Aerodynamic characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing at Mach number 0.2

A wind-tunnel of the static longitudinal, lateral and directional stability characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing was conducted in the Langley low-turbulence pressure tunnel. The configuration variables included wing planform, tip fins, center fin, and scramjet engine modules. A mach number of 0.2 was investigated over a Reynolds number (based on fuselage length) range of 2,200,000 to 19.75 x 1,000,000 (with a majority of tests at 10.0 x 1,000,000. Tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range from about -2 deg to 34 deg at angles of sideslip of 0 deg to 5 deg, and at elevon deflection of 0 deg, -5 deg, -10 deg, -15 deg, and -20 deg. The drag coefficient of the integrated scramjet engine appears relatively constant with Reynolds number at the test Mach number of 0.2. Mild pitch-up was exhibited by the models equipped with tip fins. The forward delta, a highly swept forward portion of the wing, was destabilizing. The center fin model has a higher trimmed maximum lift-drag ratio and a wider trim lift and angle-of-attack range than the tip fin model. Both the tip fin models and center fin models exhibited positive dihedral effect and positive directional stability. Roll control was positive for the tip fin model, but yaw due to roll control was unfavorable

Role of climate change in recovery of acidified surface waters

International audienceSurface waters in Europe and North America have begun to recover in response to decreases in emissions of acidifying pollutants to the atmosphere. Variations in climate influence chemical and biological recovery. Part of the EU project Eurolimpacs (Integrated project to evaluate the impacts of global change on European freshwater ecosystems) focuses on the interactive effects of acid deposition and climate on freshwater ecosystems. This special issue of Hydrology and Earth System Sciences is devoted to this topic, and consists of studies conducted in 8 countries on aspects regarding episodes, nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, recovery and biological effects

COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING OF BEEF PRODUCTS: U.S. CONSUMERS' PERCEPTIONS

In 2002, Chicago and Denver consumers were surveyed and participated in an experimental auction to elicit willingness to pay for country-of-origin labeling (COOL) of beef. Survey results indicate the majority of consumers (73%) were willing to pay an 11% and 24% premium for COOL of steak and hamburger, respectively. In the auction, consumers were willing to pay a 19% premium for steak labeled “"U.S.A. Guaranteed: Born and Raised in the U.S.”" Food-safety concerns, preferences for labeling source and origin information, a strong desire to support U.S. producers, and beliefs that U.S. beef was of higher quality were reasons consumers preferred COOL.Consumer/Household Economics,

CONSUMER PREFERENCE FOR DOMESTIC VERSUS INTERNATIONAL BEEF STEAKS

Demand and Price Analysis,

Weekly Versus Monthly Testosterone Administration On Fast and Slow Skeletal Muscle Fibers in Older Adult Males

Context: In older adults, loss of mobility due to sarcopenia is exacerbated in men with low serum T. T replacement therapy is known to increase muscle mass and strength, but the effect of weekly (WK) vs monthly (MO) administration on specific fiber types is unknown. Objective: To determine the efficacy of WK vs MO T replacement on the size and functional capacity of individual fast and slow skeletal muscle fiber types. Design, Setting, and Patients: Subjects were randomized into a 5-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. All subjects (ages, 61–71 y) were community-dwelling men who had T levels \u3c 500 ng/dL. Intervention: Subjects were dosed weekly for 5 months, receiving continuous T (WK, n = 5; 100 mg T enanthate, im injection), monthly cycled T (MO, n = 7; alternating months of T and placebo), or placebo (n = 7). Muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis were obtained before and after treatment. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcomes for individual slow and fast fibers included fiber diameter, peak force (P0), rate of tension development, maximal shortening velocity, peak power, and Ca2+ sensitivity. Results: Both treatments increased fiber diameter and peak power, with WK treatment 5-fold more effective than MO in increasing type I fiber P0. WK effects on fiber diameter and force were 1.5-fold higher in slow fibers compared to fast fibers. In fast type II fibers, diameter and P0 increased similarly between treatments. The increased power was entirely due to increased fiber size and force. Conclusions: In conclusion, T replacement effects were fiber-type dependent, restricted to increases in cell size, P0, and peak power, and dependent on the paradigm selected (WK vs MO)

