Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model predictions and experimental results for the rotordynamic characteristics of leakage flows in centrifugal pumps

The role played by fluid forces in determining the rotordynamic stability and characteristics of a centrifugal pump is gaining increasing attention. The present research investigates the contributions to the rotordynamic forces from the discharge-to-suction leakage flows between the front shroud of the rotating impeller and the stationary pump casing. An experiment was designed to measure the rotordynamic shroud forces due to simulated leakage flows for different parameters such as flowrate, shroud clearance, face seal clearance, and eccentricity. The functional dependence on the ratio of whirl frequency to rotating frequency (termed the whirl ratio) is very similar to that measured in experiments and similar to that predicted by the theoretical work of Childs [1]. Childs' bulk flow model yielded some unusual results including peaks in the rotordynamic forces at particular positive whirl ratios, a phenomenon which Childs tentatively described as a "resonance" of the leakage flow. This unexpected phenomenon developed at small positive whirl ratios when the inlet swirl velocity ratio exceeds about 0.5. Childs points out that a typical swirl velocity ratio at inlet (pump discharge) would be about 0.5 and may not, therefore, be large enough for the resonance to be manifest. To explore whether this effect occurs, an inlet guide vane was constructed which introduced a known amount of swirl into the flow upstream of the leakage flow inlet. A detailed comparison of model predictions with the present experimental program is presented. The experimental results showed no evidence of the "resonances," even at much larger swirl inlet velocities than explored by Childs.
The influence of aging on the in vivo properties of human patellar tendon

We investigated the in vivo mechanical properties of the patellar tendon in 37 men and women (11 Young, 27±1 y; 26 Old, 65±1 y). Patella and tibial displacement were monitored with ultrasonography during ramped isometric contractions of the knee extensors and magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine tendon cross‐sectional area (CSA), length, and signal intensity (SI). At maximal levels of force, deformation (15%, p=0.05), stress (23%), and strain (13%) were higher in Young compared to Old (p<0.05). However, aging did not alter the force‐deformation or stress‐strain characteristics of the patellar tendon. Tendon CSA (12%) and SI (24%) decreased with aging (p<0.05) but these differences were isolated to the mid‐region of the tendon. Independent of age, deformation (18%), stiffness (35%), stress (41%), CSA (28%), and length (11%) were greater (p<0.05) in men compared to women. After force normalization, stress (26%) and strain (22%) were higher in women compared to men (p<0.05). Declines in quadriceps muscle function with aging are not a result of changes in patellar tendon mechanical properties. The age‐associated decrease in SI indirectly suggests that the internal milieu of the tendon is altered with aging.
Carbon Microtubes and Conical Carbon Nanotubes

