Airloads research study. Volume 2: Airload coefficients derived from wind tunnel data

The development of B-1 aircraft rigid wind tunnel data for use in subsequent tasks of the Airloads Research Study is described. Data from the Rockwell International external structural loads data bank were used to generate coefficients of rigid airload shear, bending moment, and torsion at specific component reference stations or both symmetric and asymmetric loadings. Component stations include the movable wing, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, and forward and aft fuselages. The coefficient data cover a Mach number range from 0.7 to 2.2 for a wing sweep position of 67.5 degree

Airloads research study. Volume 1: Flight test loads acquisition

The acquisition of B-1 aircraft flight loads data for use in subsequent tasks of the Airloads Research Study is described. The basic intent is to utilize data acquired during B-1 aircraft tests, analyze these data beyond the scope of Air Force requirements, and prepare research reports that will add to the technology base for future large flexible aircraft. Flight test data obtained during the airloads survey program included condition-describing parameters, surface pressures, strain gage outputs, and loads derived from pressure and strain gauges. Descriptions of the instrumentation, data processing, and flight load survey program are included. Data from windup-turn and steady yaw maneuvers cover a Mach number range from 0.7 to 2.0 for a wing sweep position of 67.5 deg

Spin singlet small bipolarons in Nb-doped BaTiO3

The magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity of n-type BaTi{1-x}Nb{x}O3 have been measured over a wide temperature range. It is found that, for 0 < x < 0.2, dopant electrons form immobile spin singlet small bipolarons with binding energy around 110 meV. For x = 0.2, a maximum in the electrical resistivity around 15 K indicates a crossover from band to hopping transport of the charge carriers, a phenomenon expected but rarely observed in real polaronic systems.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Electronic structure and the glass transition in pnictide and chalcogenide semiconductor alloys. Part I: The formation of the ppσpp\sigma-network

Semiconductor glasses exhibit many unique optical and electronic anomalies. We have put forth a semi-phenomenological scenario (J. Chem. Phys. 132, 044508 (2010)) in which several of these anomalies arise from deep midgap electronic states residing on high-strain regions intrinsic to the activated transport above the glass transition. Here we demonstrate at the molecular level how this scenario is realized in an important class of semiconductor glasses, namely chalcogen and pnictogen containing alloys. Both the glass itself and the intrinsic electronic midgap states emerge as a result of the formation of a network composed of $\sigma$-bonded atomic $p$-orbitals that are only weakly hybridized. Despite a large number of weak bonds, these $pp\sigma$-networks are stable with respect to competing types of bonding, while exhibiting a high degree of structural degeneracy. The stability is rationalized with the help of a hereby proposed structural model, by which $pp\sigma$-networks are symmetry-broken and distorted versions of a high symmetry structure. The latter structure exhibits exact octahedral coordination and is fully covalently-bonded. The present approach provides a microscopic route to a fully consistent description of the electronic and structural excitations in vitreous semiconductors.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, revised version, final version to appear in J. Chem. Phy

Sedentary aging results in structural impairment of the neuromuscular junction and may be attenuated by voluntary endurance exercise

An increasingly prominent change in the aging body is the decrease in muscle mass and strength, a condition known as sarcopenia. This is a major cause for the instability in elderly individuals leading to falls and injuries. One possible cause of sarcopenia is the reduced exercise activity of older individuals. The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the connection by which nerves control muscle movement. This study mainly aims to investigates the possibility that alterations in the structures of the neuromuscular junction with ageing might contribute to impaired control and physical maintenance of aging muscle. Changes in the NMJ include the loss of nerve terminal from the postsynaptic membrane leading to denervation and fragmentation of postsynaptic clusters of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) resulting in tiny islands of receptors. Exercise in ageing animals and humans have shown to have some positive effects on sarcopenic related changes like slowing down the rate of loss in muscle mass and strength. In the neuromuscular junction of old animals and rodents that exercised the age related changes were reported to be less severe and in some cases the NMJ recovered

The electronic structure of amorphous silica: A numerical study

We present a computational study of the electronic properties of amorphous SiO2. The ionic configurations used are the ones generated by an earlier molecular dynamics simulations in which the system was cooled with different cooling rates from the liquid state to a glass, thus giving access to glass-like configurations with different degrees of disorder [Phys. Rev. B 54, 15808 (1996)]. The electronic structure is described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian. We study the influence of the degree of disorder on the density of states, the localization properties, the optical absorption, the nature of defects within the mobility gap, and on the fluctuations of the Madelung potential, where the disorder manifests itself most prominently. The experimentally observed mismatch between a photoconductivity threshold of 9 eV and the onset of the optical absorption around 7 eV is interpreted by the picture of eigenstates localized by potential energy fluctuations in a mobility gap of approximately 9 eV and a density of states that exhibits valence and conduction band tails which are, even in the absence of defects, deeply located within the former band gap.Comment: 21 pages of Latex, 5 eps figure

