bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-Time-Scale Processes in a Mature Hurricane as a Response to Sea Surface Fluctuations
Authors: Ito Kosuke , Ishikawa Yoichi , Miyamoto Yoshiaki , Awaji Toshiyuki
Published: May 2011

To clarify the effect of fluctuations in surface stress and heat fluxes on the intensity of a mature-state hurricane, a sensitivity analysis is performed by using a cloud-permitting nonhydrostatic axisymmetric adjoint model. The response function of our experiment is tangential velocity at the top of the boundary layer in the eyewall.

As a result of an integration backward to 4 min prior to the specified time, a dipole pattern appears in the sensitivity fields with respect to the vertical velocity, the potential temperature, and the mixing ratio of water vapor. A positive (negative) sensitivity is found in the hurricane interior (exterior) relative to the verification region. It exhibits an increase of tangential velocity 4 min after the introduction of positive (negative) perturbations in potential temperature or in the mixing ratio of water vapor in the interior (exterior). These sensitivities are not related to the changes in the central pressure field. With further backward integration, the sensitivity signals reach down to the surface and are located in the exterior region of the hurricane. While the sensitivity with respect to surface friction (heat flux) is strongly negative (positive) within a certain radius, the sensitivity can be positive (negative) beyond that radius. This means that both stronger friction and a reduction in moist air supply in the exterior region of the hurricane can serve to strengthen the maximum tangential velocity. To the authors’ knowledge, this effect has not been explained in previous studies.
Sensitivity of Twentieth-Century Sahel Rainfall to Sulfate Aerosol and CO2 Forcing
Authors: Ackerley Duncan , Booth Ben B. B. , Knight Sylvia H. E. , Highwood Eleanor J. , Frame David J. , Allen Myles R. , Rowell David P.
Published: May 2011

A full understanding of the causes of the severe drought seen in the Sahel in the latter part of the twentieth-century remains elusive some 25 yr after the height of the event. Previous studies have suggested that this drying trend may be explained by either decadal modes of natural variability or by human-driven emissions (primarily aerosols), but these studies lacked a sufficiently large number of models to attribute one cause over the other. In this paper, signatures of both aerosol and greenhouse gas changes on Sahel rainfall are illustrated. These idealized responses are used to interpret the results of historical Sahel rainfall changes from two very large ensembles of fully coupled climate models, which both sample uncertainties arising from internal variability and model formulation. The sizes of these ensembles enable the relative role of human-driven changes and natural variability on historic Sahel rainfall to be assessed. The paper demonstrates that historic aerosol changes are likely to explain most of the underlying 1940–80 drying signal and a notable proportion of the more pronounced 1950–80 drying.
The Contributions of Precipitation and Soil Moisture Observations to the Skill of Soil Moisture Estimates in a Land Data Assimilation System
Authors: Liu Qing , Reichle Rolf H. , Bindlish Rajat , Cosh Michael H. , Crow Wade T. , de Jeu Richard , De Lannoy Gabrielle J. M. , Huffman George J. , Jackson Thomas J.
Published: May 2011

The contributions of precipitation and soil moisture observations to soil moisture skill in a land data assimilation system are assessed. Relative to baseline estimates from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the study investigates soil moisture skill derived from (i) model forcing corrections based on large-scale, gauge- and satellite-based precipitation observations and (ii) assimilation of surface soil moisture retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). Soil moisture skill (defined as the anomaly time series correlation coefficient R) is assessed using in situ observations in the continental United States at 37 single-profile sites within the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) for which skillful AMSR-E retrievals are available and at 4 USDA Agricultural Research Service (“CalVal”) watersheds with high-quality distributed sensor networks that measure soil moisture at the scale of land model and satellite estimates. The average skill of AMSR-E retrievals is R = 0.42 versus SCAN and R = 0.55 versus CalVal measurements. The skill of MERRA surface and root-zone soil moisture is R = 0.43 and R = 0.47, respectively, versus SCAN measurements. MERRA surface moisture skill is R = 0.56 versus CalVal measurements. Adding information from precipitation observations increases (surface and root zone) soil moisture skills by ΔR ~ 0.06. Assimilating AMSR-E retrievals increases soil moisture skills by ΔR ~ 0.08. Adding information from both sources increases soil moisture skills by ΔR ~ 0.13, which demonstrates that precipitation corrections and assimilation of satellite soil moisture retrievals contribute important and largely independent amounts of information.
Response of Streamflow to Climate Changes in the Yellow River Basin, China
Authors: Yang Zhifeng , Liu Qiang
Published: May 2011

