bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Distrust in Offshore Safety Performance
Authors: Conchie Stacey M. , Donald Ian J.
Published: October 2006

Trust is recognized as a potentially important factor in safety within high‐risk industries. However, little detailed empirical research has explored how trust operates in these contexts to influence worker safety performance. The present study addresses this by (i) identifying the target (occupational group) in which trust is most important for good safety, and (ii) establishing the “type” of trust (trust or distrust) with the greatest impact on safety performance. A questionnaire survey of 203 UK offshore gas workers' attitudes of trust and distrust toward four occupational groups (workmates, supervisors, offshore managers, and contractors) and an operating company was conducted. Logistic regression analysis identified attitudes toward offshore management as the strongest predictor of safety performance at an industry level. At an installation level, safety performance was best predicted by attitudes toward contractors and workmates. Further analysis revealed attitudes of distrust as better predictors of safety performance compared to attitudes of trust. These findings suggest that safety professionals should pay more attention to the role of distrust in safety performance. They also suggest that safety initiatives should target attitudes toward specific groups for optimal effectiveness.
Cutaneous clear‐cell granular cell tumors: the histologic description of an unusual variant
Authors: Zedek Daniel C. , Murphy Bettina A. , Shea Christopher R. , Hitchcock Michael G. , Reutter Jason C. , White Wain L.
Published: October 2006

Background:  Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are neoplasms showing nerve sheath differentiation that can arise in the skin but, to our knowledge, have not been associated with significant clear‐cell morphology.

Methods:  Two patients developed four separate GCTs with distinctive, diffuse clear‐cell change, which completely camouflaged the primary differentiation. The morphology, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry of the lesions are described and are compared with the presence and extent of clear‐cell change in 14 other cases of GCTs.

Results:  The index cases were relatively broad proliferations with uniform diffuse clear‐cell change and only minimal overlying epidermal hyperplasia. Prominent lymphoid nodules were present at the periphery. These clear‐cell granular tumors were positive for S‐100 protein, p75, CD68, NKI/C3 and neuron‐specific enolase and were negative for epithelial mucin, periodic acid‐Schiff, carcinoembryonic antigen, HMB‐45, Melan‐A, smooth muscle actin, Leu7, synaptophysin, CD34, factor XIIIa, epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratin. Three of the fourteen comparison cases were found to have no clear‐cell change, eight showed focal clear‐cell change and three showed moderate clear‐cell change.

Conclusions:  The distinctive morphology and the immunohistochemical results are discussed in the context of the differential diagnosis of clear‐cell cutaneous tumors.
An antecedent diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess blasts has no influence on mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells and hematopoietic recovery after autologous stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Viola Assunta , Falco Claudio , D'Elia Rossella , D'Amico Maria R. , Vicari Laura , Tambaro Francesco P. , Correale Pasqualino , Laudati Daniela , Palmieri Salvatore , Ferrara Felicetto
Published: October 2006

Several studies have reported data on factors influencing mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in non‐myeloid malignancies. On the contrary, data from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are very limited, in particular, as the impact of an antecedent diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB) on mobilization of PBSCs as well as hematopoietic recovery after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is concerned. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 150 consecutive AML patients in first complete remission in order to make a comparison between patients with de novo AML and secondary AML (s‐AML) in terms of CD34 positive (CD34+) cells mobilization and number of leukapheresis needed to collect at least one single stem cell graft. Data concerning hematopoietic recovery after ASCT were also compared. The successful mobilization rate (>2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg) was comparable between de novo AML patients (87%) and those with s‐AML (76%), P:0.21. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of either median number of CD34+ cells collected (P:0.44) or CD34+ cells peak in peripheral blood (P:0.28). Both groups of patients needed a median of two apheresis (P:0.45) and no difference was found on the median number of CD34+ cells collected per single apheresis (P:0.59). Finally, neutrophil and platelet recovery after ASCT were comparable between the two groups. An antecedent diagnosis of RAEB has no impact on mobilization and collection of PBSCs in AML as well as on hematopoietic recovery after ASCT.
Craters Produced by Explosions on the Soil Surface
Authors: Ambrosini Ricardo Daniel , Luccioni Bibiana María
Published: October 2006

Explosives are commonly used in terrorist attacks and the craters formed by blast waves can be used as a diagnostic tool. For example, the focus of the explosion and the mass of the explosive used in the attack can be deduced by examining the location, geometry, and dimensions of the crater. However, studies about craters produced by explosions on or above ground level, which would be the case when the explosive charge is situated in a vehicle, are rarely found in the open technical literature. In this paper, a numerical study on craters formed by explosive loads located on the soil surface is presented. The soil parameters used in the numerical model, as well as the analysis procedure, were validated against experimental observations of the crater diameters. Results of numerical tests performed with different amounts of explosive on the soil surface are presented. Moreover, the effect of elevation of the center of energy release of explosive loads located on the soil surface is analyzed and discussed. Simple predictive equations for the crater diameter are presented.
Modeling Mixture Formation in a Gasoline Direct Injection Engine
Authors: Rotondi Rossella
Published: October 2006

