Double diameter boring tool

DOEpatents

Ashbaugh, Fred N.; Murry, Kenneth R.

1988-12-27

A boring tool and a method of operation are provided for boring two concentric holes of precision diameters and depths in a single operation. The boring tool includes an elongated tool body, a shank for attachment to a standard adjustable boring head which is used on a manual or numerical control milling machine and first and second diametrically opposed cutting edges formed for cutting in opposite directions. The diameter of the elongated tool body is substantially equal to the distance from the first cutting edge tip to the axis of rotation plus the distance from the second cutting edge tip to the axis of rotation. The axis of rotation of the tool is spaced from the tool centerline a distance substantially equal to one-half the distance from the second cutting edge tip to the axis of rotation minus one-half the distance from the first cutting edge tip to the axis of rotation. The method includes the step of inserting the boring tool into the boring head, adjusting the distance between the tool centerline and the tool axis of rotation as described above and boring the two concentric holes.

Double diameter boring tool

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ashbaugh, F.A.; Murry, K.R.

A boring tool and a method of operation are provided for boring two concentric holes of precision diameters and depths in a single operation. The boring tool includes an elongated tool body, a shank for attachment to a standard adjustable boring head which is used on a manual or numerical control milling machine and first and second diametrically opposed cutting flutes formed for cutting in opposite directions. The diameter of the elongated tool body is substantially equal to the distance from the first flute tip to the axis of rotation plus the distance from the second flute tip to themore » axis of rotation. The axis of rotation of the tool is spaced from the tool centerline a distance substantially equal to one-half the distance from the second flute tip to the axis of rotation minus one-half the distance from the first flute tip to the axis of rotation. The method includes the step of inserting the boring tool into the boring head, adjusting the distance between the tool centerline and the tool axis of rotation as described above and boring the two concentric holes.« less

Parabolic tapers for overmoded waveguides

DOEpatents

Doane, J.L.

1983-11-25

A waveguide taper with a parabolic profile, in which the distance along the taper axis varies as the square of the tapered dimension, provides less mode conversion than equal length linear tapers and is easier to fabricate than other non-linear tapers.

Low-cost boring mill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hibdon, R. A.

1979-01-01

Portable unit and special fixture serve as boring mill. Machine, fabricated primarily from scrap metal, was designed and set up in about 12 working days. It has reduced setup and boring time by 66 percent as compared with existing boring miles, thereby making latter available for other jobs. Unit can be operated by one man.

Tapering Practices of Strongman Athletes.

PubMed

Winwood, Paul W; Dudson, Mike K; Wilson, Daniel; Mclaren-Harrison, Justice K H; Redjkins, Vladislav; Pritchard, Hayden J; Keogh, Justin W L

2018-05-01

Winwood, PW, Dudson, MK, Wilson, D, Mclaren-Harrison, JKH, Redjkins, V, Pritchard, HJ, and Keogh, JWL. Tapering practices of strongman athletes. J Strength Cond Res 32(5): 1181-1196, 2018-This study provides the first empirical evidence of how strongman athletes taper for strongman competitions. Strongman athletes (n = 454) (mean ± SD: 33.2 ± 8.0 years, 178.1 ± 10.6 cm, 108.6 ± 27.9 kg, 12.6 ± 8.9 years general resistance training, 5.3 ± 5.0 years strongman implement training) completed a self-reported 4-page internet survey on tapering practices. Analysis by sex (male and female), age (≤30 and >30 years), body mass (≤105 and >105 kg), and competitive standard (local/regional amateur, national amateur and professional) was conducted. Eighty-seven percent (n = 396) of strongman athletes reported that they used a taper. Athletes stated that their typical taper length was 8.6 ± 5.0 days, with the step taper the most commonly performed taper (52%). Training volume decreased during the taper by 45.5 ± 12.9%, and all training ceased 3.9 ± 1.8 days out from competition. Typically, athletes reported that training frequency and training duration stayed the same or decreased and training intensity decreased to around 50% in the last week. Athletes generally stated that tapering was performed to achieve recovery, rest, and peak performance; the deadlift, yoke walk, and stone lifts/work took longer to recover from than other lifts; assistance exercises were reduced or removed in the taper; massage, foam rolling, nutritional changes, and static stretching were strategies used in the taper; and, poor tapering occurred when athletes trained too heavy/hard or had too short a taper. These data will assist strongman athletes and coaches in the optimization of tapering variables leading to more peak performances. Future research could investigate the priming and preactivation strategies strongman athletes use on competition day.

Enhancing sensitivity of biconical tapered fiber sensors with multiple passes through the taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohoon, Gregory; Boyter, Chris; Errico, Michael; Vandervoort, Kurt; Salik, Ertan

2010-03-01

A single biconical fiber taper is a simple and low-cost yet powerful sensor. With a distinct strength in refractive index (RI) sensing, biconical tapered fiber sensors can find their place in handheld sensor platforms, especially as biosensors that are greatly needed in health care, environmental protection, food safety, and biodefense. We report doubling of sensitivity for these sensors with two passes through the tapered region, which becomes possible through the use of sensitive and high-dynamic-range photodetectors. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we measured transmission through the taper when it was immersed in isopropyl alcohol-water mixtures of varying concentrations, in which a thin gold layer at the tip of the fiber acted as a mirror enabling two passes through the tapered region. This improved the sensitivity from 0.43 dB/vol % in the single-pass case to 0.78 dB/vol % with two passes through the taper. The refractive index detection limit was estimated to be ~1.2×10-5 RI units (RIU) and ~0.6×10-5 RIU in the single- and double-pass schemes, respectively. We predict that further enhancement of sensitivity may be achieved with a higher number of passes through the taper.

Analysis of experimental shaft seal data for high-performance turbomachines, as for Space Shuttle main engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, R. C.; Braun, M. J.; Mullen, R. L.; Burcham, R. E.; Diamond, W. A.

1985-01-01

High-pressure, high-temperature seal flow (leakage) data for nonrotating and rotating Raleigh-step and convergent-tapered-bore seals were characterized in terms of a normalized flow coefficient. The data for normalized Rayleigh-steip and nonrotating tapered-bore seals were in reasonable agreement with theory, but data for the rotating tapered-bore seals were not. The tapered-bore-seal operational clearances estimated from the flow data were significantly larger than calculated. Although clearances are influenced by wear from conical to cylindrical geometry and errors in clearance corrections, the problem was isolated to the shaft temperature - rotational speed clearance correction. The geometric changes support the use of some conical convergence in any seal. Under these conditions rotation reduced the normalized flow coefficiently by nearly 10 percent.

Analysis of experimental shaft seal data for high-performance turbomachines - As for Space Shuttle main engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, R. C.; Mullen, R. L.; Braun, M. J.; Burcham, R. E.; Diamond, W. A.

1987-01-01

High-pressure, high-temperature seal flow (leakage) data for nonrotating and rotating Raleigh-step and convergent-tapered-bore seals were characterized in terms of a normalized flow coefficient. The data for normalized Rayleigh-step and nonrotating tapered-bore seals were in reasonable agreement with theory, but data for the rotating tapered-bore seals were not. The tapered-bore-seal operational clearances estimated from the flow data were significantly larger than calculated. Although clearances are influenced by wear from conical to cylindrical geometry and errors in clearance corrections, the problem was isolated to the shaft temperature - rotational speed clearance correction. The geometric changes support the use of some conical convergence in any seal. Under these conditions rotation reduced the normalized flow coefficiently by nearly 10 percent.

Guided earth boring tool

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mc Donald, W.J.; Pittard, G.T.; Maurer, W.C.

A controllable tool for drilling holes in the earth is described comprising a hollow elongated rigid supporting drill pipe having a forward end for entering the earth, means supporting the drill pipe for earth boring or piercing movement, including means for moving the drill pipe longitudinally for penetrating the earth, the drill pipe moving means being constructed to permit addition and removal of supporting drill pipe during earth penetrating operation, a boring mole supported on the forward end of the hollow low drill pipe comprising a cylindrical housing supported on and open to the forward end of the drill pipe,more » a first means on the front end for applying a boring force to the soil comprising an anvil having a striking surface inside the housing and a boring surface outside the housing, a second means comprising a reciprocally movable hammer positioned in the housing to apply a percussive force to the anvil striking surface for transmitting a percussive force to the boring force applying means, and means permitting introduction of air pressure supplied through the hollow pipe into the housing for operating the hammer and for discharging spent air from the housing to the hole being bored, and the tool being operable to penetrate the earth upon longitudinal movement of the drill rod by the longitudinal rod moving means and operation of the mole by reciprocal movement of the hammer.« less

BORE II

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bore II, co-developed by Berkeley Lab researchers Frank Hale, Chin-Fu Tsang, and Christine Doughty, provides vital information for solving water quality and supply problems and for improving remediation of contaminated sites. Termed "hydrophysical logging," this technology is based on the concept of measuring repeated depth profiles of fluid electric conductivity in a borehole that is pumping. As fluid enters the wellbore, its distinct electric conductivity causes peaks in the conductivity log that grow and migrate upward with time. Analysis of the evolution of the peaks enables characterization of groundwater flow distribution more quickly, more cost effectively, and with higher resolutionmore » than ever before. Combining the unique interpretation software Bore II with advanced downhole instrumentation (the hydrophysical logging tool), the method quantifies inflow and outflow locations, their associated flow rates, and the basic water quality parameters of the associated formation waters (e.g., pH, oxidation-reduction potential, temperature). In addition, when applied in conjunction with downhole fluid sampling, Bore II makes possible a complete assessment of contaminant concentration within groundwater.« less

Application of fiber tapers in astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcel, Jaclyn; Haynes, Roger; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss

2006-06-01

Fiber tapers have the potential to significantly advance instrument technology into the realm of fully integrated optical systems. Our initial investigation was directed at the use of fiber tapers as f-ratio transformation devices. Using a technique developed for testing focal ratio degradation (FRD), a collimated light source was injected at different angles into various fiber taper samples and the far-field profile of the fiber output was observed. We compare the FRD present in the optical fiber tapers with conventional fibers and determine how effectively fiber tapers perform as image converters. We demonstrate that while silica fiber tapers may have slightly more intrinsic FRD than conventional fibers they still show promise as adiabatic mode transformers and are worth investigating further for their potential use in astronomical instruments. In this paper we present a brief review of the current status of fiber tapers with particular focus on the astronomical applications. We demonstrate the conservation of etendue in the taper transformation process and present the experimental results for a number of different taper profiles and manufacturers.

Tapered structure construction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Eric D.; Takata, Rosalind K.; Slocum, Alexander H.

Feeding stock used to form a tapered structure into a curving device such that each point on the stock undergoes rotational motion about a peak location of the tapered structure; and the stock meets a predecessor portion of stock along one or more adjacent edges.

Tapered fiber nanoprobes: plasmonic nanopillars on tapered optical fiber tips for large EM enhancement.

PubMed

Savaliya, Priten; Dhawan, Anuj

2016-10-01

Employing finite difference time domain simulations, we demonstrate that electromagnetic field enhancement is substantially greater for tapered optical fibers with plasmonic nanostructures present on their tips as compared with non-tapered optical fibers having those plasmonic nanostructures, or with tapered optical fibers without the plasmonic nanostructures. We also carried out fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures on optical fiber tips.

Percussive mole boring device with electronic transmitter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stangl, G.A.; Lee, D.W.; Wilson, D.A.

