Qualifications of public health geneticists?

Public health genetics is a rapidly emerging field that is not well defined. One way of helping to define the field is to describe the competences of the professionals who participate in it. The information presented here attempts to define the knowledge base, skills, and attitudes needed to be a public health geneticist. It is hoped that this information will be used to create a uniform definition of public health genetics, and also help education programs train individuals who want to participate in the field.     

The spectre of coercion: is public health genetics the route to policies of enforced disease prevention?

The paper discusses options for disease prevention in Public Health Genetics and attempts to assess the probability that coercive strategies might be chosen in public health policies that impose duties to undergo genetic testing. Given the social values, legal and political cultures and professional orientations in Western Europe and the United States, which provide the terms of reference for this assessment, it is unlikely that the preventive options which might emerge from human genetics in the future will trigger policies that force preventive behavior upon people, except in the cases where such enforcement is designed to protect third parties.     

Genetic counseling for the public?

The widespread availability of diagnostic tools for numerous inherited diseases requires diligent decision-making regarding the risks and benefits, not only for the individual but also at the population level. Should therefore genetic counseling be offered to the entire population at risk for genetic diseases? In our opinion, the goals of public health may only be reached by serving primarily the individual at risk and his/her family. Efforts in public health genetics should be focused on appropriate genetic counseling, especially regarding common diseases with complex genetic components in the near future.     

What of a Knowledge Base for Functional Materials? An invitation for discussion and speculation

Recent years have witnessed the shift of particle experts from working in crushing, grinding and comminution, agglom-eration and pelletizing, classification and filtration, fluidization and movement of granular materials, etc., into the fields of making functional materials, most of which are particulate, particularly in the sub-micron or even nano-meter size. A separate group of specialists is in the process of rapid formation from mostly young physicists, chemists and material scientists. Wh…     

A Representation Theorem for Material Tensors of?Weakly-Textured Polycrystals and?Its Applications in?Elasticity

Material tensors pertaining to polycrystalline aggregates should manifest also the influence of crystallographic texture on the material properties in question. In this paper we make use of tensors which form bases of irreducible representations of the rotation group and prove a representation theorem by which a given material tensor of a weakly-textured polycrystal is expressed as a linear combination of an orthonormal set of irreducible basis tensors, with the components given explicitly in terms of texture coefficients and a set of undetermined material parameters. Once the irreducible basis tensors that appear in the formula are determined, the representation formula, which is valid for all texture and crystal symmetries, will delineate quantitatively the effect of crystallographic texture on the material tensor in question. We present an integral formula and an orthonormalization process which serve as the basis for a procedure to determine explicitly the irreducible basis tensors required in the representation formula. For applications we determine a set of irreducible basis tensors for the elasticity tensor and a set for fourth-order tensors that define constitutive equations in incompressible elasticity and Hill’s quadratic yield functions in plasticity. We show that orientation averaging of a tensor can be done easily if we have in hand a set of irreducible basis tensors for the decomposition of the tensor in question. As illustration we derive a formula, which is valid for all texture and crystal symmetries, for the elasticity tensor under the Voigt model.     

Compressible Turbulence and Energetic Scales: What Is Known from Experiments in Supersonic Flows?

Some properties of large-scale structures in supersonic turbulent flows are examined through experiments. The large eddies considered here include energetic scales, which contribute predominantly to, say, turbulent energy and coherent structures. Different features are presented, such as the level of energy in supersonic free shear flows, the average size of energetic structures, and their characteristic timescales. It is shown that compressibility affects the level of velocity and the size of the energetic eddies, but in many common supersonic situations, the estimation of the timescales can be made from rules valid for solenoidal turbulence. Some implications for compressible turbulence modeling are suggested. Finally, the properties of coherent structures are considered in the case of mixing layers and in a separated shock/boundary layer interaction. Some features relative to the organization of the large eddies are given and the importance of the shock motion is discussed in relation to the shock/layer interaction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

What of a Knowledge Base for Fumcticonal Materials？ An imuitatinon for discussion and speculation

Recent years have witnessed the shift of particle experts from working in crushing, grinding and comminution, agglomeration and pelletizing, classification and filtration, fiuidization and movement of granular materials, etc., into the fields ofmaking functional materials, most of which are particulate, particularly in the sub-micron or even nano-meter size. A     

PM2.5 in China： Measurements,sources, visibility and health effects,and mitigation