Pain is a risk factor for common mental disorders. Results from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2: a longitudinal, population-based study

Pain might be an important risk factor for common mental disorders. Insight into the longitudinal association between pain and common mental disorders in the general adult population could help improve prevention and treatment strategies. Data were used from the first 2 waves of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2, a psychiatric epidemiological cohort study among the Dutch general population aged 18 to 64 years at baseline (N = 5303). Persons without a mental disorder 12 months before baseline were selected as the at-risk group (n = 4974 for any mood disorder; n = 4979 for any anxiety disorder; and n = 5073 for any substance use disorder). Pain severity and interference due to pain in the past month were measured at baseline using the Short Form Health Survey. DSM-IV mental disorders were assessed at both waves using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0. Moderate to very severe pain was associated with a higher risk of mood (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33-3.29) or anxiety disorders (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.27-3.55). Moderate to very severe interference due to pain was also associated with a higher risk of mood (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.30-3.54) or anxiety disorders (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.05-3.52). Pain was not significantly associated with substance use disorders. No interaction effects were found between pain severity or interference due to pain and a previous history of mental disorders. Moderate to severe pain and interference due to pain are strong risk factors for first-incident or recurrent mood and anxiety disorders, independent of other mental disorders. Pain management programs could therefore possibly also serve as a preventative program for mental disorders

The AERI/GOES Retrievals Versus Radiosondes for Driving SCMs

Single-Column Models (SCMs) require observations to provide suitable initial and boundary conditions. To meet this need, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program conducts Intensive Observing Periods (IOPs) to provide 3-hourly radiosondes and other observations. However, such high-frequency sonde launches can be expensive. Therefore, the ARM program can only support a couple IOPs each year with each one lasting 2-4 weeks. In order to reduce the need for high-frequency sonde launches and to potentially expand the periods available for SCM simulations, they have conducted a study using the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) temperature and moisture retrievals, instead of radiosondes, in the ARM variational analysis system (Zhang and Lin, 1997; Zhang et al., 2000) to derive the large-scale forcing terms for driving SCMs during the March 1999 IOP. They have compared the large-scale forcing and associated SCM simulations for various combinations of data sources used in the variational analysis

Randomised controlled trial of a psychiatric consultation model for treatment of common mental disorder in the occupational health setting

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders are the most prevalent of all mental disorders, with the highest burden in terms of work absenteeism and utilization of health care services. Evidence-based treatments are available, but recognition and treatment could be improved, especially in the occupational health setting. The situation in this setting has recently changed in the Netherlands because of new legislation, which has resulted in reduced sickness absence. Severe mental disorder has now become one of the main causes of work absenteeism. Occupational physicians (OPs) are expected to take an active role in diagnosis and treatment, and seem to be in need of support for a new approach to handle cases of more complex mental disorders. Psychiatric consultation can be a collaborative care model to achieve this. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a two-armed cluster-randomized clinical trial, with randomization among OPs. Forty OPs in two big companies providing medical care for multiple companies will be randomized to either the intervention group, i.e. psychiatric consultation embedded in a training programme, or the control group, i.e. only training aimed at recognition and providing Care As Usual. 60 patients will be included who have been absent from work for 6–52 weeks and who, after screening and a MINI interview, are diagnosed with depressive disorder, anxiety disorder or somatoform disorder based on DSM-IV criteria. Baseline measurements and follow up measurements (at 3 months and 6 months) will be assessed with questionnaires and an interview. The primary outcome measure is level of general functioning according to the SF-20. Secondary measures are severity of the mental disorder according to the PHQ and the SCL-90, quality of life (EQ-D5), measures of Return To Work and cost-effectiveness of the treatment assessed with the TiC-P. Process measures will be adherence to the treatment plan and assessment of the treatment provided by the Psychiatric Consultant (PC) in both groups. DISCUSSION: In the current study, a psychiatric consultation model that has already proved to be effective in the primary care setting, and aimed to enhance evidence-based care for patients with work absenteeism and common mental disorder will be evaluated for its efficacy and cost-effectiveness in the occupational health setting