This patent describes an improvement in an unguided percussive mole boring device. It is for use with a flexible hose connected to the mole boring device for providing a source of percussive power to drive the mole boring device, percussive means connected to the flexible hose and driven by a percussive power source for impacting the mole boring device.

Tapered GRIN fiber microsensor.

PubMed

Beltrán-Mejía, Felipe; Biazoli, Claudecir R; Cordeiro, Cristiano M B

2014-12-15

The sensitivity of an optical fiber microsensor based on inter-modal interference can be considerably improved by tapering a short extension of the multimode fiber. In the case of Graded Index fibers with a parabolic refractive index profile, a meridional ray exhibits a sinusoidal path. When these fibers are tapered, the period of the propagated beam decrease down-taper and increase up-taper. We take advantage of this modulation -along with the enhanced overlap between the evanescent field and the external medium- to substantially increase the sensitivity of these devices by tuning the sensor's maximum sensitivity wavelength. Moreover, the extension of this device is reduced by one order of magnitude, making it more propitious for reduced space applications. Numerical and experimental results demonstrate the success and feasibility of this approach.

Catalog of worldwide tidal bore occurrences and characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartsch-Winkler, S.; Lynch, David K.

1988-01-01

Documentation of tidal bore phenomena occurring throughout the world aids in defining the typical geographical setting of tidal bores and enables prediction of their occurrence in remote areas. Tidal bores are naturally occurring, tidally generated, solitary, moving water waves up to 6 meters in height that form upstream in estuaries with semidiurnal or nearly semidiurnal tide ranges exceeding 4 meters. Estuarine settings that have tidal bores typically include meandering fluvial systems with shallow gradients. Bores are well defined, having amplitudes greater than wind- or turbulence-caused waves, and may be undular or breaking. Formation of a bore is dependent on depth and velocity of the incoming tide and river outflow. Bores may occur in series (in several channels) or in succession (marking each tidal pulse). Tidal bores propagate up tidal estuaries a greater distance than the width of the estuary and most occur within 100 kilometers upstream of the estuary mouth. Because they are dynamic, bores cause difficulties in some shipping ports and are targets for eradication. Tidal bores are known to occur, or to have occurred in the recent past, in at least 67 localities in 16 countries at all latitudes, including every continent except Antarctica. Parts of Argentina, Canada, Central America, China, Mozambique, Madagascar, Northern Europe, North and South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.S.R. probably have additional undiscovered or unreported tidal bores. In Turnagain Arm estuary in Alaska, bores cause an abrupt increase in salinity, suspended sediment, surface character, and bottom pressure, a decrease in illumination of the water column, and a change in water temperature. Tidal bores occurring in Turnagain Arm, Alaska, have the

Buprenorphine tapering schedule and illicit opioid use

PubMed Central

Ling, Walter; Hillhouse, Maureen; Domier, Catherine; Doraimani, Geetha; Hunter, Jeremy; Thomas, Christie; Jenkins, Jessica; Hasson, Albert; Annon, Jeffrey; Saxon, Andrew; Selzer, Jeffrey; Boverman, Joshua; Bilangi, Richard

2011-01-01

Aims To compare the effects of a short or long taper schedule after buprenorphine stabilization on participant outcomes as measured by opioid-free urine tests at the end of each taper period. Design This multi-site study sponsored by Clinical Trials Network (CTN, a branch of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse) was conducted from 2003 to 2005 to compare two taper conditions (7 days and 28 days). Data were collected at weekly clinic visits to the end of the taper periods, and at 1-month and 3-month post-taper follow-up visits. Setting Eleven out-patient treatment programs in 10 US cities. Intervention Non-blinded dosing with Suboxone® during the 1-month stabilization phase included 3 weeks of flexible dosing as determined appropriate by the study physicians. A fixed dose was required for the final week before beginning the taper phase. Measurements The percentage of participants in each taper group providing urine samples free of illicit opioids at the end of the taper and at follow-up. Findings At the end of the taper, 44% of the 7-day taper group (n = 255) provided opioid-free urine specimens compared to 30% of the 28-day taper group (n = 261; P = 0.0007). There were no differences at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups (7-day = 18% and 12%; 28-day = 18% and 13%, 1 month and 3 months, respectively). Conclusion For individuals terminating buprenorphine pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence, there appears to be no advantage in prolonging the duration of taper. PMID:19149822

Predicted sedimentary record of reflected bores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Higman, B.; Gelfenbaum, G.; Lynett, P.; Moore, A.; Jaffe, B.

2007-01-01

Where a steep slope blocks an inrushing tsunami, the tsunami commonly reverses direction as a reflected bore. A simple method for relating vertical and horizontal variation in sediment size to output from numerical models of depth-averaged tsunami flow yields predictions about the sedimentary record of reflected bores: 1. Near the reflector, a abrupt slowing of the flow as the reflected bore passes is recorded by a normally graded layer that drapes preexisting topography. 2. At intermediate distances from the reflector, the deposit consists of a single normally graded bed deposited preferentially in depressions, possibly including a sharp fine-over-coarse contact. This contact records a brief period of erosion as the front of the reflected bore passes. 3. Far seaward of the reflector, grading in the deposit includes two distinct normally graded beds deposited preferentially in depressions separated by an erosional unconformity. The second normally graded bed records the reflected bore.

Boring deep holes in southern pine

Treesearch

G. E. Woodson; C. W. McMillin

1972-01-01

When holes 10-1/2 inches deep and I inch in diameter were made with either a ship auger or a double-spur, double-twist machine bit, clogging occurred at a shallower depth (avg. 6.5 inches) when boring across the grain than when boring along the grain (avg. 10.1 inches). In both boring directions, thrust force and torque demand for unclogged bits were less for the ship...

Steering mechanism for a subsoil boring apparatus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinnan, F.R.

This paper describes a subsoil boring apparatus. It comprises: a rotatable, steerable boring assembly; motor means for producing rotary motion; pipe string means coupled to the motor means and the boring assembly to import rotation thereto; and impacting means coupled to the motor means to apply impact forces to the pipe string means to improve the steerability of the boring assembly wherein only on of the motor means and the impact means can be applied to the k pipe string means at one time.

Monitoring the fabrication of tapered optical fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullaney, K.; Correia, R.; Staines, S. E.; James, S. W.; Tatam, R. P.

2017-04-01

A variety of optical methods to enhance the process of making optical fibre tapers are explored. A thermal camera was used to both refine the alignment of the optical components and optimize the laser power profile during the tapering process. The fibre transmission was measured to verify that the tapers had the requisite optical characteristics while the strain experienced by the fibre while tapering was assessed using an optical fibre Bragg grating. Using these techniques, adiabatic tapers were fabricated with a 2% insertion loss.

Liver acquisition with volume acceleration flex on 70-cm wide-bore and 60-cm conventional-bore 3.0-T MRI.

PubMed

Saito, Shigeyoshi; Tanaka, Keiko; Hashido, Takashi

2016-07-01

This study aimed to compare the uniformity of fat suppression and image quality between liver acquisition with volume acceleration flex (LAVA-Flex) and LAVA on 60-cm conventional-bore and 70-cm wide-bore 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The uniformity of fat suppression by LAVA-Flex and LAVA was assessed as the efficiency of suppression of superficial fat at the levels of the liver dome, porta, and renal hilum. Percentage standard deviation (%SD) was calculated using the following equation: %SD (%) = 100 × SD of the regions of interest (ROIs)/mean value of the signal intensity (SI) in the ROIs. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast ratio (CR) were calculated. In the LAVA sequence, the %SD in all slices on wide-bore 3.0-T MRI was significantly higher than that on conventional-bore 3.0-T MRI (P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in fat signal uniformity between the conventional and wide-bore scanners when LAVA-Flex was used. In the liver, there were no significant differences in SNR between the two sequences. However, the SNR in the pancreas was lower for the wide-bore scanner than for the conventional-bore scanner for both sequences (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in CR for the liver and fat between LAVA-Flex and LAVA in both scanners. The CR in the LAVA-Flex images obtained by wide-bore MRI was significantly higher than that in the LAVA-Flex images recorded by conventional-bore MRI (P < 0.001). LAVA-Flex offers more homogenous fat suppression in the upper abdomen than LAVA for both conventional and wide-bore 3.0-T MRI.

Tapering Practices of Croatian Open-Class Powerlifting Champions.

PubMed

Grgic, Jozo; Mikulic, Pavle

2017-09-01

Grgic, J and Mikulic, P. Tapering practices of Croatian open-class powerlifting champions. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2371-2378, 2017-The aim of this study was to explore tapering practices among 10 Croatian open-class powerlifting champions (mean ± SD: age 29.2 ± 3.2 years; Wilks coefficient 355.1 ± 54.8). The athletes were interviewed about their tapering practices using a semi-structured interview after which the audio content was transcribed. The athletes reported decreasing training volume during the taper by 50.5 ± 11.7% using a step type or an exponential type of taper with a fast decay. Training intensity was maintained or increased during the taper, and it reached its highest values 8 ± 3 days before the competition. Training frequency was reduced or maintained during the taper. The final week included a reduction in training frequency by 47.9 ± 17.5% with the last training session performed 3 ± 1 days before the competition. The participants typically stated that the main reasons for conducting the taper were maintaining strength and reducing the amount of fatigue. They also stated that (a) the taper was structured identically for the squat, bench press, and the deadlift; (b) the training during the taper was highly specific, the assistance exercises were removed, and the same equipment was used as during competition; (c) the source of information for tapering was their coach, and training fluctuated based on the coach's feedback; and (d) nutrition, foam rolling, static stretching, and massage were all given extra attention during the taper. These results may aid athletes and coaches in strength sports in terms of the optimization of tapering variables.

Conditions for tidal bore formation in convergent alluvial estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneton, Philippe; Filippini, Andrea Gilberto; Arpaia, Luca; Bonneton, Natalie; Ricchiuto, Mario

2016-04-01

Over the last decade there has been an increasing interest in tidal bore dynamics. However most studies have been focused on small-scale bore processes. The present paper describes the first quantitative study, at the estuary scale, of the conditions for tidal bore formation in convergent alluvial estuaries. When freshwater discharge and large-scale spatial variations of the estuary water depth can be neglected, tide propagation in such estuaries is controlled by three main dimensionless parameters: the nonlinearity parameter ε0 , the convergence ratio δ0 and the friction parameter ϕ0. In this paper we explore this dimensionless parameter space, in terms of tidal bore occurrence, from a database of 21 estuaries (8 tidal-bore estuaries and 13 non tidal-bore estuaries). The field data point out that tidal bores occur for convergence ratios close to the critical convergence δc. A new proposed definition of the friction parameter highlights a clear separation on the parameter plane (ϕ0,ε0) between tidal-bore estuaries and non tidal-bore estuaries. More specifically, we have established that tidal bores occur in convergent estuaries when the nonlinearity parameter is greater than a critical value, εc , which is an increasing function of the friction parameter ϕ0. This result has been confirmed by numerical simulations of the two-dimensional Saint Venant equations. The real-estuary observations and the numerical simulations also show that, contrary to what is generally assumed, tide amplification is not a necessary condition for tidal bore formation. The effect of freshwater discharge on tidal bore occurrence has been analyzed from the database acquired during three long-term campaigns carried out on the Gironde/Garonne estuary. We have shown that in the upper estuary the tidal bore intensity is mainly governed by the local dimensionless tide amplitude ε. The bore intensity is an increasing function of ε and this relationship does not depend on freshwater

Comparative evaluation of apically extruded debris with V-Taper, ProTaper Next, and the Self-adjusting File systems.