Mixture formation and combustion in a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine were studied. A swirl-type nozzle, with an inwardly opening pintle, was used to inject the fuel directly in a four stroke, four cylinder, four valves per cylinder engine. The atomization of the hollow cone fuel spray was modeled by using a hybrid approach. The most important obstacle in the development of GDI engines is that the control of the stratified-charge combustion over the entire operating range is very difficult. Since the location of the ignition source is fixed in SI engines the mixture cloud must be controlled both temporally and spatially for a wide range of operating conditions. Results show that the volume of the spark must be considered when discretizing the computational domain because it highly influences the flow field in the combustion chamber. This is because the volume occupied by the plug cannot be neglected since it is much bigger than the ones used in port fuel injection engines. The development of a successful combustion system depends on the design of the fuel injection system and the matching with the in-cylinder flow field: the stratification at part load appears to be the most crucial and critical step, and if the air motion is not well coupled with the fuel spray it would lead to an increase of unburned hydrocarbon emission and fuel consumption
A Stable Semi-Implicit Method for Free Surface Flows
Authors: Oishi Cassio M. , Cuminato José A. , Ferreira Valdemir G. , Tomé Murilo F. , Castelo Antonio , Mangiavacchi Norberto , McKee Sean
Published: October 2006

The present work is concerned with a semi-implicit modification of the GENSMAC method for solving the two-dimensional time-dependent incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables formulation with a free surface. A projection method is employed to uncouple the velocity components and pressure, thus allowing the solution of each variable separately (a segregated approach). The viscous terms are treated by the implicit backward method in time and a centered second order method in space, and the nonlinear convection terms are explicitly approximated by the high order upwind variable-order nonoscillatory scheme method in space. The boundary conditions at the free surface couple the otherwise segregated velocity and pressure fields. The present work proposes a method that allows the segregated solution of free surface flow problems to be computed by semi-implicit schemes that preserve the stability conditions of the related coupled semi-implicit scheme. The numerical method is applied to both the simulation of free surface and to confined flows. The numerical results demonstrate that the present technique eliminates the parabolic stability restriction required by the original explicit GENSMAC method, and also found in segregated semi-implicit methods with time-lagged boundary conditions. For low Reynolds number flows, the method is robust and very efficient when compared to the original GENSMAC method.
Stabilized Mixed Finite Elements With Embedded Strong Discontinuities for Shear Band Modeling
Authors: Sánchez P. J. , Sonzogni V. , Huespe A. E. , Oliver J.
Published: October 2006

A stabilized mixed finite element with elemental embedded strong discontinuities for shear band modeling is presented. The discrete constitutive model, representing the cohesive forces acting across the shear band, is derived from a rate-independent J2 plastic continuum material model with strain softening, by using a projection-type procedure determined by the Continuum-Strong Discontinuity Approach. The numerical examples emphasize the increase of the numerical solution accuracy obtained with the present strategy as compared with alternative procedures using linear triangles.
Evolution of the Upper Crustal Deformation in Subduction Zones
Authors: Quinteros Javier , Jacovkis Pablo M. , Ramos Victor A.
Published: October 2006

The uplift and evolution of a noncollisional orogen developed along a subduction zone, such as the Andean system, is a direct consequence of the interrelation between plate tectonic stresses and erosion. Tectonic stresses are related to the convergence velocity and thermal state, among other causes. In this paper, a new model designed to investigate the evolution of the topography and the upper crustal deformation of noncollisional orogens in a subduction zone produced by the oceanic crust being subducted is presented. The mechanical behavior of the crust was modeled by means of finite elements methods to solve Stokes equations for a strain-rate-dependent viscoplastic rheology. The model takes into account erosion effects using interface-tracking methods to assign fictitious properties to nonmaterial elements.
Routes to Large Amplitude Motions of Mooring Systems Due to Slowly Varying Drift
Authors: Matsuura João Paulo J. , Bernitsas Michael M.
Published: October 2006

The effect of second-order slowly varying wave drift (SVWD) forces on the horizontal plane motions of moored floating vessels has been studied for nearly 30 years. Large amplitude oscillations of moored vessels have been observed in the field or predicted numerically. Often, those have been incorrectly attributed to resonance or time-varying excitation from current/wind. In previous work, the authors have shown that resonance is only one of numerous interaction phenomena, and that large amplitude oscillations can be induced by SVWD forces or even time-independent excitation. Currently, there is no mathematical theory to study stability and bifurcations of mooring systems subjected to nonautonomous spectral excitation. Thus, in this paper, bifurcation boundaries are approximated by analyzing simulation data from a grid of points in the design space. These boundaries are plotted in the catastrophe sets of the corresponding autonomous system, for which a design methodology has been developed at the University of Michigan since 1985. This approach has revealed a wealth of dynamics phenomena, characterized by static (pitchfork) and dynamic (Hopf) bifurcations. Interaction of SVWD forces with the Hopf bifurcations may result in motions with amplitudes 2–3 orders of magnitude larger than those due to resonance. On the other hand, in other cases the SVWD/Hopf interaction may reduce or even eliminate limit cycles.
Second Order Model for Wave Crests Used in Prediction of Green Water Load and Volume on Ships in Random Waves
Authors: Wist Hanne Therese , Myrhaug Dag , Rue Håvard
Published: October 2006

