3,340 research outputs found
The role of coherent structures in the generation of noise for subsonic jets
Acoustic measurements were made in the 'near' (r/D 60, x/D 60) field for high Reynolds number (184,000 to 262,000) axisymmetric cold air jets exhausting at atmospheric pressure. These measurements were in conjunction with an investigation which characterized the large scale coherent structure in the flow field of Mach number 0.6 to 0.8 jets. Natural jets as well as artificially excited jets were studied. Directivity plots were made for both natural jets and jets excited at various frequencies. Overall noise radiated by the jets reached a maximum value around 30 deg from the jet axis. However, individual frequencies emitted maximum sound pressure level at different angles from the jet axis. As the angle from the jet axis increased, the spectra of the noise shifted to higher frequencies
Design of thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles for real-time applications using neural networks
Thrust vectoring continues to be an important issue in military aircraft system designs. A recently developed concept of vectoring aircraft thrust makes use of flexible exhaust nozzles. Subtle modifications in the nozzle wall contours produce a non-uniform flow field containing a complex pattern of shock and expansion waves. The end result, due to the asymmetric velocity and pressure distributions, is vectored thrust. Specification of the nozzle contours required for a desired thrust vector angle (an inverse design problem) has been achieved with genetic algorithms. This approach is computationally intensive and prevents the nozzles from being designed in real-time, which is necessary for an operational aircraft system. An investigation was conducted into using genetic algorithms to train a neural network in an attempt to obtain, in real-time, two-dimensional nozzle contours. Results show that genetic algorithm trained neural networks provide a viable, real-time alternative for designing thrust vectoring nozzles contours. Thrust vector angles up to 20 deg were obtained within an average error of 0.0914 deg. The error surfaces encountered were highly degenerate and thus the robustness of genetic algorithms was well suited for minimizing global errors
Industry-Specific Human Capital and Wages: Evidence from the Business Process Outsourcing Industry
Human capital is becoming more critical as the global economy becomes more information intensive and service intensive. While IS researchers have studied some dimensions of human capital, the role of industry-specific human capital has remained understudied. The IT-enabled business process outsourcing (BPO) industry provides an ideal setting to study returns to human capital, because jobs in this industry are standardized and many professionals in this new industry have come from other industries. We build on IS and Economics literature to theorize returns to human capital in the BPO industry, and we test the theory using data for over 2,500 BPO professionals engaged in call center work and other non-voice services (e.g., accounting, finance, HR, etc.) in India during the 2006-2008 time period. We find higher returns to industry-specific human capital than to firm-specific and general human capital. We also find that junior-level professionals, whose jobs are relatively more standardized, have higher returns to industry-specific human capital than senior-level professionals. We discuss implications for further research and practice in the global economy where inter-industry transfers and migration of skills are becoming increasingly common
Analyzing Powers and Spin Correlation Coefficients for p+d Elastic Scattering at 135 and 200 MeV
The proton and deuteron analyzing powers and 10 of the possible 12 spin
correlation coefficients have been measured for p+d elastic scattering at
proton bombarding energies of 135 and 200 MeV. The results are compared with
Faddeev calculations using two different NN potentials. The qualitative
features of the extensive data set on the spin dependence in p+d elastic
scattering over a wide range of angles presented here are remarkably well
explained by two-nucleon force predictions without inclusion of a three-nucleon
force. The remaining discrepancies are, in general, not alleviated when
theoretical three-nucleon forces are included in the calculations.Comment: 43 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication by Phys. Rev.
Comparison of radioactive peptides obtained from specifically labelled human renal and placental alkaline phosphatases
Biochemical prediction of response of bone metastases to treatment.
Assessment of response of skeletal metastases to systemic therapy is currently dependent on radiological evidence of bone healing. We have performed a prospective study of additional response criteria in patients with progressive bone metastases from breast cancer. Changes in these potential markers of response were correlated with the radiological response and the time to treatment failure (TTF). Successful systemic therapy typically led to a transient increase in osteoblast activity ('flare'), a reduction in osteoclast activity and symptomatic improvement. After 1 month a greater than 10% rise in serum osteocalcin (BGP) and alkaline phosphatase bone isoenzyme (ALP-BI) and a greater than 10% fall in urinary calcium excretion were seen in 14/16 patients with radiographic evidence of bone healing (UICC partial responders). In comparison similar biochemical changes at 1 month were seen in only 4/20 patients with progressive disease (P less than 0.001). The predictive value and diagnostic efficiency (DE) of changes at 1 month in biochemical measurements and symptom score has been calculated. The combination of a greater than 10% rise in ALPBI and BGP and a greater than 10% fall in urinary calcium excretion had a DE of 89% for discriminating response from progression, 88% for response from non-response (progressing + no change patients), and 76% for TTF of greater than 6 months from TTF of less than 6 months. Serum calcium, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRP), urinary hydroxyproline excretion and bone scan changes were unhelpful in discriminating between patient groups. Independent confirmation is needed, but our results suggest there are reliable alternatives to plain radiography in the early assessment of response of bone metastases to treatment
Human papilloma virus is associated with breast cancer
Background: There is increasing evidence that high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) is involved in cancers in addition to cervical cancer. For example, it is generally accepted that HPV has a role in a significant proportion of head and neck tumours, and it has long been hypothesised that hormone dependent oncogenic viruses, such as HPV may have causal roles in some human breast cancers. A number of reports have identified HPV DNA in breast tissue and breast cancer specimens, but these rely on standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is criticised for its propensity for contamination. Methods: We have used two different technologies, in situ and standard PCR (with sequencing), and histology based on light microscopy. Results: We unambiguously demonstrate the presence of high-risk HPV in the cells of breast cancer specimens and breast cancer cell lines. In addition, we also show that the oncogenic characteristics of HPV associated breast cancer are very similar to HPV-associated cervical cancer. Specifically, that putative koilocytes are present in some HPV associated breast cancers. Interpretation: The above observations indicate a likely causal role for high-risk HPV in human breast cancer and offer the possibility of primary prevention of some breast cancers by vaccination against HPV.6 page(s
From Einstein's Theorem to Bell's Theorem: A History of Quantum Nonlocality
In this Einstein Year of Physics it seems appropriate to look at an important
aspect of Einstein's work that is often down-played: his contribution to the
debate on the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Contrary to popular opinion,
Bohr had no defence against Einstein's 1935 attack (the EPR paper) on the
claimed completeness of orthodox quantum mechanics. I suggest that Einstein's
argument, as stated most clearly in 1946, could justly be called Einstein's
reality-locality-completeness theorem, since it proves that one of these three
must be false. Einstein's instinct was that completeness of orthodox quantum
mechanics was the falsehood, but he failed in his quest to find a more complete
theory that respected reality and locality. Einstein's theorem, and possibly
Einstein's failure, inspired John Bell in 1964 to prove his reality-locality
theorem. This strengthened Einstein's theorem (but showed the futility of his
quest) by demonstrating that either reality or locality is a falsehood. This
revealed the full nonlocality of the quantum world for the first time.Comment: 18 pages. To be published in Contemporary Physics. (Minor changes;
references and author info added
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