PubMed

Vyavahare, Nishant K; Raghavendra, Srinidhi Surya; Desai, Niranjan N

2016-01-01

Complete cleaning of the root canal is the goal for ensuring success in endodontics. Removal of debris plays an important role in achieving this goal. In spite of advancements in instrument design, apical extrusion of debris remains a source of inflammation in the periradicular region. To comparatively evaluate the amount of apically extruded debris with V-Taper, ProTaper Next, and the self-adjusting File (SAF) system. Sixty-four extracted human mandibular teeth with straight root canals were taken. Access openings were done and working length determined. The samples were randomly divided into three groups: Group I - V-Taper files (n = 20), Group II - ProTaper Next (n = 20), Group III - SAF (n = 20). Biomechanical preparation was completed and the debris collected in vials to be quantitatively determined. The data obtained was statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test. All the specimens showed apical debris extrusion. SAF showed significantly less debris extrusion compared to V-Taper and ProTaper Next (P < 0.001). Among Groups I and II, ProTaper Next showed lesser debris extrusion as compared to V-Taper, but it was not significant (P = 0.124). The SAF showed least amount of apical debris extrusion when compared to newer rotary endodontic instruments. This indicates that the incidence of inter-treatment flare-ups due to debris extrusion would be less with the SAF.

Supercontinuum generation in a tapered tellurite microstructured optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, X.; Ohishi, Y.

2014-07-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) was investigated in tapered tellurite microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) for various taper profiles. We emphasize on the procedure for finding the dispersion profile that achieve the best width of the SC spectra. An enhancement of the SCG is achieved by varying the taper waist diameter along its length in a carefully designed, and an optimal degree of tapering is found to exist for tapers with an axially uniform waist. We also show the XFROG spectrograms of the pulses propagating through different tapered fibers, confirming the optimized taper conditions.

Low-loss and single-mode tapered hollow-core waveguides optically coupled with interband and quantum cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giglio, Marilena; Patimisco, Pietro; Sampaolo, Angelo; Kriesel, Jason M.; Tittel, Frank K.; Spagnolo, Vincenzo

2018-01-01

We report single-mode midinfrared laser beam delivery through a 50-cm-long tapered hollow-core waveguide (HCW) having bore diameter linearly increasing from 200 to 260 μm. We performed theoretical calculations to identify the best HCW-laser coupling conditions in terms of optical losses and single-mode fiber output. To validate our modeling, we coupled the HCW with an interband cascade laser and four quantum cascade lasers with their emission wavelengths spanning 3.5 to 7.8 μm, using focusing lenses with different focal lengths. With the best coupling conditions, we achieved single-mode output in the investigated 3.5 to 7.8 μm spectral range, with minimum transmission losses of 1.27 dB at 6.2 μm.

Tapered undulator for SASE FELs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fawley, William M.; Huang, Zhirong; Kim, Kwang-Je

We discuss the use of tapered undulators to enhance the performance of free-electron lasers (FELs) based upon self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), where the radiation tends to have a relatively broad bandwidth, limited temporal phase coherence, and large amplitude fluctuations. Using the polychromatic FEL simulation code GINGER, we numerically demonstrate the effectiveness of a tapered undulator for parameters corresponding to the existing Argonne low-energy undulator test line (LEUTL) FEL. We also study possible tapering options for proposed x-ray FELs such as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS).

Comparative evaluation of apically extruded debris with V-Taper, ProTaper Next, and the Self-adjusting File systems

PubMed Central

Vyavahare, Nishant K.; Raghavendra, Srinidhi Surya; Desai, Niranjan N.

2016-01-01

Background: Complete cleaning of the root canal is the goal for ensuring success in endodontics. Removal of debris plays an important role in achieving this goal. In spite of advancements in instrument design, apical extrusion of debris remains a source of inflammation in the periradicular region. Aim: To comparatively evaluate the amount of apically extruded debris with V-Taper, ProTaper Next, and the self-adjusting File (SAF) system. Materials and Methods: Sixty-four extracted human mandibular teeth with straight root canals were taken. Access openings were done and working length determined. The samples were randomly divided into three groups: Group I - V-Taper files (n = 20), Group II - ProTaper Next (n = 20), Group III - SAF (n = 20). Biomechanical preparation was completed and the debris collected in vials to be quantitatively determined. The data obtained was statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test. Results: All the specimens showed apical debris extrusion. SAF showed significantly less debris extrusion compared to V-Taper and ProTaper Next (P < 0.001). Among Groups I and II, ProTaper Next showed lesser debris extrusion as compared to V-Taper, but it was not significant (P = 0.124). Conclusion: The SAF showed least amount of apical debris extrusion when compared to newer rotary endodontic instruments. This indicates that the incidence of inter-treatment flare-ups due to debris extrusion would be less with the SAF. PMID:27217636

Tapered enlarged ends in multimode optical fibers.

PubMed

Brenci, M; Falciai, R; Scheggi, A M

1982-01-15

Radiation characteristics of multimode fibers with enlarged tapers were investigated on a number of samples obtained by varying the fiber drawing speed with a given law corresponding to a prefixed taper profile. The characterization of the fibers was made by near- and far-field intensity pattern measurements as well as by measuring the losses introduced by the taper. With a suitable choice of parameters the taper constitutes a reasonable low-loss component useful, for example, for either efficient coupling to large-spot high-power density sources or connecting fibers of different sizes. Conversely at the exit of the fiber the taper can be used for beam shaping which is of interest for mechanical or surgical applications.

2D constant-loss taper for mode conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horth, Alexandre; Kashyap, Raman; Quitoriano, Nathaniel J.

2015-03-01

Proposed in this manuscript is a novel taper geometry, the constant-loss taper (CLT). This geometry is derived with 1D slabs of silicon embedded in silicon dioxide using coupled-mode theory (CMT). The efficiency of the CLT is compared to both linear and parabolic tapers using CMT and 2D finite-difference time-domain simulations. It is shown that over a short 2D, 4.45 μm long taper the CLT's mode conversion efficiency is ~90% which is 10% and 18% more efficient than a 2D parabolic or linear taper, respectively.

Soliton propagation in tapered silicon core fibers.

PubMed

Peacock, Anna C

2010-11-01

Numerical simulations are used to investigate soliton-like propagation in tapered silicon core optical fibers. The simulations are based on a realistic tapered structure with nanoscale core dimensions and a decreasing anomalous dispersion profile to compensate for the effects of linear and nonlinear loss. An intensity misfit parameter is used to establish the optimum taper dimensions that preserve the pulse shape while reducing temporal broadening. Soliton formation from Gaussian input pulses is also observed--further evidence of the potential for tapered silicon fibers to find use in a range of signal processing applications.

Tapering strategies in elite British endurance runners.

PubMed

Spilsbury, Kate L; Fudge, Barry W; Ingham, Stephen A; Faulkner, Steve H; Nimmo, Myra A

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore pre-competition training practices of elite endurance runners. Training details from elite British middle distance (MD; 800 m and 1500 m), long distance (LD; 3000 m steeplechase to 10,000 m) and marathon (MAR) runners were collected by survey for 7 days in a regular training (RT) phase and throughout a pre-competition taper. Taper duration was [median (interquartile range)] 6 (3) days in MD, 6 (1) days in LD and 14 (8) days in MAR runners. Continuous running volume was reduced to 70 (16)%, 71 (24)% and 53 (12)% of regular levels in MD, LD and MAR runners, respectively (P < 0.05). Interval running volume was reduced compared to regular training (MD; 53 (45)%, LD; 67 (23)%, MAR; 64 (34)%, P < 0.05). During tapering, the peak interval training intensity was above race speed in LD and MAR runners (112 (27)% and 114 (3)%, respectively, P < 0.05), but not different in MD (100 (2)%). Higher weekly continuous running volume and frequency in RT were associated with greater corresponding reductions during the taper (R = -0.70 and R = -0.63, respectively, both P < 0.05). Running intensity during RT was positively associated with taper running intensity (continuous intensity; R = 0.97 and interval intensity; R = 0.81, both P < 0.05). Algorithms were generated to predict and potentially prescribe taper content based on the RT of elite runners. In conclusion, training undertaken prior to the taper in elite endurance runners is predictive of the tapering strategy implemented before competition.

Tapered waveguides for guided wave optics.

PubMed

Campbell, J C

1979-03-15

Strip waveguides having half-paraboloid shaped tapers that permit efficient fiber to waveguide coupling have been fabricated by Ag ion exchange in soda-lime glass. A reduction in the input coupling loss has been accomplished by tailoring the diffusion to provide a gradual transition from a single-mode waveguide to a multimode waveguide having cross-sectional dimensions comparable to the core diameter of a single-mode fiber. Waveguides without tapers exhibit an attenuation of 1.0 dB/cm and an input coupling loss of 0.6 dB. The additional loss introduced by the tapered region is 0.5 dB. By way of contrast, an input coupling loss of 2.4 dB is obtained by coupling directly to a single-mode waveguide, indicating a net improvement of 1.3 dB for the tapered waveguides.

Floating electrode dielectrophoresis.

PubMed

Golan, Saar; Elata, David; Orenstein, Meir; Dinnar, Uri

2006-12-01

In practice, dielectrophoresis (DEP) devices are based on micropatterned electrodes. When subjected to applied voltages, the electrodes generate nonuniform electric fields that are necessary for the DEP manipulation of particles. In this study, electrically floating electrodes are used in DEP devices. It is demonstrated that effective DEP forces can be achieved by using floating electrodes. Additionally, DEP forces generated by floating electrodes are different from DEP forces generated by excited electrodes. The floating electrodes' capabilities are explained theoretically by calculating the electric field gradients and demonstrated experimentally by using test-devices. The test-devices show that floating electrodes can be used to collect erythrocytes (red blood cells). DEP devices which contain many floating electrodes ought to have fewer connections to external signal sources. Therefore, the use of floating electrodes may considerably facilitate the fabrication and operation of DEP devices. It can also reduce device dimensions. However, the key point is that DEP devices can integrate excited electrodes fabricated by microtechnology processes and floating electrodes fabricated by nanotechnology processes. Such integration is expected to promote the use of DEP devices in the manipulation of nanoparticles.

Waste minimization in horizontal boring operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montgomery, M.

Horizontal boring has become a highly useful, and competitive, practice. Its uses include river crossings, tunneling under existing roads and buildings, and increasing the effectiveness of groundwater remediation programs. As this method becomes more popular, more contractors enter the market place and compete for each project. So, it is important to provide quality service and reduce cost to maintain market share and profitability. This article is about reducing project cost with sound drilling fluid practices. Recirculation of drilling fluid provides many benefits. It reduces the amount of fluid required for a project, reduces waste volume, and improves boring operations. Improvedmore » boring rate, lower torque and drag, greater hole stability, and increased equipment life are all results of proper fluid management.« less

Small diameter, deep bore optical inspection system

DOEpatents

Lord, D.E.; Petrini, R.R.; Carter, G.W.

An improved rod optic system for inspecting small diameter, deep bores is described. The system consists of a rod optic system utilizing a curved mirror at the end of the rod lens such that the optical path through the system is bent 90/sup 0/ to minimize optical distortion in examing the sides of a curved bore. The system is particularly useful in the examination of small bores for corrosion, and is capable if examing 1/16 inch diameter and up to 4-inch deep drill holes, for example. The positioning of the curved mirror allows simultaneous viewing from shallow and righ angle points of observation of the same artifact (such as corrosion) in the bore hole. The improved rod optic system may be used for direct eye sighting, or in combination with a still camera or a low-light television monitor; particularly low-light color television.