The probability that a wave crest in a random sea will exceed a specified height has long been recognized as important statistics in practical work, e.g., in predicting green water load and volume on a ship. Nonlinear probability density functions for predicting green water load and volume are presented. The models are based on the parametric model of Ogawa (2003, “Long-Term Prediction Method for the Green Water Load and Volume for an Assessment of the Load Line,” J. Marine Sci. Technol., 7, pp. 137–144) combined with transformation of a second order wave crest height model. The wave crest height model is obtained from second order wave theory for a narrow-banded sea state in combination with transformation of the Rayleigh distribution. Results from the second order models are compared with model tests of a cargo ship presented in Ogawa (2003, “Long-Term Prediction Method for the Green Water Load and Volume for an Assessment of the Load Line,” J. Marine Sci. Technol., 7, pp. 137–144) and the Ogawa models.
Fundamental Concepts for “Corner” Forming Limit Diagrams and Closed-Form Formulas for Planar Tube Hydroforming Analysis
Authors: Smith L. M. , Caveney J. J. , Sun T.
Published: October 2006

A family of closed-form formulas for calculating minimum corner-fill radii in planar sections of tube hydroformed products is introduced. Corner forming limit diagrams relating the limiting major strain to the minimum corner-fill radius are introduced. The theory accounts for friction effects and accommodates regular shaped polygon die sections. This effort represents an exploration into a method for design and analysis of tube hydroforming processes without employing the finite element method and while using a closed form approach for capturing friction effects. Good agreement with experimental results is observed.
Experimental Investigation Into the Thermal Behavior of Copper-Alloyed Dies in Pressure Die Casting
Authors: Clark L. D. , Alonso Rasgado M. T. , Davey K. , Hinduja S.
Published: October 2006

The rate of heat extraction during the pressure die casting process is central to both the quality and the cost of finished castings. Recent efforts to reduce the thermal resistance of dies by optimizing the effectiveness of the cooling channels have shown the potential for improvement. Reducing the thermal resistance of the coolant boundary layer means that a significant proportion of the total thermal resistance becomes attributable to the die steel. Further significant reductions in die thermal resistance can be obtained by replacing the steel with copper. This paper investigates the feasibility of using copper dies, reinforced with steel inserts and coated with a thin layer of wear resistant material, which is deposited using the thermal arc spray process. Experimental work relating to the thermal spray process has been undertaken to establish bond strengths and thermal conductivities for various process parameters. Moreover, experimental investigations have been carried out using two copper coated dies, the first of which was a pseudodie block heated by an infrared heater. The second die was tested on a die casting machine and produced zinc alloy castings at a greatly increased production rate when compared to its steel counterpart. The experimental results from the two dies are compared with those predicted by an in-house thermal-cum-stress model based on the boundary element method. Reasonable agreement between the predicted and experimental results is shown and the feasibility of copper-alloyed dies for pressure die casting is established.
The Performance of Small Diameter Twist Drills in Deep-Hole Drilling
Authors: Heinemann Robert , Hinduja Srichand , Barrow George , Petuelli Gerhard
Published: October 2006

This paper investigates the performance of small diameter high-speed steel twist drills drilling boreholes with a depth of ten times the diameter into carbon steel AISI 1045 using minimum quantity lubrication. The performance of small twist drills is determined, first, by their deep-hole drilling capability, i.e., in how far the cutting forces can be kept at a noncritical level by maintaining the chip disposal, and, second, by their tool life. This work shows that both the deep-hole drilling capability and tool life of small drills are strongly dependent on their geometry, in particular the size of the chip flutes, and the flute surface topography.
Hot Spot Stress S-N Curve for Fatigue Analysis of Plated
Structures
Authors: Lotsberg Inge , Sigurdsson Gudfinnur
Published: October 2006

Finite element analysis is being used by designers for fatigue assessment of structures. It is therefore important that a proper link between calculated hot spot stress and fatigue capacity is established. The fatigue capacity is expressed as a hot spot stress S-N curve. This paper presents a derivation of a hot spot stress S-N curve to be used when the hot spot stress is derived from finite element analysis of plated structures. The hot spot S-N curve is linked to the methodology used for finite element analysis of plated structures that is being included in design recommendations for fatigue assessment of welded structures.
The Solution-Focused Design Process Organization Approach Applied From Ship Design to Offshore Platforms Design
Authors: Schachter Richard David , Fernandes Antonio Carlos , Neto Sdepan Bogosian , Jordani Carlos Gomes , de Castro Gustavo Adolfo V.
Published: October 2006