Climate changes impact hydrological processes and control streamflow at the basin scale. The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of climate change on streamflow in the Yellow River basin (YRB), China. The temporal trends of streamflow were explored by the Mann–Kendall method and a linear fit model, and the relationships between streamflow, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration (ETp) were investigated. Furthermore, the contribution of climate changes to streamflow was revealed by Budyko’s method and a simple water balance model. The following results were obtained: (i) decreasing abruptness in streamflow occurred in 1990, and this date was used to divide the streamflow into two periods (baseline period and period of change); (ii) 67 of 80 stations showed decreasing trends with an average reduction of 10.37% of annual precipitation changes, while most of the stations displayed increasing trends with a 3.71% increase in annual ETp; (iii) the precipitation and ETp elasticity of streamflow, as expected, revealed that streamflow increases with increasing precipitation, whereas it decreases with increasing ETp; and (iv) the changes of precipitation and ETp reflected complementary effects on the reduction of streamflow from the baseline period to the period of change, the decreasing trend in precipitation being the main cause for the reduction of streamflow, but the declining rates of ETp causing a slight increase in streamflow.
A History and Review of the Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP)
Authors: Dirmeyer Paul A.
Published: May 2011

The Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP) is an international land surface modeling research effort involving dataset production, validation, model comparison, and scientific investigation in the areas of land surface hydrology and climatology. GSWP is characterized by the integration of multiple land surface models on a latitude–longitude grid in a stand-alone uncoupled mode, driven by meteorological forcing data constructed by combining atmospheric analyses and gridded observed data products. The models produce time series of gridded estimates of land surface fluxes and state variables that are then studied and compared. Defining characteristics that have distinguished GSWP include its global scale, application of land surface models in the same gridded structure as they are used in weather and climate models, and the multimodel approach, which included production of a multimodel analysis in its second phase. This paper gives an overview of the history of GSWP beginning with its inception within the International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project. Various phases of the project are described, and a review of scientific results stemming from the project is presented. Musings on future directions of research are also discussed.
On the Vanishing of the Interfacial Ekman Layer
Authors: Wirth Achim
Published: May 2011

It is shown that an interfacial Ekman layer between two water masses of different density vanishes in time for all Prandtl number 0 < Pr < ∞, demonstrating that an interfacial Ekman layer is a transient phenomena and the interface broadens in a way approaching geostrophy. For Pr = 0, undamped inertial oscillations spread away from the interface, and the case Pr = ∞ represents the classical Ekman layer.
Incoherent Nature of M2 Internal Tides at the Hawaiian Ridge
Authors: Zilberman N. V. , Merrifield M. A. , Carter G. S. , Luther D. S. , Levine M. D. , Boyd T. J.
Published: May 2011

Moored current, temperature, and conductivity measurements are used to study the temporal variability of M2 internal tide generation above the Kaena Ridge, between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai. The energy conversion from the barotropic to baroclinic tide measured near the ridge crest varies by a factor of 2 over the 6-month mooring deployment (0.5–1.1 W m−2). The energy flux measured just off the ridge undergoes a similar modulation as the ridge conversion. The energy conversion varies largely because of changes in the phase of the perturbation pressure, suggesting variable work done on remotely generated internal tides. During the mooring deployment, low-frequency current and stratification fluctuations occur on and off the ridge. Model simulations suggest that these variations are due to two mesoscale eddies that passed through the region. The impact of these eddies on low-mode internal tide propagation over the ridge crest is considered. It appears that eddy-related changes in stratification and perhaps cross-ridge current speed contribute to the observed phase variations in perturbation pressure and hence the variable conversion over the ridge.
Directional Calibration of Wave Reanalysis Databases Using Instrumental Data
Authors: Mínguez R. , Espejo A. , Tomás A. , Méndez F. J. , Losada I. J.
Published: May 2011

Wave reanalysis databases (WRDBs) offer important advantages for the statistical characterization of wave climate (continuous time series, good spatial coverage, constant time span, homogeneous forcing, and more than a 40-yr-long time series) and for this reason, they have become a powerful tool for the design of offshore and coastal structures. However, WRDBs are not quantitatively perfect and corrections using instrumental observations must be addressed before they are used; this process is called calibration. The calibration is especially relevant near the coast and in areas where the orography is complex, since in these places the inaccuracy of WRDB is evident because of the bad description of the wind fields (i.e., insufficient forcing resolution). The quantitative differences between numerical and instrumental data suggest that different corrections should be applied depending on the mean direction of the sea state. This paper proposes a calibration method based on a nonlinear regression problem, where the corresponding correction parameters vary smoothly along the possible wave directions by means of cubic splines. The correction of significant wave height is performed using instrumental data: (i) buoy records and/or (ii) satellite data. The performance of the method is illustrated considering data from different locations around Spain.
A Framework for the Statistical Analysis of Large Radar and Lightning Datasets: Results from STEPS 2000
Authors: Lang Timothy J. , Rutledge Steven A.
Published: May 2011