Small diameter, deep bore optical inspection system

DOEpatents

Lord, David E.; Petrini, Richard R.; Carter, Gary W.

1981-01-01

An improved rod optic system for inspecting small diameter, deep bores. The system consists of a rod optic system utilizing a curved mirror at the end of the rod lens such that the optical path through the system is bent 90.degree. to minimize optical distortion in examining the sides of a curved bore. The system is particularly useful in the examination of small bores for corrosion, and is capable of examining 1/16 inch diameter and up to 4 inch deep drill holes, for example. The positioning of the curved mirror allows simultaneous viewing from shallow and right angle points of observation of the same artifact (such as corrosion) in the bore hole. The improved rod optic system may be used for direct eye sighting, or in combination with a still camera or a low-light television monitor; particularly low-light color television.

Supercontinuum generation in an imaging fiber taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Kebin; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Liu, Zhiwen

2006-12-01

We report on supercontinuum generation in individual fibers of a commercial Schott imaging fiber taper. Supercontinuum spectrum covering a wavelength range from about 500 nm to 1 μm was obtained. Unlike conventional approaches which use either a single micro-structured photonic crystal fiber (PCF) or an individual fiber or PCF taper, the availability of many fibers in an imaging taper can open new possibilities to independently and controllably generate supercontinuum arrays.

Tapered fiber based high power random laser.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanwei; Du, Xueyuan; Zhou, Pu; Wang, Xiaolin; Xu, Xiaojun

2016-04-18

We propose a novel high power random fiber laser (RFL) based on tapered fiber. It can overcome the power scaling limitation of RFL while maintaining good beam quality to a certain extent. An output power of 26.5 W has been achieved in a half-open cavity with one kilometer long tapered fiber whose core diameter gradually changes from 8 μm to 20 μm. The steady-state light propagation equations have been modified by taking into account the effective core area to demonstrate the tapered RFL through numerical calculations. The numerical model effectively describes the power characteristics of the tapered fiber based RFL, and both the calculating and experimental results show higher power exporting potential compared with the conventional single mode RFL.

Locking support for nuclear fuel assemblies

DOEpatents

Ledin, Eric

1980-01-01

A locking device for supporting and locking a nuclear fuel assembly within a cylindrical bore formed by a support plate, the locking device including a support and locking sleeve having upwardly extending fingers forming wedge shaped contact portions arranged for interaction between an annular tapered surface on the fuel assembly and the support plate bore as well as downwardly extending fingers having wedge shaped contact portions arranged for interaction between an annularly tapered surface on the support plate bore and the fuel assembly whereby the sleeve tends to support and lock the fuel assembly in place within the bore by its own weight while facilitating removal and/or replacement of the fuel assembly.

Fabrication of longitudinally arbitrary shaped fiber tapers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nold, J.; Plötner, M.; Böhme, S.; Sattler, B.; deVries, O.; Schreiber, T.; Eberhardt, R.; Tünnermann, A.

2018-02-01

We present our current results on the fabrication of arbitrary shaped fiber tapers on our tapering rig using a CO2-laser as heat source. Single mode excitation of multimode fibers as well as changing the fiber geometry in an LPG-like fashion is presented. It is shown that this setup allows for reproducible fabrication of single-mode excitation tapers to extract the fundamental mode (M2 < 1.1) from a 30 μm core having an NA of 0.09.

40 CFR 65.45 - External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof. The owner or operator who elects to... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false External floating roof converted into an internal floating roof. 65.45 Section 65.45 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION...

Electromagnetic field tapering using all-dielectric gradient index materials.

PubMed

Yi, Jianjia; Piau, Gérard-Pascal; de Lustrac, André; Burokur, Shah Nawaz

2016-07-28

The concept of transformation optics (TO) is applied to control the flow of electromagnetic fields between two sections of different dimensions through a tapering device. The broadband performance of the field taper is numerically and experimentally validated. The taper device presents a graded permittivity profile and is fabricated through three-dimensional (3D) polyjet printing technology using low-cost all-dielectric materials. Calculated and measured near-field mappings are presented in order to validate the proposed taper. A good qualitative agreement is obtained between full-wave simulations and experimental tests. Such all-dielectric taper paves the way to novel types of microwave devices that can be easily fabricated through low-cost additive manufacturing processes.

Pulse compression using a tapered microstructure optical fiber.

PubMed

Hu, Jonathan; Marks, Brian S; Menyuk, Curtis R; Kim, Jinchae; Carruthers, Thomas F; Wright, Barbara M; Taunay, Thierry F; Friebele, E J

2006-05-01

We calculate the pulse compression in a tapered microstructure optical fiber with four layers of holes. We show that the primary limitation on pulse compression is the loss due to mode leakage. As a fiber's diameter decreases due to the tapering, so does the air-hole diameter, and at a sufficiently small diameter the guided mode loss becomes unacceptably high. For the four-layer geometry we considered, a compression factor of 10 can be achieved by a pulse with an initial FWHM duration of 3 ps in a tapered fiber that is 28 m long. We find that there is little difference in the pulse compression between a linear taper profile and a Gaussian taper profile. More layers of air-holes allows the pitch to decrease considerably before losses become unacceptable, but only a moderate increase in the degree of pulse compression is obtained.

Revisiting resolution in hydrodynamic countercurrent chromatography: tubing bore effect.

PubMed

Berthod, A; Faure, K

2015-04-17

A major challenge in countercurrent chromatography (CCC), the technique that works with a support-free biphasic liquid system, is to retain the liquid stationary phase inside the CCC column (Sf parameter). Two solutions are commercially available: the hydrostatic CCC columns, also called centrifugal partition chromatographs (CPC), with disks of interconnected channels and rotary seals, and the hydrodynamic CCC columns with bobbins of coiled open tube and no rotary seals. It was demonstrated that the amount of liquid stationary phase retained by a coiled tube was higher with larger bore tubing than with small bore tubes. At constant column volume, small bore tubing will be longer producing more efficiency than larger bore tube that will better retain the liquid stationary phase. Since the resolution equation in CCC is depending on both column efficiency and stationary phase retention ratio, the influence of the tubing bore should be studied. This theoretical work showed that there is an optimum tubing bore size depending on solute partition coefficient and mobile phase flow rate. The interesting result of the theoretical study is that larger tubing bores allow for dramatically reduced experiment durations for all solutes: in reversed phase CCC (polar mobile phase), hydrophobic solutes are usually highly retained. These apolar solutes can be separated by the same coil at high flow rates and reduced Sf with similar retention times as polar solutes separated at smaller flow rates and much higher Sf. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy using tapered fibers.

PubMed

Blackmon, Richard L; Irby, Pierce B; Fried, Nathaniel M

2010-01-01

The Thulium fiber laser has recently been tested as a potential alternative to the Holmium:YAG laser for lithotripsy. This study explores use of a short taper for expanding the Thulium fiber laser beam at the distal tip of a small-core fiber. Thulium fiber laser radiation with a wavelength of 1,908 nm, 10 Hz pulse rate, 70 mJ pulse energy, and 1-millisecond pulse duration was delivered through a 2-m-length fiber with 150-microm-core-input-end, 300-microm-core-output-end, and 5-mm-length taper, in contact with human uric acid (UA) and calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones, ex vivo (n = 10 each). Stone mass loss, stone crater depths, fiber transmission losses, fiber burn-back, irrigation rates, and deflection through a flexible ureteroscope were measured for the tapered fiber and compared with conventional fibers. After delivery of 1,800 pulses through the tapered fiber, mass loss measured 12.7+/-2.6 mg for UA and 7.2+/-0.8 mg COM stones, comparable to conventional 100-microm-core fibers (12.6+/-2.5 mg for UA and 6.8+/-1.7 mg for COM stones). No transmission losses or burn-back occurred for the tapered fiber after 36,000 pulses, while a conventional 150-microm fiber experienced significant tip degradation after only 1,800 pulses. High irrigation rates were measured with the tapered fiber inserted through the working port of a flexible ureteroscope without hindering its deflection, mimicking that of a conventional 150 microm fiber. The short tapered distal fiber tip allows expansion of the laser beam, resulting in decreased fiber tip damage compared to conventional small-core fibers, without compromising fiber bending, stone vaporization efficiency, or irrigation rates.

Polymer optical fiber tapering using hot water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuno, Yosuke; Ujihara, Hiroki; Lee, Heeyoung; Hayashi, Neisei; Nakamura, Kentaro

2017-06-01

We perform a pilot trial of highly convenient taper fabrication for polymer optical fibers (POFs) using hot water. A ∼380-mm-long POF taper is successfully fabricated, and its ∼150-mm-long waist has a uniform outer diameter of ∼230 µm. The shape is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. The optical loss dependence on the strain applied to the waist shows an interesting behavior exhibiting three regimes, the origins of which are inferred by microscopic observations. We then discuss the controllability of the taper length.

Multiple-taper spectral analysis: A stand-alone C-subroutine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, Jonathan M.; Park, Jeffrey

1995-03-01

A simple set of subroutines in ANSI-C are presented for multiple taper spectrum estimation. The multitaper approach provides an optimal spectrum estimate by minimizing spectral leakage while reducing the variance of the estimate by averaging orthogonal eigenspectrum estimates. The orthogonal tapers are Slepian nπ prolate functions used as tapers on the windowed time series. Because the taper functions are orthogonal, combining them to achieve an average spectrum does not introduce spurious correlations as standard smoothed single-taper estimates do. Furthermore, estimates of the degrees of freedom and F-test values at each frequency provide diagnostics for determining levels of confidence in narrow band (single frequency) periodicities. The program provided is portable and has been tested on both Unix and Macintosh systems.

Experimental Investigation of Superradiance in a Tapered Free-Electron Laser Amplifier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hidaka, Y.; She, Y.; Murphy, J.B.

2011-03-28

We report experimental studies of the effect of undulator tapering on superradiance in a single-pass high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier. The experiments were performed at the Source Development Laboratory (SDL) of National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). Efficiency was nearly tripled with tapering. Both the temporal and spectral properties of the superradiant FEL along the uniform and tapered undulator were experimentally characterized using frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) images. Numerical studies predicted pulse broadening and spectral cleaning by undulator tapering Pulse broadening was experimentally verified. However, spectral cleanliness degraded with tapering. We have performed first experiments with a tapered undulator and amore » short seed laser pulse. Pulse broadening with tapering expected from simulations was experimentally confirmed. However, the experimentally obtained spectra degraded with tapering, whereas the simulations predicted improvement. A further numerical study is under way to resolve this issue.« less

Fiber up-tapering and down-tapering for low-loss coupling between anti-resonant hollow-core fiber and solid-core fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Naiqian; Wang, Zefeng; Xi, Xiaoming

2017-10-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a novel method for the low-loss coupling between solid-core multi-mode fibers (MMFs) and anti-resonant hollow-core fibers (AR-HCFs). The core/cladding diameter of the MMF is 50/125μm and the mode field diameter of the AR-HCFs are 33.3μm and 71.2μm of the ice-cream type AR-HCFs and the non-node type ARHCFs, respectively. In order to match the mode field diameters of these two specific AR-HCFs, the mode field diameter of the MMFs is increased or decreased by up-tapering or down-tapering the MMFs. Then, according to the principle of coupled fiber mode matching, the optimal diameter of tapered fiber for low-loss coupling is calculated. Based on beam propagation method, the calculated coupling losses without tapering process are 0.31dB and 0.89dB, respectively for a MMF-HCF-MMF structure of the ice-cream type AR-HCFs and the non-node type AR-HCFs. These values can be reduced to 0.096dB and 0.047dB when the outer diameters of the MMF are down-tapered to 116μm and up-tapered to 269μm, respectively. What's more, these results can also be verified by existing experiments.