The objective of this work is to describe and discuss a design process organization approach named “solution-focused design.” This method has been created and used successfully for advanced marine vehicles (AMV), ship and offshore platform design over the last ten years with reasonable advantages. It was first created in a context where the decision of what concept to be adopted supersedes the use of the classical design spiral, suggesting a combination of the spiral with morphological charts, since the design processes of the concurring concepts are completely different from each other. The advantages are in terms of allowing for the introduction of creative ideas into the conceptual design process, eventually leading to an innovative product or design solution, establishing a sound design sequence and rationalizing the search for design tools and knowledge, parameter and task organization and classification (free variables, restrictions, performance specifications), and the design process itself. In this work the solution-focused design process is described and compared to some usual ones, which normally rely on “problem-focused” strategies for problem solving. It is shown how the process evolves from a preestablished scenario and a design briefing or specification to a design methodology. This is done in brainstorming sessions, using sketches and interactive design flowcharts (similar to design spirals), adapted for this approach. The objective is to provide the designer with means to define quickly and efficiently the optimal configuration of the design, while incorporating novelties into it. In order to show some features of the approach, three different examples of designs previously developed are presented: one for a SPAR Buoy Platform, another for a floating production, storage, and offloading unit (FPSO), and another for the feasibility and concept of a “fully submersible fast boat.” This last one shows features from which the method evolved from AMV’s to offshore platforms’ design: detailed morphological comparisons of different concepts, in this case, of means of support.
Quantum tic-tac-toe: A teaching metaphor for superposition in quantum mechanics
Authors: Goff Allan
Published: October 2006

Quantum tic-tac-toe was developed as a metaphor for the counterintuitive nature of superposition exhibited by quantum systems. It offers a way of introducing quantum physics without advanced mathematics, provides a conceptual foundation for understanding the meaning of quantum mechanics, and is fun to play. A single superposition rule is added to the child’s game of classical tic-tac-toe. Each move consists of a pair of marks subscripted by the number of the move (“spooky” marks) that must be placed in different squares. When a measurement occurs, one spooky mark becomes real and the other disappears. Quantum tic-tac-toe illustrates a number of quantum principles including states, superposition, collapse, nonlocality, entanglement, the correspondence principle, interference, and decoherence. The game can be played on paper or on a white board. A Web-based version provides a refereed playing board to facilitate the mechanics of play, making it ideal for classrooms with a computer projector.
A transmission electron microscope for lecture demonstrations
Authors: Panitz J. A. , Rempfer Gertrude
Published: October 2006

A simple transmission electron microscope (TEM) suitable for lecture demonstrations is described. In this TEM electrons are created in a glow discharge between two parallel electrodes in air at a reduced pressure. The electrons are collimated by a small hole in the anode, focused by a solenoid that acts as an electromagnetic lens, and imaged on a thin layer of phosphor deposited inside an Erlenmeyer flask. An image of a biological sample placed between the source and the lens can be magnified about 20 times. The microscope uses inexpensive components that can be quickly assembled during a demonstration. The TEM provides a visual and memorable display that highlights phenomena such as mean-free-path, charged particle optics, electrical discharges, and cathodoluminescence.
Voice transmission via frequency-modulated diode laser light
Authors: Koo Lee Seung , In Kim Deok , Kim Gee-Na , Cho D.
Published: October 2006

We have built a tabletop frequency modulation (FM) communication system that uses a laser field as the carrier. Voice information is encoded on the laser beam using an acousto-optic modulator, and it is extracted by a Michelson-type interferometer and a FM radio. This system can easily be converted to an intensity-modulated communication system. We discuss similar systems based on phase or polarization modulation using an electro-optic modulator.
Controlled Expression and Functional Analysis of Iron-Sulfur Cluster Biosynthetic Components within
Azotobacter vinelandii
Authors: Johnson Deborah C. , Unciuleac Mihaela-Carmen , Dean Dennis R.
Published: October 2006

A system for the controlled expression of genes in
Azotobacter vinelandii
by using genomic fusions to the sucrose catabolic regulon was developed. This system was used for the functional analysis of the
A. vinelandii isc
genes, whose products are involved in the maturation of [Fe-S] proteins. For this analysis, the
scrX
gene, contained within the sucrose catabolic regulon, was replaced by the contiguous
A. vinelandii iscS
,
iscU
,
iscA
,
hscB
,
hscA
,
fdx
, and
iscX
genes, resulting in duplicate genomic copies of these genes: one whose expression is directed by the normal
isc
regulatory elements (P
isc
) and the other whose expression is directed by the
scrX
promoter (P
scrX
). Functional analysis of [Fe-S] protein maturation components was achieved by placing a mutation within a particular P
isc
-controlled gene with subsequent repression of the corresponding P
scrX
-controlled component by growth on glucose as the carbon source. This experimental strategy was used to show that IscS, IscU, HscBA, and Fdx are essential in
A. vinelandii
and that their depletion results in a deficiency in the maturation of aconitase, an enzyme that requires a [4Fe-4S] cluster for its catalytic activity. Depletion of IscA results in a null growth phenotype only when cells are cultured under conditions of elevated oxygen, marking the first null phenotype associated with the loss of a bacterial IscA-type protein. Furthermore, the null growth phenotype of cells depleted of HscBA could be partially reversed by culturing cells under conditions of low oxygen. Conserved amino acid residues within IscS, IscU, and IscA that are essential for their respective functions and/or whose replacement results in a partial or complete dominant-negative growth phenotype were also identified using this system.
The ExsY Protein Is Required for Complete Formation of the Exosporium of
Bacillus anthracis
Authors: Boydston Jeremy A. , Yue Ling , Kearney John F. , Turnbough Charles L.
Published: October 2006

