2,053 research outputs found
An evaluation of the Goddard Space Flight Center Library
The character and degree of coincidence between the current and future missions, programs, and projects of the Goddard Space Flight Center and the current and future collection, services, and facilities of its library were determined from structured interviews and discussions with various classes of facility personnel. In addition to the tabulation and interpretation of the data from the structured interview survey, five types of statistical analyses were performed to corroborate (or contradict) the survey results and to produce useful information not readily attainable through survey material. Conclusions reached regarding compatability between needs and holdings, services and buildings, library hours of operation, methods of early detection and anticipation of changing holdings requirements, and the impact of near future programs are presented along with a list of statistics needing collection, organization, and interpretation on a continuing or longitudinal basis
Generic morphologies of viscoelastic dewetting fronts
A simple model is put forward which accounts for the occurrence of certain
generic dewetting morphologies in thin liquid coatings. It demonstrates that by
taking into account the elastic properties of the coating, a morphological
phase diagram may be derived which describes the observed structures of
dewetting fronts. It is demonstrated that dewetting morphologies may also serve
to determine nanoscale rheological properties of liquids.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Coriolis force in Geophysics: an elementary introduction and examples
We show how Geophysics may illustrate and thus improve classical Mechanics
lectures concerning the study of Coriolis force effects. We are then interested
in atmospheric as well as oceanic phenomena we are familiar with, and are for
that reason of pedagogical and practical interest. Our aim is to model them in
a very simple way to bring out the physical phenomena that are involved.Comment: Accepted for publication in European Journal of Physic
Fuzzy Fibers: Uncertainty in dMRI Tractography
Fiber tracking based on diffusion weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI)
allows for noninvasive reconstruction of fiber bundles in the human brain. In
this chapter, we discuss sources of error and uncertainty in this technique,
and review strategies that afford a more reliable interpretation of the
results. This includes methods for computing and rendering probabilistic
tractograms, which estimate precision in the face of measurement noise and
artifacts. However, we also address aspects that have received less attention
so far, such as model selection, partial voluming, and the impact of
parameters, both in preprocessing and in fiber tracking itself. We conclude by
giving impulses for future research
Mucosal Administration of Collagen V Ameliorates the Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden by Inducing Interleukin 35-dependent Tolerance
We have shown previously that collagen V (col(V)) autoimmunity is a consistent feature of atherosclerosis in human coronary artery disease and in the Apoe(-/-) mouse model. We have also shown sensitization of Apoe(-/-) mice with col(V) to markedly increase the atherosclerotic burden, providing evidence of a causative role for col(V) autoimmunity in atherosclerotic pathogenesis. Here we sought to determine whether induction of immune tolerance to col(V) might ameliorate atherosclerosis, providing further evidence for a causal role for col(V) autoimmunity in atherogenesis and providing insights into the potential for immunomodulatory therapeutic interventions. Mucosal inoculation successfully induced immune tolerance to col(V) with an accompanying reduction in plaque burden in Ldlr(-/-) mice on a high-cholesterol diet. The results therefore demonstrate that inoculation with col(V) can successfully ameliorate the atherosclerotic burden, suggesting novel approaches for therapeutic interventions. Surprisingly, tolerance and reduced atherosclerotic burden were both dependent on the recently described IL-35 and not on IL-10, the immunosuppressive cytokine usually studied in the context of induced tolerance and amelioration of atherosclerotic symptoms. In addition to the above, using recombinant protein fragments, we were able to localize two epitopes of the α1(V) chain involved in col(V) autoimmunity in atherosclerotic Ldlr(-/-) mice, suggesting future courses of experimentation for the characterization of such epitopes
A unified hyperbolic formulation for viscous fluids and elastoplastic solids
We discuss a unified flow theory which in a single system of hyperbolic
partial differential equations (PDEs) can describe the two main branches of
continuum mechanics, fluid dynamics, and solid dynamics. The fundamental
difference from the classical continuum models, such as the Navier-Stokes for
example, is that the finite length scale of the continuum particles is not
ignored but kept in the model in order to semi-explicitly describe the essence
of any flows, that is the process of continuum particles rearrangements. To
allow the continuum particle rearrangements, we admit the deformability of
particle which is described by the distortion field. The ability of media to
flow is characterized by the strain dissipation time which is a characteristic
time necessary for a continuum particle to rearrange with one of its
neighboring particles. It is shown that the continuum particle length scale is
intimately connected with the dissipation time. The governing equations are
represented by a system of first order hyperbolic PDEs with source terms
modeling the dissipation due to particle rearrangements. Numerical examples
justifying the reliability of the proposed approach are demonstrated.Comment: 6 figure
Whither Capitalism? Financial externalities and crisis
As with global warming, so with financial crises â externalities have a lot to answer for. We
look at three of them. First the financial accelerator due to âfire salesâ of collateral assets -- a
form of pecuniary externality that leads to liquidity being undervalued. Second the ârisk-
shiftingâ behaviour of highly-levered financial institutions who keep the upside of risky
investment while passing the downside to others thanks to limited liability. Finally, the
network externality where the structure of the financial industry helps propagate shocks
around the system unless this is checked by some form of circuit breaker, or âring-fenceâ.
The contrast between crisis-induced Great Recession and its aftermath of slow growth in the
West and the rapid - and (so far) sustained - growth in the East suggests that successful
economic progress may depend on how well these externalities are managed
- âŠ