Applied Medical Informaticvs 

About: Applied Medical Informaticvs is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Formative assessment & Ultimate tensile strength. Over the lifetime, 595 publications have been published receiving 1885 citations.

High-Strength Geopolymer Concrete- Properties, Advantages and Challenges

Abstract: Geopolymer is a noble material, made from reaction between aluminosilicate compounds and alkali solution which owns a good binding property. In last decades, lots of research and development works have been carried out globally to investigate the engineering, thermal, micro-structural and durability properties of geopolymer concrete as a sustainable alternative to Portland cement. Results from previous works indicated that geopolymer concrete exhibited better mechanical strength and durability properties than ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. Nowadays, high-strength concrete is increasingly used in major civil construction works, such as high-rise buildings and bridges because of its structural and economic benefits over normal-strength concrete. This paper reports the experimental results on engineering properties of high-strength geopolymer concretes of 65 and 80 MPa using geopolymer binders at ambient curing conditions. High-strength concrete produced in this study was able to set quickly in ambient conditions therefore can attain sufficient strength at early days as well as exhibited higher tensile and flexural strength than concrete from OPC. High-strength geopolymer concrete can be produced with very simple mix design; however, it has some limitation for commercial applications. This paper discusses about the advantages and limitations of geopolymer high-strength concrete for its application in concrete industry.

Physical Activity, Mediterranean Diet and Biomarkers-Assessed Risk of Alzheimer’s: A Multi-Modality Brain Imaging Study

Abstract: Increased physical activity and higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) have been independently associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Their association has not been investigated with the use of biomarkers. This study examines whether, among cognitively normal (NL) individuals, those who are less physically active and show lower MeDi adherence have brain biomarker abnormalities consistent with AD. Methods: Forty-five NL individuals (age 54 ± 11, 71% women) with complete leisure time physical activity (LTA), dietary information, and cross-sectional 3D T1-weigthed MRI, 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans were examined. Voxel-wise multivariate partial least square (PLS) regression was used to examine the effects of LTA, MeDi and their interaction on brain biomarkers. Age, gender, ethnicity, education, caloric intake, BMI, family history of AD, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, presence of hypertension and insulin resistance were examined as confounds. Subjects were dichotomized into more and less physically active (LTA+ vs. LTA-; n = 21 vs. 24), and into higher vs. lower MeDi adherence groups (n = 18 vs. 27) using published scoring methods. Spatial patterns of brain biomarkers that represented the optimal association between the images and the groups were generated for all modalities using voxel-wise multivariate Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. Results: Groups were comparable for clinical and neuropsychological measures. Independent effects of LTA and MeDi factors were observed in AD-vulnerable brain regions for all modalities (p β load and lower glucose metabolism) were observed in LTA- compared to LTA+ subjects, and in MeDi- as compared to MeDi+ subjects. A gradient effect was observed for all modalities so that LTA+/MeDi+ subjects had the highest and LTA+/MeDi+ subjects had the lowest AD-burden (p < 0.001), although the LTA × MeDi interaction was significant only for FDG measures (p < 0.03). Adjusting for covariates did not attenuate these relationships. Conclusion: Lower physical activity and MeDi adherence were associated with increased brain AD-burden among NL individuals, in-dicating that lifestyle factors may modulate AD risk. Studies with larger samples and longitudinal evaluations are needed to determine the predictive power of the observed associations.

Teachers' conceptions of assessment: Comparing primary and secondary teachers in New Zealand

Abstract: The conceptions teachers have about assessment are assumed to influence their practices and to be consistent with the jurisdictional and policy frameworks in which they work. This paper compares two groups of teachers (i.e., New Zealand primary and secondary) in response to the Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA-IIIA) self-administered survey inventory. The previously reported fourfactor hierarchical model for primary teachers (i.e., improvement, irrelevance, school accountability and student accountability) was found to be statistically invariant with good fit characteristics across both groups using nested, multigroup invariance testing in confirmatory factor analysis. The only statistically significant difference was the mean score for the student accountability conception, which was more strongly endorsed by secondary teachers, consistent with their role in administering the New Zealand qualifications system. The study suggests that teachers develop or adopt conceptions of assessment that allow them to successfully function within their own policy or legal framework.

Influence of Negative Poisson's Ratio on Stent Applications

Abstract: Stents are usually defined as small tubular structures that are inserted into the diseased region which provide mechanical support of damaged artery or some other hollow organ to restore lumen and blood flow conditions in arteries. Recently developed stents may accumulate functions; for example, they can be used for drug delivery or for treatment of bleeding esophageal varices. Further clinical failures such as crushing, removing, restenosis are some of the most serious reasons for continuing stent improvements. Therefore, our research study has the design and manufacture of an auxetic structure with enhanced mechanical properties through the tailored negative Poisson’s ratio, and its configuration as an auxetic stent to be used for example in the palliative treatment of esophageal cancer and for the prevention of dysphagia as the main objective. Background: The use of stents for esophageal diseases has evolved greatly over the past 30 years. Esophageal cancer is the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus tube which usually originates in the inner layers of the lining of the esophagus and grows outward. In time, the tumor can obstruct the passage of food and liquid, making swallowing painful and difficult. Since most patients are not diagnosed until the late stages of the disease, esophageal cancer is associated with poor quality of life and low survival rates. Method: This research study is organized in three parts devoted to fabrication of auxetic structure and stent samples, experimental testing and discussion of results. For this purpose a model of an auxetic rotating-square geometry with a circular hole structure is developed by laser cutting apolyurethane sheet. The auxeticoesophageal stent was made by folding and gluing the auxetic sheet (with rigid squares and circular holes) into a cylindrical shape. Combined videoextensometry with compressive and tensile testing are employed to determine the deformation response of the auxetic sheet and stent to obtain stress-strain curves and estimation of Poisson’s ratio.Conclusions: The stenting outcomes are improved through mechanical design with tailored negative Poisson’s ratio through cell geometry of the esophagus stent. Theauxetic stent geometry of rotating squares with circular holes will be lighter in weight; reduces obstruction and food impaction because of its unique deformation mechanism; and can reduces migration of the implant stent by embedding inside the tissue.

New Four-Die Forging Devices (FDFD) Design Solutions and Open-Die Forging Technologies

Abstract: Employment of four-die forging devices (FDFD) under various industrial environment on a variety of hydraulic presses differing in terms of design features and automation degree proved that in every particular case and with a view to particular production needs an individual approach is required to select both the proper FDFD design and the proper forging technology Presented in this paper are various design solutions of FDFDs and various forging technologies based on employment of these specialized devices The main selection criteria for proper device design and forging technology are: high production output, which should be significantly higher as compared to existing production technology output; improved metal quality and quality of products (in terms of dimensional accuracy and surface quality); cutback of the whole production cycle extent due to reduction of forging cycle, heating period and auxiliary operations duration, and higher good metal yield The paper illustrates new FDFD design solutions and new technologies which meet these criteria for solving various technological tasks, and it also shows what changes to technological process can be eventually required to gain the maximum benefit from using the FDFD