bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magic
Authors: Davies Owen
Published: September 2013

Magic: A Very Short Introduction describes the many manifestations of magic — the supernatural, superstition, simple illusions, religious miracles, and fantasies of the imagination. It explores the ways in which magic, as an idea and a practice, has been understood and employed over the millennia. The controversy, conflict, and debate magic has caused is highlighted and the relationship between magic and science is examined. This VSI concludes that magic is perhaps an inherent aspect of being human, that we all have engaged at some point in ‘magical thinking’, and that magic continues to pervade the popular imagination — and will do for the foreseeable future.
Anthropologies of magic
Authors: Davies Owen
Published: September 2013

In ‘Anthropologies of magic’ thinkers such as Marx, Hegel, Frazer, Durkheim, Douglas, Mauss, and Spence address the place of magic in modern Europe. Debates rage over whether magic pre-dates religion or magic gives rise to religion. Darwin' Origin of Species places science at the pinnacle of human achievement — and magic comes to represent its most primitive depths. The importance of the symbolic, the psychological, and gender are also hotly contested. Anthropologists become important to the study of magic as they ask Why does magic work for some people? What is a magical worldview? Is magic just about envy? Do limited-good societies explain the power of magic?
Writing magic
Authors: Davies Owen
Published: September 2013

‘Writing magic’ asks, Are words magical? Magic is mentioned in most of the world's sacred religious texts; universal access to these texts is relatively recent — historically, they could be used to support, destroy, or make, magic. In the Christian tradition, Moses is associated with magic, but why? When does the recitation of Koranic verses tip over from devotion to magic incantation? All religions with a written tradition find their words being used in amulets and talismans, worn for protection and luck. Some Hebraic or Arabic letters are deemed to have magical power or to attract it. Books of magic and the history of grimoires, handbooks of magic, are discussed.
Practising magic
Authors: Davies Owen
Published: September 2013

You have to ‘do’ magic — it's a practical action. In ‘Practising magic’ magical actions, such as the sympathetic magic (voodoo dolls), the doctrine of signatures (powerful plants), and contagious magic (passing on magic via objects) are examined. Magicians use magic to serve the needs of people, and there are two types of magician: religious and lay. In North Africa marabout interpret the Koran for the benefit of others, in Europe Catholic priests performed exorcisms. These people were at the centre of societies. Lay magicians (fortune tellers, healers, witch-finders) were denounced as cunning, what they did was often against the law, and they were on the margins of society.
Magic and the modern world
Authors: Davies Owen
Published: September 2013

‘Magic and the modern world’ looks at the return to magic. The Victorian middle classes embraced spiritualism and the Theosophical movement. Mechanisation, urbanisation and pollution prompted nostalgia for a nature-centred past. Freemasonry ritualised Judaeo-Christian magic, originally formulated in medieval Europe. Paganism acquired a Romantic appeal and poets and artists sung its praises. New inventions, such as the camera, provide artefacts — photographs — that are used for magic rituals and incantations. In Africa the mobile phone has facilitated the sale of spells and charms via specially created apps. What constitutes ‘magical thinking’ and ‘magical experience’ in the 21st century? Anthropologists now think that magical thinking helps us to cope with stress and trauma.
Saying everything
Authors: Eaglestone Robert
Published: September 2013

‘Saying everything’ argues that contemporary fiction matters because it is how we work out who we are now, today. The novel is the best way of doing this. Of all the arts, the novel is the most thoughtful, the closest, and the most personal. It can be about anything, and can take any form or forms it chooses. The novel, like the human species, is now global and the form is still coming to terms with this deep and recent change. In the absence of any real agreement about when ‘contemporary’ is, this VSI takes it to mean the last ten years or so.
Genre
Authors: Eaglestone Robert
Published: September 2013

‘Genre’ discusses one of the most important ideas in contemporary fiction. Genres mark out, or name, ‘lines of descent’, with previous novels influencing any piece of contemporary writing. Genre enables people to shape their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and interests, both as writers and as readers. It has also been intimately connected to ideas about literary value, with unfavourable comparisons being drawn between, say, historical novels, thrillers or science fiction and literary fiction. While ‘genre fiction’ is no longer considered inferior, it is nevertheless limited. In a sense, it risks betraying what literature can do. Whereas literature allows one to say anything, a work of genre fiction has limits and rules.
The present
Authors: Eaglestone Robert
Published: September 2013

‘The present’ argues that, whether or not a novel chooses to focus on something in the present, it will inescapably be in some way about the time of its writing. The novel is an indispensable marker of what it is to be alive and human today. It can point out, enact, and make intelligible the significance of our lives. However, the novel form looks weak in comparison to the weight of power, suffering, exploitation, and destruction in the world. A recurring theme in contemporary fiction is that the novel can no longer compete with politics on political terms, leading to a new humility about what it can do.
Conclusion: ‘Hey everyone, look at that beautiful thing’ / ‘Yes, but …’
Authors: Eaglestone Robert
Published: September 2013