The outermost layer of the
Bacillus anthracis
spore is the exosporium, which is composed of a paracrystalline basal layer and an external hair-like nap. The filaments of the nap are formed by a collagen-like glycoprotein called BclA, while the basal layer contains several different proteins. One of the putative basal layer proteins is ExsY. In this study, we constructed a
ΔexsY
mutant of
B. anthracis
, which is devoid of ExsY, and examined the assembly of the exosporium on spores produced by this strain. Our results show that exosporium assembly on
ΔexsY
spores is aberrant, with assembly arrested after the formation of a cap-like fragment that covers one end of the forespore—always the end near the middle of the mother cell. The cap contains a normal hair-like nap but an irregular basal layer. The cap is retained on spores prepared on solid medium, even after spore purification, but it is lost from spores prepared in liquid medium. Microscopic inspection of
ΔexsY
spores prepared on solid medium revealed a fragile sac-like sublayer of the exosporium basal layer, to which caps were attached. Examination of purified
ΔexsY
spores devoid of exosporium showed that they lacked detectable levels of BclA and the basal layer proteins BxpB, BxpC, CotY, and inosine-uridine-preferring nucleoside hydrolase; however, these spores retained half the amount of alanine racemase presumed to be associated with the exosporium of wild-type spores. The
ΔexsY
mutation did not affect spore production and germination efficiencies or spore resistance but did influence the course of spore outgrowth.
Involvement of Nitric Oxide in Biofilm Dispersal of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Barraud Nicolas , Hassett Daniel J. , Hwang Sung-Hei , Rice Scott A. , Kjelleberg Staffan , Webb Jeremy S.
Published: October 2006

Bacterial biofilms at times undergo regulated and coordinated dispersal events where sessile biofilm cells convert to free-swimming, planktonic bacteria. In the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, we previously observed that dispersal occurs concurrently with three interrelated processes within mature biofilms: (i) production of oxidative or nitrosative stress-inducing molecules inside biofilm structures, (ii) bacteriophage induction, and (iii) cell lysis. Here we examine whether specific reactive oxygen or nitrogen intermediates play a role in cell dispersal from
P. aeruginosa
biofilms. We demonstrate the involvement of anaerobic respiration processes in
P. aeruginosa
biofilm dispersal and show that nitric oxide (NO), used widely as a signaling molecule in biological systems, causes dispersal of
P. aeruginosa
biofilm bacteria. Dispersal was induced with low, sublethal concentrations (25 to 500 nM) of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Moreover, a
P. aeruginosa
mutant lacking the only enzyme capable of generating metabolic NO through anaerobic respiration (nitrite reductase, Δ
nirS
) did not disperse, whereas a NO reductase mutant (Δ
norCB
) exhibited greatly enhanced dispersal. Strategies to induce biofilm dispersal are of interest due to their potential to prevent biofilms and biofilm-related infections. We observed that exposure to SNP (500 nM) greatly enhanced the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds (tobramycin, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium dodecyl sulfate) in the removal of established
P. aeruginosa
biofilms from a glass surface. Combined exposure to both NO and antimicrobial agents may therefore offer a novel strategy to control preestablished, persistent
P. aeruginosa
biofilms and biofilm-related infections.
Escherichia coli pfs
Transcription: Regulation and Proposed Roles in Autoinducer-2 Synthesis and Purine Excretion
Authors: Kim Youngbae , Lew Chih M. , Gralla Jay D.
Published: October 2006

Pfs expression is required for several metabolic pathways and limits the production of autoinducer-2, a molecule proposed to play a central role in interspecies quorum sensing. The present study reveals physiological conditions and promoter DNA elements that regulate
Escherichia coli pfs
transcription. Pfs transcription is shown to rely on both sigma 70 and sigma 38 (
rpoS
), and the latter is subject to induction that increases
pfs
expression. Transcription is maximal as the cells approach stationary phase, and this level can be increased by salt stress through induction of sigma 38-dependent expression. The
pfs
promoter is shown to contain both positive and negative elements, which can be used by both forms of RNA polymerase. The negative element is contained within the overlapping
dgt
promoter, which is involved in purine metabolism. Consideration of the physiological roles of sigma 38 and
dgt
leads to a model for how autoinducer production is controlled under changing physiological conditions.
FABRICATION AND MAGNETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF Au/Ni MULTILAYER NANOWIRE ARRAYS
Authors: XU FANG , JIANG KAI , SUN HAOLING , GAO SONG , XU DONGSHENG
Published: October 2006