Concern over the health effects of fine particles in the ambient environment led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop the first standard for PM2.5 （particulate matter less than 2.5 μm） in 1997. The Particle Technology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota has helped to establish the PM2.5 standard by developing many instruments and samplers to perform atmospheric measurements. In this paper, we review various aspects of PM2.5, including its measurement, source apportionment, visibility and health effects, and mitigation. We focus on PM2.s studies in China and where appropriate, compare them with those obtained in the U.S. Based on accurate PM2.5 sampling, chemical analysis, and source apportionment models, the major PM2.5 sources in China have been identified to be coal combustion, motor vehicle emissions, and industrial sources. Atmospheric visibility has been found to correlate well with PM2.s concentration. Sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate carried by PM2.s, commonly found in coal burning and vehicle emissions, are the dominant contributors to regional haze in China. Short-term exposure to PM2.s is strongly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in China. The strategy for PMzs mitigation must be based on reducing the pollutants from the two primary sources of coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions. Although conventional Particulate Emission Control Devices （PECD） such as electrostatic precipitators in Chinese coal-fired power plants are generally effective for large particles, most of them may not have high collection efficiency of PM2.5. Baghouse filtration is gradually incorporated into the PECD to increase the PM2.5 collection efficiency. By adopting stringent vehicle emissions standard such as Euro 5 and 6, the emissions from vehicles can be gradually reduced over the years. An integrative approach, from collaboration among academia, government, and industries, can effectively manage and mitigate the PM2.s p     

What are gene patents and why are people worried about them?

This article examines what it means to patent a gene. Numerous ethical concerns have been raised about the effects of such patents on clinical medical practice as well as on research and development. We describe what kinds of inventions are covered by human gene patents, give several examples and summarize the small body of empirical research performed in the US examining the effects of these patents. There is little evidence that early fears about gene patenting placing substantial restraints on research and clinical medicine have come to fruition. Nonetheless, there are areas of concern, and policy makers, physicians and the public should be alert to ensure that the net social benefits of patenting human genes are maintained.     

Synthesis and surface modification of magnetic particles for application in biotechnology and biomedicine

Magnetic particles have numerous applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In this paper we reviewed the synthesis, surface modification and some applications of magnetic particles with focus on their synthesis and surface modification. Various methods have been developed for the production of magnetic particles （magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic composite particles）. For future application magnetic particles must be modified to obtain stability and surface functional groups. Finally, the application of magnetic particles in magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging are discussed.     

Nonlinear dynamic analysis and sliding mode control for?a?gyroscope system

This paper employs differential transformation (DT) method to analyze and control the dynamic behavior of a gyroscope system. The analytical results reveal a complex dynamic behavior comprising periodic, subharmonic, quasiperiodic, and chaotic responses of the center of gravity. Furthermore, the results reveal the changes which take place in the dynamic behavior of the gyroscope system as the external force is increased. The current analytical results by DT method are found to be in good agreement with those of Runge?CKutta (RK) method. In order to suppress the chaotic behavior in gyroscope system, the sliding mode controller (SMC) is used and guaranteed the stability of the system from chaotic motion to periodic motion. Numerical simulations are shown to verify the results. The proposed DT method and controlling scheme provide an effective means of gaining insights into the nonlinear dynamics and controlling of gyroscope systems.     

A new model for dry and lubricated cylindrical joints with?clearance in spatial flexible multibody systems

A new approach to model and analyze flexible spatial multibody systems with clearance of cylindrical joints is presented in this work. The flexible parts are modeled by using absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF)-based elements, while the rigid parts are described by employing the natural coordinate formulation (NCF), which can lead to a constant system mass matrix for the derived system equations of motion. In a simple way, a cylindrical joint with clearance is composed of two main elements, that is, a journal inside a bearing. Additionally, a lubricant fluid can exist between these two mechanical elements to reduce the friction and wear and increase the system??s life. For the case in which the joint is modeled as a dry contact pair, a technique using a continuous approach for the evaluation of the contact force is applied, where the energy dissipation in the form of hysteresis damping is considered. Furthermore, the frictional forces developed in those contacts are evaluated by using a modified Coulomb??s friction law. For the lubricated case, the hydrodynamic theory for dynamically loaded journal bearings is used to compute the forces generated by lubrication actions. The lubricated model is based on the Reynolds equation developed for the case of journal bearings with length-to-diameter ratios up to 1. Using this approach, the misalignment of the journal inside the bearing can be studied. Finally, two demonstrative examples of application are used to provide results that support the discussion and show the validity of the proposed methodologies.     