The Conclusion defines literary criticism, looks at the role of the author, and discusses the extent to which criticism should be given and taken. The novel, as with other forms of art, needs not only creators but also what Martin Heidegger calls ‘preservers’. People who write novels ‘in the tradition of’ or reproduce generic types of fiction fulfil this role, and so do critics. The task of the critic is to make works intelligible and understood and to think about the role of the novel in the wider world. Novels are beautiful and important.
Introduction
Authors: Hawley Katherine
Published: September 2013

What would a life without trust be like? We would be paralysed by inaction. We trust different types of people, from casual acquaintances, such as the milkman to the man on the radio telling us the news. We also trust strangers and institutions. Trust is essential to life as we can't do everything for ourselves. The Introduction asks: is distrust essential as well? Why might we buy organic food? Is it because we distrust the big producers' claims that the food they produce is safe to eat? Why do we lock our front doors? Why don't we let young children choose what to eat for breakfast?
Knowledge and expertise
Authors: Hawley Katherine
Published: September 2013

We need more than good intentions to trust. We also need competence. The knowledge aspect of trust is less morally weighted than the honesty aspect of trust. ‘Knowledge and expertise’ looks in detail at this side of trust. Does trustworthiness always require expertise? Self-knowledge of what commitments can be fulfilled and honesty in what can be achieved play important roles in trustworthiness. However, sometimes we are prone to over-estimating our ability. Most of us consider ourselves to be above average. Are we free to choose who we trust? What damage do we cause ourselves if we choose not to trust?
Trust on the internet
Authors: Hawley Katherine
Published: September 2013

The Internet is well-known for its fakes and frauds. These exist in the real world too, but the Internet amplifies and changes what is possible, for both better and worse. The many ways in which we use the Internet raises many different issues abut trust. We trust so much of what is on the Internet. ‘Trust on the internet’ discusses three case studies: Wikipedia,, online dating, and customer reviews. When can you trust what is read on Wikipedia or customer reviews on Amazon? How does a company seek to gain, and how much can it lose, from posting false reviews about its goods or services?
Institutions, conspiracies, and nations
Authors: Hawley Katherine
Published: September 2013

How does our attitude to trust and distrust apply to our relationships with institutions, public figures, or social groups? What is the difference between trusting a politician and trusting the government? We generally distrust politicians, journalists, newsreaders, scientists, and doctors, in that order. Honesty is a personal character trait which holds moral weight. ‘Institutions, conspiracies, and nations’ examines issues related to trusting public figures and public groups, conspiracy theories, and trust in international relations. The boundaries of ‘professional capacity’ can be blurry when someone acts as a professional and speaks for a profession. How do we decide who to trust in the public eye?
Conclusion The importance of being trustworthy
Authors: Hawley Katherine
Published: September 2013

What is more important: trust or trustworthiness? Is trustworthiness valuable for its own sake, or only when it attracts the trust of others? The practice of living up to our commitments, being considerate about what we take on and then following through, is a form of trustworthiness that has inherent value. This also goes for living up to our commitments in what we say, being thoughtful about what we choose to discuss, being honest, and not representing ourselves as more knowledgeable than we are. This sort of trustworthiness attracts further trust. The importance of being trustworthy is central to many areas of life.
Humble origins for a successful strategy: complete enrolment in early Cambrian olenellid trilobites
Authors: Ortega-Hernández Javier , Esteve Jorge , Butterfield Nicholas J.
Published: September 2013

Trilobites are typified by the behavioural and morphological ability to enrol their bodies, most probably as a defence mechanism against adverse environmental conditions or predators. Although most trilobites could enrol at least partially, there is uncertainty about whether olenellids—among the most phylogenetically and stratigraphically basal representatives—could perform this behaviour because of their poorly caudalized trunk and scarcity of coaptative devices. Here, we report complete—but not encapsulating—enrolment for the olenellid genusMummaspisfrom the early Cambrian Mural Formation in Alberta, the earliest direct evidence of this strategy in the fossil record of polymerid trilobites. Complete enrolment in olenellids was achieved through a combination of ancestral morphological features, and thus provides new information on the character polarity associated with this key trilobite adaptation.
Complexity of physiological responses decreases in high-stress musical performance
Authors: Williamon Aaron , Aufegger Lisa , Wasley David , Looney David , Mandic Danilo P.
Published: September 2013

