Fast orthogonalization networks

A numerically efficient and stable algorithm is developed to adaptively filter multiple input channels into desired multiple output channels. The algorithm is a type of adaptive lattice filter that employs a fast orthogonalization network (FON) algorithm for numerical efficiency. Past researchers have concentrated on developing efficient lattice algorithms to process stationary input channels; i.e., the input covariance matrix is Toeplitz in form. The algorithm developed herein is designed to adaptively filter nonstationary input channels. Various implementations of the FON algorithm are given.     

One pediatric neurosurgeon's story

The development of pediatric neurosurgery in the United Kingdom, as experienced by one recently trained neurosurgeon in the late 1940s and the 1950s, is described.     

Athletic classmates, physical self-concept, and free-time physical activity: A longitudinal study of frame of reference effects.

The systematic analysis of factors that promote or impede physical activity in children is an urgent task for educational researchers. The present study investigated the reciprocal relationship between physical self-concept, teacher-assigned grades in physical education classes, and free-time physical activity, and analyzed positive and negative consequences of being in a class with high class-average physical ability. Data from a large, representative sample of 1,095 preadolescents from 66 classrooms were examined within a longitudinal framework. Multilevel analyses showed that membership in a class with high class-average physical ability was associated with lower physical self-concept and free-time physical activity and highlighted the significant role of teacher-assigned grades in the development of physical self-concept and physical activity. Furthermore, as predicted, there were positive reciprocal effects between physical self-concept and physical activity levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microstructural analysis of residual projectiles—A new method to explain penetration mechanisms

In the present work it is shown that metallographic analysis can supply a lot of detailed information about metallurgical events which happen during the penetration of metallic projectiles into armor steel. With the help of these findings models of penetration processes are derived. The deformation, fracture, and phase transformation processes of projectiles are investigated, which consist of tungsten, a tool steel, and a tungsten heavy metal, respectively. These were shot into armor steel at velocities between 1000m/s and 2000 m/s. The extensively deformed tungsten and the brittle steel form two opposite poles; between those the heavy metal takes a mid position. The more ductile a material is, the sooner its penetration approaches the piercing of a liquid jet. On the other hand, in a brittle material quick rupture is followed by turbulent motion and friction welding of the fragments. In this case extensive deformation is observed only in the skin layer of a fragment and in shear bands. Special attention is drawn to features which are characteristic for ballistic piercing processes,e.g., molten films and adiabatic shear deformation. Formerly Research Scientist at the Hochschule der Bundeswehr in Hamburg, West Germany, and thereafter at an institute in France doing military research     

Biosynthesis of the Myxobacterial Antibiotic Corallopyronin A

Corallopyronin A is a myxobacterial compound with potent antibacterial activity. Feeding experiments with labelled precursors resulted in the deduction of all biosynthetic building blocks for corallopyronin A and revealed an unusual feature of this metabolite: its biosynthesis from two chains, one solely PKS‐derived and the other NRPS/PKS‐derived. The starter molecule is believed to be carbonic acid or its monomethyl ester. The putative corallopyronin A biosynthetic gene cluster is a trans‐AT‐type mixed PKS/NRPS gene cluster, containing a β‐branching cassette. Striking features of this gene cluster are a NRPS‐like adenylation domain that is part of a PKS‐type module and is believed to be responsible for glycine incorporation, as well as split modules with individual domains occurring on different genes. It is suggested that CorB is a trans‐acting ketosynthase and it is proposed that it catalyses the Claisen condensation responsible for the interconnection of the two chains. Additionally, the stereochemistry of corallopyronin A was deduced by a combination of a modified Mosher's method and ozonolysis with subsequent chiral GC analyses.     

