April 2007
Dear Colleagues,
ABEC The Association of Bulgarian Engineers in Canada invites its
Members Meeting – Lecture “The Business of D&V Electronics” Speaker Mr. Voiko
Loukanov, PhD. Electronics Engineer April 29th 2007, 12.15 noon
D&V
Electronics ltd.
North America's Leading
Manufacturer of custom automotive testing equipment. The company, D&V
Electronics Ltd. was founded and incorporated on April 30th, 1997 by Mr. Voiko Loukanov, PhD., who is the
President and CEO of the company.
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The radioactive metals, such as plutonium, and their periodic table neighbors, known as rare
earth elements, are examples of strongly correlated materials, with highly
localized electrons in their f-orbitals. In these
elements, most of the physical properties such as electrical resistivity and magnetic characteristics depend on the
f-orbital electrons. The findings reported in Nature strengthen methods for
predicting characteristics of all of these complex materials |
Researchers at Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, have unlocked some of the physical and chemical
secrets of plutonium, an element known for its use in atomic weapons and power
plant fuel. While the complex nuclear characteristics of plutonium are
well-known, it has properties as a metal or a chemical compound that have often
left scientists scratching their heads.
Writing in this week's issue
of Nature, a prestigious international scientific journal, Rutgers physicists
report that the valence electrons - those which control how atoms bond with
each other - fluctuate among different orbitals in
solid plutonium metal on a very short time scale.
In contrast, earlier theories
specified fixed numbers of valence electrons in those orbitals.
The
While the authors' findings
and study methods are mainly of interest to other researchers seeking clear
explanations of complex materials, the knowledge may someday help scientists
create safer and more versatile nuclear materials for energy, industry and
medicine.
"Previous theories about
plutonium's makeup placed a fixed number of valence electrons in the particular
orbital we examined, known as the 5f orbital," said Kristjan
Haule, an assistant professor of physics and
astronomy at Rutgers.
"Different theories
assigned different numbers of electrons to that orbital - some four, others
five and yet others, six. But whatever number the theory prescribed, it
remained constant. Each theory could explain some of the element's
characteristics, but none could account for all the experimental
evidence."
The Rutgers approach
abandoned the idea of a fixed or unique number of valence electrons in the 5f
orbital. "We revisited the notion of valence in a solid," Haule said. "While it happens rarely in nature, we
thought it should be possible for the number of valence electrons to fluctuate
among orbitals in atoms that are part of a solid
structure."
For more……..
Inventions with Impact
Polymers for chemical
sensing and a process for alternative fuels reap prizes
Linda
Wang
April 4, 2007
Two researchers whose
inventions are making—or have the potential to make—a broad impact on society
are being recognized with prestigious awards from the Lemelson-MIT
Program.
Detecting Swager demonstrates a
handheld monitor that checks people, clothing, and automobiles for trace
explosives.
Timothy M. Swager, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry and
head of the chemistry department at MIT, is the winner of this year's $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. The award recognizes Swager's development of highly sensitive semiconducting fluorescent polymers that can detect traces
of chemicals found in explosives.
Swager's invention is widely used by American soldiers in Iraq
to detect explosives. Specifically, it is being used in handheld monitors to
check people, clothing, and automobiles for trace TNT.
Swager is now working on electrical resistance-based
polymers that can detect changes in the levels of nitric oxide, an important
indicator of a person's health. These sensors could be used by doctors, for
example, as an early diagnostic of a respiratory infection.
Lee Lynd
"The future of chemistry
relies a lot on our inventing things," Swager
says. "Hopefully, this work can inspire other people to be entrepreneurial
and take their inventions to the marketplace. It is absolutely critical that
people seek innovative applications of their science."
The Lemelson-MIT
Program also bestowed another honor, this one for the first time: The $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability went to Lee Lynd, a
professor of engineering and adjunct professor of biology at Dartmouth College.
Lynd, who cofounded
biofuels start-up company Mascoma
Corp., is pioneering a cost-effective, one-step approach to biologically
converting cellulosic biomass, such as grass, wood,
wheat, and rice straw, into ethanol that can be used for fuel. Known as
consolidated bioprocessing, this approach is a
potential breakthrough for processing cellulosic
biomass at low cost.