One-dimensional and conical carbon structures were reported as early as 1960 [1,2], however, no evidence of hollowness was presented at that time. The carbon nanotubes were discovered much later in 1991 [3], consisting of single or multiple layers of cylindrical graphene sheets. The morphology of all the derived structures of nanotubes was primarily cylindrical in nature with internal diameters ranging from 1 to 25 nm [4]. In the last five years, a number of new morphologies of carbon tubular structures with hollow cores have been discovered. These include the conical carbon morphologies tapering from micronsized base to a nanometer scale tip [5–7], with a hollow core not exceeding few tens of nanometers, and micron-scale morphologies with internal diameters exceeding several hundred nanometers [8–10]. All these morphologies are unique compared to carbon nanotubes in that they provide a clearer connection between the micrometer and nanometer scales, at the same time facilitating newer applications [6]. The promising application areas include electrochemistry, biosensors, field emission, high surface area catalysts/supports, and possibly drug delivery. This chapter is devoted to providing a detailed discussion on their synthesis, possible growth mechanisms, and applications.
Visceral obesity is associated with increased soluble CD163 concentration in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Monocyte/macrophage-specific soluble CD163 (sCD163) concentration is associated with insulin resistance and increases with deteriorating glycemic control independently of BMI. This led to the proposal of the hypothesis that obesity-associated white adipose tissue inflammation varies between individuals. The objective was to examine the effect of male overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on associations between adiposity parameters and sCD163. A total of 23 overweight/obese non-diabetic men, 16 overweight/obese men with T2DM, and a control group of 20 normal-weight healthy men were included. Body composition and regional body fat distribution were determined by whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry scan and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. Serum sCD163 concentrations were determined by ELISA. Associations between adiposity parameters and sCD163 were investigated using multiple linear regression analysis. In the normal-weight healthy men, there was no significant association between adiposity parameters and sCD163, whereas in the overweight/obese non-diabetic men, measures of general and regional adiposity were positively associated with sCD163. In the overweight/obese men with T2DM, only visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and the ratio of VAT to abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), a measure of relative body fat distribution between VAT and SAT depots, were positively associated with sCD163. In a multivariate analysis, including VAT, upper-body SAT, and lower-body fat, adjusted for BMI and age, VAT remained a significant predictor of sCD163 in the overweight/obese T2DM men, but not in the overweight/obese non-diabetic men. Our results indicate that VAT inflammation is exaggerated in men with T2DM, and that propensity to store excess body fat viscerally is particularly detrimental in men with T2DM.
Humanoid robot intervention in social skill augmentation of brain-impaired children: The ethics

This paper provides insights on the ethics involved in using humanoids for social skill augmentation of brain impaired children. For a developing nation like Malaysia, where tradition and religious values are of significant importance to the melting pot populace, an ethics draft or framework should be in place as humanoid assistive technology for brain-impaired children is new and at the infant stage. Furthermore, intervening into the inclusive environment of the special-needs children requires tact and diplomacy. Nevertheless, based on comprehensive library research and secondary data analysis, an ethic draft or framework is required because of the sensitivity to cultural norms. In addition, continued promotion of using human-like robots in educating and skilling the special-needs children will lead to a gradual understanding and acceptance for the teachers, caregivers, parents, and other stakeholders. As such, the ethical concerns are described and discussed including identifying ways in which robots could have a negative impact of impeding the access of the brain-impaired children to essential capabilities and the social implications of being around machines. It is also recommended that a policy on robotic assistive technology and pediatric psychology be drafted as this is a new area for Malaysia. Lastly, respect and dignity of the brain-impaired children should, at all times, be practiced as they too have their rights as a human being and a citizen of Malaysia.
Characterization of biphenyl catabolic genes of gram-positive polychlorinated biphenyl degrader Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1

Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1 is a gram-positive polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrader which can degrade 10 ppm of PCB48 (equivalent to Aroclor1248), including tri-, tetra-, and pentachlorobiphenyls, in a few days. We isolated the 7.6-kb EcoRI-BamHI fragment carrying the biphenyl catabolic genes of RHA1 and determined their nucleotide sequence. On the basis of deduced amino acid sequence homology, we identified six bph genes, bphA1A2A3A4, bphB, and bphC, that are responsible for the initial three steps of biphenyl degradation. The order of bph genes in RHA1 is bphA1A2A3A4-bphC-bphB. This gene order differs from that of other PCB degraders reported previously. The amino acid sequences deduced from the RHA1 bph genes have a higher degree of homology with the tod genes from Pseudomonas putida F1 (49 to 79%) than with the bph genes of Pseudomonas sp. strains KF707 and KKS102 (30 to 65%). In Escherichia coli, bphA gene activity was not observed even when expression vectors were used. The activities of bphB and bphC, however, were confirmed by observing the transformation of biphenyl to a meta-cleavage compound with the aid of benzene dioxygenase activity that complemented the bphA gene activity (S. Irie, S. Doi, T. Yorifuji, M. Takagi, and K. Yano, J. Bacteriol. 169:5174-5179, 1987). The expected products of the cloned bph genes, except bphA3, were observed in E. coli in an in vitro transcription-translation system. Insertion mutations of bphA1 and bphC of Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1 were constructed by gene replacement with cloned gene fragments. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Relationship between Learning Experiences, Selves, and Motivated Learning Behavior in Iranian EFL Learners