Ordered Au/Ni multilayer nanowire arrays have been fabricated into the pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by pulse DC electrodeposition. Structural parameters, such as nanowire length and layer thickness can be controlled by changing the deposition time and the pulse width. The magnetic measurement results indicate that these Au/Ni multilayer nanowire arrays have small coercivity and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which the easy axis is parallel to the nanowires. These Au/Ni multilayer structures are expected to be found potential applications in AC inductors or magnetic shielding.
INTEGRATION OF NANOPARTICLES WITH PROTEIN MICROARRAYS
Authors: ZHANG YONG
Published: October 2006

A variety of DNA, protein or cell microarray devices and systems have been developed and commercialized. In addition to the biomolecule related analysis, they are also being used for pharmacogenomic research, infectious and genetic disease and cancer diagnostics, and proteomic and cellular analysis.1 Currently, microarray is fabricated on a planar surface; this limits the amount of biomolecules that can be bounded on the surface. In this work, a planar protein microarray chip with nonplanar spot surface was fabricated to enhance the chip performance. A nonplanar spot surface was created by first coating the silica nanoparticles with albumin and depositing them into the patterned microwells. The curve surfaces of the nanoparticles increase the surface area for immobilization of proteins, which helps to enhance the detection sensitivity of the chip. Using this technique, proteins are immobilized onto the nanoparticles before they are deposited onto the chip, and therefore the method of protein immobilization can be customized at each spot. Furthermore, a nonplanar surface promotes the retention of native protein structure better than planar surface.2 The technique developed can be used to produce different types of microarrays, such as DNA, protein and antibody microarrays.
RESEARCH ON SHAPING TECHNOLOGY OF NANOCOMPOSITE WC-6Co POWDER AND PROPERTIES OF SINTERED COMPACTS
Authors: SHI XIAOLIANG , SHAO GANGQIN , DUAN XINGLONG , YUAN RUNZHANG
Published: October 2006

The influences of powder extrusion molding (PEM), die pressing and cold isostatic pressing (CIP) on the green compacts and the sintered compacts of nanocrystalline WC-6 Co composite powder produced by spray pyrogenation-continuous reduction and carburization technology were researched. The results showed that the pore volume distribution, density and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphologies of fractured surface of powder extrusion molding or die pressing followed by the cold isostatic pressing consolidation green compacts were better than that of powder extrusion molding or die pressing. The green compacts were sintered by using vacuum sintering plus hot isostatic pressing (HIP), the sintered specimens were characterized by testing density, Rockwell A hardness, saturated magnetization, coercivity force, transverse rupture strength (TRS) and atomic force microscope (AFM) images, the results showed that sintered specimen of the green body that prepared by powder extrusion molding or die pressing followed by cold isostatic pressing had excellent properties of high strength and high hardness, transverse rupture strength of sintered specimen was more than 3100 MPa, Rockwell A hardness of sintered body was more than 93. Ultrafine WC-6 Co cemented carbide rods with excellent mechanical properties and fine microstructure were obtained.
TEMPLATE SYNTHESIS OF ALIGNED SiO2 SUBMICRO-WIRES
Authors: CHENG LIFANG , ZHANG XINGTANG , LI YUNCAI , HUANG YABIN , DU ZULIANG
Published: October 2006

Aligned silicon dioxide ( SiO 2) submicro-wires have been synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) by anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template method. The products were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
FABRICATION OF EXCHANGE COUPLED HARD/SOFT NANOCOMPOSITE MAGNET AND THEIR CHARACTERIZATION
Authors: KANG YOUNG SOO , LEE DON KEUN
Published: October 2006

Monodispersed α- Fe nanoparticles were synthesized under an argon atmosphere via thermal decomposition of Fe 2+-oleate2. Nd – Fe – B ultrafine amorphous alloy particles were prepared by reaction of metal ions with borohydride in aqueous solution. Exchange coupled Nd 2 Fe 14 B /α- Fe nanocomposite magnets have been prepared by self-assembly using surfactant. The crystal structure of the synthesized nanoparticles was identified by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The size and shape of nanoparticles were obtained by TEM. Thermogravimetry using a microbalance with magnetic field gradient positioned below the sample was used for the measurement of a thermomagnetic analysis (TMA) curve showing the downward magnetic force versus temperature.
PREPARATION OF HYDROPHILIC POLYMER FILM BY GRAFTING OF MALEIC ANHYDRIDE ONTO POLYETHYLENE BY γ-IRRADIATION METHOD
Authors: KANG YOUNG SOO , LEE SONG
Published: October 2006