A framework for the statistical analysis of large radar and lightning datasets is described and implemented in order to analyze two research questions in atmospheric electricity: storms dominated by positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning and estimating the probability of lightning in convection. The framework—a collection of computer programs running in series—is fully modular, allowing the analysis of a variety of datasets based on a study’s objectives, including radar observations, lightning data, observations of meteorological environments, and other data. The framework has been applied to over 2 months of observations of 28 463 cells. The results suggest that +CG-dominated cells contain midlevel positive charge (−10° to −30°C), in contrast to cells dominated by −CG lightning, which typically had positive charge at upper (near −40°C) and lower levels (0° to −10°C). The +CG cells also were larger and more intense, and were associated with environments that were more convectively favorable—in terms of increased moisture, shear, and especially instability—when compared to −CG cells. The framework was also used to examine the probability of lightning occurrence for a spectrum of radar structures. The existence of 30-dBZ echo above the freezing altitude is a “necessary” condition (in ~90% of cases) for lightning occurrence. A “sufficient” condition (in ~90% of cases) is 40-dBZ echo breaching the freezing altitude. Altitude or volume of 40-dBZ echo was the superior estimator for the occurrence of lightning, while 30 dBZ was better for inferring the lack of lightning.
On the Characteristic Height Scales of the Hurricane Boundary Layer
Authors: Zhang Jun A. , Rogers Robert F. , Nolan David S. , Marks Frank D.
Published: May 2011

In this study, data from 794 GPS dropsondes deployed by research aircraft in 13 hurricanes are analyzed to study the characteristic height scales of the hurricane boundary layer. The height scales are defined in a variety of ways: the height of the maximum total wind speed, the inflow layer depth, and the mixed layer depth. The height of the maximum wind speed and the inflow layer depth are referred to as the dynamical boundary layer heights, while the mixed layer depth is referred to as the thermodynamical boundary layer height. The data analyses show that there is a clear separation of the thermodynamical and dynamical boundary layer heights. Consistent with previous studies on the boundary layer structure in individual storms, the dynamical boundary layer height is found to decrease with decreasing radius to the storm center. The thermodynamic boundary layer height, which is much shallower than the dynamical boundary layer height, is also found to decrease with decreasing radius to the storm center. The results also suggest that using the traditional critical Richardson number method to determine the boundary layer height may not accurately reproduce the height scale of the hurricane boundary layer. These different height scales reveal the complexity of the hurricane boundary layer structure that should be captured in hurricane model simulations.
Impact of CASA Radar and Oklahoma Mesonet Data Assimilation on the Analysis and Prediction of Tornadic Mesovortices in an MCS
Authors: Schenkman Alexander D. , Xue Ming , Shapiro Alan , Brewster Keith , Gao Jidong
Published: May 2011

The impact of radar and Oklahoma Mesonet data assimilation on the prediction of mesovortices in a tornadic mesoscale convective system (MCS) is examined. The radar data come from the operational Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) and the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere’s (CASA) IP-1 radar network. The Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) model is employed to perform high-resolution predictions of an MCS and the associated cyclonic line-end vortex that spawned several tornadoes in central Oklahoma on 8–9 May 2007, while the ARPS three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system in combination with a complex cloud analysis package is used for the data analysis. A set of data assimilation and prediction experiments are performed on a 400-m resolution grid nested inside a 2-km grid, to examine the impact of radar data on the prediction of meso-γ-scale vortices (mesovortices). An 80-min assimilation window is used in radar data assimilation experiments. An additional set of experiments examines the impact of assimilating 5-min data from the Oklahoma Mesonet in addition to the radar data.

Qualitative comparison with observations shows highly accurate forecasts of mesovortices up to 80 min in advance of their genesis are obtained when the low-level shear in advance of the gust front is effectively analyzed. Accurate analysis of the low-level shear profile relies on assimilating high-resolution low-level wind information. The most accurate analysis (and resulting prediction) is obtained in experiments that assimilate low-level radial velocity data from the CASA radars. Assimilation of 5-min observations from the Oklahoma Mesonet has a substantial positive impact on the analysis and forecast when high-resolution low-level wind observations from CASA are absent; when the low-level CASA wind data are assimilated, the impact of Mesonet data is smaller. Experiments that do not assimilate low-level wind data from CASA radars are unable to accurately resolve the low-level shear profile and gust front structure, precluding accurate prediction of mesovortex development.
Performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model for Month-Long Pan-Arctic Simulations
Authors: Cassano John J. , Higgins Matthew E. , Seefeldt Mark W.
Published: May 2011

The performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was evaluated for month-long simulations over a large pan-Arctic model domain. The evaluation of seven different WRF (version 3.1) configurations for four months (January, April, July, and October 2007) indicated that WRF produces reasonable simulations of the Arctic atmosphere. Ranking of the model error statistics, calculated relative to the NCEP/Department of Energy Global Reanalysis 2 (NCEP-2), for sea level pressure, 500- and 300-hPa geopotential height, 2-m air temperature, and precipitation identified the model configurations that consistently produced the best pan-Arctic simulations. For all WRF configurations considered, large errors in circulation are evident in the North Pacific. The errors in the North Pacific are manifested as an overly weak and westward-shifted Aleutian low and overly strong subtropical Pacific high simulated by WRF. These circulation errors are nearly barotropic, with a slight increase in magnitude with height, and they vary slightly in magnitude and position as the WRF physics options and domain size are changed. It is concluded that the circulation errors are likely due to errors in the treatment of the model-top boundary. The use of a higher model top (10 hPa rather than 50 hPa) or spectral nudging of wavenumbers 1–3 in the top half of the model domain results in significantly reduced circulation biases. Simulations with WRF version 3.2 also show reduced errors.
Diagnosing the Sensitivity of Binary Image Measures to Bias, Location, and Event Frequency within a Forecast Verification Framework
Authors: Schwedler Benjamin R. J. , Baldwin Michael E.
Published: May 2011

