Introduction to the Special Issue “Advances in Computational Intelligence Applications in the Mining Industry”

This is an exciting time for the mining industry, as it is on the cusp of a change in efficiency as it gets better at leveraging data [...]

Investigation the Ultrasonic Vibration on Tin Soldering Welding of Copper Wires and Plates

Ultrasonic-assisted soldering welding is widely applied for joining difficult materials. The cavitation phenomenon in liquid always occurs during the ultrasonic excitation. Base metals are striked by ultrasonic cavitation, creating erosion on the surface. The soft solder materials are penetrated on the rough surface, generated inter-metallic compounds. This work expresses the design of ultrasonic soldering machine using 20 kHz source and steel sonotrode. The curvature of reflecting plates with specific radius and their location are also condidered. The major technological parameters of ultrasonic soldering welding such as ultrasonic exciting time, power and curvature radii of reflecting plate are discussed. Tin soldering material is utilized for joining copper wires and plates are investigated. SEM images on the surface of tin soldering on cooper plates and tensile strength are investigated.

Dynamic PRA Prospects for the Nuclear Industry

This review paper highlights approaches and tools available to the nuclear industry for dynamic probabilistic risk assessment (DPRA) using dynamic event trees. DPRA is an emerging methodology that has advantages as compared to traditional, static PRA predominantly owing to the addition of time dependent modeling. Traditional PRAs predefine events and outcomes into Event Trees (ET) and Fault Trees (FT), that are coupled with various combinations of Initiating Events (IE), Top Events (TE), branches, end states and sequences. A more complete depiction of the system and accident progression behavior can be quantified using DPRA to account for dynamic events such as those involving human actions. This paper discusses the strengths and needs of existing DPRA tools to align with the risk informed methodology currently used in the nuclear industry. DPRA is evolving during an exciting time in the nuclear industry with emerging advanced reactor designs also coming on the scene. Advanced nuclear (Gen IV) designs often incorporate passively safe systems that have less readily available data for traditional PRA due to their limited operating history. DPRA is a promising methodology that can address this challenge and demonstrate to the regulatory bodies and public that advanced designs operate within safety margins. In this light, the paper considers the historical role of PRA in the nuclear industry and motivation for considering dynamic PRA models. An introduction to the differences inherent in DPRA and how it complements and enhances existing PRA approaches is discussed. Additionally, a review of research from U.S national laboratories and universities features recent DPRA tool advancements that could be applied in the nuclear industry. These DPRA approaches and tools are summarized and examined to thoughtfully provide a path forward to best leverage existing research and integrate DPRA into advanced reactor design and analysis.

Why Do Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Fare Better Than Adults?

It is a new and exciting time for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While nearly 50 years ago, only one in nine children with ALL survived with chemotherapy, nowadays nearly 90% of children have a chance of long-term survival. Adults with ALL, as well as the special category of adolescents and young adult (AYA) patients, are catching up with the new developments seen in children, but still their prognosis is much worse. A plethora of factors are regarded as responsible for the differences in treatment response, such as age, ethnicity, disease biology, treatment regimens and toxicities, drug tolerance and resistance, minimal residual disease evaluation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation timing and socio-economic factors. Taking these factors into account, bringing pediatric-like protocols to adult patient management and incorporating new agents into frontline treatment could be the key to improve the survival rates in adults and AYA.

Highlights of a Trip to Hell: Contextualizing the Initial Receptions of Larry Clark's Tulsa

Released in 1971, Tulsa, American artist Larry Clark's career-launching first photobook, is today remembered as marking a watershed moment in American photography. This paper travels back to the era that Tulsa was first published to examine the book's initial critical reception and significance within that specific cultural and artistic climate. It presents an abbreviated overview of Tulsa's gradual creation; illustrates the ways in which the book was both similar to and different from other commonly cited contemporaneous works; and surveys its evolving status and reputation throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s, when its second edition was published. This paper ultimately argues that Tulsa's critical success and current iconic cultural status was neither as immediate nor as consistent as previous accounts have led us to believe, but was instead the result of both Clark's unrelenting perseverance and the exciting time period in which it came of age.

