Kinematics of Movable Bridges

The majority of all built movable bridges can be grouped into one of the following three structural systems: Bascule bridges, swing bridges, and lift bridges. Many examples for each of these three types of bridges exist and have been documented in the existing literature. The kinematics of these three traditional bridge systems are simple at first sight but nevertheless are important for conceptual design and calculation. Moreover, some recently built or proposed movable pedestrian bridges in Europe differ distinctly from the three aforementioned traditional types of movable bridges. A range of these new ideas is presented here in the context of their kinematic behavior. The writers believe that the understanding of kinematic principles, which are applied regularly in other engineering disciplines, will assist with the development of further new ideas for movable bridges. This paper endeavours to present some such principles and illustrate the application to the given topic.     

The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change: Reactions to Rogers' 1957 article.

Carl Rogers' article (see record 2007-14639-002) on the necessary and sufficient conditions for personality change has had a significant impact on the field of psychotherapy and psychotherapy research. He emphasized the client as arbiter of his or her own subjective experience and tested his hypothesized therapist-offered conditions of change using recorded sessions. This aided in demystifying the therapeutic process and led to a radical shift in the listening stance of the therapist. I briefly outline my views regarding the influence of the ideas presented in this work, describe the intellectual and cultural context of the times, and discuss a number of ways in which the therapist-offered conditions for psychological transformation are neither necessary nor sufficient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Note on curve and surface energies

Energies of curves and surfaces play a prominent role as fairness functionals in geometric modeling and computer-aided geometric design. In this paper we present a particular discrete surface energy which is expressible in terms of curve energies, and thus particularly appropriate for digital elevation data smoothing with tolerance zone constraints. We also discuss other geometrically meaningful surface energies in the context of invariant theory.     

Beulbemessung diskret gelagerter dünnwandiger kreiszylindrischer Stahlsilokonstruktionen nach EN 1993‐1‐6

Buckling design of discretely supported thin‐walled steel silo structures according to EN 1993‐1‐6. This paper deals with the exemplary application of alternative buckling design procedures, as introduced by the new European Standard on buckling of steel shells, to a practical thin‐walled steel silo structure. First the general features of these design procedures as well as relevant issues of structural modelling are outlined. Then the outcomes of the different buckling design procedures are compared to each other and critically evaluated.     

Natural and anthropogenic U in environmental samples

The interaction of thermal neutrons with ²³⁵U results in fission with a probability of ∼85% and in the formation of ²³⁶U (t_1/2 = 2.3 × 10⁷ yr) with a probability of ∼15%. While anthropogenic ²³⁶U is, therefore, present in spent nuclear fuel at levels of ²³⁶U/U up to 10⁻², the expected natural ratios in the pre-anthropogenic environment range from 10⁻¹⁴ to 10⁻¹⁰. At VERA, systematic investigations suggest a detection limit below ²³⁶U/U = 5 × 10⁻¹² for samples of 0.5 mg U, while chemistry blanks of ∼2 × 10⁷ atoms ²³⁶U per sample limit the sensitivity for smaller samples. We have found natural isotopic ratios in uranium reagents separated before the onset of human nuclear activities, in uranium ores from various origins and in water from a subsurface well in Bad Gastein, Austria. Anthropogenic contamination was clearly visible in soil and rivulet samples from Salzburg, Austria, whereas river sediments from Garigliano river (Southern Italy) were close to the detection limit. Finally, our natural in-house standard Vienna-KkU was calibrated against a certified reference material (IRMM REIMEP-18 A).     