This study attempts to reinterpret language learning motivation through applying the new theory of the L2 Motivational Self System by Dörnyei (2005, 2009), which has not received due attention and consideration in the context of foreign language. The overriding aim guiding this research was to empirically examine how three main components of the mentioned theory, namely, the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self and the L2 learning experiences, were related to the motivated learning behavior among elementary and advanced EFL learners. The study was designed using a mixed methods approach, with a primary quantitative research instrument being supported by secondary qualitative data. The main quantitative instrument was an attitudinal questionnaire conducted among 142 elementary and advanced EFL learners in both sexes, in two English language institutions in Isfahan, Iran. The qualitative data was collected from a set of interviews with a total of 8 female learners of English in the same places. Analysis of the achieved data provided convincing support for four claims. Firstly, the findings confirmed that the Dörnyei’s (2005, 2009) L2 Motivational Self System can be validated in the Iranian context. Second, the ideal L2 self and L2 learning experiences represented a significant relationship with motivated learning behavior in both groups, while the relation between ought-to L2 self and motivated learning behavior was significant but weak in case of elementary, and non-significant in case of advanced students. Third, the research found that among the three dependent variables, the L2 learning experiences had the most significant relationship with L2 motivation than the other two. Finally, it was shown by the achieved data that the L2 learning experiences and the ought-to L2 self were considerably higher for elementary students, whereas the ideal L2 self was fairly the same for both groups. © 2013 Elixir All rights reserved ARTICLE INFO Article h istory: Received: 13 July 2013; Received in revised form: 20 September 2013; Accepted: 30 September 2013;
Assessing the Impact of Algorithmic Trading on Markets: A Simulation Approach

Innovative automated execution strategies like Algorithmic Trading gain significant market share on electronic market venues worldwide, although their impact on market outcome has not been investigated in depth yet. In order to assess the impact of such concepts, e.g. effects on the price formation or the volatility of prices, a simulation environment is presented that provides stylized implementations of algorithmic trading behavior and allows for modeling latency. As simulations allow for reproducing exactly the same basic situation, an assessment of the impact of algorithmic trading models can be conducted by comparing different simulation runs including and excluding a trader constituting an algorithmic trading model in its trading behavior. By this means the impact of Algorithmic Trading on different characteristics of market outcome can be assessed. The results indicate that large volumes to execute by the algorithmic trader have an increasing impact on market prices. On the other hand, lower latency appears to lower market volatility.
Lesions of Orbitofrontal Cortex Impair Rats' Differential Outcome Expectancy Learning But Not Conditioned Stimulus-Potentiated Feeding

Patients with damage to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) display various impairments in cognitive and affective function, including a reduced ability to use information about the consequences of their actions to guide their behavior. In this study, rats with neurotoxic lesions of the OFC failed to use specific expectancies about outcomes to guide their learning of an instrumental discrimination task. In contrast, lesioned rats were unimpaired in a measure of learned motivational function, the potentiation of feeding under conditions of food satiation, by a conditioned stimulus that had been paired with food while the rats were food deprived. Notably, performance of both of these tasks has been shown to depend on the function of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a region that is richly interconnected with the OFC. Thus, the present results are consistent with the view that the acquisition and use of specific outcome expectancies to guide behavior critically involve a neural system that includes the BLA and the OFC, but they indicate that certain motivational properties acquired by cues on the basis of appetitive learning involve BLA circuitry apart from the OFC.
The Effect of Acculturation on Chinese International Students’ Usage of Facebook and Renren