Probabilistische Bemessung von geklebten Anschlüssen im Holzbau

Kleben von tragenden Bauteilen ist im Holzbau auf wenige Anwendungsgebiete beschränkt. Es wird hauptsächlich zur Herstellung von Brettschichtholz oder zur Ertüchtigung bestehender Strukturen eingesetzt. Um Kleben als Alternative zu stiftförmigen mechanischen Verbindungsmitteln einzusetzen, muss die Bemessung geklebter Anschlüsse ermöglicht werden. Holzspezifische Faktoren wie Anisotropie, Streuung der mechanischen Eigenschaften und sprödes Versagen erschweren eine genaue Vorhersage. Aufgrund der auftretenden Spannungsspitzen ist ein deterministischer Spannungsnachweis nicht geeignet. Eine Alternative zur Bestimmung der Tragfähigkeit geklebter Anschlüsse bietet die in diesem Beitrag vorgestellte probabilis tische Methode, die es erlaubt, die Spannungsverteilungen in geklebten Verbindungen mit ihren Spannungsspitzen und die Streuungen der Festigkeitswerte des Werkstoffes zu erfassen. Im Rahmen der vorgestellten Arbeit wurden geklebte Doppel‐Laschenanschlüsse sowohl experimentell als auch numerisch betrachtet, wobei der Einfluss der überlappungslänge, der Klebschichtdicke und des Klebstoff‐E‐Moduls betrachtet wurde. Im Anschluss wurde ein probabilistisches Bemessungsverfahren angewendet und eine gute übereinstimmung zwischen experimentellen und theoretischen Traglasten erreicht. Das Verfahren kann unmittelbar für die Bemessung geklebter Anschlüsse angewandt werden. Probabilistic design of adhesively bonded timber joints. The use of adhesive bonding in structural timber engineering is limited to the production of laminated wood and the toughening of existing structures. To use adhesives as an alternative to mechanical fasteners, an accurate and reliable design method has to be developed. Characteristic material properties of wood such as anisotropy, large scattering of mechanical values and brittle failure complicate the capacity prediction of bonded joints. A deterministic approach is not able to deal with the stress peaks inside the joints. With the probabilistic concept, an alter native solution is presented, which allows for a strength prediction under consideration of the complex stress distributions and the stress peaks in the joint, as well as the scatterings of the mechanical properties of the material. Adhesively bonded double lap joints were investigated both experimentally and numerically under consideration of various parameters such as overlap length, adhesive layer thickness and type of adhesive. The probabilistic design method was applied and good agreement between experimental and theoretical failure loads was obtained. The proposed method has immediate actionable application for the dimensioning of adhesively bonded timber joints.     

Sex Pheromone of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Agriotes acuminatus</Emphasis> (Stephens, 1830) (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

The click beetle species Agriotes acuminatus is distributed in open deciduous forests throughout a large area in Europe. In order to identify its sex pheromone, gland extracts of female beetles were investigated by using GC/MS. Neryl butanoate and 2,6-dimethyl-(Z,E)-2,6-octadien-1,8-diol dihexanoate, in a ratio of approximately 1:5, were the only volatile compounds present in the extracts. Structures of both esters were confirmed by synthesis. Field experiments revealed a strong attraction of A. acuminatus males towards neryl butanoate, which could be synergistically enhanced by addition of 2,6-dimethyl-(Z,E)-2,6-octadien-1,8-diol dihexanoate. The latter compound alone did not show any attractive effect. While all Agriotes spp. investigated to date use geranyl and/or (E,E)-farnesyl esters as sex pheromones, the nerol derivatives of A. acuminatus are the first (Z)-2-configurated pheromones within this genus.     

Preischaemic as well as postischaemic application of a calcium antagonist affords cardioprotection in the isolated guinea pig heart

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to answer the following questions: (1) Does treatment with calcium antagonists have to be begun before ischaemia or is postischaemic application also protective? (2) When applied before ischaemia, do calcium antagonists have to depress preischaemic cardiac function in order to elicit protection? (3) Is cardioprotection a matter of improved reflow or do the agents influence the degree of oxidative injury during reperfusion? METHODS: Isolated working guinea pig hearts underwent ischaemia (15 min) and reperfusion (15 min). The calcium antagonist gallopamil was given either before (0.1 nM and 1 nM) or after ischaemia (0.1 nM) during early reperfusion (first 5 min). Recovery was defined as postischaemic compared to preischaemic external heart work, expressed in percent. Oxidative stress was assessed by the release of glutathione (GSH). Lactate release served as a measure of the ischaemic challenge. The ability of gallopamil to scavenge oxygen radicals directly was investigated in an in vitro chemiluminescence assay. RESULTS: Pump function of control hearts recovered to only 28% after reperfusion. Pretreatment with 0.1 and 1 nM gallopamil improved recovery to the same extent (48.7% and 43.4%, respectively); however, postischaemic application of 0.1 nM gallopamil afforded equal protection (45.4% recovery). Only the higher concentration of 1 nM gallopamil depressed preischaemic external heart work (by 11%). During earliest reperfusion (1-5 min), release of GSH only tended to be lower in treated hearts. During the subsequent minutes of reperfusion (5-15 min), release of GSH was significantly less in hearts postischaemically treated with 0.1 nM gallopamil (40 pmol.min-1 v 940 pmol.min-1 for controls). In contrast, ischaemia-induced lactate release did not differ between the groups. Gallopamil did not scavenge reactive oxygen species in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Short term postischaemic application of the calcium antagonist gallopamil is almost as effective at restoring pump function as preischaemic application which, in turn, does not have to depress preischaemic cardiac function in order to elicit protection. A reduction of oxidative stress during reperfusion seems to contribute to the beneficial effects of postischaemic application of gallopamil, but a direct oxygen radical scavenging activity of gallopamil is not involved.