While the use of binary distance measures has a substantial history in the field of image processing, these techniques have only recently been applied in the area of forecast verification. Designed to quantify the distance between two images, these measures can easily be extended for use with paired forecast and observation fields. The behavior of traditional forecast verification metrics based on the dichotomous contingency table continues to be an area of active study, but the sensitivity of image metrics has not yet been analyzed within the framework of forecast verification. Four binary distance measures are presented and the response of each to changes in event frequency, bias, and displacement error is documented. The Hausdorff distance and its derivatives, the modified and partial Hausdorff distances, are shown only to be sensitive to changes in base rate, bias, and displacement between the forecast and observation. In addition to its sensitivity to these three parameters, the Baddeley image metric is also sensitive to additional aspects of the forecast situation. It is shown that the Baddeley metric is dependent not only on the spatial relationship between a forecast and observation but also the location of the events within the domain. This behavior may have considerable impact on the results obtained when using this measure for forecast verification. For ease of comparison, a hypothetical forecast event is presented to quantitatively analyze the various sensitivities of these distance measures.
Democratic attitudes and social capital in Latin America
Authors: Pillai Vijayan K. , Díaz Héctor Luis , Basham Randall E. , Ramírez-Johnson Johnny
Published: May 2011

This article examines the effect of democratic attitudes on social capital in four Latin American countries. It relies on a secondary analysis of data from a multi-national study conducted in 2005—2006. Findings indicate that democratic attitudes had a significant positive effect on social capital even in rural settings, and that social capital increased as democratic attitudes improved.
The Effect of Age on the Acquisition of Second Language Prosody
Authors: Huang Becky H. , Jun Sun-Ah
Published: May 2011

This study reports an exploratory analysis of the age of arrival (AoA) effect on the production of second language (L2) prosody. Three groups of Mandarin-speaking immigrants ( N = 10 in each group) with varying AoA in the United States and ten native speakers of English as controls participated in the study. All participants read a paragraph of English, and their speech samples were subjected to three prosodic analyses: speech and articulation rates, native speakers’ judgment of the prosody based on segment-filtered speech, and analyses of tones and prosodic groupings using the Mainstream American English Tones and Break Indices (MAE_ToBI) transcription conventions. The L2 groups also filled out a survey providing information about their demographic background, English input, and socio-psychological aspects of language learning. The results revealed that the AoA factor impacted different aspects of prosody to varying degrees. Group differences were statistically significant for speech rate, degree of foreign prosody, the frequency of pitch accents, and the frequency of high boundary tones (H-H%). However, group differences were not significant for articulation rate, prosodic groupings, and the rest of the ToBI-labeled phonological categories. Multiple regression analyses further confirmed the AoA effect on degree of foreign prosody, the frequency of pitch accents, and high boundary tones (H-H%); AoA remained a significant predictor controlling for the effects of other variables. However, speech rate was predicted by English media exposure and motivation variable but not by AoA.
Characterization of the tensile behavior of a metallic fiber woven structure
Authors: Kraft Steven M , Gordon Ali P
Published: May 2011

The mechanics of a woven wire mesh material are investigated to characterize the elasto-plastic behavior of this class of materials under tensile conditions. The study focuses on a representative 316 L stainless steel (316 L SS) 325 × 2300 twill-dutch woven wire mesh typically used as a fine filtration media in applications such as water reclamation, air filtration, and as a key component in swab wands used in conjunction with explosive trace detection equipment. Mechanical experiments and a 3D finite element model were employed to study the macro-scale and meso-scale mechanical behavior of the woven wire mesh under uniaxial tensile conditions. A parametric study of the orientation dependence of the mechanical response of this material has been carried out, which relates material properties such as elastic modulus, yield strength, etc. to material orientation. Ratcheting type tensile tests are also performed in a similar orientation study, and an elementary damage model is presented for the woven wire mesh based on continuum damage mechanics. The elasto-plastic behavior of the wire mesh is studied via the finite element method, and observations are made relating localized plastic strain to remotely applied displacements.
Methods of studying breast motion in sports bras: a review
Authors: Jie Zhou  , Winnie Yu  , Ng Sun-Pui
Published: May 2011

