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It is widely believed that transgender individuals in Nepal inject silicone for face and body manipulation, a phenomenon thought to be common among transgender individuals globally. Therefore, this qualitative study conducted in Nepal explored: (1) awareness of silicone use and sources of information; (2) reasons for using silicone; (3) notion of cost and quality of these procedures; (4) reported negative aspects, including side effects and (5) health seeking behaviors of Nepali transgender women.

The authors carried out eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with transgender women at four different districts of Nepal, five in the capital Kathmandu and three in different rural areas. We also interviewed three transgender women who preferred not to participate in the FGD but were happy to be interviewed separately. Similarly, six interviews with stakeholders working for sexual and gender minority populations were also conducted.

Most FGD participants were young (mean age 23.06 ± 3.9 years) and the majority (55%; n = 34) completed grade six to high school level. Peer networks of transgender people and the Internet were the more popular sources of information about silicone. The decision to use silicone was largely influenced by the desire to look beautiful and more feminine. Often they appear not to follow the recommended procedures for silicone use. Their health seeking behavior regarding side effects or complications of these procedures was very poor.

Findings reflect that targeted interventions aimed at transgender individuals should educate them on the use of silicone, as well as explore safe and affordable approaches to meet gender-related appearance needs of Nepali transgender people.

Polyurethane (PUR) foam parts are traditionally manufactured using metallic molds, an unsuitable approach for prototyping purposes. Thus, rapid tooling of disposable molds using fused filament fabrication (FFF) with polylactic acid (PLA) and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) is proposed as an economical, simpler and faster solution compared to traditional metallic molds or three-dimensional (3D) printing with other difficult-to-print thermoplastics, which are prone to shrinkage and delamination (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polypropilene-PP) or high-cost due to both material and printing equipment expenses (PEEK, polyamides or polycarbonate-PC). The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the ease of release of PUR foam on these materials in combination with release agents to facilitate the mulding/demoulding process.

PETG, PLA and hardenable polylactic acid (PLA 3D870) have been evaluated as mold materials in combination with aqueous and solvent-based release agents within a full design of experiments by three consecutive molding/demolding cycles.

PLA 3D870 has shown the best demoldability. A mold expressly designed to manufacture a foam cushion has been printed and the prototyping has been successfully achieved. The demolding of the part has been easier using a solvent-based release agent, meanwhile the quality has been better when using a water-based one.

The combination of PLA 3D870 and FFF, along with solvent-free water-based release agents, presents a compelling low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to traditional metallic molds and other 3D printing thermoplastics. This innovative approach serves as a viable option for rapid tooling in PUR foam molding.

The aim of the paper is to propose a global, automated and continuous curvature calibration strategy for bending sensors, which is used for the angle feedback control of soft fingers.

In this work, the proposed curvature calibration strategy for bending sensors is based on the constant curvature bending properties of soft fingers. The strategy is to install the bending sensor on the soft finger and use the laser distance sensor to assist calibration, then calculate the relationship between the curvature and the voltage of the bending sensor through geometric conversion. In addition, this work also develops a full set of standard calibration systems and collection procedures for the bending sensor curvature calibration and uses machine learning algorithms to fit the collected data.

First, compared with the traditional calibration methods, the proposed curvature calibration strategy can achieve constant curvature measurement with the advantages of better continuity. Second, using the sensor data obtained by the proposed calibration method as the feedback signal for the soft finger bending angle control, the control effect is better than that of the traditional method.

This work proposes and verifies a global, automated and continuous curvature calibration strategy for bending sensors and is used for the angle feedback control of soft fingers. In addition, this work also develops a full set of standard calibration systems and collection procedures, which can be applied to a variety of flexible bending sensors with a good adaptability.

The purpose of this paper is to briefly address three interrelated areas of concerns – victimization, housing placement and healthcare provision – related to the health and welfare of transgender women in jails, prisons and other types of detention facilities.

Drawing on a growing body of research on health risks for transgender women who are detained in facilities in California and elsewhere, the authors provide recommendations for policy and practice that constitutes gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women behind bars.

Policymakers, correctional leaders, and prison-based clinicians have a number of opportunities to address the welfare of transgender women in jails, prisons and other types of detention facilities.

This policy brief offers concrete steps government officials can take to better meet their professional and constitutional obligations, provide higher quality care for transgender women involved in the criminal justice system, and effectuate positive changes in transgender women’s health and welfare both inside and outside of carceral environments.

Bobbie Scull's bibliography of federal government bibliographies was begun in 1971 as an annual informational publication primarily intended for the faculty at Louisiana State University. Later she distributed it to libraries all over the state of Louisiana. In 1973 RSR began to publish these lists on an annual basis. This is the fourth such appearance. In the meantime these bibliographies were cumulated and published in two volumes: Bibliography of U.S. Government Bibliographies 1968–73 and 1974–76. (Pierian Press, 1975, 1979). RSR is proud to continue the annual supplements which are now computer produced at LSU. Although this supplement appears in Volume 8:1 (1980) in the future they will appear in the final issue of the year.

Conventional investment casting of turbine blades is a time consuming and expensive process due to the complications in wax injection steps and the complex shape of airfoil surfaces. By using rapid investment casting, a substantial improvement in the gas turbine blade manufacturing process can be expected. However, this process needs to be able to compete with conventional investment casting from a dimensional accuracy view of point. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the manufacture of gas turbine blades via two indirect rapid tooling (RT) technologies, namely epoxy (EP) resin tooling and silicon rubber molding.

