Aerodynamic data on a large semispan tilting wing with 0.5-diameter chord, double-slotted flap, and both left-hand and right-hand rotation of a single propeller

Longitudinal aerodynamic data on large-scale semispan V/STOL tilt-wing configuration having single propeller with left and right hand rotatio

Gaussian quadrature exponential sum modeling of near infrared methane laboratory spectra obtained at temperatures from 106 to 297 K

Transmission measurements made on near-infrared laboratory methane spectra have previously been fit using a Malkmus band model. The laboratory spectra were obtained in three groups at temperatures averaging 112, 188, and 295 K; band model fitting was done separately for each temperature group. These band model parameters cannot be used directly in scattering atmosphere model computations, so an exponential sum model is being developed which includes pressure and temperature fitting parameters. The goal is to obtain model parameters by least square fits at 10/cm intervals from 3800 to 9100/cm. These results will be useful in the interpretation of current planetary spectra and also NIMS spectra of Jupiter anticipated from the Galileo mission

Bench-to-bedside review: Amelioration of acute renal impairment using ethyl pyruvate

Inflammation and oxidative stress cause renal impairment. Renal failure exacerbates the effect of oxidative stress on many organ systems. Antioxidants can prevent or treat renal failure in various experimental models and clinical situations. Pyruvate is an endogenous antioxidant with beneficial effects in animal models of oxidative stress. Because sodium pyruvate rapidly degrades in solution, a simple derivative of pyruvic acid, namely ethyl pyruvate, has been investigated as a therapeutic agent in preclinical studies. Ethyl pyruvate reduces organ system damage in ischaemia/reperfusion injury and haemorrhagic and endotoxic shock, at least in part through its antioxidant action. In addition, ethyl pyruvate appears to have direct beneficial effects on cytokine expression and proinflammatory gene regulation. The effect is long lasting and, importantly, even when it is administered after the onset of inflammation it can ameliorate organ damage and improve survival. Ethyl pyruvate is a widely used as a food additive and was shown to be safe in phase I clinical trials. We suggest ethyl pyruvate warrants further evaluation in the management of acute renal impairment

Inhibitor regulation of tissue kallikrein activity in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid athritis

Tissue kallikrein (TK) and 1-antitrypsin (AT)/TK complexes can be detected in SF from patients with RA if components of the fluids which interfere with the detection of TK are removed. 2-Macroglobulin (2-M) in SF was demonstrated to contain trapped proteases which were still active in amidase assays. Removal of 2-M from RA SF reduced their amidase activity. However, at least some of the remaining activity was due to TK because it was soya bean trypsin inhibitor resistant and trasylol sensitive and was partly removed by affinity chromatography on anti-TK sepharose. Removal of RF from the fluids reduced the values obtained for TK levels by ELISA. Addition of SF to human urinary kallikrein (HUK) considerably reduced the levels of TK detected suggesting the presence of a TK ELISA inhibitor in the fluids. Removal of components of >300 kDa from SF markedly reduced the TK ELISA inhibitory activity and increased the values for both the TK and l-AT/TK levels in fluids as measured by ELISA. It is considered this novel inhibitor does not bind to the active site of TK but rather binds to the site reactive with anti-TK antibodies

Childhood adversity and educational attainment: evidence from Zambia on the role of personality

INTRODUCTION: We examine whether personality traits mediate the association between childhood adversity and educational attainment using longitudinal data from a cohort in Zambia. METHODS: We fit a structural equation model using data on three forms of childhood adversity-household poverty, stunting as a measure of chronic malnutrition, and death of a parent-and data on the "Big Five" personality traits and educational attainment assessed at 15 years of age. RESULTS: We find that childhood poverty and death of a parent are associated with lower openness to experience. Furthermore, openness to experience mediates 93% of the negative association between death of a parent and school enrollment and 19% of the negative association between childhood poverty and enrollment. DISCUSSION: Our findings reinforce a diverse and growing body of evidence linking childhood adversity to educational attainment while also placing it in a new light. Future work should continue to examine the biological and psychosocial pathways that determine openness to experience and other personality traits, as well as their role in shaping important life outcomes

