Environmental effects on composites for aircraft

The influence of the operational environment on the behavior of composite materials and aircraft components fabricated with these composite materials was considered. Structural weight savings, manufacturing cost savings, and long-term environmental durability are among the factors examined. The flight service experience to date of composite components is evaluated. In addition, the influence of a number of worldwide, ground based outdoor exposures on the physical and mechanical properties of six composite materials is discussed. In particular, the current extent of the ultraviolet surface degradation and the moisture gained by diffusion is shown

Homological finiteness conditions for groups, monoids and algebras

Recently Alonso and Hermiller introduced a homological finiteness condition\break $bi{-}FP_n$ (here called {\it weak} $bi{-}FP_n$) for monoid rings, and Kobayashi and Otto introduced a different property, also called $bi{-}FP_n$ (we adhere to their terminology). From these and other papers we know that: $bi{-}FP_n \Rightarrow$ left and right $FP_n \Rightarrow$ weak $bi{-}FP_n$; the first implication is not reversible in general; the second implication is reversible for group rings. We show that the second implication is reversible in general, even for arbitrary associative algebras (Theorem 1'), and we show that the first implication {\it is} reversible for group rings (Theorem 2). We also show that the all four properties are equivalent for connected graded algebras (Theorem 4). A result on retractions (Theorem 3') is proved, and some questions are raised.Comment: 10 page

Present and future of proteomics data curation at the PRIDE database

Significant progress has been made in improving the accessibility and utility of the large amounts of generated high-throughput proteomics data by the introduction of publicly available proteomics repositories. One such repository is PRIDE (the ‘PRoteomics IDEntifications’ database, "http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride":http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride). PRIDE stores mass spectrometry related data, including peptide and protein identifications, mass spectra and valuable additional metadata.

At present, data curation in PRIDE is limited to data submission support. The format in which all submissions need to take place is PRIDE XML. Mass spectrometry derived data is very heterogeneous in terms of experimental approaches, instrumentation, data formats, etc. This is why conversion of all this different data to PRIDE XML is far from being trivial and can be very time consuming, since tailored submission pipelines must be often constructed. However, the situation has now ameliorated since some new tools like PRIDE converter ("http://code.google.com/p/pride-converter":http://code.google.com/p/pride-converter). are now available for submitters to convert their data to PRIDE XML.

In the near future, data curation in PRIDE will be significantly extended. High-quality data will be included in a new repository called PRIDE-plus. First of all, it will be necessary to create a set of minimal requirement rules to decide which datasets can be included in PRIDE-plus. Then, the design and implementation of new curation tools to perform data quality assessment will be essential. It will also be necessary to do research into the automation of these new curation and annotation tasks

Large-scale fiber release and equipment exposure experiments

Outdoor tests were conducted to determine the amount of fiber released in a full scale fire and trace its dissemination away from the fire. Equipment vulnerability to fire released fibers was assessed through shock tests. The greatest fiber release was observed in the shock tube where the composite was burned with a continuous agitation to total consumption. The largest average fiber length obtained outdoors was 5 mm

On Pride

In this essay, I offer a vindication of pride. I start by presenting the Christian condemnation of pride as the cardinal sin. I subsequently examine Mandeville’s line of argument whereby pride is beneficial to society, although remaining a vice for the individual. Finally, I focus on, and endorse, the analysis of pride formulated by Hume, for whom pride qualifies instead as a virtue. This is because pride not only contributes to making society flourish but also stabilizes the virtuous agent by creating a virtuous circle between our desire for self-appraisal and our aspiration to act morally. I conclude by underscoring the (virtuous) connection between pride and modesty, concomitantly arguing that humility should be discarded as vicious

Pride, Achievement, and Purpose

Pride in our own actions tells a story: we faced a challenge, overcame it, and achieved something praiseworthy. In this paper, I draw on recent psychological literature to distinguish to between two varieties of pride, 'authentic' pride that focuses on particular efforts (like guilt) and 'hubristic' pride that focuses on the whole self (like shame). Achievement pride is fitting when either efforts or traits explain our success in meeting contextually relevant, authoritative, and challenging standards without excessive opportunity cost. When it is fitting, our lives are at least somewhat meaningful

Pride Overcometh

A couple weeks ago I got the chance to wave to Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. They waved back from the stage as the curtain dropped. Jess leaned in to me. I didn\u27t realize that this is what history is to you, she said, with a bit of derision in her voice. I understand my wife\u27s derision. Disney World is not the first place that comes to mind when most people think of powerful and meaningful history. But for me, it is where I began to find the magic in history. [excerpt

Points of Pride

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