A Method for Determining Model‐Structure Errors and for Locating Damage in Vibrating Systems

A method is proposed for the determination of natural frequencies and mode shapes of a system which is constrained so that unknown stiffnesses are replaced by rigid connections. The constraint is not imposed physically but only in mathematics so that the behaviour of the constrained system is inferred from the unconstrained measurements. Since stiffnesses which are made rigid cannot experience any elastic strain they can have no effect on the inferred measurements. A procedure for comparing the inferred measurements with similarly constrained finite element predictions can be used to determine modelstructure errors. Damage, such as a crack in a beam, can be located by comparing the inferred measurements from the structure in its undamaged and current states. It is demonstrated how unmeasured rotations may be constrained by using rigidbody modes and a reduction/expansion transformation from a finite element model.Sommario. Viene proposto un metodo per la determinazione delle frequenze proprie e dei modi di vibrazione di un sistema vincolato in modo tale che alcuni elementi elastici siano sostituiti da collegamenti rigidi. Il vincolo non viene imposto fisicamente, ma solo matematicamente, e pertanto il comportamento del sistema vincolato viene dedotto dalle misure sul sistema non vincolato. Poiché gli elementi che sono resi rigidi non possono subire alcuna deformazione elastica, essi non hanno certamente alcun effetto sulle misure dedotte per il sistema vincolato. Una procedura che mette a confronto le misure dedotte per il sistema vincolato con le previsioni fornite da un modello ad elementi finiti con analoghi vincoli, può essere utilizzata per determinare errori nella struttura del modello. Danni del tipo di una cricca su una trave possono essere localizzati confrontando le misure dedotte – per sistemi analogamente vincolati – da quelle effettuate sulla struttura non danneggiata e sulla struttura danneggiata. Si dimostra come si possono imporre vincoli sulle rotazioni (non misurate) utilizzando i modi di corpo rigido dell'elemento e una tecnica di riduzione/espansione dei gradi di libertà di un modello ad elementi finiti.     

Ricci flow and nonlinear reaction�Cdiffusion systems in?biology, chemistry, and?physics

This paper proposes the Ricci?Cflow equation from Riemannian geometry as a general geometric framework for various nonlinear reaction?Cdiffusion systems (and related dissipative solitons) in mathematical biology. More precisely, we propose a conjecture that any kind of reaction?Cdiffusion processes in biology, chemistry, and physics can be modeled by the combined geometric?Cdiffusion system. In order to demonstrate the validity of this hypothesis, we review a number of popular nonlinear reaction?Cdiffusion systems and try to show that they can all be subsumed by the presented geometric framework of the Ricci flow.     

Invariant Properties for Finding Distance in Space of?Elasticity Tensors

Using orthogonal projections, we investigate distance of a given elasticity tensor to classes of elasticity tensors exhibiting particular material symmetries. These projections depend on the orientation of the elasticity tensor; hence the distance is obtained as the minimization of corresponding expressions with respect to the action of the orthogonal group. These expressions are stated in terms of the eigenvalues of both the given tensor and the projected one. The process of minimization is facilitated by the fact that, as we prove, the traces of the corresponding Voigt and dilatation tensors are invariant under these orthogonal projections. For isotropy, cubic symmetry and transverse isotropy, we formulate algorithms to find both the orientation and the eigenvalues of the elasticity tensor endowed with a particular symmetry and closest to the given elasticity tensor.      

Eventual C∞-regularity and concavity for flows in one-dimensional porous media

We study the regularity and the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the initial value problem for the porous medium equation $$\begin{gathered} {\text{ }}u_t = \left( {u^m } \right)_{xx} {\text{ in }}Q = \mathbb{R} \times \left( {{\text{0,}}\infty } \right){\text{,}} \hfill \\ u\left( {x{\text{,0}}} \right) = u_{\text{0}} \left( x \right){\text{ for }}x \in \mathbb{R}{\text{,}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ with m > 1 and, u ₀a continuous, nonnegative function. It is well known that, across a moving interface x=ζ(t) of the solution u(x, t), the derivatives v tand v _x of the pressure v = (m/(m?1)) u ^m?1 have jump discontinuities. We prove that each moving part of the interface is a C ^∞curve and that v is C ^∞on each side of the moving interface (and up to it). We also prove that for solutions with compact support the pressure becomes a concave function of x after a finite time. This fact implies sharp convergence rates for the solution and the interfaces as t→∞.