Functional somatic disorders: discussion paper for a new common classification for research and clinical use

Background Functional somatic symptoms and disorders are common and complex phenomena involving both bodily and brain processes. They pose major challenges across medical specialties. These disorders are common and have significant impacts on patients’ quality of life and healthcare costs. Main body We outline five problems pointing to the need for a new classification: (1) developments in understanding aetiological mechanisms; (2) the current division of disorders according to the treating specialist; (3) failure of current classifications to cover the variety of disorders and their severity (for example, patients with symptoms from multiple organs systems); (4) the need to find acceptable categories and labels for patients that promote therapeutic partnership; and (5) the need to develop clinical services and research for people with severe disorders. We propose ‘functional somatic disorders’ (FSD) as an umbrella term for various conditions characterised by persistent and troublesome physical symptoms. FSDs are diagnosed clinically, on the basis of characteristic symptom patterns. As with all diagnoses, a diagnosis of FSD should be made after considering other possible somatic and mental differential diagnoses. We propose that FSD should occupy a neutral space within disease classifications, favouring neither somatic disease aetiology, nor mental disorder. FSD should be subclassified as (a) multisystem, (b) single system, or (c) single symptom. While additional specifiers may be added to take account of psychological features or co-occurring diseases, neither of these is sufficient or necessary to make the diagnosis. We recommend that FSD criteria are written so as to harmonise with existing syndrome diagnoses. Where currently defined syndromes fall within the FSD spectrum – and also within organ system-specific chapters of a classification – they should be afforded dual parentage (for example, irritable bowel syndrome can belong to both gastrointestinal disorders and FSD). Conclusion We propose a new classification, ‘functional somatic disorder’, which is neither purely somatic nor purely mental, but occupies a neutral space between these two historical poles. This classification reflects both emerging aetiological evidence of the complex interactions between brain and body and the need to resolve the historical split between somatic and mental disorders

Multi-Modal Human-Machine Communication for Instructing Robot Grasping Tasks

A major challenge for the realization of intelligent robots is to supply them with cognitive abilities in order to allow ordinary users to program them easily and intuitively. One way of such programming is teaching work tasks by interactive demonstration. To make this effective and convenient for the user, the machine must be capable to establish a common focus of attention and be able to use and integrate spoken instructions, visual perceptions, and non-verbal clues like gestural commands. We report progress in building a hybrid architecture that combines statistical methods, neural networks, and finite state machines into an integrated system for instructing grasping tasks by man-machine interaction. The system combines the GRAVIS-robot for visual attention and gestural instruction with an intelligent interface for speech recognition and linguistic interpretation, and an modality fusion module to allow multi-modal task-oriented man-machine communication with respect to dextrous robot manipulation of objects.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Full-scale wind-tunnel investigation of static longtudinal and lateral characteristics of a light twin-engine airplane

Full scale wind tunnel investigation of lateral and longitudinal stability and control characteristics of light twin engine airplan

Spin Waves in the Ferromagnetic Ground State of the Kagome Staircase System Co3V2O8

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed on single crystal Co3V2O8 wherein magnetic cobalt ions reside on distinct spine and cross-tie sites within kagome staircase planes. This system displays a rich magnetic phase diagram which culminates in a ferromagnetic ground state below Tc~6 K. We have studied the low-lying magnetic excitations in this phase within the kagome plane. Despite the complexity of the system at higher temperatures, linear spin-wave theory describes most of the quantitative detail of the inelastic neutron measurements. Our results show two spin-wave branches, the higher energy of which displays finite spin-wave lifetimes well below Tc, and negligible magnetic exchange coupling between Co moments on the spine sites.Comment: 4 pages and 4 figure