For musicians, performing in front of an audience can cause considerable apprehension; indeed, performance anxiety is felt throughout the profession, with wide ranging symptoms arising irrespective of age, skill level and amount of practice. A key indicator of stress is frequency-specific fluctuations in the dynamics of heart rate known as heart rate variability (HRV). Recent developments in sensor technology have made possible the measurement of physiological parameters reflecting HRV non-invasively and outside of the laboratory, opening research avenues for real-time performer feedback to help improve stress management. However, the study of stress using standard algorithms has led to conflicting and inconsistent results. Here, we present an innovative and rigorous approach which combines: (i) a controlled and repeatable experiment in which the physiological response of an expert musician was evaluated in a low-stress performance and a high-stress recital for an audience of 400 people, (ii) a piece of music with varying physical and cognitive demands, and (iii) dynamic stress level assessment with standard and state-of-the-art HRV analysis algorithms such as those within the domain of complexity science which account for higher order stress signatures. We show that this offers new scope for interpreting the autonomic nervous system response to stress in real-world scenarios, with the evolution of stress levels being consistent with the difficulty of the music being played, superimposed on the stress caused by performing in front of an audience. For an emerging class of algorithms that can analyse HRV independent of absolute data scaling, it is shown that complexity science performs a more accurate assessment of average stress levels, thus providing greater insight into the degree of physiological change experienced by musicians when performing in public.
Large deformation contact mechanics of a pressurized long rectangular membrane. II. Adhesive contact
Authors: Srivastava Abhishek , Hui Chung-Yuen
Published: September 2013

In part I of this work, we presented a theory for adhesionless contact of a pressurized neo-Hookean plane-strain membrane to a rigid substrate. Here, we extend our theory to include adhesion using a fracture mechanics approach. This theory is used to study contact hysteresis commonly observed in experiments. Detailed analysis is carried out to highlight the differences between frictionless and no-slip contact. Membrane detachment is found to be strongly dependent on adhesion: for low adhesion, the membrane ‘pinches-off’, whereas for large adhesions, it detaches unstably at finite contact (‘pull-off’). Expressions are derived for the critical adhesion needed for pinch-off to pull-off transition. Above a threshold adhesion, the membrane exhibits bistability, two stable states at zero applied pressure. The condition for bistability for both frictionless and no-slip boundary conditions is obtained explicitly.
Signal verification can promote reliable signalling
Authors: Broom Mark , Ruxton Graeme D. , Schaefer H. Martin
Published: September 2013

The central question in communication theory is whether communication is reliable, and if so, which mechanisms select for reliability. The primary approach in the past has been to attribute reliability to strategic costs associated with signalling as predicted by the handicap principle. Yet, reliability can arise through other mechanisms, such as signal verification; but the theoretical understanding of such mechanisms has received relatively little attention. Here, we model whether verification can lead to reliability in repeated interactions that typically characterize mutualisms. Specifically, we model whether fruit consumers that discriminate among poor- and good-quality fruits within a population can select for reliable fruit signals. In our model, plants either signal or they do not; costs associated with signalling are fixed and independent of plant quality. We find parameter combinations where discriminating fruit consumers can select for signal reliability by abandoning unprofitable plants more quickly. This self-serving behaviour imposes costs upon plants as a by-product, rendering it unprofitable for unrewarding plants to signal. Thus, strategic costs to signalling are not a prerequisite for reliable communication. We expect verification to more generally explain signal reliability in repeated consumer–resource interactions that typify mutualisms but also in antagonistic interactions such as mimicry and aposematism.
Evolution of recombination in eutherian mammals: insights into mechanisms that affect recombination rates and crossover interference
Authors: Segura Joana , Ferretti Luca , Ramos-Onsins Sebastián , Capilla Laia , Farré Marta , Reis Fernanda , Oliver-Bonet Maria , Fernández-Bellón Hugo , Garcia Francisca , Garcia-Caldés Montserrat , Robinson Terence J. , Ruiz-Herrera Aurora
Published: September 2013

Recombination allows faithful chromosomal segregation during meiosis and contributes to the production of new heritable allelic variants that are essential for the maintenance of genetic diversity. Therefore, an appreciation of how this variation is created and maintained is of critical importance to our understanding of biodiversity and evolutionary change. Here, we analysed the recombination features from species representing the major eutherian taxonomic groups Afrotheria, Rodentia, Primates and Carnivora to better understand the dynamics of mammalian recombination. Our results suggest a phylogenetic component in recombination rates (RRs), which appears to be directional, strongly punctuated and subject to selection. Species that diversified earlier in the evolutionary tree have lower RRs than those from more derived phylogenetic branches. Furthermore, chromosome-specific recombination maps in distantly related taxa show that crossover interference is especially weak in the species with highest RRs detected thus far, the tiger. This is the first example of a mammalian species exhibiting such low levels of crossover interference, highlighting the uniqueness of this species and its relevance for the study of the mechanisms controlling crossover formation, distribution and resolution.
Chromosome-wide profiling of X-chromosome inactivation and epigenetic states in fetal brain and placenta of the opossum, Monodelphis domestica
Authors: Wang Xu , Douglas Kory C. , VandeBerg John L. , Clark Andrew G. , Samollow Paul B.
Published: September 2013

