November 2006
Dear Colleagues
The Council of the Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada invites you to ABEC’s
Meeting – Lecture
“The mesosphere – the coldest place on Earth”
From
Bulgarian born Physicist Prof. Marianna Shepherd PhD.
November 19, 2006, 12.30 noon, in the small hall of
The Macedono Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral
“Sts. Cyril and Methody”-
237 Sackvill Street, (corner with Dundas),
Toronto, ON
M5A 3G1
Parking available on the streets around the Church and permitted on Sunday on the south site of Dundas Street opposite of the Church.
* * * * * *
Professor Marianna Shepherd - member of the Centre for Research on Earth & Space Science (CRESS) and Dept of Earth & Space Science & Engineering in York U.
Professors and researchers at York U are actively involved in a number of space-science satellite experiments.
The lecture will describe the temperature structure of the Earth's middle atmosphere with an emphasis on the mesosphere and the mesopause region, 60-100 km height. The mesosphere plays role in two important atmospheric phenomena: a) the “ozone hole” in the stratosphere, influenced by particular processes in the mesosphere, and b) the global climate change, “Green house effect”, for which the mesosphere gives us the first indication.
The global and seasonal variability of the mesospheric temperature field will be described employing results from satellite and ground-based observations. These include the WINDII (the Wind Imaging Interferometer) experiment on the UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) and the SABER (Sounding the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) experiment on board the TIMED (Thermosphere, Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) satellite, as well as rocket, lidar and airglow ground-based optical observations.
* * * * * *
Macedono Bulgarian Society to the East Orthodox Church “Sts. Cyril and Methody” is founded in 1910.
Macedono Bulgarian East Orthodox Cathedral “Sts. Cyril and Methody” is built in 1949.
From: Stayko
Gyozov
To:
Nikolay Paskalev
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006
Subject: Seeking
a Bulgarian Engineers
We are
Cowan
International,
based in Canada, with offices in USA, Australia and South Africa. Our expertise
is in the staffing of local as well as international projects with well
qualified / experienced personnel. Our clients represent some of the world's
largest mining, engineering, and project construction companies, and we recruit
their staff at all levels.
One of our multi-national project engineering clients is searching for:
a... Lead Mechanical and Piping Engineer
b... Lead Electrical Engineer
c... Lead
Civil Engineer
Requirements:
a... A degree in the appropriate disciplines
b... 10+ years experience preferably in a design engineering environment
c... Hold or the ability to obtain Bulgarian design certification so as to
sign off on designs and drawings Experience in minerals processing/materials
handling would be desirable
d... Both English and Bulgarian language skills
Options around this are:
a... Basic English with good design or project experience
b... Solid experience in other engineering sectors that might translate
into minerals processing - e.g. materials handling / manufacturing etc.
Do you by any chance know someone who might fit this profile?
From: Minchev, Ati
To: 'abec@abec.ca'
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Subject: Seeking a Bulgarian Engineer
Dear Sir,
I am looking for a Bulgarian Engineer (Civil) with about 10 years professional experience and good English who may be interested in a 1 - 2 year contract position in Bulgaria with Foreign Consulting Company.
Regards,
Ati Minchev, P.Eng.
Senior Project Manager
SNC-Lavalin International Inc.
2200 Lake Shore Blvd. W
Toronto, Ont., Canada M8V 1A4
Tel. 1-416-255-4055/ext. 2519
Fax: 1-416-201-5923
e-mail:
ati.minchev@snclavalin.com
Schools of the coop-education:
Brown Fleming Catholic Adult Center
870 Queen Street
West
Tel.905-891-3034
Website: www.dpcdsb.org/coopcentre
Engineering Jobs
http://www.maple-reinders.com/careers.php
http://www.mypowercareer.com/powerfulopps/powerfulopps_fs.html
In the Western Canada Newspapers you can find big sections with ads for professional and trade’s jobs. Here are some of their media:
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/index.html
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/index.html
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/index.html
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx
Insect Wings Used To Pattern Nanoscale Structures
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061031185253.htm
What does a colorful and noisy backyard insect have to do with nanotechnology?
Plenty, according to Jin Zhang and Zhongfan Liu, both professors at Peking University. A team of researchers led by Zhang and Liu have used the wings of cicadas, ubiquitous insects best known for their acoustic skills, as stamps to pattern polymer films with nanometer-sized structures. The wings of these insects are characterized by highly ordered arrays of closely spaced microscopic pillars. When these wings are pushed down upon a smooth polymer film, they create a negative imprint of the array pattern.
Zhang, Liu, and their co-workers from Peking University and Nanotechnology Industrialization Base of China have found that the insect wings possess sufficient rigidity and chemical stability and have a low enough surface tension to be used as stamps to pattern polymer films on silicon substrates. A low surface tension is necessary so that the wings do not stick to the substrate and can be released without destroying the imprinted structures.