There is exponentially increasing number of research publications studying breast motion in sports bras. However, there are large varieties of their methods and findings. To critically evaluate the consistency and limitations of previous breast motion studies, a systematic review of all articles on breast motion in sports bras was performed. A total of 17 fully extracted studies included 216 subjects, aged from 20 to 60 with bra cup sizes from A to J. They participated in only four types of activities with or without bras, but not in randomized controlled trials. Most studies focused on the vertical nipple movements, but seldom examined the three-dimensional breast velocity, acceleration, and trajectory. The sample sizes and the types of activities were limited. The reference frames were not stable in most studies. To study the realistic breast movements in the future, a standardized local coordinate system will be needed.
Identification of principal factors of fabric aesthetics by the evaluation from experts on textiles and from untrained consumers
Authors: Kanai Hiroyuki , Morishima Mika , Nasu Kentaro , Nishimatsu Toyonori , Shibata Kiyohiro , Matsuoka Toshio
Published: May 2011

One of the important end-use performance measures of fabrics and other textile products is the handle, which measures the quality of fabrics as evaluated by reactions obtained not only tactilely but also visually. The well-known Kawabata Evaluation System includes both an objective evaluation and a prediction method of the handle. However, objective evaluations of the handle based on a visual perception of fabric aesthetics have not been investigated systematically. Thus, as the first step of a systematic study, we attempted to carry out a sensory evaluation of fabric aesthetics by experts on textile and untrained consumers using worsted and spun silk woven fabrics, which have different material effect and structural effect. Thereafter, the mean preference scores were examined by factor analysis to identify the principal factors of fabric aesthetics. From the result, it was found that two common factors—‘luster and depth sensation’ and ‘surface roughness sensation’—were identified tentatively as the principal factors of fabric aesthetics.
A study of influence of the delivery rubber roller on yarn properties
Authors: Zhigang Xia  , Xin Wang  , Juan Huang  , Yan Wang  , Wenxiang Ye  , Weilin Xu
Published: May 2011

In this study, a mechanical model was introduced to analyze the hair wrapping via a contact surface in the yarn formation zone. Worsted and ramie/cotton rovings were then used to produce yarns on an experimental ring frame with and without a delivery rubber roller to validate the theoretical analysis. Yarn properties, including hairiness, unevenness, and tensile properties were tested and the results indicated that the delivery roller could stop fibers from escaping from the twisting process in the spinning triangle and wrap most of them onto the stem of the yarn. In particular for worsted spinning, yarn unevenness CV, as well as tensile properties, was improved significantly due to an improved arrangement of the worsted strand when using the front delivery rubber roller. However, yarn evenness and tensile properties deteriorated for ramie/cotton yarn spun with a delivery rubber roller. This was mainly because of the high modulus of the ramie/cotton blend strand, as upstream twists were blocked and a weak spinning zone was formed to incur an unexpected drawing.
Monitoring chenille yarn defects using image processing with control charts
Authors: Maroš Tunák , Vladimír Bajzík , Caner Testik Murat
Published: May 2011

In this paper, a control chart is introduced for monitoring various defect types occurring on chenille yarns. To implement the control chart, a grey level image of chenille yarn is captured as an image matrix. Image preprocessing is applied and this involves thresholding to a binary image and a morphological opening operation for removing small objects from the image. The height of the pile yarn, measured from the processed images, is selected as the monitored quality characteristic. Since the monitored quality characteristic was highly autocorrelated, a first-order autoregressive AR(1) model was found to be appropriate for modelling the autocorrelation structure. Due to estimation of the AR(1) process parameters, a modified exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control chart for residuals is implemented as a tool for monitoring and detecting defects. It is shown that the modified EWMA control chart can be used successfully for monitoring different types of chenille yarn defects.
Respiratory protection for physiologically straining environments
Authors: Schutz Jurg A. , Church Jeffrey S.
Published: May 2011

People who work in hazardous environments under high physiological stress often have to weigh up the benefits and difficulties of wearing respiratory protection. By developing filter materials that provide comparable smoke particle protection at a significantly lower breathing resistance, exposure to physiological stress may be reduced without jeopardizing protection. In this paper, we investigate to this end the use of stationary electrostatic surface charges, which are known to dramatically improve the efficiency of filter media to fine particles at next to no change in breathing resistance. Filtration test results presented show that some high temperature polymer fiber materials commonly used for personal protective equipment can in fact reach best practice filtration performance if combined with a suitable fiber counterpart. Tribo-electric fiber blends made from combinations of polypropylene with poly-imide-amide, poly(m-phenylene benzimidazole), meta-polyaramid or para-polyaramid have been found to generate significant electrostatic enhancements in nonwoven needle felts that are stable over time. Results suggest that polypropylene is an essential component of fiber blends that reach best practice electrostatic performance with the exception of a meta-aramid fiber blended with wool that appears to work as well. As a result, it is possible to manufacture heat resistant garments for respiratory protection against smoke particles, which could be similar to a bandana and provides protection at a reduced breathing resistance.
Dynamic drape property evaluation of natural fiber woven fabrics using a novel automatic drape-measuring system
Authors: Wang Pin-Ning , Cheng Kou-Bin
Published: May 2011

Quantifying the dynamic drape properties of woven fabrics is an important factor in representing the actual qualities of wearing different materials. While static drape tests are not fully sufficient for measuring the real drapable nature of fabric, performing dynamic drape tests of woven fabric has been a very challenging task for the textile industry. In order to overcome this problem, this study developed an automatic drape-measuring system for woven fabrics.