Monitoring techniques for the manufacture of tapered optical fibers.

PubMed

Mullaney, Kevin; Correia, Ricardo; Staines, Stephen E; James, Stephen W; Tatam, Ralph P

2015-10-01

The use of a range of optical techniques to monitor the process of fabricating optical fiber tapers is investigated. Thermal imaging was used to optimize the alignment of the optical system; the transmission spectrum of the fiber was monitored to confirm that the tapers had the required optical properties and the strain induced in the fiber during tapering was monitored using in-line optical fiber Bragg gratings. Tapers were fabricated with diameters down to 5 μm and with waist lengths of 20 mm using single-mode SMF-28 fiber.

Coupled tapering/uptapering of Thirring type soliton pair in nonlinear media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Shraddha; Dutta, Manoj Kumar; Sarkar, Ram Krishna

2018-03-01

The paper investigates coupled tapering/uptapering of Thirring type soliton pair, employing Beam Propagation Method. It is seen that, the pair uptapers in presence of losses and tapers in presence of gain. When the first beam has gain and the second one has losses in the nonlinear medium, the second beam induces uptapering in the first beam, while, first beam induces tapering in the second beam. When the medium provides gain/losses to only one of the two beams, the beam undergoes tapering/uptapering and also induces tapering/uptapering to the other loss less beam; however, magnitude of tapering/uptapering are different.

Where science meets practice: Olympic coaches' crafting of the tapering process.

PubMed

Ritchie, Darren; Allen, Justine B; Kirkland, Andrew

2018-05-01

Although there is research providing physiologically-based guidance for the content of the taper, this study was the first to examine how coaches actually implement the taper. The purpose of this study was to examine the taper planning and implementation processes of successful Olympic coaches leading up to major competitions and how they learned about tapering. Seven track and field coaches participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their tapering processes. To be considered for inclusion, coaches were required to have coached one or more athletes to an Olympic or Paralympic medal. Through a process of axial and open coding interview transcripts were analysed and lower and higher order themes developed describing the coaches' tapering processes. Our findings indicate that the strategies employed to achieve the desired physiological adaptions of the taper were consistent with research (e.g., reduction in volume whilst maintaining intensity and frequency). However, our findings also suggest that tapering is far from a straight forward "textbook" process. The taper was not restricted to physiological outcomes with coaches considering athletes' psychological as well as physical state. Coaches also involved the athlete in the process, adapted the taper to the athlete, continually monitored its progress, and adapted it further as required.

In-situ Tapering of Chalcogenide Fiber for Mid-infrared Supercontinuum Generation

PubMed Central

Rudy, Charles W.; Marandi, Alireza; Vodopyanov, Konstantin L.; Byer, Robert L.

2013-01-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a tapered chalcogenide fiber is desirable for broadening mid-infrared (or mid-IR, roughly the 2-20 μm wavelength range) frequency combs1, 2 for applications such as molecular fingerprinting, 3 trace gas detection, 4 laser-driven particle acceleration, 5 and x-ray production via high harmonic generation. 6 Achieving efficient SCG in a tapered optical fiber requires precise control of the group velocity dispersion (GVD) and the temporal properties of the optical pulses at the beginning of the fiber, 7 which depend strongly on the geometry of the taper. 8 Due to variations in the tapering setup and procedure for successive SCG experiments-such as fiber length, tapering environment temperature, or power coupled into the fiber, in-situ spectral monitoring of the SCG is necessary to optimize the output spectrum for a single experiment. In-situ fiber tapering for SCG consists of coupling the pump source through the fiber to be tapered to a spectral measurement device. The fiber is then tapered while the spectral measurement signal is observed in real-time. When the signal reaches its peak, the tapering is stopped. The in-situ tapering procedure allows for generation of a stable, octave-spanning, mid-IR frequency comb from the sub harmonic of a commercially available near-IR frequency comb. 9 This method lowers cost due to the reduction in time and materials required to fabricate an optimal taper with a waist length of only 2 mm. The in-situ tapering technique can be extended to optimizing microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for SCG10 or tuning of the passband of MOFs, 11 optimizing tapered fiber pairs for fused fiber couplers12 and wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs), 13 or modifying dispersion compensation for compression or stretching of optical pulses.14-16 PMID:23748947

Tapered fibers embedded in silica aerogel.

PubMed

Xiao, Limin; Grogan, Michael D W; Leon-Saval, Sergio G; Williams, Rhys; England, Richard; Wadsworth, Willam J; Birks, Tim A

2009-09-15

We have embedded thin tapered fibers (with diameters down to 1 microm) in silica aerogel with low loss. The aerogel is rigid but behaves refractively like air, protecting the taper without disturbing light propagation along it. This enables a new class of fiber devices exploiting volume evanescent interactions with the aerogel itself or with dopants or gases in the pores.

Functional significance of the taper of vertebrate cone photoreceptors

PubMed Central

Hárosi, Ferenc I.

2012-01-01

Vertebrate photoreceptors are commonly distinguished based on the shape of their outer segments: those of cones taper, whereas the ones from rods do not. The functional advantages of cone taper, a common occurrence in vertebrate retinas, remain elusive. In this study, we investigate this topic using theoretical analyses aimed at revealing structure–function relationships in photoreceptors. Geometrical optics combined with spectrophotometric and morphological data are used to support the analyses and to test predictions. Three functions are considered for correlations between taper and functionality. The first function proposes that outer segment taper serves to compensate for self-screening of the visual pigment contained within. The second function links outer segment taper to compensation for a signal-to-noise ratio decline along the longitudinal dimension. Both functions are supported by the data: real cones taper more than required for these compensatory roles. The third function relates outer segment taper to the optical properties of the inner compartment whereby the primary determinant is the inner segment’s ability to concentrate light via its ellipsoid. In support of this idea, the rod/cone ratios of primarily diurnal animals are predicted based on a principle of equal light flux gathering between photoreceptors. In addition, ellipsoid concentration factor, a measure of ellipsoid ability to concentrate light onto the outer segment, correlates positively with outer segment taper expressed as a ratio of characteristic lengths, where critical taper is the yardstick. Depending on a light-funneling property and the presence of focusing organelles such as oil droplets, cone outer segments can be reduced in size to various degrees. We conclude that outer segment taper is but one component of a miniaturization process that reduces metabolic costs while improving signal detection. Compromise solutions in the various retinas and retinal regions occur between

Twist-induced tuning in tapered fiber couplers.

PubMed

Birks, T A

1989-10-01

The power-splitting ratio of fused tapered single-mode fiber couplers can be reversibly tuned by axial twisting without affecting loss. The twist-tuning behavior of a range of different tapered couplers is described. A simple expression for twist-tuning can be derived by representing the effects of twist by a change in the refractive index profile. Good agreement between this expression and experimental results is demonstrated. Repeated tuning over tens of thousands of cycles is found not to degrade coupler performance, and a number of practical applications, including a freely tunable tapered coupler, are described.

Tapered fluorotellurite microstructured fibers for broadband supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Wang, Kangkang; Yao, Chuanfei; Jia, Zhixu; Wang, Shunbin; Wu, Changfeng; Qin, Guanshi; Ohishi, Yasutake; Qin, Weiping

2016-02-01

Fluorotellurite microstructured fibers (MFs) based on TeO2-BaF2-Y2O3 glasses are fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method. Tapered fluorotellurite MFs with varied transition region lengths are prepared by employing an elongation machine. By using a tapered fluorotellurite MF with a transition region length of ∼3.3  cm as the nonlinear medium and a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser as the pump source, broadband supercontinuum generation covering from 470 to 2770 nm is obtained. The effects of the transition region length of the tapered fluorotellurite MF on supercontinuum generation are also investigated. Our results show that tapered fluorotellurite MFs are promising nonlinear media for generating broadband supercontinuum light expanding from visible to mid-infrared spectral region.

Measuring bacterial growth by refractive index tapered fiber optic biosensor.

PubMed

Zibaii, Mohammad Ismail; Kazemi, Alireza; Latifi, Hamid; Azar, Mahmoud Karimi; Hosseini, Seyed Masoud; Ghezelaiagh, Mohammad Hossein

2010-12-02

A single-mode tapered fiber optic biosensor was utilized for real-time monitoring of the Escherichia coli (E. coli K-12) growth in an aqueous medium. The applied fiber tapers were fabricated using heat-pulling method with waist diameter and length of 6-7μm and 3mm, respectively. The bacteria were immobilized on the tapered surface using Poly-l-Lysine. By providing the proper condition, bacterial population growth on the tapered surface increases the average surface density of the cells and consequently the refractive index (RI) of the tapered region would increase. The adsorption of the cells on the tapered fiber leads to changes in the optical characteristics of the taper. This affects the evanescent field leading to changes in optical throughput. The bacterial growth rate was monitored at room temperature by transmission of a 1558.17nm distributed feedback (DFB) laser through the tapered fiber. At the same condition, after determining the growth rate of E. coli by means of colony counting method, we compared the results with that obtained from the fiber sensor measurements. This novel sensing method, promises new application such as rapid analysis of the presence of bacteria. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fatigue delamination onset prediction in tapered composite laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murri, Gretchen Bostaph; Salpekar, Satish A.; Obrien, T. Kevin

1989-01-01

Tapered (0 deg) laminates of S2/CE9000 and S2/SP250 glass/epoxies, and IM6/1827I graphite/epoxy were tested in cyclic tension. The specimens usually showed some initial stable delaminations in the tapered region, but these did not affect the stiffness of the specimens, and loading was continued until the specimens either delaminated unstably, or reached 10(exp 6) to 2 x 10(exp 7) million cycles with no unstable delamination. The final unstable delamination originated at the junction of the thin and tapered regions. A finite-element model was developed for the tapered laminate with and without the initial stable delaminations observed in the tests. The analysis showed that for both cases the most likely place for an opening (Mode 1) delamination to originate is at the junction of the taper and thin regions. For each material type, the models were used to calculate the strain energy release rate, G, associated with delaminations originating at that junction and growing either into the thin region or tapered region. For the materials tested, cyclic G(sub Imax) values from DCB tests were used with the maximum strain energy release rates calculated from the finite-element analysis to predict the onset of unstable delamination at the junction as a function of fatigue cycles. The predictions were compared to experimental values of maximum cyclic load as a function of cycles to unstable delamination from fatigue tests in tapered laminates. For the IM6/1827I and S2/SP250 laminates, the predictions agreed very well with the test data. Predicted values for the S2/CE9000 were conservative compared to the test data.

Welding-fume-induced transmission loss in tapered optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Ji-Haeng

2015-09-01

This paper presents a method for sensing welding fumes in real time. This method is based on the results of nanoparticle-induced optical-fiber loss experiments that show that the losses are determined by the nanoparticle density and the taper waist. The tapered fiber is obtained by applying heat radiated from hot quartz, and monitoring is done in real time. First, the durability of the tapered fiber during the welding process is proven. Then, the loss is categorized by using the sizes of welding fume particles. The sensitivity to welding fumes increases with increasing size of the particles; consequently, the dimension of the taper waist decreases.

