Linear friction welding of Ti6Al4V: experiments and modelling

Linear friction welding of the Ti6Al4V alloy is studied. A new definition of the energy input rate is proposed, based on an integration over time of the in-plane force and velocity; a strong correlation with the upset rate is then found. The effective friction coefficient is estimated to be 0·5±0·1 for varying frequencies and amplitudes, with only a weak dependence on the processing conditions displayed. A model is proposed that accounts for both the conditioning and equilibrium stages of the process, which is shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The model is used to study the mechanism by which the flash is formed. A criterion is proposed by which the rippled nature of its morphology can be predicted.     

Simulated recruitment of riparian trees and shrubs under natural and regulated flow regimes on the Wisconsin River,USA

Models that link ecological responses to hydrologic changes are important for assessing the effects of flow regulation on aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Based on the Recruitment Box Model, a graphical model used to prescribe environmental flows for cottonwood (Populus spp.) recruitment, we designed a simulation model to represent the influence of river flow dynamics on seedling recruitment of riparian pioneer woody plants. The model simulates the influence of temporal patterns of river stage on dispersal, germination, initial recruitment and over‐winter survival of first‐year seedlings of riparian pioneer shrubs and trees. We used the model to simulate seedling recruitment patterns for five species (Acer saccharinum, Betula nigra, Populus deltoides, Salix nigra and Salix exigua) on the Wisconsin River (Wisconsin, USA) under three flow scenarios: historic (1935–2002), simulated natural (1915–1975) and simulated regulated flows (1915–1975). Simulation results agreed well with field‐observed relative differences among years (1997–2000) in seedling densities for the five focal species. Simulated successful recruitment years were highly synchronous among species, but species differed in their sensitivity to flows at different times during the growing season, consistent with among‐species differences in seed dispersal timing. Comparison of simulated natural and regulated flows for 1915–1975 showed that flow regulation decreased monthly flow variability, increased late summer to winter baseflow and reduced the magnitude of spring peaks. Simulated recruitment and over‐winter survival of tree seedlings of all species was enhanced under the regulated flow scenario, likely due to increased summer baseflow and reductions in peak flood magnitude. Our analyses show the utility of extending the Recruitment Box Model to include multiple species of riparian shrubs and trees, and the effects of post‐colonization flows on their recruitment success. However, some key functional relationships between flow patterns and woody seedling demography (e.g. shear stress thresholds for seedling mortality) have not been adequately quantified and merit further study. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Smooth muscle of the bladder in the normal and the diseased state: pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment

The smooth muscle of the normal bladder wall must have some specific properties. It must be very compliant and able to reorganise itself during filling and emptying to accommodate the change in volume without generating any intravesical pressure, but whilst maintaining the normal shape of the bladder. It must be capable of synchronous activation to generate intravesical pressure at any length to allow voiding. The cells achieve this through spontaneous electrical activity combined with poor electrical coupling between cells, and a dense excitatory innervation. In the diseased state, alterations of the smooth muscle may lead to failure to store or failure to empty properly. The diseased states discussed are bladder instability and diabetic neuropathy. Bladder instability is characterised urodynamically by uninhibitable rises in pressure during filling, and is seen idiopathically and in association with bladder outflow obstruction and neuropathy. In diabetic neuropathy, many of the smooth muscle changes are a consequence of diuresis, but there is evidence for alterations in the sensory arm of the micturition reflex. In the unstable bladder, additional alterations of the smooth muscle are seen, which are probably caused by the patchy denervation that occurs. The causes of this denervation are not fully established. Nonsurgical treatment of instability is not yet satisfactory; neuromodulation has some promise, but is expensive, and the mechanisms poorly understood. Pharmacological treatment is largely through muscarinic receptor blockade. Drugs to reduce the excitability of the smooth muscle are being sought, since they may represent a better pharmacological option.     

Length of maternity leave and quality of mother-infant interactions

The aim of this study was to assess the association between the length of maternity leave and the quality of mother-infant interactions; 198 employed mothers of 4-month-old infants were interviewed and videotaped in their homes during a feeding time. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated a direct association between shorter length of leave and more negative affect and behavior in maternal interactions with their infants. Infant and mother stressor/protective variables added significantly in predicting the quality of the mother-infant relationship. There were also significant interaction effects between the length of leave and these variables. Mothers who either reported more depressive symptoms or who perceived their infant as having a more difficult temperament and who had shorter leaves, compared with mothers who had longer leaves, were observed to express less positive affect, sensitivity, and responsiveness in interactions with their infants. The public policy implications of the relation between length of maternity leave, maternal and infant individual differences, and the quality of mother-infant interactions are discussed.     