In this study, static and dynamic drapability testing values of spring/summer natural fiber woven fabrics are analyzed. The weights of the tested fabrics range from 11.0 to 18.3 mg/cm 2. The ‘Four-in-One’ Automatic Measuring System for Dynamic Drape is used to measure fabric drapability. The drape-testing instrument is employed with forward rotation, reciprocating motion, and swinging motion, simulating the changes in the dynamic drape of fabric when people walk at different speeds. The results of this study indicate that the dynamic drape coefficient (Dc) and dynamic drape coefficient of fabric in forward rotation (Dcr) can be used to determine the dynamic drape liveliness of four types of natural fiber woven fabrics in forward rotation, the dynamic drape coefficient with reciprocating motion (Dd) can be used to determine the dynamic drape liveliness of the four fabrics in reciprocating motion, and the dynamic drape coefficient with swinging motion (Dsr) can be used to determine the dynamic drape liveliness of the four fabrics in swinging motion.
Transitional Gene Expression Profiling in Ovarian Follicle during Ovulation in Normal-Cycle Rats
Authors: Tsubota Kenjiro , Kanki Masayuki , Noto Takahisa , Shiraki Katsuhisa , Takeuchi Ayano , Nakatsuji Shunji , Seki Jiro , Oishi Yuji , Matsumoto Masahiro , Nakayama Hiroyuki
Published: May 2011

Evaluation of ovarian toxicity requires an understanding of the physiological changes related to the estrous cycle in the ovary. The authors investigated the transitional gene expression profile of ovulatory follicles in rats that show normal estrous cyclicity. Ovaries were collected at 10:00 and 22:00 on the proestrus day and at 10:00 on the estrus day. Ovarian follicles or early corpora lutea were isolated using laser microdissection, and extracted total RNA was analyzed using microarray technology. Clustering analysis revealed four different expression patterns: transient up- or down-regulation only at 22:00 on the proestrus day (pattern 1), up- or down-regulation only at 10:00 on the estrus day (pattern 2), continuous increase at 22:00 on the proestrus day and at 10:00 on the estrus day (pattern 3), and up- or down-regulation at 22:00 on the proestrus day and level maintenance at 10:00 on the estrus day (pattern 4). In addition, these probe sets were functionally categorized in each pattern using the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis database. These data will aid in understanding the physiology of ovulation and may be useful in assessing ovarian toxicity and its mechanism, such as in investigations of chemical-induced ovulatory impairment.
Characterization of Xenobiotic-Induced Hepatocellular Enzyme Induction in Rats
Authors: Zabka Tanja S. , Fielden Mark R. , Garrido Rosario , Tao Jianhua , Fretland Adrian J. , Fretland Jennifer L. , Albassam Mudher A. , Singer Thomas , Kolaja Kyle L.
Published: May 2011

During routine safety evaluation of RO2910, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for HIV infection, histopathology findings concurrent with robust hepatocellular induction occurred in multiple organs, including a unique, albeit related, finding in the pituitary gland. For fourteen days, male and female rats were administered, by oral gavage vehicle, 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg/day of RO2910. Treated groups had elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone and decreased total thyroxine, and hypertrophy in the liver, thyroid gland, and pituitary pars distalis. These were considered consequences of hepatocellular induction and often were dose dependent and more pronounced in males than in females. Hepatocellular centrilobular hypertrophy corresponded with increased expression of cytochrome P450s 2B1/2, 3A1, and 3A2 and UGT 2B1. Bilateral thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy occurred concurrent to increased mitotic activity and sometimes colloid depletion, which were attributed to changes in thyroid hormone levels. Males had hypertrophy of thyroid-stimulating hormone–producing cells (thyrotrophs) in the pituitary pars distalis. All findings were consistent with the well-established adaptive physiologic response of rodents to xenobiotic-induced hepatocellular microsomal enzyme induction. Although the effects on the pituitary gland following hepatic enzyme induction-mediated hypothyroidism have not been reported previously, other models of stress and thyroid depletion leading to pituitary stimulation support such a shared pathogenesis.
Patterns and processes of global shrub expansion
Authors: Naito Adam T. , Cairns David M.
Published: May 2011