Evidence from a few genes in diverse species suggests that X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in marsupials is characterized by exclusive, but leaky inactivation of the paternally derived X chromosome. To study the phenomenon of marsupial XCI more comprehensively, we profiled parent-of-origin allele-specific expression, DNA methylation, and histone modifications in fetal brain and extra-embryonic membranes in the gray, short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). The majority of X-linked genes (152 of 176 genes with trackable SNP variants) exhibited paternally imprinted expression, with nearly 100% of transcripts derived from the maternal allele; whereas 24 loci (14%) escaped inactivation, showing varying levels of biallelic expression. In addition to recently reported evidence of marsupial XCI regulation by the noncoding Rsx transcript, strong depletion of H3K27me3 at escaper gene loci in the present study suggests that histone state modifications also correlate strongly with opossum XCI. In contrast to mouse, the opossum did not show an association between X-linked gene expression and promoter DNA methylation, with one notable exception. Unlike all other X-linked genes examined, Rsx was differentially methylated on the maternal and paternal X chromosomes, and expression was exclusively from the inactive (paternal) X chromosome. Our study provides the first comprehensive catalog of parent-of-origin expression status for X-linked genes in a marsupial and sheds light on the regulation and evolution of imprinted XCI in mammals.
Do–It–Yourself Urban Design: The Social Practice of Informal “Improvement” Through Unauthorized Alteration
Authors: Douglas Gordon C. C.
Published: September 2013

There are numerous ways in which people make illegal or unauthorized alterations to urban space. This study identifies and analyzes one that has been largely ignored in social science: explicitly functional and civic–minded informal contributions that I call “do–it–yourself urban design.” The research, which began as an investigation into more “traditional” nonpermissable alterations, uncovered these cases—from homemade bike lanes and street signs to guerrilla gardens and development proposals—that are gaining visibility in many cities, yet are poorly accounted for by existing perspectives in the literature. This article examines the existing theories and evidence from interviews and other fieldwork in 14 cities in order to develop the new analytical category of DIY urban design. I present findings on the creators of these interventions, on their motivations to “improve” the built environment where they perceive government and other development actors to be failing, and on the concentration of their efforts in gentrifying areas. This introduces the possibility of conflict and complicates their impact. I argue that DIY urban design has wide–ranging implications for both local communities and broader urban policy.
Dialysis Initiation: What's the Rush?
Authors: Rosansky Steven J. , Cancarini Giovanni , Clark William F. , Eggers Paul , Germaine Michael , Glassock Richard , Goldfarb David S. , Harris David , Hwang Shang‐Jyh , Imperial Edwina Brown , Johansen Kirsten L. , Kalantar‐Zadeh Kamyar , Moist Louise M. , Rayner Brian , Steiner Robert , Zuo Li
Published: September 2013

The recent trend to early initiation of dialysis (at eGFR >10 ml/min/1.73 m2) appears to have been based on conventional wisdoms that are not supported by evidence. Observational studies using administrative databases report worse comorbidity‐adjusted dialysis survival with early dialysis initiation. Although some have concluded that the IDEAL randomized controlled trial of dialysis start provided evidence that patients become symptomatic with late dialysis start, there is no definitive support for this view. The potential harms of early start of dialysis, including the loss of residual renal function (RRF), have been well documented. The rate of RRF loss (renal function trajectory) is an important consideration for the timing of the dialysis initiation decision. Patients with low glomerular filtration rate (GFR) may have sufficient RRF to be maintained off dialysis for years. Delay of dialysis start until a working arterio‐venous access is in place seems prudent in light of the lack of harm and possible benefit of late dialysis initiation. Prescribing frequent hemodialysis is not recommended when dialysis is initiated early. The benefits of early initiation of chronic dialysis after episodes of congestive heart failure or acute kidney injury require further study. There are no data to show that early start benefits diabetics or other patient groups. Preemptive start of dialysis in noncompliant patients may be necessary to avoid complications. The decision to initiate dialysis requires informed patient consent and a joint decision by the patient and dialysis provider. Possible talking points for obtaining informed consent are provided.
Numerical and Experimental Comparison of a Tandem and Single Vane Deswirler Used in an Aero Engine Centrifugal Compressor
Authors: Wilkosz Benjamin , Schmidt Johannes , Guenther Christian , Schwarz Philipp , Jeschke Peter , Smythe Caitlin
Published: September 2013

