189,048 research outputs found
Automobile ride quality experiments correlated to iso-weighted criteria
As part of an overall study to evaluate the usefulness of ride quality criteria for the design of improved ground transportation systems an experiment was conducted involving subjective and objective measurement of ride vibrations found in an automobile riding over roadways of various roughness. Correlation of the results led to some very significant relationships between passenger rating and ride accelerations. The latter were collapsed using a frequency-weighted root mean square measure of the random vibration. The results suggest the form of a design criterion giving the relationship between ride vibration and acceptable automobile ride quality. Further the ride criterion is expressed in terms that relate to rides with which most people are familiar. The design of the experiment, the ride vibration data acquisition, the concept of frequency weighting and the correlations found between subjective and objective measurements are presented
Constraints on turbulent velocity broadening for a sample of clusters, groups and elliptical galaxies using XMM-Newton
Using the width of emission lines in XMM-Newton Reflection Grating
Spectrometer spectra, we place direct constraints on the turbulent velocities
of the X-ray emitting medium in the cores of 62 galaxy clusters, groups and
elliptical galaxies. We find five objects where we can place an upper limit on
the line-of-sight broadening of 500 km/s (90 per cent confidence level), using
a single thermal component model. Two other objects are lower than this limit
when two thermal components are used. Half of the objects examined have an
upper limit on the velocity broadening of less than 700 km/s. To look for
objects which have significant turbulent broadening, we use Chandra spectral
maps to compute the expected broadening caused by the spatial extent of the
source. Comparing these with our observed results, we find that Klemola 44 has
extra broadening at the level of 1500 km/s. RX J1347.5-1145 shows weak evidence
for turbulent velocities at 800 km/s. In addition we obtain limits on
turbulence for Zw3146, Abell 496, Abell 1795, Abell 2204 and HCG 62 of less
than 200 km/s. After subtraction of the spatial contribution and including a 50
km/s systematic uncertainty, we find at least 15 sources with less than 20 per
cent of the thermal energy density in turbulence.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, accepted by MNRAS. Includes minor edits to
proo
Red Crossbill Invasion of Northwestern Arkansas during 2012-2013
An irruption of Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) occurred in primarily northwestern Arkansas starting in November of 2012 and lasting to the end of May of 2013. Based on recordings of call notes, most birds around Fayetteville were Type 2, the large-billed ponderosa pine crossbill, associated with a variety of conifer species. Birds recorded in Carroll County were Type 3, the small-billed western hemlock crossbill, and they were associated with small cones on shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata). One recording was obtained in Fayetteville of Type 5, the lodgepole pine crossbill, only the third recording east of the Great Plains. Crossbills at the Fayetteville Country Club were observed eating algae (Cladophora sp.) during the months of December and January, a behavior rarely reported for passerines. During March, crossbills appeared at sunflower bird feeders, which is a relatively recent phenomenon associated with low conifer seed abundance. The first two Arkansas specimens of crossbills (probably Type 3) were obtained from birds that struck windows near feeders. This is only the third recorded irruption of crossbills in Arkansas in the last 43 years, suggesting that crossbills rarely travel this far south in search of cone crops
Propagation of sound through a sheared flow
Sound generated in a moving fluid must propagate through a shear layer in order to be measured by a fixed instrument. These propagation effects were evaluated for noise sources typically associated with single and co-flowing subsonic jets and for subcritical flow over airfoils in such jets. The techniques for describing acoustic propagation fall into two categories: geometric acoustics and wave acoustics. Geometric acoustics is most convenient and accurate for high frequency sound. In the frequency range of interest to the present study (greater than 150 Hz), the geometric acoustics approach was determined to be most useful and practical
Strategies to guide HIV prevention approaches: Correlation of sexually transmitted infections and sexual behaviour with risk of HIV infection
Adhesives for bonding RSI tile to GrPI structure for advanced space transportation systems
A system was developed for bonding RSI tiles to a graphite/polymide composite substrate which would withstand the full range of environmental conditions. The bonding system, designated RA59, consists of a mixture of glass (sesquisiloxane) resin in RTV 560 silicone. A significant number of data points for the RA59 are in the 65-psi failure range both when tested, and after exposure to 700 F. This is over two times the best shear and tensile values obtained with RV60 at this temperature. It is concluded that with a thorough understanding of the critical parameters involved, the higher values should be obtained consistently with the RA59. This is of particular significance if higher strength tiles were to be used in a hard-bonded configuration
Lipopolysaccharide and toll-like receptor 4 in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts
Surgical attenuation of a congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) results in increased portal vein perfusion, liver growth and clinical improvement. Portal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is implicated in liver regeneration via toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 mediated cytokine activation. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with LPS in dogs with CPSS. Plasma LPS concentrations were measured in the peripheral and portal blood using a limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.
LPS concentration was significantly greater in the portal blood compared to peripheral blood in dogs with CPSS (P = 0.046) and control dogs (P = 0.002). LPS concentrations in the peripheral (P = 0.012) and portal (P = 0.005) blood of dogs with CPSS were significantly greater than those of control dogs. The relative mRNA expression of cytokines and TLRs was measured in liver biopsies from dogs with CPSS using quantitative PCR. TLR4 expression significantly increased following partial CPSS attenuation (P = 0.020). TLR4 expression was significantly greater in dogs that tolerated complete CPSS attenuation (P = 0.011) and those with good portal blood flow on pre-attenuation (P = 0.004) and post-attenuation (P = 0.015) portovenography. Serum interleukin (IL)-6 concentration was measured using a canine specific ELISA and significantly increased 24 h following CPSS attenuation (P < 0.001). Portal LPS was increased in dogs with CPSS, consistent with decreased hepatic clearance. TLR4 mRNA expression was significantly associated with portal blood flow and increased following surgery. These findings support the concept that portal LPS delivery is important in the hepatic response to surgical attenuation. Serum IL-6 significantly increased following surgery, consistent with LPS stimulation via TLR4, although this increase might be non-specific
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