On the transit of Venus 2012: Method of computation for prediction of contact timings

Transit of Venus over the solar disc is an extremely rare event. The phenomenon occurred last time on June 8, 2004 when the entire event was visible from all parts of India. Another Transit of Venus is going to occur on June 6, 2012, though the entire event will not be visible from India. The Positional Astronomy Centre publishes data on Transit of Mercury and Venus in its annual publication ‘The Indian Astronomical Ephemeris’. In this paper an attempt has been made to provide documentation on the methodology for computation of contact timings of the event. Using the methodology, the geocentric contact timings and local contact timings for important places of India for the event of Transit of Venus of June 6, 2012 have been predicted. The result thus obtained for different geocentric phases of the event has been compared with the predicted timings published by The Nautical Almanac Office, United States Naval Observatory and NASA.

Phonological Complexity: Bernese Swiss German in Ohio and Misiones

This article investigates the notion of complexity as it applies to two phonological characteristics of Heritage Bernese Swiss German, namely /l/-vocalization and /nd/-velarization. We survey literature on the role of complexity in language change generally, as well as how it applies to heritage languages specifically. We then present findings from our study of two groups of Heritage Bernese speakers, one in the United States and one in Argentina, with additional reference to the local contact languages. Our findings suggest that the loss of /nd/-velarization in Misiones, Argentina is most likely the result of an internally-driven reduction of complexity. For both the Ohio and Misiones communities, however, /l/-vocalization has been maintained. We conclude by discussing the importance of research into language dyads beyond those in the United States as well as pursuing research on lesser-studied heritage languages.

Identification of Two Early Folding Stage Prion Non-Local Contacts Suggested to Serve as Key Steps in Directing the Final Fold to Be Either Native or Pathogenic

The initial steps of the folding pathway of the C-terminal domain of the murine prion protein mPrP(90–231) are predicted based on the sequential collapse model (SCM). A non-local dominant contact is found to form between the connecting region between helix 1 and b-sheet 1 and the C-terminal region of helix 3. This non-local contact nucleates the most populated molten globule-like intermediate along the folding pathway. A less stable early non-local contact between segments 120–124 and 179–183, located in the middle of helix 2, promotes the formation of a less populated molten globule-like intermediate. The formation of the dominant non-local contact constitutes an example of the postulated Nature’s Shortcut to the prion protein collapse into the native structure. The possible role of the less populated molten globule-like intermediate is explored as the potential initiation point for the folding for three pathogenic mutants (T182A, I214V, and Q211P in mouse prion numbering) of the prion protein.

Investigating Wear and Predicting Lifetime of the Roller Cavities for the Net-shape Blade Rolling

The die undergoing severe loads which induces inevitably wear in the pressure forming process, and the wear of die arouses obsessions about the die’s service lifetime. In order to obtain the geometrical shape transformation caused by wear and predict the service lifetime for a pair of rollers in net-shape blade rolling process, this paper quantified the distributions and evolutions of the local wear over roller cavities based on the local contact load responses, and predicted the lifetime which related to wear by a mathematical models. Firstly, the net-shape blade rolling process and the local contact load responses were summarized. Then, an improved wear model was provided based on the Archard formula, and the impact factors of the model was standardized by a regression analysis experiment. The transient wear distributions and evolutions over the roller cavities were enumerated, and the wear distribution for one rolling cycle was calculated based on wear accumulation effect. Finally, a lifetime prediction model was proposed to predict the service lifetime of the rollers according to the wear accumulation effect, and an experimental verification was carried out to validate the model. The results showed that the wear model and lifetime prediction model can be used for investigating the wear and lifetime prediction of the roller cavities for the net-shape blade rolling process.

NUMERICAL MODEL OF A LOCAL CONTACT OF A POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITE AND ITS EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION

In the paper a model of a local contact of a polymer-based nanocomposite was developed within the method of a movable cellular automaton. The features of mechanical behavior of nanocomposite at the mesoscale level under dry sliding were studied with explicit account for the microprofile of the counterbody surface and the characteristic sizes of nanofiller. Factors that contribute to the conditions for the formation of a stable tribofilm of silica nanoparticles are analyzed. Two other parameters like sample geometry and the value of relative sliding velocity are also examined. It is shown that the thickness of tribofilm depends on stress conditions at the contact, and the friction coefficient decreases with increasing sliding velocity similar to one observed experimentally. To ensure the low friction properties of polymer nanocomposite, particles whose sizes are comparable with the characteristic size of the substrate microprofile are preferred. Results of numerical simulation are in good correlation with available experimental data.