Lynd points out that although
the work is still in progress, he is optimistic that it can be advanced rapidly
and will improve the quality of life for future generations.
The Lemelson-MIT
Program, named after prolific inventor Jerome H. Lemelson,
aims to recognize outstanding inventors, encourage sustainable solutions to
real-world problems, and inspire young people to pursue creative lives and
careers through invention.
Chemical & Engineering
News; http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i15/8515notw6.html
Acoustical
mystery of Greek theater solved
ATLANTA, April 4 (UPI)
U.S. scientists have discovered ancient Greeks unwittingly created a sophisticated acoustic filter while building a fourth century B.C. theater at Epidaurus.
Despite many attempts to
replicate the
Georgia Institute of
Technology researchers have pinpointed the elusive factor that made the ancient
amphitheater an acoustic marvel.
Scientists discovered it's
not the slope or the wind -- it's the seats.
The rows of limestone seats
at Epidaurus form an efficient acoustics filter that hushes low-frequency
background noises, such as the murmur of a crowd, and reflects the
high-frequency noises of the performers off the seats and back toward the seated
audience -- thereby carrying an actor's voice all the way to the back rows of
the theater.
The research by acoustician
and ultrasonics expert Nico
Declercq, a Georgia Tech assistant professor, and
engineer Cindy Dekeyser appears in the April issue of
the Journal of the Acoustics Society of America.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/sciences/themis.asp
Engineers Create Optical Cloaking Design for
Invisibility
West Lafayette IN (SPX)
Apr 04, 2007
Researchers using nanotechnology have taken a
step toward creating an "optical cloaking" device that could render
objects invisible by guiding light around anything placed inside this
"cloak." The Purdue University engineers, following mathematical guidelines
devised in 2006 by physicists in the United Kingdom, have created a theoretical
design that uses an array of tiny needles radiating outward from a central
spoke. The design, which resembles a round hairbrush, would bend light around
the object being cloaked. Background objects would be visible but not the
object surrounded by the cylindrical array of nano-needles,
said Vladimir Shalaev, Purdue's Robert and Anne
Burnett Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering ...
read
more
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Engineers_Create_Optical_Cloaking_Design_For_Invisibility_999.html
SHAKE AND BLOW
Very Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Looms
Miami (AFP)
April 03, 2007
Forecasters
warned Tuesday the Atlantic hurricane season would be a very active one,
predicting 17 named storms would form of which nine could become hurricanes,
highly likely to strike
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Very_Active_Atlantic_Hurricane_Season_Looms_999.html
ABEC’s News
Schedule for ABEC’s Meetings
April 29th 2007, 12.15 noon
In
the lower Hall of the Church “Sts Cyril and Methody”
Meeting – ABEC
Lecture
“The Business of D&V Electronics” Speaker Eng. Voiko
Loukanov, PhD.
The company, D&V
Electronics Ltd. was founded and incorporated on April 30th, 1997. Mr. Voiko Loukanov, PhD., is a
President and CEO.
May 27th 2007, 12.15 noon
In
the lower Hall of the Church “Sts Cyril and Methody”
Meeting –
June 24th 2007, 12.15 noon
In
the lower Hall of the Church “Sts Cyril and Methody”
Meeting –
Lecture
Speaker Eng. Stoyan Stargoychev,
PhD. York University
August 12th 2007, Annual ABEC Picnic
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
-- “We'd like to introduce you to the logical
solution in home and auto insurance. TD Meloche Monnex partners with more than
250 associations, offering professionals and alumni preferred group rates*, high-quality insurance
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gets you outstanding value! To discover more about your insurance coverage
options with TD Meloche Monnex, visit
our website and get a free
online quote now.”
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
Membership fee, due for 2007 year is $50 per year. Please send your cheque (making it payable to ABEC) to our Treasurer Eng.
Tonya Bojkova 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
pauline_m_lawrence@hotmail.com