Functional Dependency

Using scintillation crystal sheets instead of discrete crystal arrays in high-resolution PET has the immediate advantage of reduced complexity as well as a potential for increased sensitivity. In order to evaluate the positioning capability of a position sensitive avalanche photodioide (PSAPD) using a sheet Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystal scintillator, we studied the dependence of detected event position versus the known source position. In particular, we studied positioning in a continuous 8 mm 8 mm LSO sheet coupled to a PSAPD with an 8 mm 8 mm active area experimentally, studied optical transport in the sheet crystal with Monte Carlo simulation, and used two positioning methods to evaluate PSAPD pincushioning effects. Both collimated 57 Co 122 keV and coincidence-triggered 22 Na 511 keV sources were used in the experiments performed. We analyze the energy resolution, sensitivity, photopeak position and spatial resolution as a function of source position. An average point spread function (PSF) resolution of 2.86 and 1.12 mm FWHM for 57 Co and 22 Na respectively was observed. Within 1.2 mm from the edge of the LSO sheet, the average photopeak position change was 5%. Simulations using annihilation photon interactions from GATE and scintillation photon transport from DETECT2000, as well as utilizing a pincushion-reduction posioning algorithm, have confirmed that the positioning and energy response observed experimently at the edge of the crystal is due to optical transport near those edges.

Predictions of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) releases are sensitive to the nonwetting phase relative permeability-saturation (k r,N -S) constitutive relationships employed in numerical models. In this study, hysteretic k r,N -S curves were measured for a variety of sands, revealing trends in k r,N -S function shapes that were correlated to sand type. To explore the significance of this conclusion, numerical simulations of a fixed volume DNAPL release were conducted using 10 realisations of a spatially correlated, random permeability field. Simulations assuming homogeneity of relative permeability were compared to those employing the determined functional dependence of relative permeability on porous media properties. The simulations demonstrate both temporal and spatial sensitivity. The time for DNAPL migration to cease is shorter, and the ultimate extent of DNAPL invasion is greater, in those simulations using the traditional assumption that k r,N -S is uniform and not correlated to porous media type.

There are two common types of solution methods for solving simple integrals: using integration constants or using limits of integration. We use the resources framework to model student solution methods. Preliminary results indicate both problematic and meaningful intersections of physical meaning and mathematical formalism when solving linked integrals.

The successful use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a way of visualizing cortical function depends largely on the important relationships between the signal observed and the underlying neuronal activity that it is believed to represent. Currently, a relatively direct correlation seems to be favoured between fMRI signals and population synaptic activity (including inhibitory and excitatory activity), with a secondary and potentially more variable correlation with cellular action potentials.

Little work has been completed which addresses the logical composition and use of ternary relationships in entity-relationship modeling. Many modeling notations and most CASE tools do not allow for ternary relationships. Alternative methods and substitutes for ternary relationship structures do not necessarily reflect the original logic, semantics or constraints of a given situation. Furthermore, it has been shown that ternary relationships can be constrained by additional implicit binary constraints which do not occur in the logic of binary relationships. This paper develops an analytical perspective of ternary relationships. We investigate the logical relationships implicit to the ternary structure and then identify potential simplification through decomposition into binary equivalents. These alternative binary equivalents allow retention of the implicit logical structure, and consequently also retain the semantics of the original structure. The analysis investigates equivalency of lossless decompositions, preservation of functional dependencies and finally the ability to preserve update constraints (insertions and deletions). We identify which ternary relationships have true, fully equivalent, binary equivalents and those which do not. We provide an exhaustive analysis of cardinality combinations found in ternary relationships which practitioners can use to guide the way in which they deal with ternary relationships in conceptual modeling.

Multimedia applications nowadays are becoming prevalent. In the past the relational database model was generalized to the multimedia database model. More recently the relational database model was generalized to the data streams model, as the technology advanced and data became bulky and unbounded in size due to the utilization of sensor networks. In this paper we take one more step of generalization by providing a multimedia data streams model. The objective is to furnish a formal framework to design multimedia data streams (MMDS) schema for efficient content based information retrieval. We also extend the functional dependency theory and the normalization framework to handle multimedia data streams. Finally we present algorithmic methods of generating continuous multimedia queries along with examples for illustration. 2. Motivating Examples As motivating examples we present the following three applications-a security system, a health application, and an aircraft database system. Motivating example 1-Security System: A security system usually has video cameras installed in hidden places in some secured building or store. Typically a guard or two keep rotating between the captured videos and they interfere when something suspicious or a threat occurs. However, this security system has two major problems: first, inevitable human error, and second, if a WANTED person shows up, it is less likely that the security guard can pay attention, and hence interfere before the crises (as opposed to after the crises). However, if we have a multimedia data stream management system that receives the stream of videos (or stream of frames) and has a relation (i.e. a table) with images of all WANTED criminals, and another relation with images of all weapons. Then one can preregister couple of useful continuous queries to automate the task of the guards, and help them do their job and avoid human errors. Such CQs may include: 1) Tell me whenever you see an object similar to any weapon. 2) Tell me whenever you see a WANTED person. 3) Tell me whenever an object (or more) in several frames within the last 30 seconds moves in a very "violent" manner. 4) If any of the above, start recording the video on a "Threat" clip for future reference. Thus, if the guard missed anything, or had to leave his place for whatever reason, the system can help him. Moreover, new things that he was not able to do, such as identifying WANTED criminals, is now achievable. Motivating example 2-Health-care System: One of the major data streams applications is the health monitoring systems, where the patient"s heart rate, body temperature, etc. are continuously monitored, and a CQ to report when these values go beyond the normal values. Imagine the case for some diseases when an X-Ray photo needs to be inspected to show progress or to identify anomalies. This is a multimedia data stream that can be fed to a multimedia data stream management system with the appropriate continuous queries. Motivating example 3-Airport Security: Assume we have a multimedia database with multimedia objects being still images of object types. And then we have a multimedia stream of video frames taken by some airport"s security

Background and Purpose-We sought to investigate the impact of hyperglycemia before reperfusion on long-term outcome in patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Methods-Of 268 consecutive patients with a nonlacunar middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke evaluated at Ͻ3 hours after onset, 73 (27.2%) received intravenous tPA. Serum glucose was determined at baseline before tPA administration. Hyperglycemia was defined as a glucose level Ͼ140 mg/dL. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were obtained at baseline and 24 hours. Transcranial Doppler monitoring of recanalization and reocclusion was conducted during the first 24 hours. Total infarct volume was measured on CT at day 5 to 7. Modified Rankin Scale was used to assess outcome at 3 months.

A long-term goal of biomedical research is to decipher how genetic processes influence disease formation. Ubiquitous and advancing microarray technology can measure millions of DNA structural variants (single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) and thousands of gene transcripts (RNA expression microarrays) in cells. Both of these information modalities can be brought to bear on disease etiology. This paper develops a Bayesian network-based approach to integrate SNP and expression microarray data. The network models SNP-gene interactions using a phenotype-centric network. Inferring the network consists of two steps: variable selection and network learning. The learned network illustrates how functionally dependent SNPs and genes influence each other, and also serves as a predictor of the phenotype. The application of the proposed method to a pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia dataset demonstrates the feasibility of our approach and its impact on biological investigation and clinic...

A unified, analysis is presented for the spatial and the spectral sensitivity of speckle (the rapid spatial variations which occur in an image when illumination of narrow spectral width is used) in a space-invariant linear system. In prior work considering speckle size, others have shown that its spatial variation is functionally dependent primarily on the autocorrelation function of the system's impulse response, but effects of varying the wavelength were largely ignored. In the present paper we treat the general problem in which a diffuse object, illuminated by a collimated, monochromatic beam, is imaged by a system whose amplitude impulse response isz(x, η), wherex and η are space and normalized (temporal) frequency coordinates, respectively. An expression is derived for the multidimensional autocorrelation functionR u (Δx,η 1,η 2) of the intensityu(x,η) in the image plane. Functionally, it depends upon a convolution of the system autocorrelation functionR u (Δx,η 1,η 2) with the characteristic function of the distribution function for heights, which is used to model the input object's surface. Examples are presented; and, it is shown that one can infer valuable information about the variation of heights for points on the surface of the input diffuse object, which are separated by much less than the classical resolution limit.

The representation of the body in the brain is continuously updated with regard to peripheral factors such as position or movement of body parts. In the present study, we investigated the eVects of arm posture on the mental rotation of hands and feet. Sixteen right-handed and ten left-handed participants verbally judged the laterality of visually presented pictures of hands and feet in two diVerent postural conditions. In one condition they placed their right hand on their right knee and their left hand behind the back, in the other condition the hand position was reversed. For right-handed participants response times for the laterality judgment of right hands increased when participants kept their right hand behind the back. This was not found for images of the left hand nor for images of the feet. For the left-handed participants, there was no eVect of arm posture on hand or feet stimulus judgments. Thus, the body-part posture eVect on mental rotation was found to be speciWc for the side and the body part for which the posture was modiWed only in right-handed participants, but it was absent for left-handed participants. For both samples, we also found a progressive disruption of the mental rotation function depending on the view from which the body parts were seen (i.e. dorsal, thumb/big toe, palm/plantar, little Wnger/toe). Posture and view eVects on body parts representations are discussed with respect to proprioception, handedness, visual familiarity and the inXuence of anatomical joint constraints on motor imagery.

Normalization is a significant aspect of relational database theory. It organizes the data to make the database easy to manage. Normalizing a database enables the user to create relationship strands between the pieces of information and eliminates redundancies. In this paper, an algorithm is presented, which if used in Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) leads to database that is always be in a normalized form. In this algorithm, some constraints are imposed so that the Entity Relationship (ER) model when mapped to relational database leads to a normalized database. This paper enhances the process of normalization by proposing an algorithm up to the third normal form.

Background: Although cognitive impairment early after stroke is a powerful predictor of long-term functional dependence and dementia, little is known about the characteristics and determinants of cognitive dysfunction in acute stroke. Methods: We administered a neuropsychological examination covering 7 cognitive domains to 190 patients within 3 weeks after a first stroke. We also assembled lesion characteristics, clinical factors at admission,

We introduce the notion of iceberg concept lattices and show their use in knowledge discovery in databases. Iceberg lattices are a conceptual clustering method, which is well suited for analyzing very large databases. They also serve as a condensed representation of frequent itemsets, as starting point for computing bases of association rules, and as a visualization method for association rules. Iceberg concept lattices are based on the theory of Formal Concept Analysis, a mathematical theory with applications in data analysis, information retrieval, and knowledge discovery. We present a new algorithm called TITANIC for computing (iceberg) concept lattices. It is based on data mining techniques with a level-wise approach. In fact, TITANIC can be used for a more general problem: Computing arbitrary closure systems when the closure operator comes along with a so-called weight function. The use of weight functions for computing closure systems has not been discussed in the literature up to now. Applications providing such a weight function include association rule mining, functional dependencies in databases, conceptual clustering, and ontology engineering. The algorithm is experimentally evaluated and compared with Ganter's Next-Closure algorithm. The evaluation shows an important gain in efficiency, especially for weakly correlated data. Ó

Numerical modelling of impact cratering has reached a high degree of sophistication; however, the treatment of porous materials still poses a large problem in hydrocode calculations. We present a novel approach for dealing with porous compaction in numerical modelling of impact crater formation. In contrast to previous attempts (e.g., P-alpha model, snowplow model), our model accounts for the collapse of pore space by assuming that the compaction function depends upon volumetric strain rather than pressure. Our new ε-alpha model requires only four input parameters and each has a physical meaning. The model is simple and intuitive and shows good agreement with a wide variety of experimental data, ranging from static compaction tests to highly dynamic impact experiments. Our major objective in developing the model is to investigate the effect of porosity and internal friction on transient crater formation. We present preliminary numerical model results that suggest that both porosity and internal friction play an important role in limiting crater growth over a large range in gravity-scaled source size.

this paper, we discuss the recent kinetic work on water-rock intemctions. Standard activityactivity diagrams are reinterpreted, using a mass transfer kinetic model and recent data on the relative rates of mineral reactions. The development of a fully integrated rate law is discussed, with special attention to the important effects of deviation from equilibrium on the rates of mineral-water reactions. The combined effects of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and saturation conditions on the overall dissolution and p~ipi~tion rates of minerals must be properly described before any seriously quantitative model of coupled fluid flow and chemical reaction can be undertaken. A rate law that integrates these effects is proposed.

Ribose, a critical building block for nucleotides, plays an important role in energy metabolism, transcription, translation, and second messenger systems. This 5-carbon sugar, synthesized from glucose via the pentose phosphate pathway, has a rate-limiting step at glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Therefore, we hypothesized that when cells are required to proliferate or differentiate, as in an immune response, the requirement for D-ribose may be greater than what could be supplied by the synthetic pathway. We hypothesized that providing an exogenous source of D-ribose during cell differentiation will enhance the process of differentiation. We used a retinoic acid-induced HL-60 cell differentiation culture as a model of neutrophil maturation. The addition of 10 to 25 mmol/L D-ribose was shown to reduce cell proliferation and move the cell population toward apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of a cell surface marker representing maturity (CD11b) significantly increased and a cell surface marker indicative of immaturity (CD117) significantly decreased. Functionally, the cells had a greater oxidative burst function dependent on time and dose. The mechanism by which ribose enhances HL-60 cell differentiation is not known; however, as adenosine triphosphate levels did not change, adenosine triphosphate is not thought to be involved. We conclude that in this cell culture model, ribose supplementation enhanced cellular differentiation and function. Thus, ribose might be conditionally essential during time of higher need as in an immune response.

It is well known that faithful (i.e. dependency preserving) decompositions of relational database schemas into Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF) do not always exist, depending on the set of functional dependencies given, and that the corresponding decision problem is NPhard. The only algorithm to guarantee both faithfulness and BCNF (if possible) proposed so far in [Os79] is a brute-force approach which always requires exponential time. To be useful in practice, e.g. in automated design tools, we require more efficient means.

The work reported in this paper investigated the putative functional dependence of pragmatic language skills on general mind-reading capacity by testing theory-of-mind abilities and understanding of non-literal speech in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy controls. Patients showed difficulties with inferring mental states on a false-belief picture-sequencing task and with understanding metaphors and irony on a story-comprehension task. These difficulties were independent of low verbal IQ and a more generalised problem inhibiting prepotent information. Understanding of metaphors and understanding of irony made significant and independent contributions to discriminating patients from controls, suggesting that metaphor and irony make distinct pragmatic demands.

Normalization is the most exercised technique for the analysis of relational databases. It aims at creating a set of relational tables with minimum data redundancy that preserve consistency and facilitate correct insertion, deletion, and modification. A normalized database does not show anomalies due to future updates. It is very much time consuming to employ an automated technique to do this data analysis, as opposed to doing it manually. At the same time, the process is tested to be reliable and correct. This paper presents a new complete automated relational database normalization method. It produces the dependency matrix and the directed graph matrix, first. It then proceeds with generating the 2NF, 3NF, and BCNF normal forms. All tables are also generated as the procedure proceeds. One more side product of this research is to automatically distinguish one primary key for every final table which is generated.

A micromechanics framework for the development of continuum-level constitutive models for the large-strain deformation of porous hyperelastic materials is presented. A kinematically admissible deformation field is assumed which enables the derivation of a strain energy density function for the porous material. The strain energy density function depends on the properties of the incompressible hyperelastic matrix material, the initial level of porosity, and the macroscopic deformation. Differentiation of the strain energy density function, with respect to deformation, provides an expression for the stress–strain behavior of the porous hyperelastic material. Example calculations are carried out for porous hyperelastic materials with a Neo–Hookean matrix. The constitutive model is used to predict the stress–strain behavior of the pore-containing matrix as a function of initial porosity and macroscopic loading conditions. Predictions of the dependence of the small-strain elastic response on porosity are compared to various estimates of effective elastic moduli for porous materials found in the literature. Constitutive model predictions of the small to large-strain deformation behavior compare well with results from numerical three-dimensional micromechanical multi-void cell models.

In this article we address the problem how to normalize docu ment structure using DTD in XM L documents. First, we discuss the redundancy problem that cannot be eliminated by normal forms based on functional dependencies in XML. Next, we propose new dependency, mu ltivalued dependency in XML, like in relat ional databases and describe some properties in functional and mult ivalued dependencies. We also propose new normal form (4XNF) based on mu ltivalued dependency in XM L documents and then discuss the relationships between 4XNF and other normal forms (XNF, 4NF in flat relations and NNF in nested relations). Finally, we present an approach for converting any DTD into it in 4XNF by using mu ltivalued dependencies.

In this article the identification of the material parameters occurring in isotropic and incompressible hyperelasticity relations of generalized polynomial-type is discussed. The underlying strain-energy function depends on the first and second invariant of the left Cauchy–Green tensor in the ...

The analysis of beyond design basis accidents (BDBA) is an essential component of the safety concept of nuclear power plants (NPP). Goal of the analysis is to achieve a set of actions aimed to prevent the escalation into a severe accident, to mitigate consequences of a severe accident, and to achieve a long term controllable state of the NPP. This paper presents an analytical procedure to optimize the timing of operator interventions. The procedure is demonstrated based on four sets of parameters, first, parameters which define the operator actions are chosen. Second, parameters which define the system availability are chosen. Third, parameters which define in a continuous way the status of the plant are chosen. Finally, one looks for a functional dependency of the accident management (AM)-parameters and the parameters describing the plant status. Once a function could be found, this function is "optimized" in the sense that the AM-parameters are varied to find a optimal overall condition for the plant. In the first part, the paper presents the analytical procedure in a general way, in the second part, an initiating event is chosen. The procedure is applied to a station black out (SBO) transient, and as operator action secondary side bleed and feed, followed by primary side bleed and feed, is foreseen. As result, the optimal timing to initiate both actions is achieved.

The unsteady thin airfoil theory of von Karman and Sears is extended to analyze the aerodynamic characteristics of a deforming airfoil. The von Karman and Sears approach is employed along with Neumark’s method for the unsteady load distribution. The wake-effect terms are calculated using either the Wagner or Theodorsen function, depending on the desired camberline deformation. The concept of separating the steady and damping terms in the camberline boundary condition is introduced. The influence of transient and sinusoidal airfoil deformations on the airfoil load distribution is examined. The general equations developed for the unsteady lift and load distribution are evaluated analytically for a morphing airfoil, which is defined here by two quadratic curves with arbitrary coefficients. This general camberline is capable of modeling a wide range of practical camberline shapes, including leading and trailing edge flaps. Results of the present model are shown for a variable camber, or morphing, airfoil configuration. The influence of transient and sinusoidal motion on the force coefficients and load distribution is addressed.

The relational model is a mathematical approach build around two basic concepts: The logical storage structure used is the Relation in Third normal form, which is the type of relation with the optimal properties for use in database; and the powerful Data manipulation language is an application of predicate calculus to operate on relations.

This is to certify that I have examined this copy of a doctoral thesis by Alex A. Volinsky and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examination committee have been made.

Recent studies relating to saturated flow boiling in minichannels and microchannels are reviewed, with a focus on the functional dependence of the heat transfer characteristics on thermodynamic vapor quality. While there is general agreement in the literature that the heat transfer coefficient increases with increases in heat flux, conflicting trends have been reported on the influence of vapor quality. A compilation and analysis of the results from recent investigations in the literature on flow boiling in small channels is presented.

A lthough density functional theory is widely used in the computational chemistry community, the most popular density functional, B3LYP, has some serious shortcomings: (i) it is better for main-group chemistry than for transition metals; (ii) it systematically underestimates reaction barrier heights; (iii) it is inaccurate for interactions dominated by mediumrange correlation energy, such as van der Waals attraction, aromatic-aromatic stacking, and alkane isomerization energies. We have developed a variety of databases for testing and designing new density functionals. We used these data to design new density functionals, called M06-class (and, earlier, M05-class) functionals, for which we enforced some fundamental exact constraints such as the uniform-electron-gas limit and the absence of self-correlation energy. Our M06-class functionals depend on spin-up and spin-down electron densities (i.e., spin densities), spin density gradients, spin kinetic energy densities, and, for nonlocal (also called hybrid) functionals, Hartree-Fock exchange. We have developed four new functionals that overcome the above-mentioned difficulties: (a) M06, a hybrid meta functional, is a functional with good accuracy "across-theboard" for transition metals, main group thermochemistry, medium-range correlation energy, and barrier heights; (b) M06-2X, another hybrid meta functional, is not good for transition metals but has excellent performance for main group chemistry, predicts accurate valence and Rydberg electronic excitation energies, and is an excellent functional for aromatic-aromatic stacking interactions; (c) M06-L is not as accurate as M06 for barrier heights but is the most accurate functional for transition metals and is the only local functional (no Hartree-Fock exchange) with better across-the-board average performance than B3LYP; this is very important because only local functionals are affordable for many demanding applications on very large systems; (d) M06-HF has good performance for valence, Rydberg, and charge transfer excited states with minimal sacrifice of ground-state accuracy. In this Account, we compared the performance of the M06-class functionals and one M05-class functional (M05-2X) to that of some popular functionals for diverse databases and their performance on several difficult cases. The tests include barrier heights, conformational energy, and the trend in bond dissociation energies of Grubbs' ruthenium catalysts for olefin metathesis. Based on these tests, we recommend (1) the M06-2X, BMK, and M05-2X functionals for main-group thermochemistry and kinetics, (2) M06-2X and M06 for systems where main-group thermochemistry, kinetics, and noncovalent interactions are all important, (3) M06-L and M06 for transition metal thermochemistry, (4) M06 for problems involving multireference rearrangements or reactions where both organic and transition-metal bonds are formed or broken, (5) M06-2X, M05-2X, M06-HF, M06, and M06-L for the study of noncovalent interactions, (6) M06-HF when the use of full Hartree-Fock exchange is important, for example, to avoid the error of self-interaction at longrange, (7) M06-L when a local functional is required, because a local functional has much lower cost for large systems.

This paper is about designing a complete interactive tool, named JMathNorm, for relational database (RDB) normalization using Mathematica. It is an extension of the prototype developed by the same authors [1] with the inclusion of Second Normal Form (2NF), and Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF) in addition to the existing Third normal Form (3NF) module. The tool developed in this study is complete and can be used for real-time database design as well as an aid in teaching fundamental concepts of DB normalization to students with limited mathematical background. JMathNorm also supports interactive use of modules for experimenting the fundamental set operations such as closure, and full closure together with modules to obtain the minimal cover of the functional dependency set and testing an attribute for a candidate key. JMathNorm's GUI interface is written in Java and utilizes Mathematica's JLink facility to drive the Mathematica kernel.

When an attempt is made to modify tables that have not been sufficiently normalized undesirable sideeffects may follow. This can be further specified as an update, insertion or deletion anomaly depending on whether the action that causes the error is a row update, insertion or deletion respectively. If a relation R has more than one key, each key is referred to as a candidate key of R. Most of the practical recent works on database normalization use a restricted definition of normal forms where only the primary key (an arbitrary chosen key) is taken into account and ignoring the rest of candidate keys. In this paper, we propose an algorithmic approach for database normalization up to third normal form by taking into account all candidate keys, including the primary key. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is evaluated on many real world examples.

This paper addresses several issues related to the modeling and experimental design of relative permeabilities used for simulating gas condensate well deliverability. Based on the properties of compositional flow equations, we make use of the fact that relative permeability ratio k rg/k ro is a purely thermodynamic variable, replacing saturation, when flow is steady-state. The key relation defining steady-state flow in gas condensate wells is relative permeability k rg as a function of k rg/k ro. Consequently, determination of saturation and k r as a function of saturation is not important for this specific calculation. Once the k rg=f(k rg/k ro) relationship is experimentally established and correlated with capillary number (N c), accurate modeling of condensate blockage is possible. A generalized model is developed for relative permeability as the function of k rg/k ro and capillary number. This model enables us to link the ‘immiscible’ or ‘rock’ curves with ‘miscible’ or 'straight-line’ curves by a transition function dependent on the capillary number. This model is also extended to the case of high-rate, inertial gas flow within the steady-state condensate blockage regionand locally at the wellbore. We have paid particular attention to the effect of hysteresis on the relation k rg=f(k rg/k ro), based on our observation that many repeated cycles of partial/complete imbibition and drainage occur in the near-well region during the life of a gas condensate well. Finally, the composite effect of condensate blockage is handled using a ‘Muskat’ pseudopressure model, where relative permeabilities are corrected for the positive effect of capillary number dependence and the negative effect of inertial high velocity flow. Special steady-state experimental procedures have been developed to measure k rg as a function of k rg/k ro and N c. Saturations, though they can be measured, are not necessary. An approach for fitting steady-state gas condensate relative permeability data has been developed and used for modeling relative permeability curves.

Organisms are constantly exposed to various environmental insults which could adversely affect the stability of their genome. To protect their genomes against the harmful effect of these environmental insults, organisms have evolved highly diverse and efficient repair mechanisms. Defective DNA repair processes can lead to various kinds of chromosomal and developmental abnormalities. RecQ helicases are a family of evolutionarily conserved, DNA unwinding proteins which are actively engaged in various DNA metabolic processes, telomere maintenance and genome stability. Bacteria and lower eukaryotes, like yeast, have only one RecQ homolog, whereas higher eukaryotes including humans possess multiple RecQ helicases. These multiple RecQ helicases have redundant and/or non-redundant functions depending on the types of DNA damage and DNA repair pathways. Humans have five different RecQ helicases and defects in three of them cause autosomal recessive diseases leading to various kinds of cancer predisposition and/or aging phenotypes. Emerging evidence also suggests that the RecQ helicases have important roles in telomere maintenance. This review mainly focuses on recent knowledge about the roles of RecQ helicases in DNA double strand break repair and telomere maintenance which are important in preserving genome integrity.

In colonies of the eusocial naked mole-rat, breeding is monopolized by one dominant female (the 'queen') and one to three males. Aggression in the form of shoving (prolonged pushes involving nose to nose contact) is frequently observed in captive colonies and is principally initiated by breeders. It has been suggested that shoving by queens functions primarily to suppress reproduction in subordinates (threat reduction hypothesis) or to incite work activity in nonbreeding 'helpers' (work conflict hypothesis). We tested predictions of both hypotheses by examining shoving in five captive colonies before and after removing breeders. Shoving was strongly associated with reproductive status. The vast majority of shoves were carried out by the queen, and to a lesser extent breeding males, and the onset of reproductive activity coincided with the onset, or greatly increased rates, of shoving. No evidence for the work conflict hypothesis was found. Queens shoved high-ranking and large colony members most, a finding that does not allow discrimination between hypotheses. Those males that posed the greatest threat to the queen's reproductive dominance, namely future breeding males, were shoved most, providing some support for the threat reduction hypothesis. However, evidence that queens targeted those females that posed the greatest threat, females that were to succeed them, was equivocal. Queen shoving may have several functions, depending on social context, in inhibiting reproduction in subordinates of both sexes, maintaining social order, and in inciting work-related behaviours in colony members, all of which ultimately increase the reproductive success of queens.

Model calculations were performed in order to investigate the sensitivity of various rheological polydispersity parameters for variations in the moments of the molar mass distribution (MMD) of linear polymers. Molar mass distributions were generated with the Gaussian and the Generalised exponential distribution functions, using a fixed weight average molar mass M w and variable M w /M n and M z /M n . Assuming linear entangled polymeric chains, the linear viscoelastic properties were predicted by calculating the stress relaxation modulus of the consecutive monodisperse fractions with the BSW relaxation time spectrum and blending these curves with the double reptation blending rule. BSW relaxation parameters appropriate for polypropylene were used.

We compared normalized trapezius muscle activity and intramuscular balance ratios between overhead athletes with impingement symptoms and non-injured athletes during iso- kinetic abduction and external rotation movements. Thirty- nine overhead athletes with chronic impingement symptoms and 30 non-injured athletes participated in the study. Electro- myographic activity of upper, middle, and lower trapezius was measured during isokinetic abduction and external rotation,

Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) is one of the most important processes in refinery, being sometimes referred to as the heart of the refinery. This refinery process exists for over more than 60 years and continues to evolve. Due to the high complexity of FCC units, it is possible to find in literature a great number of models that pretend to describe the FCC behavior/performance in steady state and also in dynamic state. Nevertheless, numerous authors that have studied FCC developed models for only specific parts of the FCC unit and/or kinetics of the cracking and coke burning reactions. A modern FCC unit comprises different sections such as a riser reactor, a stripper, a disengager, a regenerator, a mainfractionator, catalyst transport lines (spent catalyst standpipe and regenerated catalyst standpipe) and several other auxiliary units such as: cyclones, air blower, expander, wet gas compressor, feed pre-heater, air heater, catalyst cooler, etc. The aim of this study is to obtain a model that can simulate the performance of a large operating Portuguese commercial FCC unit in steady and dynamic states, which will subsequently be used in studies of control and real time optimization. For that purpose, a first principle mathematical model is developed, relying on mass, energy and pressure balances to each section of the FCC unit. The cracking kinetics is described by a 6-lump model, with a deactivation function depending on coke on catalyst content. In this paper is presented the mathematical model of the riser section and simulation results for typical industrial conditions.

Optical emission spectroscopy is used to characterize the production of active species as a function of hydrogen concentration in the mixture under different operating conditions. A major concern is to enhance the concentration of the active species by hydrogen addition that carry several electron volts energy above their ground states, and thus affect the surface chemistry. The emission intensity of the selected optical transitions of molecular and atomic species is measured to determine the functional dependence of their radiative states. The relative ground state molecular ion density [N + 2 ] is measured from the emission intensity of the first negative band head (λ = 391.4 nm, 0-0) by considering the fact that in low temperature plasma, ion with single charge is produced by the electron impact, and the ion density is proportional to the electron density. It is found that the concentration of the active species may be enhanced significantly by selecting an appropriate gas composition and operating parameters. The SS-304 samples are nitrided under the optimum conditions for 4, 8, 12 and 16 hours and hardness values are found to increase five times for 16 hours treatment time. The optimized discharge conditions are found favorable for plasma ion nitriding.

CITATIONS 0 READS 31 2 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Application of Monte Carlo variational method to atoms in strong magnetic field View project Salah Doma Alexandria University 95 PUBLICATIONS 44 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Salah Doma on 25 April 2014.

This series of articles for rehabilitation in practice aims to cover a knowledge element of the rehabilitation medicine curriculum. Nevertheless they are intended to be of interest to a multidisciplinary audience. The competency addressed in this article is 'An understanding of the different international models for funding of health care services and casemix systems, as exemplified by those in the US, Australia and the UK.'

The purpose of the study was to examine whether different types of self-talk serve different functions. Twenty-one female swimming class students were initially tested on an experimental water polo precision task. After a three-day program during which participants practiced self-talk on swimming drills, they were tested again on the experimental task, using attentional and anxiety control self-talk cues. In addition, participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived functions of self-talk, for each of the two self-talk cues that were used. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that according to participants’ perceptions the anxiety control self-talk cue had greater impact on anxiety control than the attentional self-talk cue (p < .01), whereas effects for attention, effort, confidence, and automaticity were similar when using attentional and anxiety control cues. Furthermore, repeated measures MANOVAs for each self-talk cue revealed that both cues mostly assisted concentration to the task (p < .01). The results partially support that the use of different types of self-talk may serve different functions depending on the content of the employed cues.

Synthesis of new perovskite Sr 1ÀxÀy Ca x Ba y MnO 3Àd compounds is described in detail and dependence of their phase stability and structural distortions on the tolerance factor is discussed. Oxygen contents have been measured over extended temperature and composition ranges. Neutron powder diffraction was used to precisely measure the A-O and Mn-O bond lengths and derive accurate interatomic distances [Ca-O], [Sr-O], [Ba-O], and [Mn -O]. By using these parameters instead of tabulated ionic radii we have derived the functional dependence of the tolerance factor t ¼ tðx; y; T; dÞ on composition, temperature, and oxygen content. At a fixed oxygen content, the tolerance factor is an increasing function of temperature as a result of greater thermal expansion of the average /A-OS bond relative to the /Mn-OS bond. We find that the stability of the perovskite phase at high temperature is governed, as expected, by the magnitude of tolerance factor (tp1) which can be adjusted by controlling the oxygen content 3Àd. This dependence of the tolerance factor on oxygen content and temperature can be utilized to design synthesis conditions for the controlled formation of the new, kinetically stable, perovskite phases. r