio do Câncer do Colo do Útero (CCU): (1) limites etários das mulheres da população geral que o devem realizar, a (2) periodicidade com que deve ser realizado e (3) qual o melhor exame de rastreio. Foram pesquisados os seguintes termos MeSH: vaginal smears, age groups, periodicity, methods, uterine cervical cancer. Foram excluídos os artigos que não abordavam o objetivo da investigação ou que não fossem redigidos em Inglês, Português ou Espanhol. Para interpretar os artigos selecionados foi utilizada a classificação SORT. Foram encontrados 197 artigos, dos quais seleccionados 9: 1 revisão sistemática (RS), 1 estudo clínico controlado aleatorizado, 2 estudos observacionais retrospectivos e 5 normas de orientação clínica (NOC). Os autores optaram por incluir nesta revisão mais 4 NOCs e 2 RSs por considerarem ser relevantes para a população Portuguesa, apesar de não resultarem da pesquisa efectuada. Os estudos sugerem realização do rastreio entre os 21 e 25 até aos 65 anos, com uma periodicidade trienal usando a citologia convencional. Existe ainda controvérsia no que toca aos 3 objetivos deste artigo (limites etários, frequência e método).The scope of this review was to assess the strength of evidence of Portuguese performance indicators on Cervical Cancer screening: (1) age group of the women that should be screened for cervical cancer; (2) frequency of screening; and (3) the best method for screening. The following MeSH terms were searched: vaginal smears, age groups, periodicity, methods, uterine cervical cancer. Articles not reflecting the study objectives or not available in English, Portuguese or Spanish were excluded. The SORT classification was used to rate the articles selected.Of the 197 articles found, 9 that met all study criteria were selected for inclusion in this review. These included 1 systematic review, 1 randomized controlled clinical trial, 2 retrospective studies and 5 clinical guidelines. The authors also chose to include 4 clinical guidelines and two systematic reviews relevant to the Portuguese population even though they did not appear in the initial search of the literature. The studies suggest screening women between the ages of 21 to 25 years and 65 years of age, once every three years using conventional cytology. There is still controversy regarding the three objectives of this study (target age bracket, screening frequency and screening method)

Digital tools to combat educational poverty: examples of best practices. Strumenti digitali per contrastare la povertà educativa: esempi di best practices

La tecnologia, oramai da più di un decennio, è entrata in maniera preponderante nel mondo della didattica provocando incondizionati entusiasmi grazie alle miriadi di possibilità offerte anche dalle innumerevoli applicazioni e, allo stesso tempo, timori e aspre critiche soprattutto per le conseguenze legate all’eccessivo tempo dedicato alla navigazione sul web. Ma oltre l’iperconnessione, la preoccupazione maggiore è stata per anni il pensare che la tecnologia potesse rappresentare il fine dell’educazione e non il mezzo, lo strumento per aiutare i soggetti più “deboli”, per sopperire ad alcune mancanze in alunni con bisogni educativi speciali, per agevolare taluni stili di apprendimento, per contrastare la povertà educativa. Il periodo pandemico appena trascorso ha messo in evidenza la vera natura della tecnologia applicata alla didattica che integrandosi con il progetto educativo e formativo, ha rappresentato una vera risorsa, un valore aggiunto, un supporto indispensabile per il gruppo-classe per il docente e per il singolo alunno dando la possibilità di lavorare in modo interattivo e cooperativo. Sicuramente c’è ancora tanto su cui lavorare e sicuramente il Covid-19 ha fatto emergere alcune lacune che sono anche alla base della diseguaglianza sociale; lo stesso Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione e l’U.E. attraverso i Fondi Sociali Europei, compresa l’importanza del digitale nella didattica, propongono “interventi di adeguamento e adattamento funzionale degli spazi e aule digitali (Smart class, aule 3.0, ecc) e realizzazione di progetti volti al contrasto del rischio di fallimento formativo precoce e di povertà educativa” in conseguenza all’emergenza sanitaria Covid-19. Con questo contributo intendiamo dimostrare, attraverso i lavori svolti dagli studenti di Scienze della Formazione Primaria, come le tecnologie ed in particolare i tools digitali possano aiutare e sostenere i docenti e gli alunni, facilitando soprattutto quelli con bisogni educativi speciali

Which outcomes are most important to people with aphasia and their families? an international nominal group technique study framed within the ICF

PURPOSE: To identify important treatment outcomes from the perspective of people with aphasia and their families using the ICF as a frame of reference. METHODS: The nominal group technique was used with people with aphasia and their family members in seven countries to identify and rank important treatment outcomes from aphasia rehabilitation. People with aphasia identified outcomes for themselves; and family members identified outcomes for themselves and for the person with aphasia. Outcomes were analysed using qualitative content analysis and ICF linking. RESULTS: A total of 39 people with aphasia and 29 family members participated in one of 16 nominal groups. Inductive qualitative content analysis revealed the following six themes: (1) Improved communication; (2) Increased life participation; (3) Changed attitudes through increased awareness and education about aphasia; (4) Recovered normality; (5) Improved physical and emotional well-being; and (6) Improved health (and support) services. Prioritized outcomes for both participant groups linked to all ICF components; primary activity/participation (39%) and body functions (36%) for people with aphasia, and activity/participation (49%) and environmental factors (28%) for family members. Outcomes prioritized by family members relating to the person with aphasia, primarily linked to body functions (60%). CONCLUSIONS: People with aphasia and their families identified treatment outcomes which span all components of the ICF. This has implications for research outcome measurement and clinical service provision which currently focuses on the measurement of body function outcomes. The wide range of desired outcomes generated by both people with aphasia and their family members, highlights the importance of collaborative goal setting within a family-centred approach to rehabilitation. These results will be combined with other stakeholder perspectives to establish a core outcome set for aphasia treatment research. Implications for Rehabilitation Important outcomes for people with aphasia and their families span all components of the ICF. The relevancy and translation of research findings may be increased by measuring and reporting research outcomes which are important to people living with aphasia. The results of this study indicate that important treatment outcomes for people living with aphasia most frequently link to the activity/participation and body function components of the ICF. The outcomes identified in this study suggest a broad role for clinicians working in aphasia rehabilitation. The categories of identified outcomes may be used clinically as a starting point in goal-setting discussions with clients and their families