On the prediction of critical flutter conditions from subcritical response data and some related wind-tunnel experience

Methods of interpreting response measurements which could be amenable to flight flutter testing procedures were studied analytically and in the wind tunnel. One suggested scheme, which requires evaluation, is an iterative technique in which derivatives obtained from subcritical response data are used to indicate the approach to flutter. A simplification of this procedure was considered by examining the manner in which a single characteristic of the subcritical response behaves in relation to variations of the density or dynamic pressure in the approach to flutter. The use of this single parameter scheme was examined for random excitation as well as for sinusoidal forcing. The feasibility of the method is illustrated by several examples and the relative merits of random and sinusoidal excitation are discussed

Characterization of the monocyte-specific esterase (MSE) gene

Carboxylic esterases are widely distributed in hematopoietic cells. Monocytes express the esterase isoenzyme (termed 'monocyte-specific esterase', MSE) that can be inhibited by NaF in the alpha-naphthyl acetate cytochemical staining. We examined the expression of MSE in normal cells and primary and cultured leukemia-lymphoma cells. The MSE protein was demonstrated by isoelectric focusing (IEF); MSE mRNA expression was investigated by Northern blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The following samples were positive for MSE protein and Northern mRNA expression: 20/24 monocytic, 4/32 myeloid, and 1/20 erythroid-megakaryocytic leukemia cell lines, but none of the 112 lymphoid leukemia or lymphoma cell lines; of the normal purified cell populations only the monocytes were positive whereas, T, B cells, and granulocytes were negative; of primary acute (myelo) monocytic leukemia cells (CD14-positive, FAB M4/M5 morphology) 14/20 were Northern mRNA and 11/14 IEF protein positive. RT-PCR revealed MSE expression in 29/49 Northern-negative lymphoid leukemia-lymphoma cell lines. The RT-PCR signals in monocytic cell lines were on average 50-fold stronger than the mostly weak trace expression in lymphoid specimens. On treatment with various biomodulators, only all-trans retinoic acid significantly upregulated MSE message and protein levels but could not induce new MSE expression in several leukemia cell lines; lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma increased MSE expression in normal monocytes. Analysis of DNA methylation with sensitive restriction enzymes showed no apparent regulation of gene expression by differential methylation; the MSE gene is evolutionarily conserved among mammalian species; the half-life of the human MSE transcripts was about 5-6 h. The extent of MSE expression varied greatly among different monocytic leukemia samples. However, the MSE overexpression in a significant number of specimens was not associated with gene amplification, gross structural rearrangements or point mutations within the cDNA region. Taken together, the results suggest that MSE expression is not absolutely specific for, but strongly associated with cells of the monocytic lineage; MSE is either not expressed at all or expressed at much lower levels in cells from other lineages. The biological significance, if any, of rare MSE messages in lymphoid cells detectable only by the hypersensitive RT-PCR remains unclear. Further studies on the regulation of this gene and on the physiological function of the enzyme will no doubt be informative with respect to its striking overexpression in some malignant cells and to a possible role in the pathobiology of monocytic leukemias

Diversity within Streptomyces ipomoeae based on inhibitory interactions, rep-PCR, and plasmid profiles

Streptomyces soil rot is a destructive disease of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) that causes yield loss resulting from decay of the feeder root system and reduced quality due to the presence of necrotic lesions on the storage roots. It is managed by the use of resistant cultivars, but variability of the pathogen has not been previously assessed. This study compared 36 strains of the pathogen Streptomyces ipomoeae from different locations in the United States and Japan. The strains could be separated into three groups on the basis of their ability to inhibit the growth of one another in in vitro assays. Although some strains contained plasmids of approximately 18, 42, or 270 kb in size, plasmid profiles did not correspond to inhibition grouping. Fingerprinting by repetitive element-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) using outwardly facing primers for the BOX, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC), and repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequences indicated relatively high genomic homogeneity within S. ipomoeae. However, cluster analysis of similarity coefficients among strains using rep-PCR data revealed clusters that correlated with the inhibition grouping. The neotype strain of S. ipomoeae had lower similarity values by rep-PCR than any of the other strains and could not be grouped by inhibitory interactions

Deep Learning Design for Social Innovation: Participatory Radio for Developing 21C Skills with Disenfranchised Learners

Deep Learning Design has been proposed as an approach to Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) that foregrounds principles of learning and con-text over simply extrapolating the affordances of new technologies. An original application of this approach has been within contexts necessitating social innovation to promote the inclusion, non-formal learning and employability of disenfranchised learners across Europe – RadioActive101. This approach has actively developed, implemented and evaluated five radio hubs with at-risk young people and other disenfranchised groups to develop digital competencies and employability skills for the 21st Century. This Learning Design and associated competencies are mapped to a progression and accreditation model linking EU key competencies to RadioActive101 activities and performances that are recognised through open electronic 'badges'. Evaluation findings showed particularly positive results, and impact and value beyond the non-formal learning of technical and employability skills, such as improvements in confidence, self-esteem and general self-efficacy of individuals and organisational learning and development. We conclude this article by asking how and whether current approaches to learning design can accommodate such essential psychosocial dimensions of learning

