A cell-based smoothed finite element method for kinematic limit analysis

This paper presents a new numerical procedure for kinematic limit analysis problems, which incorporates the cell-based smoothed finite element method with second-order cone programming. The application of a strain smoothing technique to the standard displacement finite element both rules out volumetric locking and also results in an efficient method that can provide accurate solutions with minimal computational effort. The non-smooth optimization problem is formulated as a problem of minimizing a sum of Euclidean norms, ensuring that the resulting optimization problem can be solved by an efficient second-order cone programming algorithm. Plane stress and plane strain problems governed by the von Mises criterion are considered, but extensions to problems with other yield criteria having a similar conic quadratic form or 3D problems can be envisaged

An assessment of media coverage of child online protection (COP) in Zambia: a case of Zambia daily mail and daily nation.

Thesis of Master in Mass Communication (MMC).This study is aimed at assessing the extent and quality of media coverage of Child Online Protection (COP) by the media in Zambia; a case of Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspaper. The study was aimed at establishing the risks children encounter when they are online and also the quantity (frequency) of COP coverage in the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers. Additionally, the study sought to examine the policies of the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers on the coverage of COP issues, and to analyse the challenges that journalists from Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation encounter when covering COP. The findings have revealed that COP related issues receive poor or low coverage in Zambian Newspapers. Furthermore, the findings have indicated that topics relating to Child Online Protection are not given the prominence they deserve by the print media. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs, with the quantitative content analysis of the two newspapers for the 2021 months of January, February, March and April being the major part used to collect data. This saw a total number of 242 newspaper editions analysed in the four (4) months period of the study. Further, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and desktop research were used to collect data from selected newspapers (editors and reporters), parents, ZICTA official and pupils. Research instruments used were structured questionnaires, content analysis coding sheets, semi-structured interview schedule and FGD guide. Two theories, Agenda Setting as well as Media Information Dependency Theory, were utilised to contextualise the study. The Agenda Setting Theory was key in informing the study on how the media can set the agenda by telling the public what to talk and think about or discuss, which in this case was COP. Equally, the Media Information Dependency Theory the theory is relevant in helping to understand how heavily dependent on various media platforms the public, including children, had become. This study shows that COP coverage by Zambian newspapers is very low and not given the importance or prominence it deserves. This can be seen from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the newspaper content which indicated that COP issues are given very little priority especially that only 31 stories out of 10,680 stories were published between January and April 2021 in the two daily newspapers. This represents 0.6 percent of the total number of stories published during this period under study. Other than the low coverage established, it was also clear that most of the COP articles did not have children’s voices. This meant that children’s views and opinions were not heard on issues that affected them. Further, the children interviewed in the FGDs stated that there was no deliberate drive to dedicate space to children’s issues generally including COP, and that if a story on COP or any other issue that borders on children welfare is to be published, it will be given very small space in newspapers. This tends to make it difficult for children to have a clear interpretation and comprehension of the published COP related article. There is need for newspapers to improve and increase the coverage of COP and give it the prominence or importance it deserves, involve children when developing stories that they intend to provide them with, develop policies and strategies that will help guide their coverage of COP related issues

Association of SNP3 polymorphism in the apolipoprotein A-V gene with plasma triglyceride level in Tunisian type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein A-V (Apo A-V) gene has recently been identified as a new apolipoprotein involved in triglyceride metabolism. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP3) located in the gene promoter (-1131) was associated with triglyceride variation in healthy subjects. In type 2 diabetes the triglyceride level increased compared to healthy subjects. Hypertriglyceridemia is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. We aimed to examine the interaction between SNP3 and lipid profile and coronary artery disease (CAD) in Tunisian type 2 diabetic patients. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of T/T, T/C and C/C were 0.74, 0.23 and 0.03 respectively in non diabetic subjects, 0.71, 0.25 and 0.04 respectively in type 2 diabetic patients. Triglyceride level was higher in heterozygous genotype (-1131 T/C) of apo A-V (p = 0.024). Heterozygous genotype is more frequent in high triglyceride group (40.9%) than in low triglyceride group (18.8%) ; p = 0.011. Despite the relation between CAD and hypertriglyceridemia the SNP 3 was not associated with CAD. CONCLUSION: In type 2 diabetic patients SNP3 is associated with triglyceride level, however there was no association between SNP3 and coronary artery disease

Conception préliminaire d'une Transmission Continument Variable adaptée à un système éolien

