Fire-related standards and testing

The state of the art of flammability testing has been changing rapidly. Here, the progress in developing general test methods for solid materials and products exposed to an external fire are reviewed. The special requirements pertinent to environments of concern to NASA are examined and some suggestions for possible directions for future test method developments are given

Final report of HENRE II 2005-2008

HENRE is a Socrates Erasmus Thematic Network co-financed by the EC and coordinated by the University of Cumbria, UK. The original HENRE Thematic Network (2002-2005) proved to be a valuable vehicle for the commencement of the development of a European dimension in radiography. The rationale for HENRE II has been further involvement in identifying the issues that surround radiography education in the different countries which make up Europe. There are many differences in the type, mode, standards and coverage of educational programmes across individual countries and are in some ways related to the roots from which the profession developed and the traditional approaches to health service provision. Consequently mutual academic and professional recognition is not yet applicable throughout the EU. The development of the Tuning methodology for educational structures in Europe arising in response to the Bologna agreement has provided the opportunity for radiography through the identification and development of a pan European generic and subject specific competencies approach to 1st cycle education. In addition, a focus on a learning outcomes approach to education at both programme and modular level is an area which requires further dissemination. In some European contexts, graduate level radiographers are strongly encouraged to undertake an expanded role in areas conventionally seen as being within the province of a medically qualified practitioner. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has become a registerable requirement for radiographers in some countries, the CPD survey undertaken within HENRE I has provided the present project with details of the hourages, language, scope and delivery methods acceptable for CPD for radiographers in Europe. Lack of opportunities to progress to 2nd cycle in radiography programmes are developed though the initiation of appropriate European modules including a possible masters programme suitable for entry into Erasmus Mundus. Research and radiography – the extent to which the radiography curriculum is influenced through research undertaken by academics avoidance of isolation of researchers and consideration of researcher mobility. A separate strand looking at radiation protection issues and research and communication with patients on the possible deleterious effects arising from examinations using ionizing radiations. Importance of a high quality service to all in a safe environment with professionals purposefully educated and able to communicate with service users at the appropriate level

James B. Macelwane Award to Dan McKenzie, Gerald Schubert and Vytenis M. Vasyliunas

To those earth scientists who have followed the revolutionary development of plate tectonics from its dawning, it may come as a surprise that Dan McKenzie can have done so much and still be young enough to qualify for the James B. Macelwane Award. Nonetheless it is so. He was born on February 21, 1941. He received his advanced education at King's College, Cambridge University, and was awarded a B.A. in 1963 and a Ph.D. in 1966. He became a Fellow of the college in 1965. He was fortunate enough to be a student in Edward Bullard's Department of Geodesy and Geophysics just in those exciting years when the validity of sea floor spreading was demonstrated. McKenzie was one of the first to realize the broader implications of the computer fitting of continents by Bullard and others which assumed that the drifting crust is rigid

Genealogijos ir vietos istorijos tyrimų galimybės Panevėžio krašte (metrikų knygų duomenimis)

The article explores the surviving genealogical information resources of Panevėžys churches – christening, marriages, deaths, and population censuses. On the basis of the data provided in these books, repeating common names in different areas of the Panevėžys are overviewed. The origin of family names and their territorial linkage are suggested. Published ethnographic books are featured to reflect the availability of the genealogical research in Panevėžys vicinity. Relevant name correlations are drawn using Lithuanian State documents, such as the archives of the nobility. A new study of genetic genealogy is introduced, its value to research, and a spectrum of open possibilities it offers for solving otherwise complex kin puzzles. With good judgement and analysis, the reader may find the approach taken here encouraging to further explore the expatriates and peoples with relation of Lithuanian ancestry of the 19th–20th c.Straipsnyje nagrinėjami Panevėžio krašto bažnyčiose išlikę genealoginės informacijos ištekliai – krikštų, santuokų, mirčių, gyventojų surašymų knygos. Remiantis šių knygų duomenimis apžvelgiamos dažniausiai pasikartojančios pavardės skirtingose Panevėžio krašto teritorijose. Pateikiamos galimos pavardžių kilmės versijos, ieškoma jų sąsajų su vietovių pavadinimais. Pristatomos išleistos kraštotyrinės knygos, atspindinčios genealoginių paieškų pagal pavardes tyrimų galimybes Panevėžio krašte. Supažindinama su nauja genealoginių tyrimų kryptimi – genetine genealogija, jos tyrimų reikšme ir galimybėmis

Tarp žinių ir spėjimų: kylanti diskusija apie baltų piliakalnius

Rec.: Manvydas Vitkūnas, Gintautas Zabiela. Baltų piliakalniai: nežinomas paveldas. Vilnius: Lietuvos archeologijos draugija, 2017, 88 p.&nbsp