FIT-MART: Quantum Magnetism with a Gentle Learning Curve

We present a new open-source software package, FIT-MART, that allows non-experts to quickly get started simulating quantum magnetism. FIT-MART can be downloaded as a platform-idependent executable Java (JAR) file. It allows the user to define (Heisenberg) Hamiltonians by electronically drawing pictures that represent quantum spins and operators. Sliders are automatically generated to control the values of the parameters in the model, and when the values change, several plots are updated in real time to display both the resulting energy spectra and the equilibruim magnetic properties. Several experimental data sets for real magnetic molecules are included in FIT-MART to allow easy comparison between simulated and experimental data, and FIT-MART users can also import their own data for analysis and compare the goodness of fit for different models

Lift and moment coefficients expanded to the seventh power of frequency for oscillating rectangular wings in supersonic flow and applied to a specific flutter problem

Linearized theory for compressible unsteady flow is used to derive the velocity potential and lift and moment coefficients in the form of oscillating rectangular wing moving at a constant supersonic speed. Closed expressions for the velocity potential and lift and moment coefficients associated with pitching and translation are given to seventh power of the frequency. These expressions extend the range of usefulness of NACA report 1028 in which similar expressions were derived to the third power of the frequency of oscillation. For example, at a Mach number of 10/9 the expansion of the potential to the third power is an accurate representation of the potential for values of the reduced frequency only up to about 0.08; whereas the expansion of the potential to the seventh power is an accurate representation for values of the reduced frequency up to about 0.2. The section and total lift and moment coefficients are discussed with the aid of several figures. In addition, flutter speeds obtained in the Mach number range from 10/9 to 10/6 for a rectangular wing of aspect ratio 4.53 by using section coefficients derived on the basis of three-dimensional flow are compared with flutter speeds for this wing obtained by using coefficients derived on the basis of two-dimensional flow

Defect Induced Ferromagnetism in Undoped ZnO Nanoparticles

Undoped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with size ∼12 nm were produced using forced hydrolysis methods using diethylene glycol (DEG) [called ZnO-I] or denatured ethanol [called ZnO-II] as the reaction solvent; both using Zn acetate dehydrate as precursor. Both samples showed weak ferromagnetic behavior at 300 K with saturation magnetization Ms = 0.077 ± 0.002 memu/g and 0.088 ± 0.013 memu/g for ZnO-I and ZnO-II samples, respectively. Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra showed that ZnO-I nanocrystals had DEG fragments linked to their surface. Photoluminescence (PL) data showed a broad emission near 500 nm for ZnO-II which is absent in the ZnO-I samples, presumably due to the blocking of surface traps by the capping molecules. Intentional oxygen vacancies created in the ZnO-I NPs by annealing at 450 °C in flowing Ar gas gradually increased Ms up to 90 min and x-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) suggested that oxygen vacancies may have a key role in the observed changes in Ms. Finally, PL spectra of ZnO showed the appearance of a blue/violet emission, attributed to Zn interstitials,whose intensity changes with annealing time, similar to the trend seen for Ms. The observed variation in the magnetization of ZnO NP with increasing Ar annealing time seems to depend on the changes in the number of Zn interstitials and oxygen vacancies

Intense physical activity is associated with cognitive performance in the elderly

Numerous studies have reported positive impacts of physical activity on cognitive function. However, the majority of these studies have utilised physical activity questionnaires or surveys, thus results may have been influenced by reporting biases. Through the objective measurement of routine levels of physical activity via actigraphy, we report a significant association between intensity, but not volume, of physical activity and cognitive functioning. A cohort of 217 participants (aged 60–89 years) wore an actigraphy unit for 7 consecutive days and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The cohort was stratified into tertiles based on physical activity intensity. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of physical activity intensity, those in the highest tertile scored 9%, 9%, 6% and 21% higher on the digit span, digit symbol, Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) copy and Rey Figure Test 30-min recall test, respectively. Statistically, participants in the highest tertile of physical activity intensity performed significantly better on the following cognitive tasks: digit symbol, RCFT copy and verbal fluency test (all P<0.05). The results indicate that intensity rather than quantity of physical activity may be more important in the association between physical activity and cognitive function

Implementing and Evaluating the ‘space' of Participatory Radio as an Educational Intervention for Inclusion, Self-efficacy and Informal Learning

RadioActive101 is an international internet radio hub that is an educational intervention which gives a voice to disenfranchised groups throughout Europe (funded by the Nominet Trust in the UK and EU Lifelong Learning Programme). Through using radio to give a voice to these groups, such as at-risk and unemployed young people, schoolchildren in low-income areas and older people who have various challenges, RadioActive stimulates and facilitates inclusion, greater self-efficacy and informal learning of citizens who would otherwise be ‘left behind'