The DELTA parallel robot, designed by an EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) research team, is a mechanical structure which has the advantage of parallel robots and ease of serial robots modeling. This paper presents solutions for a complete modeling of the DELTA parallel robot (direct and inverse kinematics, inverse statics, inverse dynamics), with few arithmetic and trigonometric operations. Our method is based on a satisfactory choice of kinematic parameters and on a few restricting hypotheses for the static and dynamic models. We give some details of each model, we present some computation results and we put the emphasis on some particular points, showing the capabilities of this mechanical structure.

In the original publication of ‘Riding the Orange Wave: Leadership, Values, Issues and the 2011 Canadian Election’ (published online January 10, 2014), an error appeared. The caption for Figure 1 appears incorrectly; it should read, “Campaign Dynamics of Vote Intensions.” The publisher regrets this error.

La mesure précise des champs de contraintes autour de précipités inclus dans une matricecristalline est nécessaire à la compréhension de l’interaction entre les dislocations etles précipités de matériaux structurellement durcis. Ces interactions contrôlent lemouvement des dislocations, et donnent donc des informations sur les propriétés mécaniquesdes matériaux. Les champs de contraintes autour des précipités de petite taille peuventêtre obtenus à partir d’images de microscopie électronique en transmission en hauterésolution (METHR) en utilisant la méthode des phases géométrique (GPA). Cette méthode estutilisable de façon générale pour caractériser les contraintes à l’échelle nanométriqueautour des précipités de structure complexe ou inconnue et est appliquée ici dans les casde l’alliage d’aluminium 2198. Dans ce matériau, il est montré que les champs dedéformation autour d’un nanoprécipité en forme de disque et d’épaisseur faible peuventêtre modélisés par ceux d’une dislocation dissociée.

The United States Army is concerned that its installations face multiple resource issues, including water security. Critical water issues include supply, cost, and quality. Strategies are needed to mitigate any adverse affects. To develop these strategies, information was gathered from national watershed screenings and regional water budgets, including supply and demand data from regions containing Army installations. The information was then used to develop installation water-demand projections that look beyond the boundaries of an installation and out 30 years into the future to identify the potential for water scarcity. Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Bliss, Texas–New Mexico, were used as specific examples to illustrate the critical role that water plays in the future of Army installations. Fort Bragg is not likely to have water availability issues out to 2030, because it will be accessing municipal water supplies. Fort Bliss will likely face water availability issues because the aquifer from which it draws its potable water is being used by more and more other parties.

Environmental Practice 12:366–376 (2010)

A number of Hfr strains have been studied as to the action of radiations on the transmission of their genetic material to female cells. They form two classes, one in which irradiation produces only lesions that prevent transfer, and one in which new modes of chromosome transfer seem to be induced. One group of strains, derived from a common F+ male, appears to give rise to the same induced mode of transfer, while no correlation could be found in the other Hfr's studied.

Subcritical cracking of thin glass films caused by stress-corrosion phenomena cannot be neglected when it comes to application and manufacturing processes that involve exposure to aqueous environments. A protocol is introduced to allow for a quantitative study of stress corrosion through channel cracking experiments. By this method, an exponential dependence of the crack propagation rate on the pH of the aqueous environment is revealed. Therefore, this behavior should be accounted for through the use of an appropriate pre-exponential factor in the expression of channel cracking rate. This factor should reflect the reduced crack resistance of the glass film caused by the weakening of the silica bonds behind the crack tip in the aqueous environment. A direct comparison between commercial slurries and reference solutions confirms that the crack resistance is a function of the pH of the ambient.

Generation IV fission and future fusion reactors envisage development of more efficient high temperature concepts where materials performances under creep-fatigue hold the key to success. This paper presents extended experimental results obtained from creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue tests on the main structural materials retained for these concepts, namely: stainless steel type 316L(N), the conventional Modified 9Cr-1Mo martensitic steel and its low activation derivatives such as Eurofer steel, and their more advanced grades strengthened by oxide dispersion. It shows that the existing recommendations made in design codes adequately cover individual damage due to creep or fatigue but often fall short under combined creep-fatigue interaction. This is partly due to the difficulties of reproducing service conditions in laboratory. In this paper, results from tests performed on components removed from reactor, after long service, are used to refine code recommendations.

Using the above combined assessment, it is concluded that there is good confidence in predicting creep-fatigue damage for austenitic stainless steels. For the martensitic steels the effects of cyclic softening and microstructure coarsening throughout the fatigue life need more consideration in creep-fatigue recommendation. In the long-term development of ferritic/martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened grades with stable microstructure and no cyclic softening, appears promising provided problems associated with their fabrication and embrittlement are resolved.