Lisa Hanasono, Advisor Drawing from the theoretical framework of uses and gratifications theory, this project explored the ways that acculturation affects Chinese international college students’ usage of two social networking sites, Facebook and Renren. An online survey was conducted to gather data about Chinese international students' acculturation levels and their usage of and gratifications for Facebook (N = 144) and Renren (N = 106). Pearson correlations and bootstrapping analyses were performed. Results showed that the adaptation to American culture was positively related to participants’ gratifications for and usage of Facebook. Moreover, gratifications mediated the relationship between acculturation and Facebook usage. Similarly, participants’ identification with Chinese culture was positively associated with their gratifications for Renren. However, acculturation was not found to be correlated with Renren usage. These findings have several implications for uses and gratifications theory, the bidimensional model of acculturation, and ethnic media use studies. In addition, this study provides suggestions for acculturative stress coping programs and marketers’ use of social networking sites.
The Extremely Active 1995 Atlantic Hurricane Season: Environmental Conditions and Verification of Seasonal Forecasts

Abstract The 1995 Atlantic hurricane season was a year of near-record hurricane activity with a total of 19 named storms (average is 9.3 for the base period 1950–90) and 11 hurricanes (average is 5.8), which persisted for a total of 121 named storm days (average is 46.6) and 60 hurricane days (average is 23.9), respectively. There were five intense (or major) Saffir–Simpson category 3, 4, or 5 hurricanes (average is 2.3 intense hurricanes) with 11.75 intense hurricane days (average is 4.7). The net tropical cyclone activity, based upon the combined values of named storms, hurricanes, intense hurricanes, and their days present, was 229% of the average. Additionally, 1995 saw the return of hurricane activity to the deep tropical latitudes: seven hurricanes developed south of 25°N (excluding all of the Gulf of Mexico) compared with just one during all of 1991–94. Interestingly, all seven storms that formed south of 20°N in August and September recurved to the northeast without making landfall in the United S.
Performance Evaluation of Damaged Integrated Girder Bridges

5 Introduction . 6 Monitoring and Inspection of In-Service Bridges . 7 Problem to Address . 8 Challenges for Evaluating Bridge Performance . 10 Investigation Approach . 11 Numerical Modeling and Analysis . 12 Phase I: Intact Element-Level Validation . 13 Phase II: Intact System-Level Validation . 15 Phase III: Damaged Element-Level Validation . 18 Phase IV: System-Level Damage Integration . 20 System Performance and Safety Assessment . 22 Member Failure . 24 Ultimate Limit State . 25 Functionality Limit State . 25 Damaged Condition Limit State . 25 Redundancy Factors . 26 Application to In-Service Structures . 27 Conclusions . 28 References . 29
Survey on QoS management of VoIP

In this paper, we present a survey on management mechanisms used for ensuring the quality of services (QoS) for voice-over IP (VoIP) applications. We first address the motivations of QoS management for VoIP. We then partition the system into two management planes, data plane and control plane, and describe mechanisms in each plane respectively. In data plane, we cover several important techniques including packet classifier, buffer management, scheduling, loss recovery, and error concealment. In control plane, we describe admission control, resource provisioning, traffic engineering, and connection management etc. As we will see, admission control plays a critical role in QoS for VoIP. Thus, we will discuss methodologies used in admission control in detail. Specifically, we examine parameter-based and measurement-based admission control algorithms, and their use in VoIP. Finally, we discuss limitations of current technologies and future research issues in providing QoS to VoIP applications.
Photochemical isomerization in solution. Photophysics of diphenyl butadiene