Highlights of a Trip to Hell: Contextualizing the Initial Receptions of Larry Clark's Tulsa

Released in 1971, Tulsa, American artist Larry Clark's career-launching first photobook, is today remembered as marking a watershed moment in American photography. This paper travels back to the era that Tulsa was first published to examine the book's initial critical reception and significance within that specific cultural and artistic climate. It presents an abbreviated overview of Tulsa's gradual creation; illustrates the ways in which the book was both similar to and different from other commonly cited contemporaneous works; and surveys its evolving status and reputation throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s, when its second edition was published. This paper ultimately argues that Tulsa's critical success and current iconic cultural status was neither as immediate nor as consistent as previous accounts have led us to believe, but was instead the result of both Clark's unrelenting perseverance and the exciting time period in which it came of age.

Integrative taxonomy and geographic sampling underlie successful species delimitation

Species delimitation requires a broad assessment of population-level variation using multiple lines of evidence, a process known as integrative taxonomy. More specifically, studies of species limits must address underlying questions of what limits the distribution of populations, how traits vary in association with different environments, and whether the observed trait differences may lead to speciation through reproductive isolation. While genomic data have revolutionized the process of delimiting species, such data should be analyzed along with phenotypic, behavioral, and ecological traits that shape individuals across geographic and environmental space. The integration of multiple traits promotes taxonomic stability and should be a major guiding principle for species delimitation. Equally important, however, is thorough geographic sampling to adequately represent population-level variation—both in allopatry and across putative contact zones. We discuss the importance of both of these factors in the context of species concepts and traits and present different examples from birds that illustrate criteria for species delimitation. In addition, we review a decade of proposals for species-level taxonomic revisions considered by the American Ornithological Society’s North American Classification Committee, and summarize the basis for decisions on whether to split or lump species. Finally, we present recommendations and discuss challenges (specifically permits, time, and funding) for species delimitation studies. This is an exciting time to be studying species delimitation in birds: many species-level questions remain, and methodological advances along with increased access to data enable new approaches to studying age-old problems in avian taxonomy.

Joint Special Issue on PHM for Aerospace Systems

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is becoming one of the most popular topics for research and development in the aviation industry. The reasons for this are varied, but one of the main ones is that PHM affords the operator with a way to reduce lifecycle operating costs without necessarily adding expensive accessories that might need to be certified. Many of the papers in this special issue discuss PHM techniques that are based on post flight, or off-board, data processing that adds benefits without additional regulatory constraints. On the other hand, regulators themselves are keenly looking at changing regulations to allow more PHM equipment on board and to allow suppliers and operators to gain maintenance credits from their use. All in all, it is a exciting time to be a engineering working on these topics in the aviation sector. While progress is being made in developing better sensors, models, and analytical methods, the field of aviation itself is changing rapidly. It is seeking to become more sustainable by increasing propulsion efficiencies, it has many players looking to develop and commercialize electrical systems, and it is fast undertaking a digital transformation of the entire ecosystem. In response, system developers and researchers in the field are working on a number of key technologies and methodologies to solve some of the issues that these changes have wrought. This special issue on PHM for Aerospace Systems provides a forum to discuss recent advances pertaining to papers that address topics in this field with an emphasis on Prognostics and Health Management. These topics include advances in anomaly detection and diagnostics, uncertainty management for prognostics, resilient design for fault-tolerant operations, systematic evaluation of PHM for maintenance processes, assessment of retrofit solutions for particular aircraft systems, PHM informed decision-making for safe operations of autonomous aerial systems, impact of noise on prognostic performance, and lessons learned from trends in aircraft fatigue failure accidents for Structural Health Monitoring. We hope that this special joint issue of the International Journal of PHM and SAE International Journal of Aerospace will increase the awareness about innovations in the development of PHM technologies in aerospace and believe that this inspires researchers to focus more attention on this important topic. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the reviewers of this issue who have generously contributed their valuable time and effort to ensure that it lives up to the Journal’s high quality.