The present work is part of the research project at the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery at the RWTH Aachen University in collaboration with GE Aviation. The subject is the numerical and experimental analysis of two blading strategies used in the diffusion system of an aero engine centrifugal compressor. The transonic centrifugal compressor investigated contains a close-coupled impeller and passage diffuser, followed by a deswirler system. The deswirler redirects the flow towards the combustion chamber, while decreasing swirl and recovering pressure. It is characterized by a high aerodynamic loading, due to a moderate inlet Mach number of 0.35, in combination with a required flow redirection of 70 deg in circumferential and 135 deg in meridional direction. For this purpose, two different blading strategies are investigated, both retaining the same meridional flow path and integral chord length. The first design is a tandem configuration with 30 vanes in the first row and 60 vanes in the second row. In principal, this approach benefits from the small wetted surface, the short and thereby stable boundary layers as well as the positive blade interaction due to the close alignment. The second design contains one row of 75 vanes. The higher solidity is needed to compensate for the longer boundary layers. The two deswirlers investigated are compared to a less compact baseline deswirler with simple prismatic vanes. Experimental and numerical data shows that both new configurations have very similar stage efficiency. The single row design shows a higher static pressure recovery, resulting in a +0.2%-points total-to-static isentropic efficiency increase compared to the tandem design. Detailed flow analysis in the deswirler system shows different characteristics in terms of losses, loss mechanisms and pressure build-up. Due to the required high turning, both designs suffer from flow separation. Nevertheless, the single row design shows its robustness under the impact of 3D flow, whereas the tandem suffers from end wall induced losses. The results show that the classical mechanisms making a tandem favorable for high flow turning in 2D flow are counteracted by 3D flow mechanisms caused by the spanwise pressure gradient. The low aspect ratio even increases the effect of 3D end wall mechanisms. These results, combined with a higher manufacturing effort, show that a tandem configuration is not necessarily the superior design for highly 3D flow conditions.
A Flexible Multibody Model of a Safety Robot Arm for Experimental Validation and Analysis of Design Parameters
Authors: López-Martínez J. , García-Vallejo D. , Giménez-Fernández A. , Torres-Moreno J. L.
Published: September 2013

Service robots must comply with very demanding safety requirements in order to guarantee that a human can be assisted without any risk of injury. This paper presents a detailed multibody model of the interaction between a single link manipulator and a human head–neck to study the different and more significant parameters involved in the design of the manipulator. The multibody model is first validated through comparison with experimental results obtained in a testbed, which has been built for this purpose. The testbed consists of a flexible pendulum with an inertial wheel attached to the pendulum shaft and a head–neck dummy of 1 degree of freedom (DOF). A phenomenological model of the robot-arm foam soft cover has been developed by fitting experimental results obtained in a compressive test performed on the foam. Once the multibody model is qualitatively validated, several simulations are carried out. The aim of the simulations is to study the effect of different design parameters in the head injury. In particular, the effects of the link flexibility, of the joint compliance, and of the soft cover are detailed.
Beneficial Interface Geometry for Laser Joining of NiTi to Stainless Steel Wires
Authors: Brandal Grant , Satoh Gen , Lawrence Yao Y. , Naveed Syed
Published: September 2013

Joining the dissimilar metal pair of NiTi to stainless steel is of great interest for implantable medical applications. Formation of brittle intermetallic phases requires that the joining processes used for this dissimilar pair limits the amount of over-melting and mixing along the interface. Thus, because of its ability to precisely control heat input, laser joining is a preferred method. This study explores a method of using a cup and cone interfacial geometry, with no filler material, to increase the tensile strength of the joint. Not only does the cup and cone geometry increase the surface area of the interface, but it also introduces a shear stress component, which is shown to be beneficial to tensile strength of the wire as well. The fracture strength for various cone apex angles and laser powers is determined. Compositional profiles of the interfaces are analyzed. A numerical model is used for explanation of the processing parameters.
A Single Stage Photovoltaic Inverter With Common Power Factor Control and Maximum Power Point Tracking Circuit
Authors: Sridhar R. , Jayasankar K. C. , Dash S. S. , Avasthy Varun
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a unique approach towards the reduction of steps employed in conversion of power produced by a photovoltaic energy system. When a Photovoltaic system feeds an ac load, the power conditioning system of a Photovoltaic energy conversion system consists of a boost converter at the first stage to boost up the direct current (dc) supply, and an inverter to convert this boosted supply to alternating current (ac) at the second stage. But in this conventional system, losses happen at both the stage which makes the whole system to have low efficiency. The proposed approach in this paper has only one stage conversion. In this single step conversion the direct current supply is boosted and converted to alternating current with the help of a single inverter circuit. This process of power conditioning is carried out with respect to the load connected as well to the maximum power with respect to the variant irradiation and temperature condition. The load connected to the system is tested under varying environmental conditions of the photovoltaic system. Nature of output power from the system is studied by varying the irradiation and temperature of the photovoltaic array.
The Load Dependent Purge Strategy
Authors: Al-Saleh Feras , Buday Vladimir , Klein Olaf , von Unwerth Thomas , Scholl Stephan
Published: September 2013