We have examined the radiative and nonradiative decay rates of diphenyl butadiene in hydrocarbon and polar solvents as a function of temperature and pressure. We demonstrate that the radiative rate constant has a small dependence on solvent polarizability, in contrast to what is observed for diphenylhexatriene. We make an explicit separation of the internal molecular barrier to isomerization and the barrier due to frictional forces in the solvent. The energy of the internal barrier to isomerization is less than the activation energy observed in solution, and depends on the polarizability and polarity of the solvent. In contrast to diphenylhexatriene, it decreases, in more polar solvents. We compare the viscosity dependence of the barrier crossing process with Kramers’ theory, the recent kinetic theory result of Skinner and Wolynes [J. Chem. Phys. 69, 2143 (1978)], and the free volume theory of Gegiou, Muzkat, and Fischer, [J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 90, 12 (1968)]. Our data clearly show that the isomerization process is in the intermediate friction limit and we obtain experimental values for the parameters of the three theories. Over the viscosity region studied, Kramers’ and Skinner and Wolynes’ equations coincide exactly and do not reproduce the functional dependence of the radiationless rate pre‐exponential factor as well as the free volume theory. We speculate that it may be necessary to consider the frequency dependence of medium viscosity.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Insulin Resistance and Truncal Obesity as Important Determinants of the Greater Incidence of Diabetes in Indian Asians and African Caribbeans Compared With Europeans

Participants were without diabetes, aged 40 – 69 at baseline (1989 – 1991), and followed-up for 20 years. Baseline measurements included fasting and postglucose bloods, anthropometry, and lifestyle questionnaire. Incident diabetes was identi ﬁ ed from medical records and participant recall. Ethnic differences in diabetes incidence were examined using competing risks regression. Incident diabetes was identi ﬁ ed in 196 of 1,354 (14%) Europeans, 282 of 839 (34%) Indian Asians, and 100 of 335 (30%) African Caribbeans. All Indian Asians and African Caribbeans were ﬁ rst-generation migrants. Compared with Europeans, age-adjusted subhazard ratios (SHRs [95% CI]) for men and women, respectively, were 2.88 (95%, 2.36 – 3.53; P , 0.001) and 1.91 (1.18 – 3.10; P = 0.008) in Indian Asians, and 2.23 (1.64 – 3.03; P , 0.001) and 2.51 (1.63 – 3.87; P , 0.001) in African Caribbeans. Differences in baseline insulin resistance and truncal obesity largely attenuated the ethnic minority excess in women (adjusted SHRs: Indian Asians 0.77 [0.49 – 1.42]; P = 0.3; African Caribbeans 1.48 [0.89 – 2.45]; P = 0.13), but not in men (adjusted SHRs: Indian Asians 1.98 [1.52 – 2.58]; P , 0.001 and African Caribbeans, 2.05 [1.46 – 2.89; P , 0.001]). CONCLUSIONS d Insulin resistance and truncal obesity account for the twofold excess incidence of diabetes in Indian Asian and African Caribbean women, but not men. Explanations for the excess diabetes risk in ethnic minority men remains unclear. Further study requires more precise measures of conventional risk factors and identi ﬁ cation of novel risk factors.
High IgE sensitization to maize and rice pollen in the highlands of Madagascar

Introduction Maize and rice are two crops constituting the main food supply in many under-developed and developing countries. Despite the large area devoted to the culture, the sensitization to the pollen from these plants is reported to be low and often considered as an occupational allergy. Methods Sixty five Malagasy pollen allergic patients were clinically and immunochemically investigated with regard to maize and rice pollen allergens. Pollen extracts were electrophoretically separated in 1 and 2 dimensions and IgE and IgG reactivities detected upon immunoblotting. Results When exploring the sensitization profile of Malagasy allergic patients to maize and rice pollen, it appears that a high proportion of these patients consulting during grass pollinating season were sensitized to both pollen as revealed by skin prick testing (62 vs. 59%) and IgE immunoblotting (85 vs. 40%). Several clinically relevant allergens were recognized by patients’ serum IgE in maize and rice pollen extracts. Conclusion The high levels of maize and rice pollen sensitization should be related, in this tropical region, to a specific environmental exposure including i) a proximity of the population to the allergenic sources and ii) a putative exacerbating effect of a highly polluted urban atmosphere on pollen allergenicity. Cross-reactivities between wild and cultivated grasses and also between rice and maize pollen are involved as well as some specific maize sensitizations. The presence of dense urban and peri-urban agriculture, in various African regions and worldwide, could be a high environmental risk factor for people sensitive to maize pollen.