Dans ce travail, on s’intéresse à la recherche et la définition de solutions dans la phase de conception préliminaire à travers une analyse structurelle et comportementale d’un produit. Le système choisit pour illustrer notre étude est une éolienne. On s’intéresse particulièrement au transmetteur d’énergie mécanique entre les pales et la génératrice permettant d’adapter l’énergie mécanique du rotor à la génératrice, et on envisage y intégrer la fonction régulation de vitesse. En effet, les éoliennes à vitesses variables sont capables de s’adapter à des vitesses faibles de vent et ont donc, un rendement plus important que celles à vitesse fixe. Mais le coût et la faible fiabilité de l’électronique de puissance de variation de la vitesse limite son utilisation. Une alternative est donc d’avoir la vitesse du rotor continuellement adaptée à la vitesse du vent tout en maintenant la vitesse de la génératrice constante et en respectant les contraintes de conception (puissance transmise, masse, encombrement, rendement). Nous traitons, dans cet article, la conception d’une transmission continument variable, constituée d’un variateur continu, un réducteur à rapport fixe et un train planétaire. La capacité de la dérivation de puissance du train planétaire est utilisée pour qu’une partie de la puissance générée par le rotor s’écoule à travers l’unité à variation continue permettant de réguler la vitesse. Le choix des interactions entres ces composants permet de définir les différentes configurations. Le choix des configurations optimales est basé sur des critères de qualification tels que, le rendement de la transmission, sa masse et son encombrement

PREDICTION OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MILLING BEHAVIOR

Milling process is a multi-dimensional cutting process accompanied by chatter vibrations because of material removal discontinuity. Also, chatter phenomenon has a great impact on final milled products quality. In this paper, an adequate criterion derived from mathematical literature is used to predict stability of multi-dimensional chatter milling. For that, firstly, the chatter milling system is represented by a system of three Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) and its dynamics is modeled by a system of Retarded Differential Equations (RDEs). Afterward, stability in Lyapunov sense is computed on the basis of the quasi-polynomial characteristic function in frequency domain. Finally, this method is used to predict stability of chatter milling process under different machining conditions and the output related to each case is verified by resolving the system of RDEs and visualizing the displacements in time domain using Matlab software

Association of CETP TaqI and APOE polymorphisms with type II diabetes mellitus in North Indians: a case control study

BACKGROUND: Genetic variants of proteins involved in lipid metabolism may play an important role in determining the susceptibility for complications associated with type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Goal of the present study was to determine the association of cholesteryl ester transfer protein TaqI B, D442G, and APOE Hha I polymorphisms with T2DM and its complications. METHODS: Study subjects were 136 patients and 264 healthy controls. All polymorphisms were detected using PCR-RFLP and statistical analysis done with χ(2 )test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Although CETP TaqI B polymorphism was not associated with the T2DM, yet B1B2 genotype was significantly (p = 0.028) associated with high risk of hypertension in diabetic patients (OR = 3.068, 95% CI 1.183–7.958). In North Indians D442G variation in CETP gene was found to be absent. Frequency of APOE HhaI polymorphism was also not different between patients and controls. In diabetic patients having neuropathy and retinopathy significantly different levels of total-cholesterol [(p = 0.001) and (p = 0.029) respectively] and LDL-cholesterol [(p = 0.001) and (p = 0.001) respectively] were observed when compared to patients with T2DM only. However, lipid levels did not show any correlation with the CETP TaqI B and APOE Hha I genetic polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: CETP TaqI B and APOE HhaI polymorphism may not be associated with type II diabetes mellitus in North Indian population, however CETP TaqI B polymorphism may be associated with hypertension along with T2DM

Interactions of the Apolipoprotein A5 Gene Polymorphisms and Alcohol Consumption on Serum Lipid Levels

Little is known about the interactions of apolipoprotein (Apo) A5 gene polymorphisms and alcohol consumption on serum lipid profiles. The present study was undertaken to detect the interactions of ApoA5-1131T>C, c.553G>T and c.457G>A polymorphisms and alcohol consumption on serum lipid levels.A total of 516 nondrinkers and 514 drinkers were randomly selected from our previous stratified randomized cluster samples. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ApoA1 and ApoB were higher in drinkers than in nondrinkers (P<0.05-0.001). The genotypic and allelic frequencies of three loci were not different between the two groups. The interactions between -1131T>C genotypes and alcohol consumption on ApoB levels (P<0.05) and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.01), between c.553G>T genotypes and alcohol consumption on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (P<0.05) and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.05), and between c.457G>A genotypes and alcohol consumption on TG levels (P<0.001) were detected by factorial regression analysis after controlling for potential confounders. Four haplotypes (T-G-G, C-G-G, T-A-G and C-G-T) had frequencies ranging from 0.06 to 0.87. Three haplotypes (C-G-G, T-A-G, and C-G-T) were significantly associated with serum lipid parameters. The -1131T>C genotypes were correlated with TG, and c.553G>T and c.457G>A genotypes were associated with HDL-C levels in nondrinkers (P<0.05 for all). For drinkers, the -1131T>C genotypes were correlated with TC, TG, LDL-C, ApoB levels and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.01 for all); c.553G>T genotypes were correlated with TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C levels (P<0.05-0.01); and c.457G>A genotypes were associated with TG, LDL-C, ApoA1 and ApoB levels (P<0.05-0.01).The differences in some serum lipid parameters between the drinkers and nondrinkers might partly result from different interactions of the ApoA5 gene polymorphisms and alcohol consumption