The method of γ-irradiation grafting of maleic anhydride onto polyethylene films was studied. The γ-irradiation causes molecular bond scission and produces free radical sites on the polyethylene. This process was carried out at different γ-irradiation doses from a Cobalt-60 source and different concentration of MAH. The microstructure of modified polymer film has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the thermal properties of the grafted products were also studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The degree of hydrophilicity was investigated into water contact angle and surface free energy determination. The surface free energies of the grafted polymer films were studied by measuring the contact angles of water and diiodomethane.
Molecular taphonomy of graptolites
Authors: GUPTA NEAL S. , BRIGGS DEREK E.G. , PANCOST RICHARD D.
Published: October 2006

Graptolites are important fossils in Early Palaeozoic assemblages. Preserved graptolite periderm consists dominantly of an aliphatic polymer, immune to base hydrolysis. It contains no protein even though its structure, and chemical analyses of the periderm of the living relative

Rhabdopleura

, indicate that it was originally collagen. This anomaly was previously interpreted as the result of replacement by macromolecular material from the surrounding sediment. New analyses suggest that the aliphatic composition of graptolite periderm reflects direct incorporation of lipids from the organism itself by

in situ

polymerization. A similar process may account for the preservation of most organic fossils.
A word from the editor
Authors: Lee Newton
Published: October 2006

Welcome to ACM Computers in Entertainment, a premier online magazine featuring video interviews with leading professionals and interesting articles on entertainment technology and its applications.
Interview with Bran Ferren
Authors: Lee Newton , Ferren Bran
Published: October 2006

Bran Ferren is founder, co-chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Applied Minds. Before co-founding Applied Minds in 2000 with Danny Hillis, Ferren founded Associates & Ferren, an R&D company serving the visual and performing arts, as well as industry and the sciences. A&F became part of Walt Disney Imagineering in 1993, the resource for new technology invention and creative input for the entire company, where Ferren held several leadership positions, including president. Bran has won three Academy Awards for technical achievement in film. In the video interview, you will hear Bran's answers to the following questions:1. You have won three Academy Awards for technical achievement in film. What was your proudest achievement?2. You have a personal interest in the intersection of art, design, science and engineering. Can you describe what the intersection is?3. How do you see the future of entertainment technology?4. How does an organization attract and retain the most talented and innovative employees?5. When a company is so focused on the bottomline, how do you foster employee innovation and not break the company?6. What are some the most exciting projects that you are working on at Applied Minds?
From digital audiobook to secure digital multimedia-book
Authors: Egidi Lavinia , Furini Marco
Published: October 2006

Portable devices and wireless connections are creating a new scenario in which digital information is entering our lives in a massive way. In this article we consider MP3 audiobook applications and propose an approach to completely restyle the applications to the current mobile and multimedia scenario. Our mechanism introduces multimedia contents (images and text) into the audiobook application and synchronizes them with the MP3 audio stream. Multimedia contents are protected by a security system that ensures perfect audio quality and full access to multimedia contents only to a legal user. A distribution architecture and a player that use the proposed mechanism are also presented.
Inthreads
Authors: Gontmakher Alex , Schuster Assaf , Mendelson Avi
Published: October 2006

We present
Inthreads
, a computational model aimed at medium-level parallelism. The threads in our model, based on shared architectural registers and having extremely low overheads, are useful for parallelization at a level of a single function call.Inthreads parallelization provides significant speedups, from 35% in case of well-behaved programs to over 3.5x for benchmarks with problematic patterns of branches and memory accesses.
Data trace cache
Authors: Ramaswamy Subramanian , Sreeram Jaswanth , Yalamanchili Sudhakar , Palem Krishna V.
Published: October 2006

Benefits of advances in processor technology have long been held hostage to the widening processor-memory gap. Off-chip memory access latency is one of the most critical parameters limiting system performance. Caches have been used as a way of alleviating this problem by reducing the average memory access latency. The memory bottleneck assumes greater significance for high performance computer architectures with high data throughput requirements such as network processors.This paper addresses the memory bottleneck with the goal of minimizing off-chip memory demand and average memory access latency by proposing the use of small application specific compiler-visible data trace caches. We focus on tree data structures which are responsible for a significant component of the memory traffic in several applications. We have observed that tree accesses create a simple to characterize trace of memory references and propose a data trace cache design to exploit the locality of reference in these data traces.Our study reveals that data trace caches can reduce the total number of misses from 7% to 53% for accesses to rooted tree data structures as compared to a conventional cache for a variety of applications for small cache sizes (256 - 1024 bytes). Such caches are in keeping with the philosophy of victim caches, stream buffers, and pre-fetch buffers in that relatively small investments in silicon can realize substantive reduction in off-chip memory bandwidth demand.
Hiding message delivery and reducing memory access latency by providing direct-to-cache transfer during receive operations in a message passing environment
Authors: Khunjush Farshad , Dimopoulos Nikitas J.
Published: October 2006