Shrub expansion is a global phenomenon that is occurring on savannas, rangelands, and grasslands. In addition, this is an increasingly documented occurrence in the Arctic. Numerous recent studies have strived to pinpoint the drivers of this phenomenon, quantify the changes, and understand their implications for regional and global land use, disturbance regimes, and nutrient cycling. Inquiry into these topics has been facilitated by recent technological developments in satellite remote sensing, aerial photograph analysis, and computer simulation modeling. We provide a new review that accounts for more recent studies in these regions, Arctic shrub expansion, and technological and analytical developments. This four-part discussion focuses on observed patterns of shrub expansion in three rangeland types (desert grasslands, mesic grasslands, savannas) and the Arctic tundra, the primary causes of this expansion, critical comparisons and contrasts between these land types, and recommendations for future avenues of research. These new avenues can inform the development of future land management policies, as well as ongoing investigations to understand and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Anterior Knee Laxity Increases Gapping of Posterior Horn Medial Meniscal Tears
Authors: Dürselen Lutz , Vögele Stefan , Seitz Andreas M. , Ignatius Anita , Friederich Niklaus F. , Bauer Gerhard , Majewski Martin
Published: May 2011

Background

Meniscal tears often occur in association with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesions or in chronically lax knees. It is also known that meniscal repairs are less likely to heal in ACL-deficient knees.

Purpose

To test the effect of different knee joint motion and loading conditions on the gapping behavior of longitudinal posterior horn meniscal tears in stable and ACL-deficient knee joints.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Longitudinal tears of 3 cm were set in the posterior horn of the medial menisci in 10 human cadaveric joints. The medial plateau of the knees was replaced by a transparent replica, and an arthroscope was placed underneath to observe the gapping phenomenon of the meniscal tears. The maximum gap width occurring during flexion-extension under various motion and loading situations was registered in intact and ACL-deficient joints before and after meniscal repair with FasT-Fix suture anchors.

Results

Longitudinal meniscal tears gapped significantly wider after ACL transection under 30-N axial joint load ( P < .05). Increasing the axial load to 200 N or applying external moments to the knee did not lead to further alterations in the gap size. Gapping was significantly reduced after meniscal repair ( P < .01). However, after meniscal repair, gapping under 30-N and 200-N axial joint load was still increased significantly after ACL transection compared with the ACL-intact state ( P < .05).

Conclusion

Anterior knee laxity increases gapping across both unrepaired and repaired vertical peripheral medial meniscal posterior horn tears.

Clinical Relevance

Repairing such meniscal tears without reconstructing the ACL may affect meniscus healing rates or increase the risk of retears. Moderate rehabilitation regimens can be recommended, allowing at least for partial weightbearing and knee motion from extension to 120° of flexion in a stable knee. However, caution should be recommended if meniscal repair is performed in a knee joint with persistent anterior laxity due to ACL deficiency.
Content, Usability, and Innovation: An Evaluative Methodology for Government Recruiting Websites
Authors: Selden Sally , Orenstein Joseph
Published: May 2011

Building on previous studies evaluating corporate recruiting webpages, this article presents the Government E-Recruitment Assessment Tool (GERAT). Using this tool, two analysts evaluate the e-recruiting efforts of state governments.The results of this analysis provide a snapshot of e-recruitment websites at one period in time. This tool provides guidance for future research and practice in the area of e-recruitment.
Mexican American Public Sector Professionals
Authors: Ortega Ramona , Plagens Gregory K. , Stephens Peggy , Berry-James RaJade M.
Published: May 2011

Diversity among civil service employees, affirmative action, and workplace discrimination continue to be salient and potentially dynamic issues for public sector human resource managers. In an effort to better understand a fast-growing but rarely studied subgroup of the public workforce, this study compares Mexican American managers’ perceptions of affirmative action and workplace discrimination to those of their White and Black, non-Hispanic peers. Data for this study come from two large Southwestern United States cities, Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas. Results from bivariate and multivariate analyses show that managers, as a collective group, do not believe affirmative action policies and workplace discrimination have affected advancement. However, when the data are disaggregated and reexamined by race or ethnicity, significant differences of opinion emerge. We find evidence that Mexican American managers perceive affirmative action policies and workplace discrimination differently than their peers.
Heat transfer characteristics of laminar annular duct flow with viscous dissipation
Authors: Yavuz T , Erol Ú , Kaya M
Published: May 2011

Laminar forced-convection heat transfer in a concentric annular pipe for a Newtonian fluid with constant properties was analysed by taking the viscous dissipation term into account at constant equal and non-equal heat flux boundary conditions. It can be said that viscous dissipation changes the temperature distributions and plays a very important role in heat transfer characteristics of a concentric annular pipe. The flow in this study was considered to be both thermally and hydrodynamically developed. Temperature distributions and Nusselt numbers were obtained for flows having different aspect ratios and Brinkman numbers. Depending on the boundary conditions, there is considerable effect of the viscous dissipation term on the thermal characteristics of the concentric annular flow. Viscous dissipation has higher effect on the heat transfer characteristic for the case where there is constant and equal heat flow from both walls.
A novel mechanics model of parametric helical-end mills for 3D cutting force prediction
Authors: Yongqing W , Haibo L
Published: May 2011