In fuel cell systems with an anode recirculation cycle that runs overstoichiometrically, an undesired enrichment of nitrogen and water vapor occurs due to their diffusion through the membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA). This causes an impairment of the power density. So far, this phenomenon was avoided by a time dependent purge strategy. During this process a lot of unconsumed hydrogen gets wasted. A more efficient purge strategy that reduces the waste and improves the system efficiency, which operates load dependently by means of the mass transfer coefficient, is introduced. A comparison of the system efficiency with and without the load-dependent-purge-strategy (LPS) is made and discussed in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method. Static as well as dynamic system simulations were performed for this purpose. A notable improvement of the system efficiency of up to 10% with LPS was achieved. With LPS the purge power losses could be markedly reduced. This reformation also induces an improvement of the system efficiency, which brings us a considerable step forward towards a longer reach. Moreover, LPS is not restricted to a certain fuel cell system and thus affords a more flexible and versatile employment than its predecessor.
Performance Investigation of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Using Graphite Composite Plates Fabricated by Selective Laser Sintering
Authors: Guo Nannan , Leu Ming C.
Published: September 2013

Selective laser sintering (SLS) was used to fabricate graphite composite plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, which has the advantages of reducing time and cost associated with the research and development of bipolar plates. Graphite composite plates with three different designs, i.e., parallel in series, interdigitated, and bio-inspired, were fabricated using the SLS process. The performance of these SLS fabricated plates was studied experimentally within a fuel cell assembly under various operating conditions. The effect of temperature, relative humidity, and pressure on fuel cell performance was investigated. In the tests conducted in this study, the best fuel cell performance was achieved with a temperature of 65–75°C, relative humidity of 100%, and back pressure of 2 atm. The performance of fuel cell operating over an extended time was also studied, with the result showing that the SLS fabricated graphite composite plates provided a relatively steady fuel cell output power.
The Scale Up Characteristics of a Catalytic Combustor With Flow Uniformity Analysis
Authors: Woo Hyuntak , Lee Kanghun , Yun Jinwon , Lee Sangmin , Kang Sanggyu , Ahn Kookyoung , Yu Sangseok
Published: September 2013

Catalytic combustors are used as off-gas combustors of molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) because of their exhaust gas purity, geometric flexibility, and high combustion efficiency. In this study, a new design was investigated for possible application in internally reformed MCFC. The study started with performance analysis of a 5 kWe combustor, which could be precisely conducted due to availability of experimental apparatus. A 5 kWe combustor was used as a model combustor, and it was experimentally analyzed in terms of flow uniformity, catalyst screening, and reaction characteristics. The results show that the flow uniformity is able to reduce the exhaust gas concentration because temperature uniformity decreases the possibility of fuel slippages in locally lower temperature zones. As the capacity of the combustor is increased from 5 kWe to 25 kWe, the exhaust gas temperature at the same inlet condition as that of the 5 kWe combustor increases due to lower heat loss. As a result, the catalyst screening process shows different results due to higher operating temperatures, but three of four catalysts provide proper quality. On the other hand, flow uniformity improves economic competitiveness of the catalytic combustor. When the volume loading of catalytic monoliths was decreased, the performance was very similar to that of the original volume loading of catalytic monoliths.
Design, Calibration and Validation of a Novel 3D Printed Instrumented Spatial Linkage that Measures Changes in the Rotational Axes of the Tibiofemoral Joint
Authors: Bonny Daniel P. , Hull M. L. , Howell S. M.
Published: September 2013

An accurate axis-finding technique is required to measure any changes from normal caused by total knee arthroplasty in the flexion–extension (F–E) and longitudinal rotation (LR) axes of the tibiofemoral joint. In a previous paper, we computationally determined how best to design and use an instrumented spatial linkage (ISL) to locate the F–E and LR axes such that rotational and translational errors were minimized. However, the ISL was not built and consequently was not calibrated; thus the errors in locating these axes were not quantified on an actual ISL. Moreover, previous methods to calibrate an ISL used calibration devices with accuracies that were either undocumented or insufficient for the device to serve as a gold-standard. Accordingly, the objectives were to (1) construct an ISL using the previously established guidelines,(2) calibrate the ISL using an improved method, and (3) quantify the error in measuring changes in the F–E and LR axes. A 3D printed ISL was constructed and calibrated using a coordinate measuring machine, which served as a gold standard. Validation was performed using a fixture that represented the tibiofemoral joint with an adjustable F–E axis and the errors in measuring changes to the positions and orientations of the F–E and LR axes were quantified. The resulting root mean squared errors (RMSEs) of the calibration residuals using the new calibration method were 0.24, 0.33, and 0.15 mm for the anterior–posterior, medial–lateral, and proximal–distal positions, respectively, and 0.11, 0.10, and 0.09 deg for varus–valgus, flexion–extension, and internal–external orientations, respectively. All RMSEs were below 0.29% of the respective full-scale range. When measuring changes to the F–E or LR axes, each orientation error was below 0.5 deg; when measuring changes in the F–E axis, each position error was below 1.0 mm. The largest position RMSE was when measuring a medial–lateral change in the LR axis (1.2 mm). Despite the large size of the ISL, these calibration residuals were better than those for previously published ISLs, particularly when measuring orientations, indicating that using a more accurate gold standard was beneficial in limiting the calibration residuals. The validation method demonstrated that this ISL is capable of accurately measuring clinically important changes (i.e. 1 mm and 1 deg) in the F–E and LR axes.
Multiphysics of Multilayered and Functionally Graded Cylinders Under Prescribed Hygrothermomagnetoelectromechanical Loading
Authors: Akbarzadeh A. H. , Pasini D.
Published: September 2013