The focus of this work is on techniques that promise to reduce the message delivery latency in message passing environments. The main contributors to message delivery latency in message passing environments are the copying operations needed to transfer and bind a received message to the consuming process/thread. To reduce this copying overhead and to reach to finer granularity, we introduced architectural extensions comprising of specialized network cache and instructions to manage the operations of this extension. In this work we study the caching environment. Our simulations show that messages can be bound and transferred into the data cache where they persist long enough to be consumed. We also study the structure of the required network cache and show that a small capacity cache is sufficient.
Impact of double-blind reviewing on SIGMOD publication rates
Authors: Madden Samuel , DeWitt David
Published: October 2006

Starting with the 2001 SIGMOD conference, the SIGMOD Chair, in consultation with the SIGMOD Advisory Committee, imposed a double blind rule on all future SIGMOD conferences. While there are many reasons why double-blind reviewing might be a good idea, the one most frequently cited is that it is fairer to more junior researchers. It is not, however, without its problems, including anecdotal reports of papers being rejected because their authors failed to cite their own papers as related work in order to not violate the anonymity rules and a complication of the job of the program chair who must interpret and enforce the double-blind rules. One very qualified individual turned down an offer to be PC chair of an upcoming SIGMOD conference because he did not want to have to deal with the headaches of double-blind reviewing.
Report on the 7th ACM International Workshop on Web Information and Data Management
Authors: Bonifati Angela , Lee Dongwon
Published: October 2006

In this report, to our best recollection, we provide a summary of the 7th ACM International Workshop on Web Information and Data Management (WIDM 2005), which took place at the Hilton Bremen Hotel, in Bremen, on November 5, 2005, in conjunction with the 14th ACM Int'l Conf. on Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM).
Data management research at the Knowledge and Database Systems Lab
Authors: Sellis Timos , Vassiliou Yannis
Published: October 2006

The Knowledge and Database Systems Lab (KDBSL) of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept. in the National Technical University of Athens was founded in 1992 by Prof. Timos Sellis and Prof. Yannis Vassiliou. Its activities involve theoretical and applied research in the area of Databases and Information Systems. The lab employs three postdoc researchers (Dr Theodore Dalamagas, Dr Alkis Simitsis, Dr Yannis Stavrakas), several PhD students and many graduate students. It has been involved in many research projects supported by the EU, international institutions, Greek organizations, the Greek Government and industrial companies.
Raghu Ramakrishnan speaks out on deductive databases, what lies beyond scalability, how he burned through $20M briskly, why we should reach out to policymakers, and more
Authors: Winslett Marianne
Published: October 2006

Welcome to this installment of ACM SIGMOD Record's series of interviews with distinguished members of the database community. I'm Marianne Winslett, and today we are at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I have here with me Raghu Ramakrishnan, who is a Professor of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Raghu's research currently focuses on data retrieval and integration, analysis, and mining. Raghu was a founder of QUIQ, a company that developed a collaborative customer support facility. Raghu has received the National Science Foundation's Presidential Young Investigator award, a Packard Fellowship, and a SIGMOD Contributions Award for founding and maintaining DBWorld. Raghu is an ACM Fellow; he is a coauthor of the popular
Database Management Systems
textbook; and he is also the current chair of ACM SIGMOD. Raghu's PhD is from the University of Texas at Austin. So, Raghu, welcome!
Able bodies
Authors: O'Hanlon Charlene
Published: October 2006

When I was growing up I used to have these frightening dreams in which I had no use of my arms or legs. I was helpless to do anything for myself and could only watch the world walk by.
Calendar
Authors: O'Hanlon Charlene
Published: October 2006

Linux Kernel Development Summit
Like a Podcast in the Sea: Mean ol’ LoTech Blues
Authors: Kelly-Bootle Stan
Published: October 2006

Mache Creeger’s general pessimism about IT’s status quo rests on his perception that HiTech (the character- and tree-saving token for High Technology, somewhat, if not totally, vitiated by this long-winded, unnecessary explanation) is not quite Hi enough. IT relies too much on dreary, evolutionary gradualism rather than on the exciting Kuhnian discontinuities that spell revolution and paradigm shifts. I have no qualms about Creeger’s observation that the marketeers, both commercial and academic (if such categories can be distinguished in these pursy PC times), are fond of paint jobs - coloring the most modest upgrades with claims of major, must-have breakthroughs. This is an ancient and, alas, effective promotional ploy in other trades. I recall one cornflake manufacturer who was forced to confess that what was "new" about its latest product was the bold slogan "NEW" on the package.
Dependent rounding and its applications to approximation algorithms
Authors: Gandhi Rajiv , Khuller Samir , Parthasarathy Srinivasan , Srinivasan Aravind
Published: October 2006

We develop a new randomized rounding approach for fractional vectors defined on the edge-sets of bipartite graphs. We show various ways of combining this technique with other ideas, leading to improved (approximation) algorithms for various problems. These include:---low congestion multi-path routing;---richer random-graph models for graphs with a given degree-sequence;---improved approximation algorithms for: (i) throughput-maximization in broadcast scheduling, (ii) delay-minimization in broadcast scheduling, as well as (iii) capacitated vertex cover; and---fair scheduling of jobs on unrelated parallel machines.