Cutting force prediction plays an important role in modern manufacturing systems to effectively design cutters, fixtures, and machine tools. A novel mechanics model of parametric helical-end mills is systematically presented for three-dimensional (3D) cutting force prediction in the article, which is different from mechanistic approach and Oxley’s predictive machining theory in model formulation and shear stress identification process. The single-flute cutting edge and multiflute cutting edge of helical-end mills are modelled according to kinematic analysis with vector algebra. Based on Merchant’s oblique cutting theory, a new mechanics model of 3D cutting force with runout has been developed. Meanwhile, the asynchronous problem between predicted and measured curves is solved by adjusting phase angle to minimize the average deviation. After minimizing the asynchronous phase angle deviation, shear stress can be estimated directly using corresponding peak-to-peak ratio or valley-to-valley ratio of the predicted curves and the measured curves in X- and Y-directions of an arbitrary selected milling test. To assess the feasibility of the general model, over 100 milling experiments of aluminium alloy (7075) using flat-end mills and ball-end mills were conducted, respectively, and numerical tests implemented in time domain on MathWorks platform. The comparative results indicated that the predicted and the measured waveforms were quite satisfied in both pulsation pattern and period.
A novel diagnostic system for gasoline-engine leakage detection
Authors: Chen P-C
Published: May 2011

The current paper presents a leakage diagnosis system for elucidating the leakage source and identifying the leakage degree of gasoline engines. The proposed diagnostic system consists of a crankcase-ventilation detecting system, a pressure-regulator detecting system, a leakage-source detecting system, and a decision system. Being based on neural networks, the three detecting systems are trained using the steepest-descent method and a back-propagation algorithm. Although the engine non-linearity and noise may spoil the leakage identification, the decision system can be employed to enhance the identification of leakage source and leakage degree. Genetic algorithms are used to train the initial weights and biases of the neural networks such that the training performance is raised. Experimental results indicate that the proposed diagnostic system for elucidating the leaking source and leakage degree is feasible and effective.
Thrombotic events during long-term follow-up of obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome patients
Authors: Lefèvre G , Lambert M , Bacri J-L , Dubucquoi S , Quemeneur T , Caron C , Launay D , Houfflin-Debarge V , Hachulla E , Kyndt X , Subtil D , Hatron P-Y
Published: May 2011

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by arterial and/or venous thromboses and/or pregnancy-associated morbidity. Some patients develop only obstetric complications (obstetric APS), but data on the frequency of thrombotic events during the follow-up of these patients are scarce. This study was undertaken to evaluate the rate of thrombotic events after obstetric APS diagnosis according to the 2006 revised criteria. In total, 32 obstetric APS patients were retrospectively studied, with mean follow-up of 50 ± 37 months. After delivery, aspirin was prescribed to all patients as primary thrombosis prevention. The thrombosis rate was 3.3/100 patient-years and was 4.6, 4.5 and 10/100 patient-years when we considered at least two antiphospholipid antibody positivities (among lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti-β2-glycoprotein-I), antinuclear antibody positivity or systemic lupus erythematosus-associated APS patients, respectively. The thrombosis rate was high after obstetric APS diagnosis, even for patients taking aspirin. Larger, prospective studies are needed to confirm this high frequency and determine the associated risk factors.
‘The stranger’, the city and the nation: on the possibilities of identification and belonging
Authors: Koefoed Lasse , Simonsen Kirsten
Published: May 2011

The paper explores the relationship between ‘the stranger’ and the spatial formations of the city and the nation in a dual sense. On the one hand, it discusses the construction of the stranger as a figure, both generally and in relation to formation of the city and the nation in particular. On the other hand, it explores the experiences and practices of people designated as ‘strangers’, that is, the experiences and feelings arising in the multiplicity of everyday signifying encounters and the possibilities of identification afforded by the city and the nation respectively. This twofold aim is pursued through an integrated reading of literature on the stranger and material from an interpretative analysis performed in Copenhagen among citizens of Pakistani origin. The main point argued throughout the paper is that it is not possible to simply ‘be’ a stranger; you become a stranger through specific, embodied encounters. The stranger is a relational figure, constituted in a spatial ambivalence between proximity and distance, and in this way he/she can take different shapes and different roles depending on the context in which it is performed. This indeterminacy shows in the empirical analysis, where the stranger takes a very different role within the nation and the city and in some sense helps to differentiate between the qualities of these two spatial formations.
A Plea for (Good) Simulations: Nudging Economics Toward an Experimental Science
Authors: Reiss Julian
Published: May 2011

In this article, the author argues that simulation is an undervalued technique to draw conclusions about empirical phenomena in economics. If the aim is to learn about the behavior of socioeconomic systems of interest, simulations have a variety of advantages relative to alternatives such as mathematical (pen and paper) modeling and laboratory experimentation. Therefore, the author has a good prima facie reason to exploit this method more fully. The author proceed by demonstrating that frequently heard arguments against simulations are wrong, and finally the author discusses a number of more specific empirical phenomena, criticisms of one type of simulation methodology used in economics.