Seebeck Coefficients in Nanoscale Junctions: Effects of Electron-vibration Scattering and Local Heating

We report first-principles calculations of inelastic Seebeck coefficients in an aluminum monatomic junction. We compare the elastic and inelastic Seebeck coefficients with and without local heating. In the low temperature regime, the signature of normal modes in the profiles of the inelastic Seebeck effects is salient. The inelastic Seebeck effects are enhanced by the normal modes, and further magnified by local heating. In the high temperature regime, the inelastic Seebeck effects are weakly suppressed due to the quasi-ballistic transport.Comment: 3 Figure

Excess pore pressures under cyclically loaded model jack-up foundations

Numerous centrifugal modelling research programmes have been carried out at Cambridge University to observe the drained response of circular foundations on sand. In this new series of centrifugal tests, the effects of excess pore pressure under spud-can foundations of a scaled model three-leg offshore jack up structure subjected to horizontal cyclic loadings were studied. The medium dense to dense sand layer under the foundation was saturated with viscous silicone oil to ensure that the transient flow could be measured and was close to the prototype response. The viscosity of the silicone oil used was about 3-4 times more than required for the prototype, to investigate the possibility of inducing liquefaction. The test series has shown that macroscopic partially drained behaviour was different from that expected in the drained or undrained conditions. Observations in the centrifuge tests indicate that there was a reduction of vertical and rotational stiffness of soil when the vertical loading during a cyclic event falls below its initial value (before the start of the cyclic event). Thus, structural design methods should if possible avoid the use of a single fixity value for design. However, the centrifuge experiments have shown that despite numerous cyclic loadings at different frequencies and amplitudes, the foundation of the model jack up structure did not fail. A comparison between the performance of Ilon-skirted and rigid vertical skirted flat spuds subjected to similar cyclic loadings was carried out to deduce the effects of suction under skirted foundations. The rigid vertical skirted foundation did not have increased fixity . The non-skirted foundations settled more than the skirted ones. During the pull-out event, much greater and more reliable selection forces were induced under the skirted foundations. The excess pore pressure behaviour under the foundation is extremely complex. There is no evidence of pore pressure building lip ill any of the events conducted in the nine tests. However, the excess pore pressure is a function of the cyclic loading amplitude, the cyclic frequency and the position under the foundation. Both double and single frequency pore pressure behaviours are present. The maximum and minimum pore pressure values do not coincide with the maximum and minimum loads. This pore pressure behaviour can be explained through the Characteristic State Concept (LlIong and Sidaller, 1981). The excess f pore pressure data can also be used to predict vertical permanent deformation and cyclic settlement profile

Evaluation of innovative sprayed-concrete-lined tunnelling

The front-shunt tunnel was the first tunnel of the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow to be constructed, and was the first section of sprayed-concrete-lined (SCL) tunnel to be constructed using the method known as LaserShell. This innovation represented a significant deviation from the methods previously used in SCL construction. Therefore it was subjected to a careful examination before and during construction using sophisticated 3D numerical modelling and monitoring during construction. The paper presents typical results from surface settlement levelling, inclinometers and extensometers, pressure cells and tunnel lining displacement measurements, and comments on the performance of the methods and instruments used. The paper then presents the methodology and typical results of the numerical modelling, and shows that the predictions of displacements and stresses compared well with the field measurements. In terms of the control of ground deformations and structural safety the tunnel performed well

New Confidence Intervals for the Difference between Two Sensitivities at a Fixed Level of Specificity

For two continuous-scale diagnostic tests, it is of interest to compare their sensitivities at a predetermined level of specificity. In this paper we propose three new intervals for the difference between two sensitivities at a fixed level of specificity. These intervals are easy to compute. We also conduct simulation studies to compare the relative performance of the new intervals with the existing normal approximation based interval proposed by Wieand et al (1989). Our simulation results show that the newly proposed intervals perform better than the existing normal approximation based interval in terms of coverage accuracy and interval length

Criterion of Incipient Re-Suspension of Deposition by Density Currents

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Constructing an Index for Brand Equity: A Hospital Example

If two hospitals are providing identical services in all respects, except for the brand name, why are customers willing to pay more for one hospital than the other? That is, the brand name is not just a name, but a name that contains value (brand equity). Brand equity is the value that the brand name endows to the product, such that consumers are willing to pay a premium price for products with the particular brand name. Accordingly, a company needs to manage its brand carefully so that its brand equity does not depreciate. Although measuring brand equity is important, managers have no brand equity index that is psychometrically robust and parsimonious enough for practice. Indeed, index construction is quite different from conventional scale development. Moreover, researchers might still be unaware of the potential appropriateness of formative indicators for operationalizing particular constructs. Towards this end, drawing on the brand equity literature and following the index construction procedure, this study creates a brand equity index for a hospital. The results reveal a parsimonious five-indicator brand equity index that can adequately capture the full domain of brand equity. This study also illustrates the differences between index construction and scale development

The Role of Formal and Social Control in Information Security Behaviors

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of formal and social control on in-role and extra-role security behaviors. Following past studies, we reexamine the effect of formal control on behaviors. Based on social control theory, we further hypothesize the effect of social control on security behaviors. Data collected from 259 members of IS departments confirmed our hypotheses that both formal control and social control generate effects on both in-role and extrarole security behaviors. Implications for academia and practitioners are also provided

FAM129B, an antioxidative protein, reduces chemosensitivity by competing with Nrf2 for Keap1 binding.

BackgroundThe transcription factor Nrf2 is a master regulator of antioxidant response. While Nrf2 activation may counter increasing oxidative stress in aging, its activation in cancer can promote cancer progression and metastasis, and confer resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, Nrf2 has been considered as a key pharmacological target. Unfortunately, there are no specific Nrf2 inhibitors for therapeutic application. Moreover, high Nrf2 activity in many tumors without Keap1 or Nrf2 mutations suggests that alternative mechanisms of Nrf2 regulation exist.MethodsInteraction of FAM129B with Keap1 is demonstrated by immunofluorescence, colocalization, co-immunoprecipitation and mammalian two-hybrid assay. Antioxidative function of FAM129B is analyzed by measuring ROS levels with DCF/flow cytometry, Nrf2 activation using luciferase reporter assay and determination of downstream gene expression by qPCR and wester blotting. Impact of FAM129B on in vivo chemosensitivity is examined in mice bearing breast and colon cancer xenografts. The clinical relevance of FAM129B is assessed by qPCR in breast cancer samples and data mining of publicly available databases.FindingsWe have demonstrated that FAM129B in cancer promotes Nrf2 activity by reducing its ubiquitination through competition with Nrf2 for Keap1 binding via its DLG and ETGE motifs. In addition, FAM129B reduces chemosensitivity by augmenting Nrf2 antioxidative signaling and confers poor prognosis in breast and lung cancer.InterpretationThese findings demonstrate the important role of FAM129B in Nrf2 activation and antioxidative response, and identify FMA129B as a potential therapeutic target. FUND: The Chang Gung Medical Foundation (Taiwan) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan)