Creep of PVDF monofilament sutures: service performance prediction from short-term tests

Isothermal short-term creep of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) monofilament sutures was determined at several temperatures between 10 and 90 °C under the stress of 10 MPa. Long term service performance was predicted for 10 decades of time. The compliance master curve as a function of time fits a hyperbolic sine equation. The temperature shift factor as a function of the temperature a_T (T) is accurately represented by a general equation based on free volume. A simple relationship between the two parameters of the equation is explored. The viscoelasticity of PVDF is also seen in dynamic mechanical analysis performed at the frequency of 1 Hz. The origin of the viscoelastic character well present in the deformability of the PVDF in service is due to the occurrence of the α_c relaxation that is active at ∼50 °C (E″ peak at 1 Hz).     

XPS studies of directly fluorinated HDPE: problems and solutions

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) applied to the study of fluorinated polymer surfaces presents several problems related both to peak assignment and to degradation. In this work, we analyse extensively the question of XPS peak assignments in this kind of surfaces. We conclude that in this kind of surfaces using binding energy differences between fluorine and carbon is better than using absolute binding energies. Also a useful relation between fluorine photoelectron energy vs. polymer composition expressed through the atomic ratio fluorine/carbon (F/C) was found. A protocol for data treatment is proposed and applied to a XPS study of the degradation induced by X-ray on high-density polyethylene surfaces modified by direct fluorination. Results obtained for the degradation, namely the atomic ratio F/C obtained by two different methods, combined with angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) were used to study the fluorine concentration profile in depth, producing self-consistent results.     

Bedload Transport in Alluvial Channels

Hydraulic, sediment, land-use, and rock-erosivity data of 22 alluvial streams were used to evaluate conditions of bedload transport and the performance of selected bedload-transport equations. Transport categories of transport-limited (TL), partially transport-limited (PTL), and supply-limited (SL) were identified by a semiquantitative approach that considers hydraulic constraints on sediment movement and the processes that control sediment availability at the basin scale. Equations by Parker et al. in 1982, Schoklitsch in 1962, and Meyer-Peter and Muller in 1948 adequately predicted sediment transport in channels with TL condition, whereas the equations of Bagnold in 1980, and Schoklitsch, in 1962, performed well for PTL and SL conditions. Overall, the equation of Schoklitsch predicted well the measured bedload data for eight of 22 streams, and the Bagnold equation predicted the measured data in seven streams.     

Lexically scoped distribution: what you see is what you get

We define a lexically scoped, asynchronous and distributed π-calculus, with local communication and process migration. This calculus adopts the network-awareness principle for distributed programming and follows a simple model of distribution for mobile calculi: a lexical scope discipline combines static scoping with dynamic linking, associating channels to a fixed site throughout computation. This discipline provides for both remote invocation and process migration. A simple type system is a straightforward extension of that of the π-calculus, adapted to take into account the lexical scope of channels. An equivalence law captures the essence of this model: a process behavior depends on the channels it uses, not on where it runs.     

Subsurface Characterization at Ground Failure Sites in Adapazari, Turkey

Ground failure in Adapazari, Turkey during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake was severe. Hundreds of structures settled, slid, tilted, and collapsed due in part to liquefaction and ground softening. Ground failure was more severe adjacent to and under buildings. The soils that led to severe building damage were generally low plasticity silts. In this paper, the results of a comprehensive investigation of the soils of Adapazari, which included cone penetration test (CPT) profiles followed by borings with standard penetration tests (SPTs) and soil index tests, are presented. The effects of subsurface conditions on the occurrence of ground failure and its resulting effect on building performance are explored through representative case histories. CPT- and SPT-based liquefaction triggering procedures adequately identified soils that liquefied if the clay-size criterion of the Chinese criteria was disregarded. The CPT was able to identify thin seams of loose liquefiable silt, and the SPT (with retrieved samples) allowed for reliable evaluation of the liquefaction susceptibility of fine-grained soils. A well-documented database of in situ and index testing is now available for incorporating in future CPT- and SPT-based liquefaction triggering correlations.     

Simulation-based sequential analysis of Markov switching stochastic volatility models

We propose a simulation-based algorithm for inference in stochastic volatility models with possible regime switching in which the regime state is governed by a first-order Markov process. Using auxiliary particle filters we developed a strategy to sequentially learn about states and parameters of the model. The methodology is tested against a synthetic time series and validated with a real financial time series: the IBOVESPA stock index (São Paulo Stock Exchange).     

Human DNA topoisomerase I-mediated cleavages stimulated by ultraviolet light-induced DNA damage

DNA topoisomerases have been proposed as the proteins involved in the formation of the DNA-protein cross-links detected after ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation of cellular DNA. This possibility has been investigated by studying the effects of UV-induced DNA damage on human DNA topoisomerase I action. UV lesions impaired the enzyme's ability to relax negatively supercoiled DNA. Decreased relaxation activity correlated with the stimulation of cleavable complexes. Accumulation of cleavable complexes resulted from blockage of the rejoining step of the cleavage-religation reaction. Mapping of cleavage sites on the pAT153 genome indicated UV-induced cleavage at discrete positions corresponding to sites stimulated also by the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin, except for one. Subsequent analysis at nucleotide level within the sequence encompassing the UV-specific cleavage site revealed the precise positions of sites stimulated by camptothecin with respect to those specific for UV irradiation. Interestingly, one of the UV-stimulated cleavage sites was formed within a sequence that did not contain dimerized pyrimidines, suggesting transmission of the distortion, caused by photodamage to DNA, into the neighboring sequences. These results support the proposal that DNA structural alterations induced by UV lesions can be sufficient stimulus to induce cross-linking of topoisomerase I to cellular DNA.     

Incorporating If...Then...Personality Signatures in Person Perception: Beyond the Person-Situation Dichotomy.

Three studies investigated conditions in which perceivers view dispositions and situations as interactive, rather than independent, causal forces when making judgments about another's personality. Study 1 showed that perceivers associated 5 common trait terms (e.g., friendly and shy) with characteristic if...then... (if situation a, then the person does x, but if situation b, then the person does y) personality signatures. Study 2 demonstrated that perceivers used information about a target's stable if...then... signature to infer the target's motives and traits; dispositional judgments were mediated by inferences about the target's motivations. Study 3 tested whether perceivers draw on if...then... signatures when making judgments about Big Five trait dimensions. Together, the findings indicate that perceivers take account of person-situation interactions (reflected in if...then... signatures) in everyday explanations of social behavior and personality dispositions. Boundary conditions are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A protocol for distributed simulation on a microcomputer network

The computer industry has evolved very rapidly from single-user computers to computer networks where users are able to share both local and remote files. Networks of microcomputers facilitate the integration of all information processing for distributed applications such as database processing and electronic mail. One management application of promising potential for computer networks is distributed simulation. Simulation analysis can be useful to essentially all problem-solving and decision-making on the job.

To implement a particular distributed application, computer communication between processors must be considered. Unlike expensive multiprocessor computers, networks of less-expensive microcomputers do not have pre-established communication paths between processors. This paper addresses how this obstacle may be overcome by using communication protocols based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. Protocol services needed to support a distributed simulation environment will be identified, and their implementation through a prototype will then be investigated and evaluated.