Essays in Population Dynamics and Life Course

The topic of this thesis is population dynamics (natural population change and migration) and connection between life course events (childbirth, partnership, marriage, and migration) in Europe. The topics of ageing, mortality, fertility, and migration in Europe have received considerable scholarly attention at the country level. Yet population dynamics are largely unexplored at the subnational level while policies addressing population change in Europe have not been assessed through the wholistic lens of population dynamics. Life course events are known to follow each other to a certain degree, yet the connection between life course events still calls for exploration. The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the connection between different life course events and demonstrate the population dynamics and its connection to population policies in Europe. We look at the population dynamics and policies in Europe and then proceed to explore the relationship between life course events in Central and Eastern Europe. We finish with an investigation of the association of family statuses and migratory experience with subjective well-being measures in Belarus. We create an interactive map of average population dynamics in Europe using the Eurostat data. We also fit seemingly unrelated bivariate ordered probit as well as ordered logistic regression to the Generations and Gender Survey data from Central and Eastern Europe. The key findings are the following. We find that the centre-periphery principle holds nationally and supranationally where urban areas and Western and Northern Europe exhibit population growth whilst rural areas and Central and Eastern Europe as well as Southern Europe have more depopulating regions. We establish a negative association between pro- natalist policies and population resilience to demographic change. We also find that a positive association between family formation events (marriage and childbearing) and spatial mobility in Central and Eastern Europe. Lastly, the findings from Belarus suggest that a combination of family statuses and categories of (dis-)advantage (gender and migration status) are linked to subjective well-being outcomes more significantly than separate determinants. In general, looking at the population dynamics and policies and the associations between life course events as well as their connection to subjective well-being sheds light on the complexity of life course in Europe. In future work, this approach of interconnectedness may lead to a research agenda encompassing additional demographic outcomes and broader research in life course

Life course decisions in Central and Eastern Europe: A gendered connection between family formation and moving intentions?

Objective: This paper investigates the association between family formation intentions of marriage and childbearing in connection to moving intentions in early life course in Central and Eastern Europe. Background: While connections between intentions in Western Europe has received some scholarly attention, the link between marriage, having children and moving intentions has been largely overlooked in Central and Eastern Europe. We look at the connection between these intentions in the region. Method: We hypothesise that intentions to marry, have children and move may be positively related, negatively related or not related at all; and that gender serves as a channel through which the connection between family formation intentions and intention to move is expressed. In order to verify the hypotheses, we use Generations and Gender Survey data round 1 wave 1 focusing on the analytical sample based on individuals between 17 and 49 year olds from 5 Central and Eastern European countries. We run seemingly unrelated bivariate ordered probit regressions to estimate the relationship between the intentions. Results: We find a positive association between family formation intentions and intention to move. However, there is no evidence suggesting this association is channelled through gender. Conclusion: There exists an indication that intentions of marriage, childbearing and moving are joint

A comparison of endovenous laser ablation and conventional surgery in patients with varicose veins of the lower limbs

Introduction. Even though EVLA is increasingly popular and together with other minimally-invasive techniques is rapidly replacing surgical stripping, surgical treatment is still widely used. Our study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and the quality of life following either endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) or conventional surgery for varicose veins of the lower limbs. Material and methods. This prospective non-randomised study included 299 patients, who were treated for symptomatic varicose veins of the lower limbs in two centres. In one, 159 patients underwent open surgery (the surgery group), while in the other, 140 patients received the EVLA (the EVLA group). The patients were invited to follow-up evaluations at six weeks, one year, and two years after the surgery. Results. Disease-specific quality of life at six weeks was significantly better in the EVLA group (median AVVQ scores — 3.2 (2.1–8) vs. 9.2 (7.1–13.8), p < 0.001). Similarly, VCSS scores at six weeks were also better in the EVLA group (median VCSS scores — 1 (0–2) vs. 4 (3–6), p < 0.001). Patients in the EVLA group experienced less postoperative pain (p < 0.001), and therefore needed fewer supplementary analgesic drugs (p = 0.007). In addition, patients in the EVLA group managed to return to work and normal activities sooner than those in the surgery group (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found between groups for clinical recurrence, overall satisfaction, rate of complications and secondary procedures. Conclusions. Both treatment techniques yielded similar results in terms of efficacy, clinical recurrence rates and overall patient satisfaction. However, early postoperative results in the EVLA group were superior to those of patients in the surgery group

EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTATIONAL INVESTIGATION OF PLANAR ION DRAG MICROPUMP GEOMETRICAL DESIGN PARAMETERS

To deal with increasing heat fluxes in electronic devices and sensors, innovative new thermal management systems are needed. Proper cooling is essential to increasing reliability, operating speeds, and signal-to-noise ratio. This can be achieved only with precise spatial and temporal temperature control. In addition, miniaturization of electric circuits in sensors and detectors limits the size of the associated cooling systems, thereby posing an added challenge. An innovative answer to the problem is to employ an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping mechanism to remove heat from precise locations in a strictly controlled fashion. This can potentially be achieved by micro-cooling loops with micro-EHD pumps. Such pumps are easily manufactured using conventional microfabrication batch technologies. The present work investigates ion drag pumping for applications in reliable and cost effective EHD micropumps for spot cooling. The study examines the development, fabrication, and operation of micropumps under static and dynamic conditions. An optimization study is performed using the experimental data from the micropump prototype tests, and a numerical model is built using finite element methods. Many factors were involved in the optimization of the micropump design. A thorough analysis was performed of the major performance-controlling variables: electrode and inter-electrode pair spacing, electrode thickness and shape, and flow channel height. Electrode spacing was varied from 10 µm to 200 µm and channel heights from 50 µm to 500 µm. Also, degradation of the electrodes under the influence of an intense electric field was addressed. This design factor, though important in the reliability of EHD micropumps, has received little attention in the scientific and industrial applications literature. Experimental tests were conducted with prototype micropumps using the electronic liquid HFE7100 (3M®). Flow rates of up to 15 ml/min under 15 mW power consumption and static pumping heads up to 750 Pa were achieved. Such performance values are acceptable for some electronic cooling applications, where small but precise temperature gradients are required