Ultra-low-loss tapered optical fibers with minimal lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, Ryutaro; Aoki, Takao

2014-11-01

We design and fabricate ultra-low-loss tapered optical fibers (TOFs) with minimal lengths. We first optimize variations of the torch scan length using the flame-brush method for fabricating TOFs with taper angles that satisfy the adiabaticity criteria. We accordingly fabricate TOFs with optimal shapes and compare their transmission to TOFs with a constant taper angle and TOFs with an exponential shape. The highest transmission measured for TOFs with an optimal shape is in excess of 99.7 % with a total TOF length of only 23 mm, whereas TOFs with a constant taper angle of 2 mrad reach 99.6 % transmission for a 63 mm TOF length.

Mechanics and complications of reverse shoulder arthroplasty: morse taper failure analysis and prospective rectification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoskin, HLD; Furie, E.; Collins, W.; Ganey, TM; Schlatterer, DR

2017-05-01

Since Sir John Charnley began his monumental hip arthroplasty work in 1958, clinical researchers have been incrementally improving longevity and functionality of total joint systems, although implant failure occurs on occasion. The purpose of this study is to report the fracture of the humeral tray Morse taper of a reverse total shoulder system (RTSS), which to date has not been reported with metallurgic analysis for any RTSS. There was no reported antecedent fall, motor vehicle collision, or other traumatic event prior to implant fracture in this case. Analysis was performed on the retrieved failed implant by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Dispersion Spectroscopy (EDS) in an attempt to determine the failure method, as well as to offer improvements for future implants. At the time of revision surgery all explants were retained from the left shoulder of a 61-year old male who underwent a non-complicated RTSS 4 years prior. The explants, particularly the cracked humeral tray, were processed as required for SEM and EDS. Analysis was performed on the failure sites in order to determine the chemical composition of the different parts of the implant, discover the chemical composition of the filler metal used during the electron beam welding process, and to detect any foreign elements that could suggest corrosion or other evidence of failure etiology. Gross visual inspection of all explants revealed that implant failure was a result of dissociation of the taper from the humeral tray at the weld, leaving the Morse taper embedded in the humeral stem while the tray floated freely in the patient’s shoulder. SEM further confirmed the jagged edges noted grossly at the weld fracture site, both suggesting failure due to torsional forces. EDS detected elevated levels of carbon and oxygen at the fracture site on the taper only and not on the humeral tray. In order to determine the origin of the high levels of C and O, it was considered that in titanium alloys, C

Comparison of debris extruded apically and working time used by ProTaper Universal rotary and ProTaper retreatment system during gutta-percha removal

PubMed Central

UEZU, Mary Kinue Nakamune; BRITTO, Maria Leticia Borges; NABESHIMA, Cleber K.; PALLOTTA, Raul Capp

2010-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro action of ProTaper retreatment files and ProTaper Universal in the retreatment of mandibular premolars. Material and methods The amount of debris extruded apically was measured and the time to reach the working length and to complete the removal of gutta-percha was observed. Thirty teeth had their canals prepared using ProTaper Universal files and were obturated by the single cone technique. The teeth were then stored at 37ºC in a humid environment for 7 days. During the use of the rotary instruments for root canal filling removal, the apical portions of the teeth were attached to the open end of a resin tube to collect the apically extruded debris. Results ProTaper Universal files were significantly faster (p=0.0011) than the ProTaper retreatment files to perform gutta-percha removal, but no significant difference was found between the files regarding the time to reach the working length or the amount of apical extrusion. Conclusions ProTaper Universal rotary had better results for endodontic retreatment, and both techniques promote similar apical extrusion of debris. PMID:21308282

Integrated test plan for directional boring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volk, B.W.

This integrated test plan describes the field testing of the DITCH WITCH Directional Boring System. DITCH WITCH is a registered trademark of The Charles Machine Works, Inc., Perry, Oklahoma. The test is being conducted as a coordinated effort between Charles Machine Works (CMW), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). Funding for the WHC portion of the project is through the Volatile Organic Compound-Arid Integrated Demonstration (VOC-Arid ID). The purpose of the test is to evaluate the performance of the directional boring system for possible future use on environmental restoration projects at Hanford and other Department ofmore » Energy (DOE) sites. The test will be conducted near the 200 Areas Fire Station located between the 200 East and 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. The directional boring system will be used to drill and complete (with fiberglass casing) two horizontal boreholes. A third borehole will be drilled to test sampling equipment but will not be completed with casing.« less

Tapering Practices of Strongman Athletes: Test-Retest Reliability Study

PubMed Central

Pritchard, Hayden J; Keogh, Justin WL

2017-01-01

Background Little is currently known about the tapering practices of strongman athletes. We have developed an Internet-based comprehensive self-report questionnaire examining the training and tapering practices of strongman athletes. Objective The objective of this study was to document the test-retest reliability of questions associated with the Internet-based comprehensive self-report questionnaire on the tapering practices of strongman athletes. The information will provide insight on the reliability and usefulness of the online questionnaire for use with strongman athletes. Methods Invitations to complete an Internet questionnaire were sent via Facebook Messenger to identified strongman athletes. The survey consisted of four main areas of inquiry, including demographics and background information, training practices, tapering, and tapering practices. Of the 454 athletes that completed the survey over the 8-week period, 130 athletes responded on Facebook Messenger indicating that they intended to complete, or had completed, the survey. These participants were asked if they could complete the online questionnaire a second time for a test-retest reliability analysis. Sixty-four athletes (mean age 33.3 years, standard deviation [SD] 7.7; mean height 178.2 cm, SD 11.0; mean body mass 103.7 kg, SD 24.8) accepted this invitation and completed the survey for the second time after a minimum 7-day period from the date of their first completion. Agreement between athlete responses was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and kappa statistics. Confidence intervals (at 95%) were reported for all measures and significance was set at P<.05. Results Test-retest reliability for demographic and training practices items were significant (P<.001) and showed excellent (ICC range=.84 to .98) and fair to almost perfect agreement (κ range=.37-.85). Moderate to excellent agreements (ICC range=.56-.84; P<.01) were observed for all tapering practice measures except

Free torsional vibrations of tapered cantilever I-beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, C. Kameswara; Mirza, S.

1988-08-01

Torsional vibration characteristics of linearly tapered cantilever I-beams have been studied by using the Galerkin finite element method. A third degree polynomial is assumed for the angle of twist. The analysis presented is valid for long beams and includes the effect of warping. The individual as well as combined effects of linear tapers in the width of the flanges and the depth of the web on the torsional vibration of cantilever I-beams are investigated. Numerical results generated for various values of taper ratios are presented in graphical form.

Diagnosis Taper Corrosion: When Is It the Taper and When Is It Something Else?

PubMed

Della Valle, Craig J; Calkins, Tyler E; Jacobs, Joshua J

2018-03-01

There has been an increasing use of modularity at the head-neck junction in total hip arthroplasty to more closely mimic the native anatomy, allowing for optimal leg length and stability. Corrosion at this junction in metal-on-polyethylene bearings can lead to an adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR). This increasingly prevalent condition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hip pain and difficulty ambulating. A recent symposium by the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons described the diagnosis, etiology, management, and prevention of taper corrosion. This article describes the history, physical, plain and advanced imaging findings, laboratory tests, and other diagnoses that should be taken into consideration when diagnosing taper corrosion. The presence of ALTR due to taper corrosion can mimic other diagnoses such as periprosthetic joint infection, instability, or aseptic loosening. Serum metal levels have been found to be the most effective screening tool for identifying corrosion, but other common causes of hip pain and difficulty ambulating should always be ruled out with the use of radiographs and common laboratory techniques before diagnosing ALTR due to corrosion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thin-Ribbon Tapered Couplers For Dielectric Waveguides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otoshi, Tom Y.; Shimabukuro, Fred I.; Yeh, Cavour

1996-01-01

Thin-ribbon tapered couplers proposed for launching electro-magnetic waves into dielectric waveguides, which include optical fibers. Intended for use with ribbon dielectric waveguides designed for operation at millimeter or submillimeter wavelengths, made of high-relative-permittivity, low-loss materials and thicknesses comparable to or less than free-space design wavelengths. Coupling efficiencies exceeds those of older tapered couplers.

Biomechanics of substrate boring by fig wasps.

PubMed

Kundanati, Lakshminath; Gundiah, Namrata

2014-06-01

Female insects of diverse orders bore into substrates to deposit their eggs. Such insects must overcome several biomechanical challenges to successfully oviposit, which include the selection of suitable substrates through which the ovipositor can penetrate without itself fracturing. In many cases, the insect may also need to steer and manipulate the ovipositor within the substrate to deliver eggs at desired locations before rapidly retracting her ovipositor to avoid predation. In the case of female parasitoid ichneumonid wasps, this process is repeated multiple times during her lifetime, thus testing the ability of the ovipositioning apparatus to endure fracture and fatigue. What specific adaptations does the ovipositioning apparatus of a female ichneumonoid wasp possess to withstand these challenges? We addressed this question using a model system composed of parasitoid and pollinator fig wasps. First, we show that parasitoid ovipositor tips have teeth-like structures, preferentially enriched with zinc, unlike the smooth morphology of pollinator ovipositors. We describe sensillae present on the parasitoid ovipositor tip that are likely to aid in the detection of chemical species and mechanical deformations and sample microenvironments within the substrate. Second, using atomic force microscopy, we show that parasitoid tip regions have a higher modulus compared with regions proximal to the abdomen in parasitoid and pollinator ovipositors. Finally, we use videography to film wasps during substrate boring and analyse buckling of the ovipositor to estimate the forces required for substrate boring. Together, these results allow us to describe the biomechanical principles underlying substrate boring in parasitoid ichneumonid wasps. Such studies may be useful for the biomimetic design of surgical tools and in the use of novel mechanisms to bore through hard substrates. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Rotational flow in tapered slab rocket motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, Tony; Sams, Oliver C.; Majdalani, Joseph

2006-10-01

Internal flow modeling is a requisite for obtaining critical parameters in the design and fabrication of modern solid rocket motors. In this work, the analytical formulation of internal flows particular to motors with tapered sidewalls is pursued. The analysis employs the vorticity-streamfunction approach to treat this problem assuming steady, incompressible, inviscid, and nonreactive flow conditions. The resulting solution is rotational following the analyses presented by Culick for a cylindrical motor. In an extension to Culick's work, Clayton has recently managed to incorporate the effect of tapered walls. Here, an approach similar to that of Clayton is applied to a slab motor in which the chamber is modeled as a rectangular channel with tapered sidewalls. The solutions are shown to be reducible, at leading order, to Taylor's inviscid profile in a porous channel. The analysis also captures the generation of vorticity at the surface of the propellant and its transport along the streamlines. It is from the axial pressure gradient that the proper form of the vorticity is ascertained. Regular perturbations are then used to solve the vorticity equation that prescribes the mean flow motion. Subsequently, numerical simulations via a finite volume solver are carried out to gain further confidence in the analytical approximations. In illustrating the effects of the taper on flow conditions, comparisons of total pressure and velocity profiles in tapered and nontapered chambers are entertained. Finally, a comparison with the axisymmetric flow analog is presented.

