Abstract This paper attempts to re-investigate the catching-up (stochastic convergence) hypothesis among the selected 16 OECD countries applying the time series approach of convergence hypothesis with annual data over one century. To reach this aim, we propose a model which specifies a trend function, incorporating both types of structural breaks – that is, sharp breaks and smooth shifts usin...

Biofilm fouling has a significant effect on ship performance. Here, the impact of biofilm fouling on boundary layer structure is investigated. Turbulent boundary layer measurements were performed over diatomaceous-slime-fouled plates using high resolution PIV. The mean velocity profile over biofilm shows the expected downward shift (∆U), producing higher drag, and hence higher friction velocity...

This paper proposes a gait planning approach to reduce the required friction for a biped robot walking on various surfaces. To this end, a humanoid robot with 18 DOF is considered to develop a dynamics model for studying various 3D manoeuvres. Then, feasible trajectories are developed to alleviate the fluctuations on the upper body to resemble human-like walking. In order to generate feasible w...

The geometry of dust distribution within the inner regions of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is still a debated issue and relates directly to the AGN unified scheme. Traditionally, models discussed in the literature assume one of the two distinct dust distributions in what is believed to be a toroidal region around the supermassive black holes: a continuous distribution, customarily referred to a...

We present a novel surface reconstruction approach for generating surfaces from animated particle data, targeting temporally coherent surface reconstruction that can also approximate smooth surfaces and capture fine details. Our beta mesh algorithm uses the union of balls as a building block to reach temporal coherence. First we construct mesh vertices from sphere intersection points, and decla...

Regarding our article on the association of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with increased Alzheimer’s disease risk, Bowen et al, Froehner and Wirth, Leow et al, and Brady et al highlight a number of significant considerations that will prove important in the design of future studies that investigate the association of ADT and Alzheimer’s disease. We agree with Bowen et al and Leow et al tha...

In human physiology, proteins at all times are synthesized, processed, degraded and posttranslationally modified to varying degrees and at different rates, for their participations in a wide variety of activities to maintain normal functions of the body (Murray et al. 2007). In the successful proceedings of all the biological events, signals are consistently received and sent via physical conta...