Quite remarkably, the wings have a waxy coating, which imparts an intrinsically low surface tension to these structures, making them ideal for use as stamps. An ordered array of microscopic wells can be obtained on the polymer film by using the pillar array on the wings. This pattern can be transferred to silicon by an etching process, leading to the formation of 'nano-wells' on a silicon chip. Silicon wafers patterned with 'nano-wells' show promising anti-reflective properties. Arrays of microscopic gold pillars can also be obtained by using the imprinted molds. These pillar arrays are almost exact replicas of the structures found on the insect wings and may be useful for optical imaging or the detection of molecules by Raman spectroscopy.
"This technique is a powerful demonstration of how natural nanostructures existing in the environment can be used to pattern microscopic structures not easily accessible by conventional microfabrication technology", said Zhang. "There is a lot that nature can teach us about nanotechnology", added Liu, citing examples of butterfly wings and lotus leaves, which are characterized by exquisitely ordered arrays of microscale and nanoscale structures.
Cicada's wings are covered with thousands of pillar-like protrusions. Each is 400 nanometres tall and tapers from 150 nm wide at the base to 80 nm at the tip.
Jin Zhang and colleagues at Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences captured wild cicadas for study. They removed the wings and treated them to remove stains that clog the pillars together. Finally, they tested them as tiny printing blocks.
The technique, called "nanoimprint lithography", involved pressing a wing into a layer of heated plastic to create an imprint, making a mould of the nanoscopic pattern found on each wing.
Acid etching
The mould can be used to make copies of the nanopillar pattern from other materials, including metals and silicon. Such structures could have useful applications, says Zhang. "The silicon copy can be used as an anti-reflective layer for optical lenses," by scattering light that would otherwise cause reflections, he told New Scientist.
Nanopillars made from gold could perhaps improve the sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy probes, he adds. They could aid the scattering of laser light that lets these probes peer inside materials (see Nanotech spy eyes life inside the cell . http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4615.html.)
The wings make ideal stamps partly because they refuse to stick to the plastic mould. "We found that on the surface of the wings there is a layer of wax which acts as an anti-adhesive layer," explains Zhang.
Lotus leaf
The team plans to try using other natural surfaces for printing. The lotus leaf, which is covered with microscopic water-repelling bumps, is next in line.
Mark Morrison, a nanotechnology expert at the UK's Institute of Nanotechnology, says nanoimprint lithography has the potential to scale up for mass production more readily than other more complex nano-fabrication methods.
Currently, he notes, a nano printing template must be created using more complicated processes: "Using a natural structure like a cicada wing could be a way to get around that."
But Morrison also warns that natural templates are not always perfect: "They might not be good at covering large areas," he says. "Even small areas of cicadas' wings have inconsistencies in the pattern." Journal reference: Small (vol 2006 2, p 1440)
The aluminium pillars (left) were made using a printing block fabricated from the pattern on a cicada's wing (right)
(Image: Wiley-VCH)
Florida State University Researchers develop revolutionary microscope technique
Approach could lead to a better understanding of cell growth, metabolism or even diseases such as cancer
Considered a boon to basic cell biology, the technique—called photo activated localization microscopy (PALM)—allows scientists to discriminate molecules that are only two to 25 nanometers apart. It's all made possible with new fluorescent protein labels developed in tandem with a new light microscope. The microscope greatly surpasses the resolution of conventional optical microscopes, which are inherently limited by the wavelength of light and are unable to distinguish objects separated by less than 200 nanometers.
"As the technology advances, it may prove to be a key factor in unlocking the molecular-level secrets of intracellular dynamics," said Davidson, who directs the magnet lab's Optical Microscopy Group. The idea for the light microscope and the related new PALM method, were conceived by physicists Eric Betzig and Harald Hess of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, but they struggled with how to realize their vision. Awareness of biological tools being studied in Davidson's lab ultimately inspired the two physicists' plan to build a better microscope.
"In the world of biology, there is a new generation of fluorescent proteins that you can switch on at will with a little bit of violet light," Hess said. He and Betzig learned of these molecules, pioneered by Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz and George Patterson at NIH, during conversations with Davidson.
Davidson suggested that these "optical highlighters" would be the best candidates for Betzig and Hess' experiments. Davidson's group then genetically engineered the highlighters and fused them to natural proteins in his lab. This technique allowed the researchers to attach a label to each copy of a protein they wished to study.
Here's how the PALM technique works: The researchers label the molecules they want to study with a photoactivatable probe, and then expose those molecules to a small amount of violet light. The light activates fluorescence in a small percentage of molecules, and the microscope captures an image of those that are turned on until they bleach. The process is repeated approximately 10,000 times, with each repetition capturing the position of a different subset of molecules.