Turbine airfoil fabricated from tapered extrusions

DOEpatents

Marra, John J

2013-07-16

An airfoil (30) and fabrication process for turbine blades with cooling channels (26). Tapered tubes (32A-32D) are bonded together in a parallel sequence, forming a leading edge (21), a trailing edge (22), and pressure and suction side walls (23, 24) connected by internal ribs (25). The tapered tubes may be extruded without camber to simplify the extrusion process, then bonded along matching surfaces (34), forming a non-cambered airfoil (28), which may be cambered in a hot forming process and cut (48) to length. The tubes may have tapered walls that are thinner at the blade tip (T1) than at the base (T2), reducing mass. A cap (50) may be attached to the blade tip. A mounting lug (58) may be forged (60) on the airfoil base and then machined, completing the blade for mounting in a turbine rotor disk.

Cam-controlled boring bar

DOEpatents

Glatthorn, Raymond H.

1986-01-01

A cam-controlled boring bar system (100) includes a first housing (152) which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis (154), and a second housing in the form of a cam-controlled slide (158) which is also rotatable about the axis (154) as well as being translatable therealong. A tool-holder (180) is mounted within the slide (158) for holding a single point cutting tool. Slide (158) has a rectangular configuration and is disposed within a rectangularly configured portion of the first housing (152). Arcuate cam slots (192) are defined within a side plate (172) of the housing (152), while cam followers (194) are mounted upon the cam slide (158) for cooperative engagement with the cam slots (192). In this manner, as the housing (152) and slide (158) rotate, and as the slide (158) also translates, a through-bore (14) having an hourglass configuration will be formed within a workpiece (16) which may be, for example, a nuclear reactor steam generator tube support plate.

Characterization of a Double Mesospheric Bore Over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Steven M.; Stober, Gunter; Jacobi, Christoph; Chau, Jorge L.; Gerding, Michael; Mlynczak, Martin G.; Russell, James M.; Baumgardner, Jeffrey L.; Mendillo, Michael; Lazzarin, Monica; Umbriaco, Gabriel

2017-09-01

Observations of a pair of mesospheric bore disturbances that propagated through the nighttime mesosphere over Europe are presented. The observations were made at the Padua Observatory, Asiago (45.9°N, 11.5°E), by the Boston University all-sky imager on 11 March 2013. The bores appeared over the northwest horizon, approximately 30 min apart, and propagated toward the southeast. Using additional satellite and radar data, we present evidence indicating the bores originated in the mesosphere from a single, larger-scale mesospheric disturbance propagating through the mesopause region. Furthermore, the large-scale mesospheric disturbance appeared to be associated with an intense weather disturbance that moved southeastward over the United Kingdom and western Europe during 10 and 11 March.

Analysis of Driven Pile Capacity within Pre-Bored Soil : Research Project Capsule

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-01

Pre-boring is a method used to facilitate large displacement pile driving in hard/dense soils (see Figure 1). By pre-boring a pilot hole, the end bearing and side friction within the pre-bored zone are reduced, thus aiding pile driving installation. ...

Adiabatic tapered optical fiber fabrication in two step etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenari, Z.; Latifi, H.; Ghamari, S.; Hashemi, R. S.; Doroodmand, F.

2016-01-01

A two-step etching method using HF acid and Buffered HF is proposed to fabricate adiabatic biconical optical fiber tapers. Due to the fact that the etching rate in second step is almost 3 times slower than the previous droplet etching method, terminating the fabrication process is controllable enough to achieve a desirable fiber diameter. By monitoring transmitted spectrum, final diameter and adiabaticity of tapers are deduced. Tapers with losses about 0.3 dB in air and 4.2 dB in water are produced. The biconical fiber taper fabricated using this method is used to excite whispering gallery modes (WGMs) on a microsphere surface in an aquatic environment. So that they are suitable to be used in applications like WGM biosensors.

Comparative study of ProTaper gold, reciproc, and ProTaper universal for root canal preparation in severely curved root canals

PubMed Central

Arslan, Hakan; Yildiz, Ezgi Doganay; Gunduz, Hicran Ates; Sumbullu, Meltem; Bayrakdar, Ibrahim Sevki; Karatas, Ertugrul; Sumbullu, Muhammed Akif

2017-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the root canal transportation, centering ability, and instrumentation times with the ProTaper Gold (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK, USA), Reciproc (VDW, Munich, Germany), and ProTaper Universal (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: Thirty mesial root canals of mandibular first molars with curvature angles of 35°–70° and radii of 2–6 mm were included in the study. Root canal instrumentation was performed up to F2 or R25. The instrumentation times were recorded. CBCT scanning was performed both pre- and post-instrumentation. Root canal transportation and the centering ratio were calculated for groups, and the data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and least significant difference post hoc tests for the instrumentation time, root canal transportation, and centering ratio at the 95% confidence level (P = 0.05). Results: At 3, 5, and 7 mm levels, there was no significant difference in the root canal transportation and centering ratio among the groups (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between the Reciproc and ProTaper Universal groups in the instrumentation times (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Root canal transportation and the centering ratio with the ProTaper Gold were similar to those obtained with the ProTaper Universal and Reciproc. PMID:29259355

Flexural-torsional vibration of a tapered C-section beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Scott T.; Jones, Keith W.

2017-04-01

Previous studies have shown that numerical models of tapered thin-walled C-section beams based on a stepped or piecewise prismatic beam approximation are inaccurate regardless of the number of elements assumed in the discretization. Andrade recently addressed this problem by extending Vlasov beam theory to a tapered geometry resulting in new terms that vanish for the uniform beam. (See One-Dimensional Models for the Spatial Behaviour of Tapered Thin-Walled Bars with Open Cross-Sections: Static, Dynamic and Buckling Analyses, PhD Thesis, University of Coimbra, Portugal, 2012, https://estudogeral.sib.uc.pt) In this paper, we model the coupled bending-twisting vibration of a cantilevered tapered thin-walled C-section using a Galerkin approximation of Andrade's beam equations resulting in an 8-degree-of-freedom beam element. Experimental natural frequencies and mode shapes for 3 prismatic and 2 tapered channel beams are compared to model predictions. In addition, comparisons are made to detailed shell finite element models and exact solutions for the uniform beams to confirm the validity of the approach. Comparisons to the incorrect stepped model are also presented.

Catalog of Window Taper Functions for Sidelobe Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doerry, Armin W.

Window taper functions of finite apertures are well-known to control undesirable sidelobes, albeit with performance trades. A plethora of various taper functions have been developed over the years to achieve various optimizations. We herein catalog a number of window functions, and com pare principal characteristics.

Hole-boring through clouds for laser power beaming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lipinski, R.J.; Walter, R.F.

Power beaming to satellites with a ground-based laser can be limited by clouds. Hole-boring through the clouds with a laser has been proposed as a way to overcome this obstacle. This paper reviews the past work on laser hole-boring and concludes that hole-boring for direct beaming to satellites is likely to require 10--100 MW. However, it may be possible to use an airborne relay mirror at 10--25 km altitude for some applications in order to extend the range of the laser (e.g., for beaming to satellites near the horizon). In these cases, use of the relay mirror also would allowmore » a narrow beam between the laser and the relay, as well as the possibility of reducing the crosswind if the plane matched speed with the cloud temporarily. Under these conditions, the power requirement to bore a hole through most cirrus and cirrostratus clouds might be only 500-kW if the hole is less than 1 m in diameter and if the crosswind speed is less than 10 m/s. Overcoming cirrus and cirrostratus clouds would reduce the downtime due to weather by a factor of 2. However, 500 kW is a large laser, and it may be more effective instead to establish a second power beaming site in a separate weather zone. An assessment of optimum wavelengths for hole boring also was made, and the best options were found to be 3.0--3.4 {mu}m and above 10 {mu}m.« less

Autonomous Microstructure EM-APEX Floats

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

Autonomous Microstructure_EM-APEX_Float 4/8/16 at 3:21 PM 1 Title: Autonomous Microstructure EM-APEX Floats Authors: Ren-Chieh Lien1,2...Street Seattle, WA 98105 rcl@uw.edu Abstract: Fast responding FP-07 thermistors have been incorporated on profiling EM-APEX floats to measure...storage board. The raw and processed temperature observations are stored on a microSD card. Results from eight microstructure EM-APEX floats

In-line optical fiber sensors based on cladded multimode tapered fibers.

PubMed

Villatoro, Joel; Monzón-Hernández, David; Luna-Moreno, Donato

2004-11-10

The use of uniform-waist cladded multimode tapered optical fibers is demonstrated for evanescent wave spectroscopy and sensors. The tapering is a simple, low-loss process and consists of stretching the fiber while it is being heated with an oscillating flame torch. As examples, a refractive-index sensor and a hydrogen sensor are demonstrated by use of a conventional graded-index multimode optical fiber. Also, absorbance spectra are measured while the tapers are immersed in an absorbing liquid. It is found experimentally that the uniform waist is the part of the taper that contributes most to the sensor sensitivity. The taper waist diameter may also be used to adjust the sensor dynamic range.

30 CFR 18.22 - Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary... AND ACCESSORIES Construction and Design Requirements § 18.22 Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation. Each boring-type continuous-mining machine that is submitted for approval shall...

30 CFR 18.22 - Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary... AND ACCESSORIES Construction and Design Requirements § 18.22 Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation. Each boring-type continuous-mining machine that is submitted for approval shall...

30 CFR 18.22 - Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary... AND ACCESSORIES Construction and Design Requirements § 18.22 Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation. Each boring-type continuous-mining machine that is submitted for approval shall...

30 CFR 18.22 - Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary... AND ACCESSORIES Construction and Design Requirements § 18.22 Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation. Each boring-type continuous-mining machine that is submitted for approval shall...

30 CFR 18.22 - Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary... AND ACCESSORIES Construction and Design Requirements § 18.22 Boring-type machines equipped for auxiliary face ventilation. Each boring-type continuous-mining machine that is submitted for approval shall...

Refractive index sensors based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xing-hu; Xiu, Yan-li; Liu, Qin; Xie, Hai-yang; Yang, Chuan-qing; Zhang, Shun-yang; Fu, Guang-wei; Bi, Wei-hong

2016-01-01

In this paper, a novel refractive index (RI) sensor is proposed based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber (SMMF). Firstly, a section of SMMF is spliced between two single-mode fibers (SMFs). Then, the SMMF is processed by a fused tapering machine, and a tapered fiber structure is fabricated. Finally, a fused tapered SMMF sensor is obtained for measuring external RI. The RI sensing mechanism of tapered SMMF sensor is analyzed in detail. For different fused tapering lengths, the experimental results show that the RI sensitivity can be up to 444.517 81 nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.334 9—1.347 0. The RI sensitivity is increased with the increase of fused tapering length. Moreover, it has many advantages, including high sensitivity, compact structure, fast response and wide application range. So it can be used to measure the solution concentration in the fields of biochemistry, health care and food processing.

Numerical modelling on stimulated Brillouin scattering characterization for Graphene-clad tapered silica fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hui Jing; Abdullah, Fairuz; Ismail, Aiman

2017-11-01

This paper presents finite numerical modelling on the cross-sectional region of tapered single mode fiber and graphene-clad tapered fiber. Surface acoustic wave propagation across the tapered surface region on tapered single mode fiber has a high threshold power at 61.87 W which is challenging to overcome by the incident pump wave. Surface acoustic wave propagation of fiber surface however made tapered wave plausible in the optical sensor application. This research introduces graphene as the cladding layer on tapered fiber, acoustic confinement occurs due to the graphene cladding which lowers the threshold power from 61.87 W to 2.17 W.