IL-4- and IL-5-secreting lymphocyte populations are preferentially stimulated by parasite-derived antigens in human tissue invasive nematode infections

Helminth infections in humans and animals are associated with strong T helper 2 (Th2) responses. To determine whether parasite-derived Ag preferentially expand a Th2-like cell population, a filter immunoplaque assay was used to enumerate the frequencies (F0) of PBMC and CD4(+)-enriched PBMC from individuals with helminth infections secreting selected cytokines in response to parasite-derived (PAg) and nonparasite antigens (NPAg). In 20 individuals with lymphatic filariasis, frequency analysis of PBMC secreting IL-4 and IFN-gamma indicated that the F0 of PAg-specific IL-4-secreting cells (geometric mean F0 (GM): 1/12,100) was 57-fold higher than the corresponding F0 of NPAg-reactive cells (GM: 1/692,000; p < 0.02). In marked contrast, the F0 of IFN-gamma-secreting cells responding to PAg (GM: 1/2,700) did not differ from those of cells specific for NAPg (GM: 1/3,400; p = 0.83). In another group of helminth-infected individuals, the F0 of highly enriched CD4+ cells secreting IL-4 and IL-5 in response to PAg (GMs: 1/2,600 and 1/5,600 CD4+ cells, respectively) were also found to be significantly higher than those specific for NPAg (GMs: 1/291,000 and 1/303,000 CD4+; p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas the corresponding F0 of IFN-gamma- and granulocyte-macrophage-CSF-secreting cells were equivalent for PAg and NPag. Furthermore, the proportion of PAg-specific IL-4- and IL-5-secreting CD4+ cells relative to all cells secreting the given cytokine were approximately 29-fold higher than the proportion of NPAg-specific cells secreting these cytokines. Again, the corresponding proportions of Ag-specific IFN-gamma-and GM-CSF-secreting CD4+ cells were equivalent for PAg and NPAg. Thus, in this ex vivo system, a circulating population of IL-4- and IL-5-secreting (Th2-like) cells has been shown to exist in humans; PAg appears to expand these cells preferentially.     

Epithelial marker genes are expressed in cultured embryonic rat lung and in vivo with similar spatial and temporal patterns

Explants of embryonic lung are often used to characterize lung growth, bronchial tree pattern, and cell differentiation. Most investigators culture lungs for 3-7 days in defined media lacking, e.g., added growth factors or hormones. If growth and differentiation are comparable to that in vivo, these cultures show considerable promise for identifying developmental regulatory molecules and target genes, and for elucidating molecular responses. We used in situ hybridization and RT-PCR to compare times and sites of expression of mRNAs of six epithelial genes in cultured and uncultured fetal rat lungs. These genes, expressed in distal lung of adult rats, are surfactant proteins (SP) A, B, and C; LAR, a receptor-type tyrosine phosphatase; Clara cell secretory protein (CC10, CCSP); and T1alpha. SP-A, SF-B, LAR, and CC10 are expressed by both Clara and Type II cells in adult animals. SP-C and T1alpha are unique markers for Type II and Type I cells, respectively. SP-C, LAR, and T1alpha are expressed before the lung is explanted (Day 13.5); SP-A, -B, and CC10 mRNAs are first detected later. The onset of expression is similar in vivo and in vitro. Although the patterns of expression differ for each mRNA, their sites of expression in culture match those in vivo relative to the bronchial tree. The explanted embryonic lung appears to be an excellent experimental model.     

Working Group Report 2: In situ caries models, saliva, microbiology, and statistical considerations

We present a case of a single coronary artery where the right coronary artery (RCA) arose from its proximal part. This rare anomaly was detected during elective coronary angiography in a patient with suspected coronary artery disease. The single coronary artery originated from the left sinus of valsalva, giving rise to RCA proximally and distally dividing into left anterior descending (LAD), ramus intermedius and left circumflex (LCX) arteries. The anginal symptoms in this patient was attributed to a significant stenosis at the proximal LAD which was subsequently dilated by coronary angioplasty. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of angioplasty of LAD in an anomalous single coronary artery.     

Multicast routing and bandwidth dimensioning in overlay networks

Multicast services can be provided either as a basic network service or as an application-layer service. Higher level multicast implementations often provide more sophisticated features and can provide multicast services at places where no network layer support is available. Overlay multicast networks offer an intermediate option, potentially combining the flexibility and advanced features of application layer multicast with the greater efficiency of network layer multicast. In this paper, we introduce the multicast routing problem specific to the overlay network environment and the related capacity assignment problem for overlay network planning. Our main contributions are the design of several routing algorithms that optimize the end-to-end delay and the interface bandwidth usage at the multicast service nodes within the overlay network. The interface bandwidth is typically a key resource for an overlay network provider, and needs to be carefully managed in order to maximize the number of users that can be served. Through simulations, we evaluate the performance of these algorithms under various traffic conditions and on various network topologies. The results show that our approach is cost-effective and robust under traffic variations.