When a final image is created, it has a resolution previously only achievable with an electron microscope. However, the contrast in electron microscopy is more indiscriminate, whereas PALM can limit contrast to specific proteins of interest.
Lippincott-Schwartz said the use of PALM in conjunction with electron microscopy is particularly powerful.
"A great feature of PALM is that it can readily be used with electron microscopy, which produces a detailed image of very small structures—but not proteins—in cells," she said. "By correlating a PALM image showing protein distribution with an electron microscope image showing cell structure of the same sample, it becomes possible to understand how molecules are individually distributed in a cellular structure at the molecular scale."
The work was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health.
By Barry Ray, News and Public Affairs
http://www.fsu.edu/rd2005/indexTOFStory.html?lead.microscope
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York U launches major new space test facility
First among Canadian universities;
equipment includes machine
that can simulate
effects of rocket launch and space flight
TORONTO, October 11, 2006 -- York University’s Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS) today launched its new space test facility with a lab tour, including a demo of a machine that can simulate the vibrations of a rocket launch.
Professor Ben Quine of the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering demonstrated the lab’s thermal-vacuum and vibration modules, which are unique among Canadian universities. The equipment will help researchers test instruments for upcoming space missions, including the phoenix and northern light missions to Mars.
The vibration test module simulates the take-off of a rocket, and can generate vibrations up to fifty times the force of gravity. The thermal-vacuum chamber is capable of replicating conditions of space including the extreme heat and cold experienced during space flight, and can cycle temperatures between 140 C to -140 C.
The facility enables final-year undergraduates in York University’s existing space science stream and new space engineering program to participate in space test and research. York University is home to the only undergraduate space engineering program in Canada.
Supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ontario Research Fund (ORF), these enhancements enable the end-to-end development, test and validation of space hardware and prototypes within a single university facility.
Study: Warm water surges into the Arctic
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists at the International Arctic Research Center say warm water surges from the North Atlantic Ocean are flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks researchers, who say the warm water is moving toward Alaska and the Canadian Basin, made their observations during an oceanographic cruise aboard the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn.
Previous studies have shown movement of warm water into the Arctic Ocean has increased during the past decade. The current study shows unprecedented warmth in some areas.
"The large area of the Arctic Ocean promises to become much warmer," said Igor Polyakov, principal investigator involved in the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational Systems project and a research professor at IARC.
Ocean temperature in the Arctic is important because it may affect the amount of sea ice in the region. Scientists believe arctic sea ice cover plays a major role in the Earth's climate, as ice reflects more of the sun's heat than does open water.
The NABOS project, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation, is a collaboration of six nations.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20060926-18020800-bc-us-arcticwarm.xml Copyright 2006 by United Press International.
Scientists watch bones at the nanoscale
POTSDAM, Germany, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Germany and French scientists have discovered the way deformation at the nanoscale takes place in a bone by studying it with synchrotron X-rays.
The researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, say the study explains the enormous stability and deformability of bones.
The researchers say the hierarchical structure of bones makes them able to sustain large strains without breaking, despite being made of essentially rigid units at the molecular level.
A bone consists of two elements: half is a stretchable fibrous protein called collagen and the other half a brittle mineral phase called apatite, the scientists said. Those components make the biomineralized tissue highly strong and tough.
The researchers used the synchrotron X-rays to observe for the first time the simultaneous rearrangement of organic and inorganic components at a micro and nanoscale level under tensile stress.
The study is detailed in the early, online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20061107-15130500-bc-germany-nanobones.xml Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
Silent Aircraft Readies For Take-Off
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by
Staff Writers
London (AFP) Nov 6, 2006
British and US aeronautics experts
unveiled plans Monday for a new generation of silent aircraft, designed to
slash noise output while also slashing fuel consumption. The single wing
aircraft, which looks a bit like a spaceship, would hold 250 passengers and use
25 percent less fuel than the current average, said its creators who hope to
have it flying commercially by 2030.
The project "has been a great success in bringing many stakeholders together to study what an aircraft of the future might look like if very low noise was the primary requirement," said Colin Smith from aircraft engine-making giant Rolls-Royce.
The Silent Aircraft Initiative (SAI) has since 2003 gathered some 40 researchers from the University of Cambridge in England and the Massachusettes Institute of Technology, as well as an array of aeronautics-linked firms.
As well as cutting engine noise, the designers focused on adapting the structure of the aircraft, which is responsible for half of the noise a plane creates on landing.
To do this they created a single flying wing, with the body of the aircraft also functioning to give lift, allowing a slower approach which reduces noise as well as improving fuel efficiency at cruising altitudes.