Intensive chemical treatments have led to the development of a number of insecticide resistance mechanisms in the peach–potato aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer). Some of these mechanisms are known to be associated with negative pleiotropic effects (resistance costs). Molecular and biochemical methods were used to determine the genotypes or phenotypes associated with four insecticide resistance mechanisms in single aphids from sexually-reproducing populations in southern France. The mechanisms considered were E4 and FE4 carboxylesterase overproduction, modified acetycholinesterase, and kdr and rdl resistance-associated mutations. A new method for determining individual kdr genotypes is presented. Almost all resistant individuals overproduced FE4 carboxylesterase, whereas modified acetylcholinesterase was rare. Both the kdr and rdl resistance mutations were present at high frequencies in French sexually-reproducing populations. The frequencies of insecticide resistance genes were compared before and after sexual reproduction in one peach orchard at Avignon to evaluate the potential impact of selection on the persistence of resistance alleles in the over-wintering phase. The frequencies of the kdr and rdl mutations varied significantly between autumn and spring sampling periods. The frequency of the kdr mutation increased, probably due to pyrethroid treatments at the end of the winter. Conversely, the frequency of the rdl mutation decreased significantly during winter, probably because of a fitness cost associated with this mutation.

Summary

Background and objective: The ease of endotracheal intubation has been recently shown to affect the incidence of laryngeal injury. There remains controversy as to whether or not a muscle relaxant is routinely required for tracheal intubation. This study examined conditions of intubation in our routine practice, which employs a relaxant-sparing approach. Methods: All adult patients scheduled for surgery with general anaesthesia were prospectively included. A muscle relaxant was used to facilitate intubation when it was required for the surgical procedure and/or otherwise regarded as necessary by the anaesthesiologist. In the remaining patients, a relaxant-free intubation was performed. Intubating conditions were evaluated in all the patients as well as the post-intubation laryngeal symptoms. Results: Between March and July 2003, 612 patients were consecutively included. A muscle relaxant was used in 32% of patients and no relaxant in the remaining patients (68%). Clinically acceptable intubating scores were observed in 98.4% overall with no significant difference between the two groups. Excellent conditions occurred more frequently in the relaxant group as compared to the relaxant-free group, 87% vs. 72%, P = 0.005. Laryngeal symptoms occurred in 184 (33%) patients with no difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Our relaxant-sparing approach did not increase the incidence of poor conditions of intubation nor laryngeal symptoms. However, excellent conditions occurred more frequently in the relaxant group. A more flexible approach to the issue of the need for neuromuscular blockade prior to intubation is proposed.

Within the scope of a joint IRSN/EDF research program, it is possible to present a first status of free water tritium and organically bound tritium levels in the French coastal marine environment, from Concarneau to Gravelines. Seasonal sampling was conducted over two years, 2001 and 2002. The matrices selected for this specific survey include water, seaweed, molluscs, crustaceans and fish. The background concentration, estimated from the results obtained at two sites, Concarneau and Roscoff, remote from industrial sources, is close to the detection limit of 1,2 Bq.l-1. Along the Channel coast and the entrance of the North Sea, tritium is released in seawater by four nuclear power plants (14 reactors) and mainly by the reprocessing plant of La Hague. The concentrations measured are in good agreement with activities calculated with the hydrodynamic model of dispersion TRANSMER. The results confirm a dilution factor of two between the north Cotentin area and the Straits of Dover for soluble radionuclides. The concentrations are in the range of 2 to 20 Bq.l-1 for free and organically bound tritium in biota. Although isotopic fractionation is theoretically expected to be slight, the available results indicate a ratio between tritium bound to organic matter and tritium in free water greater than one.

Besides being an indispensable amino acid for protein synthesis, arginine (Arg) is also involved in a number of other physiological functions. Available data on the quantitative requirement for Arg in different teleosts appear to show much variability. So far, there are very limited data on the maintenance requirements of indispensable amino acids (IAA) in fish. In the present study, we compared N and Arg requirements for maintenance and growth of four finfish species: rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), turbot (Psetta maxima), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Groups of fish having an initial body weight close to 5–7 g were fed semi-purified diets containing graded levels of N (0 to 8 % DM) and Arg (0 to 3 % DM) over 4 to 6 weeks. For each species, N and Arg requirements for maintenance and for growth were calculated regressing daily N gain against daily N or Arg intakes. N requirement for maintenance was estimated to be 37·8, 127·3, 84·7 and 45·1 mg/kg metabolic body weight per d and 2·3, 2·2, 2·6 and 2·5 g for 1 g N accretion, in rainbow trout, turbot, gilthead seabream and European seabass respectively. The four species studied appear to have very low or no dietary Arg requirements for maintenance. Arg requirement for g N accretion was calculated to be 0·86 g in rainbow trout and between 1·04–1·11 g in the three marine species. Turbot required more N for maintenance than the other three species, possibly explaining its reputedly high overall dietary protein requirement. Data suggest a small but sufficient endogenous Arg synthesis to maintain whole body N balance and differences between freshwater and marine species as regards Arg requirement. It is worth verifying this tendency with other IAA.