The second stage blade of a Ruston TA 1750 gas turbine (rated at 1.3 MW) was digitized by a coordinate measuring machine. The aluminum‐filled EP resin and silicon rubber molds were fabricated using StereoLithography master models. Several wax patterns were made by injection in the EP resin and silicone rubber molds. These wax patterns were utilized for ceramic shell fabrication and blade casting.

Dimensional inspection of cast blades showed that silicone rubber molding was not a suitable approach for production of blade wax patterns. The maximum deviation for the final cast blade made using the silicone rubber mold was +0.402 mm. The maximum deviation for the final cast blade made using the EP resin mold was lower at −0.282 mm. This showed that EP resin tooling could enable new cost‐effective solutions for small batch production of gas turbine blades.

The research results presented will give efficient industrial approach and scientific insight of the gas turbine blade manufacturing by use of rapid technologies.

There are some general research works related to utilization of rapid technologies for manufacturing of gas turbine blade. However, this paper presents a unique procedure of integrated reverse engineering and RT technologies for rapid investment casting of gas turbine blade through presenting comprehensive comparison between two techniques from dimensional accuracy view of point.

Dimensional accuracy analysis of wax model created by room temperature vulcanization (RTV) silicone rubber molding to be used in investment casting is presented. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effective parameters of dimensional accuracy in RTV tooling technique.

After producing a pattern by stereolithography (SLA) and then creating the RTV silicone rubber mold by the SLA pattern, dimensional accuracy of wax models produced by RTV tool are analyzed. Design of experiments (DOE) using the Taguchi approach is used for analysis and determination of optimum condition.

Experiments show that the dimensional accuracy in RTV technique is as accurate as in traditional molding. Hence, RTV tooling technique can be used in investment casting. Using Taguchi approach based on DOE, it was realized that the optimum condition to achieve acceptable accuracy is 35°C for mold temperature, 85°C for wax temperature, and −0.5 barG for vacuum pressure.

RTV silicone rubber mold is a useful alternative of metallic mold to produce wax patterns for investment casting. It has benefits such as reduction in production lead‐time and cost, compared with traditional metallic mold.

A case study for research of dimensional accuracy of wax patterns created by RTV silicone rubber mold had not been attempted as such. In addition to reduction in production lead‐time and cost, the dimensional accuracy of wax patterns using RTV tooling technique are as accurate as in traditional technique.

Rapid tooling (RT) integrated with additive manufacturing technologies have been implemented in various sectors of the RT industry in recent years with various kinds of prototype applications, especially in the development of new products. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current application trends of RT techniques in producing hybrid mold inserts.

The direct and indirect RT techniques discussed in this paper are aimed at developing a hybrid mold insert using metal epoxy composite (MEC) in increasing the speed of tooling development and performance. An extensive review of the suitable development approach of hybrid mold inserts, material preparation and filler effect on physical and mechanical properties has been conducted.

Latest research studies indicate that it is possible to develop a hybrid material through the combination of different shapes/sizes of filler particles and it is expected to improve the compressive strength, thermal conductivity and consequently increasing the hybrid mold performance (cooling time and a number of molding cycles).

The number of research studies on RT for hybrid mold inserts is still lacking as compared to research studies on conventional manufacturing technology. One of the significant limitations is on the ways to improve physical and mechanical properties due to the limited type, size and shape of materials that are currently available.

This review presents the related information and highlights the current gaps related to this field of study. In addition, it appraises the new formulation of MEC materials for the hybrid mold inserts in injection molding application and RT for non-metal products.

Conventional shaping processes for ceramics are mostly based on a powder‐technological molding process using a negative mold and subsequent thermal compaction. Especially for prototypes and small lot series of microcomponents the outlay for molds are the major costing factor. Consequently the use of rapid prototyping (RP) processes can decisively reduce the costs and time in product development of ceramic microcomponents. In spite of the fact, that a large number of freeform fabrication techniques for different materials were developed in recent years, most generative techniques of ceramics still have different drawbacks for the fabrication of prototypes and often exhibit limited resolution compared to those of polymers. The combination of RP techniques such as micro stereolithography and ceramic injection molding in a RP process chain can fill in the gap between the limited applicability of solid freeform fabrication of ceramics and the restricted material properties of polymers.

Minority stress theory suggests enhanced HIV risk for those experiencing social marginalization, while an intersectionality framework posits that forms of marginalization may interact. The purpose of this paper is to understand how race/ethnicity- and gender-based discrimination may impact HIV risk among transgender or transsexual (trans) people.

The Trans PULSE project – a community-based research study in Ontario, Canada – used respondent-driven sampling to survey 433 trans participants, including 35 Aboriginal persons and 62 non-Aboriginal persons of colour. Descriptive and regression analyses were weighted to adjust for recruitment probabilities.

Most Aboriginal persons (65 per cent, 95 per cent CI: 37-90) and persons of colour (90 per cent, 95 per cent CI: 74-100) reported at least one experience of racism or ethnicity-based discrimination, and the vast majority had experienced transphobia (90 and 92 per cent, respectively). Among non-Aboriginal trans persons of colour, experiences of racism and transphobia interacted in increasing odds of engagement in high-risk sex. Increases in experience of one type of discrimination had strongest effects on HIV risk when coupled with high levels of the other.

Persons of colour were ethno-racially diverse; it is possible that different experiences of racism, with divergent effects, were collapsed. Odds ratios may overestimate actual risk ratios.

While some sub-groups of trans people of colour have been identified as highly vulnerable to HIV, few studies have explored the impact of discrimination. This paper explores the roles of two types of discrimination in engendering HIV-related risk, and suggests potential limits to resiliency in the face of high levels of discrimination targeting multiple facets of identity.