THE VALUE OF BEEF FLAVOR: CONSUMER WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY FOR MARBLING IN BEEF STEAKS

Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

U.S. Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Flavor and Tenderness in Steaks as Determined with an Experimental Auction

In a study of beef quality, consumers tasted steak samples and participated in an experimental auction to determine their willingness to pay. Steaks differed in marbling, tenderness, country of origin, and aging method. Marbling and tenderness had statistically significant impacts on consumers' palatability ratings for steaks. Tenderness significantly impacted consumers' willingness-to pay values. There appear to be threshold levels of marbling and tenderness, below which consumers discount steaks. Steaks from Australia were rated lower for overall acceptability, and bids were lower than for the U.S. steak samples. Dry-aging methods negatively impacted taste panel ratings and bids.beef, country of origin, experimental auctions, marbling, tenderness, Consumer/Household Economics,

Patterns of gene expression in schistosomes: localization by whole mount in situ hybridization

rom the identification of genes to the characterization of their functions and interactions. Developmental biologists have long used whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH) to determine gene expression patterns, as a vital tool for formulating and testing hypotheses about function. This paper describes the application of WISH to the study of gene expression in larval and adult schistosomes. Fixed worms were permeablized by proteinase K treatment for hybridization with digoxygenin-labelled RNA probes, with binding being detected by alkaline phosphatase-coupled anti-digoxygenin antibodies, and BM Purple substrate. Discrete staining patterns for the transcripts of the molecules Sm29, cathepsin L, antigen 10.3 and chorion were observed in the tegument cell bodies, gut epithelium, oesophageal gland and vitelline lobules, respectively, of adult worms. Transcripts of the molecules SGTP4, GP18-22 and cathepsin L were localized to tegument cell bodies and embryonic gut, respectively, of lung schistosomula. We also showed that Fast Red TR fluorescent substrate can refine the pattern of localization permitting use of confocal microscopy. We believe that method of WISH will find broad application, in synergy with other emerging post-genomic techniques, such as RNA interference, to studies focused at increasing our molecular understanding of schistosomes

Community Perspective on Consultation on Urban Stormwater Management: Lessons from Brownhill Creek, South Australia

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).There are salutary lessons from contrasting community consultation efforts in 2011 and 2015 to develop and gain support for an urban stormwater management plan for the Brownhill Creek catchment in Adelaide, South Australia. The 2011 process was a failure in the human dimension, precipitating loss of community confidence, unnecessarily entrained thousands of hours of time of residents who initiated a community action group for environmental conservation and caused a three-year delay to decision making. By contrast, the 2015 process was vastly improved, resulted in a landslide level of support for an obvious option not previously offered, achieved the required level of flood protection, saved Aus$5 million (14%) on the previously proposed option and protected a highly valued natural environment from an unnecessary dam. This paper presents a rarely heard perspective on these community consultation processes from a participating community environmental and heritage conservation action group (the Brownhill Creek Association) that was deeply engaged in reforming the Draft Brown Hill Keswick Creek Stormwater Management Plan. This reveals that the community needs to see that all options are considered and to have access to accurate information with which to assess them. It is also necessary that the proposed plan is consistent with existing agreed plans and policies developed through public consultation. Community concerns need to be heard, acknowledged and acted upon or responded to, and the consultation process needs to be transparently fair and democratic to win community support. A major contributor to success in the second consultation was that all community action groups were invited to meetings to discuss the purpose of the consultation and the methods to be used. Feedback was subsequently received before the process commenced to show what had changed and why any suggestions concerning the consultation process were not being adopted. This openness helped to mend the distrust of the first consultation process and is recommended as an essential early step in any public consultation process