This paper examines the multiphysics of multilayered and functionally graded cylinders subjected to steady-state hygrothermomagnetoelectromechanical loading. The cylinder is assumed to be axisymmetric, infinitely long, and with either hollow or solid cross section that is, both polarized and magnetized radially. The multiphysics model is used to investigate the effect of moisture, temperature, magnetic, electric, and mechanical loadings. The influence of imperfectly bonded interfaces is also accounted for in the governing equations. Exact solutions of differential equations are obtained for each homogenous layer of the multilayered cylinder. The results are verified with those available in literature for a homogenous infinitely long cylinder and can also be applied to study the multiphysics of thin circular disks. Maps are presented for solid and hollow cylinders to visualize the effect of hygrothermomagnetoelectromechanical loading, heterogeneity of bonded layers, and imperfectly bonded interfaces. The plots offer insight into the behavior of heterogeneous magnetoelectroelastic media in a steady state hygrothermal field.
Experimental and numerical investigations of electron density in low-pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled oxygen discharges
Authors: Liu Jia , Wen De-Qi , Liu Yong-Xin , Gao Fei , Lu Wen-Qi , Wang You-Nian
Published: September 2013

The electron density is measured in low-pressure dual-frequency (2/60 MHz) capacitively coupled oxygen discharges by utilizing a floating hairpin probe. The dependence of electron density at the discharge center on the high frequency (HF) power, low frequency (LF) power, and gas pressure are investigated in detail. A (1D) particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo method is developed to calculate the time-averaged electron density at the discharge center and the simulation results are compared with the experimental ones, and general agreements are achieved. With increasing HF power, the electron density linearly increases. The electron density exhibits different changes with the LF power at different HF powers. At low HF powers (e.g., 30 W in our experiment), the electron density increases with increasing LF power while the electron density decreases with increasing LF power at relatively high HF powers (e.g., 120 W in our experiment). With increasing gas pressure the electron density first increases rapidly to reach a maximum value and then decreases slowly due to the combined effect of the production process by the ionization and the loss processes including the surface and volume losses.
Demethylation Needed to Forget
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: September 2013

Epigenetic changes to DNA are necessary in mice for memory extinction.
Toward Synthetic Biology
Authors: Ray L. Bryan
Published: September 2013

A synthetic control module inserted into yeast cells allows control of cell fate in response to an environmental signal.
Inhibiting Autophagy by Phosphorylation
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: September 2013

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors alleviate inhibition of autophagy to promote toxicity.
Drug-Induced Aches and Pains
Authors: Voora Deepak
Published: September 2013

Gene expression profiling by using lymphoblastic cell lines uncovers a new genetic association between statins and muscle pain.
Genes Required for Aerial Growth, Cell Division, and Chromosome Segregation Are Targets of WhiA before Sporulation in Streptomyces venezuelae
Authors: Bush Matthew J. , Bibb Maureen J. , Chandra Govind , Findlay Kim C. , Buttner Mark J.
Published: September 2013

WhiA is a highly unusual transcriptional regulator related to a family of eukaryotic homing endonucleases. WhiA is required for sporulation in the filamentous bacteriumStreptomyces, but WhiA homologues of unknown function are also found throughout the Gram-positive bacteria. To better understand the role of WhiA inStreptomycesdevelopment and its function as a transcription factor, we identified the WhiA regulon through a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) and microarray transcriptional profiling, exploiting a new model organism for the genus,Streptomyces venezuelae, which sporulates in liquid culture. The regulon encompasses ~240 transcription units, and WhiA appears to function almost equally as an activator and as a repressor. Bioinformatic analysis of the upstream regions of the complete regulon, combined with DNase I footprinting, identified a short but highly conserved asymmetric sequence, GACAC, associated with the majority of WhiA targets. Construction of a null mutant showed thatwhiAis required for the initiation of sporulation septation and chromosome segregation inS. venezuelae, and several genes encoding key proteins of theStreptomycescell division machinery, such asftsZ,ftsW, andftsK, were found to be directly activated by WhiA during development. Several other genes encoding proteins with important roles in development were also identified as WhiA targets, including the sporulation-specific sigma factor σWhiGand the diguanylate cyclase CdgB. Cell division is tightly coordinated with the orderly arrest of apical growth in the sporogenic cell, andfilP, encoding a key component of the polarisome that directs apical growth, is a direct target for WhiA-mediated repression during sporulation.