Correlation of spatially resolved photoluminescence and viscoelastic mechanical properties of encapsulating EVA in differently aged PV modules

The photoluminescence of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in aged photovoltaic modules shows specific spatial patterns on the scale of the cells in the module that depend on the aging conditions. It is the aim of this work to investigate the correlation of these photoluminescence patterns to the viscoelastic mechanical properties of the encapsulating EVA. For this, the degradation under various conditions of two specimen sets of polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic mini‐modules, comprising EVA as encapsulating polymer, is investigated using spatially resolved, ultraviolet‐excited photoluminescence. Samples of the encapsulation EVA are systematically extracted from the modules for spatially resolved dynamic mechanical characterization. A correlation between the spatial distribution of the photoluminescence intensity and the values of storage modulus and loss factor of the EVA is found. An increase in the values for storage modulus and a decrease of the loss factor of the EVA from the edge of the cell towards the center are observed for all samples. We conclude that diffusion‐limited oxidation must be considered for aging studies of the encapsulation EVA and that photoluminescence detection can reveal the scale on which such diffusion processes occur. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of medication nonadherence on coronary heart disease outcomes. A critical review

A critical review of published literature was performed to assess the impact of medication adherence on morbidity and mortality among patients with or at risk for coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Twenty-one original research articles that met our inclusion criteria and related medication adherence to morbidity and mortality are summarized. No clinical trials that specifically tested the impact of a compliance-enhancing intervention on outcome in coronary heart disease were identified. Among 12 studies that compared hospitalization rates and mortality between adherers and nonadherers, 7 showed a significant relationship between medication adherence and outcomes. Three studies showed that adherence to placebo was associated with improved outcomes, suggesting that adherent behavior may be a marker of better prognosis or confers a protective effect on patients with coronary heart disease. Further study is necessary to determine whether adherent behavior can be taught and whether compliance-enhancing strategies improve outcomes in coronary heart disease.     

The large conductance, voltage-dependent, and calcium-sensitive K+ channel, Hslo, is a target of cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation in vivo

Native large conductance, voltage-dependent, and Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels are activated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Two possible mechanisms of kinase action have been proposed: 1) direct phosphorylation of the channel and 2) indirect via PKG-dependent activation of a phosphatase. To scrutinize the first possibility, at the molecular level, we used the human pore-forming alpha-subunit of the Ca2+-sensitive K+ channel, Hslo, and the alpha-isoform of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I. In cell-attached patches of oocytes co-expressing the Hslo channel and the kinase, 8-Br-cGMP significantly increased the macroscopic currents. This increase in current was due to an increase in the channel voltage sensitivity by approximately 20 mV and was reversed by alkaline phosphatase treatment after patch excision. In inside-out patches, however, the effect of purified kinase was negative in 12 of 13 patches. In contrast, and consistent with the intact cell experiments, purified kinase applied to the cytoplasmic side of reconstituted channels increased their open probability. This stimulatory effect was absent when heat-denatured kinase was used. Biochemical experiments show that the purified kinase incorporates gamma-33P into the immunopurified Hslo band of approximately 125 kDa. Furthermore, in vivo phosphorylation largely attenuates this labeling in back-phosphorylation experiments. These results demonstrate that the alpha-subunit of large conductance Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels is substrate for G-Ialpha kinase in vivo and support direct phosphorylation as a mechanism for PKG-Ialpha-induced activation of maxi-K channels.     

The major dog allergens, Can f 1 and Can f 2, are salivary lipocalin proteins: cloning and immunological characterization of the recombinant forms

Canis familiaris allergen 1 (Can f 1) and Canis familiaris allergen 2 (Can f 2) are the two major allergens present in dog dander extracts. We now report the isolation of cDNAs encoding both proteins and present their nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences. Can f 1, produced by tongue epithelial tissue, has homology with the von Ebner's gland (VEG) protein, a salivary protein not previously thought to have allergenic properties. Can f 2, produced by tongue and parotid gland, has homology with mouse urinary protein (MUP), a known allergen. Both VEG protein and MUP are members of the lipocalin family of small ligand-binding proteins. Recombinant forms of Can f 1 and Can f 2 were produced and tested for immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity. Among dog-allergic subjects, 45% had IgE directed exclusively to rCan f 1, and 25% had IgE to both rCan f 1 and rCan f 2. In addition, both recombinant proteins were able to cross-link IgE and elicit histamine release from peripheral blood leucocytes in vitro. These findings confirm that Can f 1 and Can f 2 are major and minor dog allergens, respectively, and demonstrate that recombinant forms of dog allergens retain at least some IgE-binding epitopes.