The new plane also does away with flaps, a major source of noise, while the undercarriage has been simplified and its aerodynamics improved. The engines are mounted on the top of the aircraft, to screen much noise from the ground.
Some backers of the project admit to having had doubts at first about its viability.
"My first reaction on hearing of the Silent Aircraft Initiative was profound scepticism," said Doctor John Green of Greener by Design, which promotes environmentally-friendly air transport options.
"Three years on, I have to concede that the SAI has surpassed my expectations by quite a margin. The team has produced a ... credible design that is predicted to meet the original target," he added.
Firms collaborating on the project include British Airways, BAA (formerly the British Airports Authority), Boeing, Bruel and Kjaer, the Civil Aviation Authority, and DHL.
Source: Agence France-Presse http://www.terradaily.com/
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Silent_Aircraft_Readies_For_Take_Off_999.html
General Motors to Build Hybrid Cars in China By 2008
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by
Staff Writers
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 6, 2006
US auto giant General Motors announced
Monday a plan to build environmentally-friendly hybrid cars in China by 2008,
while it paraded its latest hydrogen-powered vehicle before Chinese officials.
The hybrid would go into mass production at the Shanghai GM plant, a joint
venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, the company said in a press
release.
"The GM Hybrid System is flexible and cost effective and is ideal for high volume global applications, which include its introduction in China in 2008," said Martin Murray, head of GM's Asia Pacific hybrid engineering.
The announcement was made as GM was parading a series of energy-saving cars, including the Saturn Vue hybrid and the Chevrolet Sequel hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle.
The release did not say which hybrid car would be built in China, but GM's hybrid system was currently under development with DaimlerChrysler and the BMW Group.
GM head Rick Wagoner also on Monday joined Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng in the first-ever drive in Asia of the Sequel, GM's hydrogen-powered vehicle that was rolled out for test drives in the United States last month.
"We believe fuel cell vehicles offer the best long-term solution for meeting the world's growing demand for automobiles in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner," Wagoner said.
"From a China and Asia Pacific perspective, development of world-class fuel cells and the associated infrastructure are key initiatives that need the support of industry, government and the academic community."
Hydrogen-powered cars are seen as vehicles of the future as they do not use gasoline and their only by-product is water vapor.
However the production and storage of hydrogen and the building of a hydrogen infrastructure of refueling stations could take decades and billions of dollars to build.
In the meantime, the hybrid vehicle, a car that uses both a combustion engine and electric motors for propulsion, is seen as an interim solution to the full development of a clean car.
Toyota Motor, the world's second biggest automaker after GM and a pioneer of environmentally friendly cars, began production in China of its popular Prius hybrid at the end of last year.
Source: Agence France-Presse http://www.terradaily.com
Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada – ABEC
The Council of the Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada is bringing to the attention of all Bulgarian Engineers in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, the signed Agreement between TD Meloche Monnex and the Coalition “European Engineers”. The Coalition is formed from the Associations of Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian and Hungarian Engineers in Canada.
The Group Insurance Affinity Agreement provided to “European Engineers” by Meloche Monnex allows the Members to participate at preferred group rates to obtain home, automobile, travel and small business (micro enterprise) insurance coverage for the members, their spouses and children living at home. See - http://www.melochemonnex.com
The program conditions, administration, marketing, confidentiality, indemnifications are similar for all professional and alumni association programs (CIM, PEO).
The TD Meloche Monnex home and auto program offered to groups is underwritten by Security National Insurance Company and distributed by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. Due to provincial legislation, the automobile insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. The group auto insurance rates are not applicable in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island
Please note that we are in the process of preparing an “Eligibility List” for Meloche Monnex. Only Members of ABEC in good standing will have their name activated into the group of the “European Engineer”. To be a Member of ABEC you must possess a Degree from Technical Engineering Universities and paid-up membership fees of 50 dollars CDN.
New Members are always welcome! www.abec.ca
Please communicate this announcement to your friends, colleagues and compatriots, so more Bulgarian Engineers could use this Insurance Program.
The Bulgarian Engineers are highly knowledgeable professionals working with honesty, competence and integrity all over the world.
This Program may be for you!
From the ABEC’s Council
ABEC’s News
We received donation of 2 boxes with old technical books from Mr. Velcho Velchev Civil Eng.
The books are from the 1960/1970’s publications. On the next meeting the boxes will be available in the room for seeing. Please help your self if you find them interesting and useful for you.
Membership fee, due for 2007 year is $50 per year. Please send your cheque (making it payable to ABEC) to our Treasurer at the address:
Mrs. Tonya Bojkova,
903 – 91 Cosburn Ave.,
Toronto, Ontario,
M4K 2G2
New Members are always welcome!
Best Regards to all ABEC Members
Pauline Loultcheva-Lawrence