IMPORTANCESince the initial identification of the genetic loci required forStreptomycesdevelopment, all of thebldandwhidevelopmental master regulators have been cloned and characterized, and significant progress has been made toward understanding the cell biological processes that drive morphogenesis. A major challenge now is to connect the cell biological processes and the developmental master regulators by dissecting the regulatory networks that link the two. Studies of these regulatory networks have been greatly facilitated by the recent introduction ofStreptomyces venezuelaeas a new model system for the genus, a species that sporulates in liquid culture. Taking advantage ofS. venezuelae, we have characterized the regulon of genes directly under the control of one of these master regulators, WhiA. Our results implicate WhiA in the direct regulation of key steps in sporulation, including the cessation of aerial growth, the initiation of cell division, and chromosome segregation.
Atypical carcinoid presenting as dumb-bell-shaped tumour in the normal kidney
Authors: Verma Ritu , Gupta Pallav
Published: September 2013

Carcinoid tumours are low-grade malignant neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation and occur frequently in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. Primary carcinoid tumours of the kidney are rare and a majority of these tumours occur in anomalous kidney and exhibit typical renal carcinoid morphology. We reported a middle-aged man with primary atypical carcinoid tumour occurring in a normal kidney. The patient was diagnosed as having renal cell carcinoma owing to a lack of neuroendocrinal clinical features. Immunohistochemical staining of the nephrectomy specimen helped in the diagnosis of atypical renal carcinoid.
Unusual presentation of two Chinese phenylketonuria sisters who were misdiagnosed for years
Authors: Liu Xiaomei , Guo Hui , Dahal Mahesh , Shi Bingyin
Published: September 2013

Significant developmental delay was first noticed when both sisters were in their third year of life. However, no biochemical disorders were found through the routine biochemical tests, including liver and kidney function, lipoprotein, urine and blood cell count analysis. Progressively, both sisters exhibited odd behaviour, accompanied by personality changes and altered sleep rhythm and then were diagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In the eighth year, the younger sister began to take risperidone due to a presumed psychiatric disorder. Four months before attending our hospital, both sisters were diagnosed by MRI as having hereditary leukodystrophy. Nerve-nurturing treatment was tried, but without good outcome. They were then referred to our hospital for further consultation. After systematic examinations, it was confirmed that both the sisters were suffering from phenylketonuria. The symptoms were alleviated after dietary restriction of phenylalanine and symptomatic treatment.
Tubercular thyroiditis with multinodular goitre with adenomatous hyperplasia: a rare coexistence
Authors: Chaurasia Jai Kumar , Garg Cheena , Agarwal Arjun , Naim Mohammed
Published: September 2013

A 32-year-old Indian woman presented with swelling in the anterior part of the neck for the last 3 years. Clinical and radiological examination and fine needle aspiration cytology suggested the diagnosis of multinodular goitre. A subtotal thyroidectomy was performed by the surgeon and the specimen was submitted for the final diagnosis. Histological examination of the specimen revealed multiple caseating tubercular granulomas coexistent with multinodular goitre and adenomatous hyperplasia. The sections demonstrated acid-fast tubercle bacteria, confirming the diagnosis of tubercular thyroiditis. This case emphasises that tubercular thyroiditis should always be considered in patients with thyroid swelling or nodule, in countries where the prevalence of tuberculosis is high.
Body composition for health and performance: a survey of body composition assessment practice carried out by the Ad Hoc Research Working Group on Body Composition, Health and Performance under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission
Authors: Meyer Nanna L , Sundgot-Borgen Jorunn , Lohman Timothy G , Ackland Timothy R , Stewart Arthur D , Maughan Ronald J , Smith Suzanne , Müller Wolfram
Published: September 2013

Background

Successful performers in weight-sensitive sports are characterised by low body mass (BM) and fat content. This often requires chronic energy restriction and acute weight loss practices.

Aim

To evaluate current use of body composition (BC) assessment methods and identify problems and solutions with current BC approaches.

Methods

A 40-item survey was developed, including demographic and content questions related to BC assessment. The survey was electronically distributed among international sporting organisations. Frequencies and χ2analyses were computed.

Results

216 responses were received, from 33 countries, representing various institutions, sports and competitive levels. Of the sample, 86% of respondents currently assess BC, most frequently using skinfolds (International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK): 50%; non-ISAK, conventional: 40%; both: 28%), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (38%), bioelectrical impedance (29%), air displacement plethysmography (17%) and hydrostatic weighing (10%). Of those using skinfolds, more at the international level used ISAK, whereas conventional approaches were more reported at regional/national level (p=0.006). The sport dietitian/nutritionist (57%) and physiologist/sports scientist (54%) were most frequently the professionals assessing BC, followed by MDs and athletic trainers, with some reporting coaches (5%). 36% of 116 respondents assessed hydration status and more (64%) did so at international than regional/national level (36%, p=0.028). Of 125 participants answering the question of whether they thought that BC assessment raised problems, 69% said ‘yes’, with most providing ideas for solutions.

Conclusions

Results show high use of BC assessment but also a lack of standardisation and widespread perception of problems related to BM and BC in sport. Future work should emphasise standardisation with appropriate training opportunities and more research on BC and performance.