Effect of inlet port position on the static and dynamic characteristics of a journal bearing

Imperial Users onl

Do Species Evolve Through Mutations Guided by Non-Coding RNAs?

The current theory of evolution is almost the one Darwin and Wallace proposed two centuries ago and the following discoveries e.g., Mendelian genetics and neutral mutation theory have not made significant modifications. The current evolution theory relies mostly on heritable variations within species population, natural selection and genetic drift. The inability of the current theory to explain and predict biological observations, especially the emergence of evolutionary novelties, highlights the need to incorporate recent evolutionary, developmental and genetics findings in order to achieve a more comprehensive explanation of species evolution. The present paper provides significant body of evidence to substantiate a new theory to account for species evolution. The main axes of the proposed theory include: First, mutations leading to genetic novelties in a given species during evolution should be guided by the environment surrounding that species. Second, environment and germline are connected with each other via soma-germline messengers e.g., non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Third, based on the information that germline continuously receives in terms of epigenetic messengers three stages of heritable changes may occur in germline genome to produce more adaptable offspring: i, Epigenetic modifications, ii, Genetic mutations in the sequence of pre-existing genes in order to improve their potency, and iii, The production of new genes with distinct gene-coding regions, which may have their own regulatory regions.Comment: 25 pages, 0 figure

Ontology-based information standards development

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Standards may be argued to be important enablers for achieving interoperability as they aim to provide unambiguous specifications for error-free exchange of documents and information. By implication, therefore, it is important to model and represent the concept of a standard in a clear, precise and unambiguous way. Although standards development organisations usually provide guidelines for the process of developing and approving standards, they are usually more concerned with administrative aspect of the process. As a consequence, the state-of-the-art lacks practical support for developing the structure and content of a standard specification. In short, there is no systematic development method currently available: (a) For developing the conceptual model underpinning a standard; and/or (b) to guide a group of stakeholders to develop a standard specification. Semantic interoperability is considered to be an essential factor for effective interoperation – the ability to achieve semantic interoperability effectively and efficiently being strongly equated with quality by some. Semantics require that the meaning of terms, their relationships and also the restrictions and rules in the standards should be clearly defined in the early stages of standard development and act as a basis for the latter stages. This research proposes that ontology can help standards developers and stakeholders to address the issues of improving conceptual models and providing a robust and shared understanding of the domain. This thesis presents OntoStanD, a comprehensive ontology-based standards development methodology, which utilises the best practices of the existing ontology creation methods. The potential value of OntoStanD is in providing a comprehensive, clear and unambiguous method for developing robust information standards, which are more test friendly and of higher quality. OntoStanD also facilitates standards conformance testing and change management, impacts interoperability and also assists in improved communication among the standards development team. Last, OntoStanD provides an approach that is repeatable, teachable and potentially general enough for creating any kinds of information standard.Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe Ltd, Google Anitaborg Memorial Scholarshi

Analysis of Electromagnetic Scattering from Array of Time-Modulated Graphene Ribbons

An accurate and fast method is presented for scattering of electromagnetic waves from an array of time-modulated graphene ribbons. We derive a time-domain integral equation for induced surface currents under subwavelength approximation. Using the method of harmonic balance, this equation is solved for a sinusoidal modulation. The solution of the integral equation is then used to obtain the transmission and reflection coefficients of time-modulated graphene ribbon array. The accuracy of the method was verified through comparison with results of full-wave simulations. In contrast with previously reported analysis techniques, our method is extremely fast and can analyze structures with a much higher modulation frequency. The proposed method also provides interesting physical insights useful for designing novel applications and opens up new vistas in the fast design of time-modulated graphene-based devices

Quantitative determination of immunoglobulin IgM and apolipoprotein A1 in schizophrenia population

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder painful with prevalence of about 1% in the world.  Nowadays, there is no experimental test aiding the accurate diagnosis of schizophrenic patients but recently quantitative determination of some serum proteins led to many investigations on the roles of these in neuropsychiatric.In the present study, our aim is to quantitative determination ApoA1 and IgM between 134 schizophrenic patients and 127 healthy control persons. Schizophrenia patients were selected from the Tehran Razi hospital.  The age (p=0.53) and sex distributions of schizophrenic patients were similar to those of control persons. We measured ApoA1 and IgM levels by immunoturbidimetry method. P<0.05 was considered significant.  ApoA1 showed a significant decrease in serum (p=0.00) and IgM to be significantly increased (p=0.00).Furthermore, female patients showed an increase IgM more than males. These results for ApoA1 and IgM support other reports.  Decrease ApoaA1 confirmed the relationship of lipid metabolism in schizophrenia patients, also increase IgM evaluate the impact of treatment. This report can help to identify disease markers and treatment such as immunoglobulin therapy or regulate lipid metabolism. It can be imagined that immunoglobulin therapy more effective in the female patients than male and need to exp

A investigação das atividades sociais e culturais dos intelectuais em redes sociais virtuais e seu impacto na cultura política estudantil

The present research is an applied one in terms of goals and in terms of the nature and type of study as a qualitative research and is an interpretative study that uses phenomenological research strategy to explain and interpret the essence of experience from the phenomenon of intellectuals’ social and cultural activities in virtual social networks and deep knowledge of this phenomenon on students' political culture. The results show that the role of intellectuals as conscious people and awakened conscience of society, whether in civil institutions and non-political social organizations, or in the state of belonging to political parties and political organizations, generally as individuals belonging to a social stratum, in some form it affects the political culture of the community, and contributes in the dynamics and awakening of the students' social and political consciousness, ultimately to the formation of national thought and feelings.La presente investigación es aplicada en términos de objetivos y en términos de la naturaleza y tipo de estudio como una investigación cualitativa y es un estudio interpretativo que utiliza una estrategia de investigación fenomenológica para explicar e interpretar la esencia de la experiencia del fenómeno de los intelectuales. y actividades culturales en redes sociales virtuales y conocimiento profundo de este fenómeno en la cultura política de los estudiantes. Los resultados muestran que el papel de los intelectuales como personas conscientes y conciencia despierta de la sociedad, ya sea en instituciones civiles y organizaciones sociales no políticas, o en el estado de pertenencia a partidos políticos y organizaciones políticas, generalmente como individuos pertenecientes a un estrato social, de alguna forma afecta la cultura política de la comunidad y contribuye en la dinámica y el despertar de la conciencia social y política de los estudiantes, en última instancia, a la formación del pensamiento y los sentimientos nacionales.Esta pesquisa é aplicada em termos de objetivos e em termos da natureza e tipo de estudo como uma pesquisa qualitativa e é um estudo interpretativo que utiliza uma estratégia de pesquisa fenomenológica para explicar e interpretar a essência da experiência do fenômeno de intelectuais e atividades culturais em redes sociais virtuais e profundo conhecimento desse fenômeno na cultura política dos alunos. Os resultados mostram que o papel dos intelectuais como pessoas conscientes e conscientes da sociedade, seja em instituições civis e organizações sociais não-políticas, seja no estado de pertencer a partidos políticos e organizações políticas, geralmente como indivíduos pertencentes a um estrato social, de alguma forma afeta a cultura política da comunidade e contribui para a dinâmica e o despertar da consciência social e política dos estudantes, em última instância, para a formação do pensamento e sentimentos nacionais