The fabrication of a tapered fiber connector and its coupling efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qinggui, Hu; Chengzhong, Li

2017-11-01

In order to reduce the adverse influence of transversal displacement of the optical fiber connector, we propose the directional tapered communication fiber connector, in which the fiber head is tapered according to the signal transmission direction to improve efficiency. We used a flame-brush technique to produce the tapered fiber successfully. In the next step, two experiments in different environments were performed; one in a static environment and the other in a vibration environment. The first experiment shows that the efficiency of the tapered connector is higher than that of the common connector in the same transversal displacement. The second experiment shows that the efficiency of the tapered connector is higher than that of the common connector in the same frequency and amplitude.

Bore pile foundation tall buildings closed in the heritage building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triastuti, Nusa Setiani

2017-11-01

Bore pile foundation for high building surroundings heritage building should be not damage. Construction proses must good, no necking, no mixed deep water, no sliding soil, nonporous concrete. Objective the execution of bore pile so that heritage buildings and neighboring buildings that are old do not experience cracks, damage and tilting. The survey methodology was observe the process of the implementation of the dominant silt, clay soil, in addition a limited space and to analyze the results of loading tests, investigations of soil and daily reports. Construction process determines the success of the structure bore pile in high building structure bearing, without damaging a heritage building. Attainment the hard soil depth, density concrete, observable clean reinforcement in the implementation. Monitoring the implementation of, among others, the face of the ground water little reduce in the area and outside the footprint of the building, no impact of vibration drilling equipment, watching the mud content on the water coming out at the time of drilling, concrete volume was monitored each 2 m bore depth of pile, The result researched heritage building was not damage. The test results bore pile axial, lateral analyzed the results have the appropriate force design required.

Boring in the Big City - part 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giuliani, A.J.

This paper describes technologies being utilized or tested by Brooklyn Union for gas main installation. Trenchless technologies described include pipe splitting, key holes to minimize excavations, and boring. Areas in lining system technology which require further development by vendors and manufacturers of trenchless equipment are also addressed. Specific needs identified include: (1) improving instrumentation for locating and controlling underground boring; (2) repairing soft and hard lining systems; and (3) developing a window cutter to safely remove the old carrier pipes without damaging the newly fitted internal plastic pipes.

Tethered float liquid level sensor

DOEpatents

Daily, III, William Dean

2016-09-06

An apparatus for sensing the level of a liquid includes a float, a tether attached to the float, a pulley attached to the tether, a rotation sensor connected to the pulley that senses vertical movement of said float and senses the level of the liquid.

Combined tension and bending testing of tapered composite laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, T. Kevin; Murri, Gretchen B.; Hagemeier, Rick; Rogers, Charles

1994-11-01

A simple beam element used at Bell Helicopter was incorporated in the Computational Mechanics Testbed (COMET) finite element code at the Langley Research Center (LaRC) to analyze the responce of tappered laminates typical of flexbeams in composite rotor hubs. This beam element incorporated the influence of membrane loads on the flexural response of the tapered laminate configurations modeled and tested in a combined axial tension and bending (ATB) hydraulic load frame designed and built at LaRC. The moments generated from the finite element model were used in a tapered laminated plate theory analysis to estimate axial stresses on the surface of the tapered laminates due to combined bending and tension loads. Surfaces strains were calculated and compared to surface strains measured using strain gages mounted along the laminate length. The strain distributions correlated reasonably well with the analysis. The analysis was then used to examine the surface strain distribution in a non-linear tapered laminate where a similarly good correlation was obtained. Results indicate that simple finite element beam models may be used to identify tapered laminate configurations best suited for simulating the response of a composite flexbeam in a full scale rotor hub.

A Multi-Instrument Measurement of a Mesospheric Bore at the Equator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shiokawa, K.; Suzuki, S.; Otsuka, Y.; Ogawa, T.; Nakamura, T.; Mlynczak, M. G.; Russell, J. M., III

2005-01-01

We have made a comprehensive measurement of mesospheric bore phenomenon at the equator at Kototabang, Indonesia (0.2 deg S, 100.3 deg E), using an airglow imager, an airglow temperature photometer, a meteor radar, and the SABER instrument on board the TIMED satellite. The bore was detected in airglow images of both OH-band (peak emission altitude: 87 km) and 557.7-nm (96 km) emissions, as east-west front-like structure propagating northward with a velocity of 52-58 m/s. Wave trains with a horizontal wavelength of 30-70 km are observed behind the bore front. The airglow intensity decreases for all the mesospheric emissions of OI (557.7 nm), OH-band, O2-band (altitude: 94 km), and Na (589.3 nm) (90 km) after the bore passage. The rotational temperatures of both OH-band and O2-band also decrease approximately 10 K after the bore passage. An intense shear in northward wind velocity of 80m/s was observed at altitudes of 84-90 km by the meteor radar. Kinetic temperature profile at altitudes of 20-120 km was observed near Kototabang by TIMED/SABER. On the basis of these observations, we discuss generation and ducting of the observed mesospheric bore.

Variational theory of the tapered impedance transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Robert P.

2018-02-01

Superconducting amplifiers are key components of modern quantum information circuits. To minimize information loss and reduce oscillations, a tapered impedance transformer of new design is needed at the input/output for compliance with other 50 Ω components. We show that an optimal tapered transformer of length ℓ, joining the amplifier to the input line, can be constructed using a variational principle applied to the linearized Riccati equation describing the voltage reflection coefficient of the taper. For an incident signal of frequency ωo, the variational solution results in an infinite set of equivalent optimal transformers, each with the same form for the reflection coefficient, each able to eliminate input-line reflections. For the special case of optimal lossless transformers, the group velocity vg is shown to be constant, with characteristic impedance dependent on frequency ωc = πvg/ℓ. While these solutions inhibit input-line reflections only for frequency ωo, a subset of optimal lossless transformers with ωo significantly detuned from ωc does exhibit a wide bandpass. Specifically, by choosing ωo → 0 (ωo → ∞), we obtain a subset of optimal low-pass (high-pass) lossless tapers with bandwidth (0, ˜ ωc) [(˜ωc, ∞)]. From the subset of solutions, we derive both the wide-band low-pass and high-pass transformers, and we discuss the extent to which they can be realized given fabrication constraints. In particular, we demonstrate the superior reflection response of our high-pass transformer when compared to other taper designs. Our results have application to amplifiers, transceivers, and other components sensitive to impedance mismatch.

Does Surface Topography Play a Role in Taper Damage in Head-neck Modular Junctions?

PubMed

Pourzal, Robin; Hall, Deborah J; Ha, Nguyen Q; Urban, Robert M; Levine, Brett R; Jacobs, Joshua J; Lundberg, Hannah J

2016-10-01

There are increasing reports of total hip arthroplasty failure subsequent to modular taper junction corrosion. The surfaces of tapers are machined to have circumferential machining marks, resulting in a surface topography of alternating peaks and valleys on the scale of micrometers. It is unclear if the geometry of this machined surface topography influences the degree of fretting and corrosion damage present on modular taper junctions or if there are differences between modular taper junction material couples. (1) What are the differences in damage score and surface topography between CoCr/CoCr and CoCr/Ti modular junctions? (2) How are initial surface topography, flexural rigidity, taper angle mismatch, and time in situ related to visual taper damage scores for CoCr/CoCr couples? (3) How are initial surface topography, flexural rigidity, taper angle mismatch, and time in situ related to visual taper damage scores for CoCr/Ti couples? Damage on stem and head tapers was evaluated with a modified Goldberg score. Differences in damage scores were determined between a group of 140 CoCr/CoCr couples and 129 CoCr/Ti couples using a chi-square test. For a subgroup of 70 retrievals, selected at random, we measured five variables, including initial stem taper machining mark height and spacing, initial head taper roughness, flexural rigidity, and taper angle mismatch. All retrievals were obtained at revision surgeries. None were retrieved as a result of metal-on-metal failures or were recalled implants. Components were chosen so there was a comparable number of each material couple and damage score. Machining marks around the circumference of the tapers were measured using white light interferometry to characterize the initial stem taper surface topography in terms of the height of and spacing between machining mark peaks as well as initial head taper roughness. The taper angle mismatch was assessed with a coordinate measuring machine. Flexural rigidity was determined based

Tapered polysilicon core fibers for nonlinear photonics.

PubMed

Suhailin, Fariza H; Shen, Li; Healy, Noel; Xiao, Limin; Jones, Maxwell; Hawkins, Thomas; Ballato, John; Gibson, Ursula J; Peacock, Anna C

2016-04-01

We propose and demonstrate a novel approach to obtaining small-core polysilicon waveguides from the silicon fiber platform. The fibers were fabricated via a conventional drawing tower method and, subsequently, tapered down to achieve silicon core diameters of ∼1  μm, the smallest optical cores for this class of fiber to date. Characterization of the material properties have shown that the taper process helps to improve the local crystallinity of the silicon core, resulting in a significant reduction in the material loss. By exploiting the combination of small cores and low losses, these tapered fibers have enabled the first observation of nonlinear transmission within a polycrystalline silicon waveguide of any type. As the fiber drawing method is highly scalable, it opens a route for the development of low-cost and flexible nonlinear silicon photonic systems.

Nonlinear acoustic streaming in straight and tapered tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, Brian C.

In thermoacoustic and Stirling devices such as the pulse-tube refrigerator, efficiency is diminished by the formation of a second-order mean velocity known as Rayleigh streaming. This flow emerges from the interaction of the working gas with the wall of the tube in a thin boundary layer. Recent studies have suggested that streaming velocity can be decreased in a tube by tapering it slightly. This research investigates that claim through the development of a numerical model of Rayleigh streaming in variously tapered tubes. It is found that the numerical simulation of streaming in a straight tube compares well with theory, and the application of different thermal boundary conditions at the tube wall shows that for pressurized helium, inner streaming vortices which appear near an adiabatic tube wall do not develop near an isothermal wall. An order analysis indicates that the temperature dependence of viscosity and thermal conductivity contributes appreciably to an accurate numerical model of streaming. Comparison of Rayleigh streaming in tapered tubes shows the effects of taper angle on the circulation and velocity of the mean flow.

[Shaping ability of multi-taper nickel-titanium files in simulated resin curved root canal].

PubMed

Luo, Hong-Xia; Huang, Ding-Ming; Jia, Liu-He; Luo, Shi-Gao; Gao, Xiao-Jie; Tan, Hong; Zhou, Xue-Dong

2006-08-01

To compare the shaping ability of ISO standard stainless steel K files and multi-taper ProTaper nickel-titanium files in simulated resin curved root canals. METHODS Thirty simulated resin root canals were randomly divided into three groups and prepared by stainless steel K files, hand ProTaper, rotary ProTaper, respectively. The amount of material removed from inner and outer wall and canal width after canal preparation was measured, while the canal curvature before and after canal preparation and canals aberrations were recorded. The stainless steel K files removed more material than hand ProTaper and rotary ProTaper at the outer side of apex and inner side of curvature (P < 0.05). The mean degree of straightening in stainless steel K files group was significantly bigger than in ProTaper group (P < 0.05). The canals prepared by ProTaper had no evident aberration. The shaping ability of ProTaper is better than stainless steel K files.

The biomechanics of burrowing and boring.

PubMed

Dorgan, Kelly M

2015-01-15

Burrowers and borers are ecosystem engineers that alter their physical environments through bioturbation, bioirrigation and bioerosion. The mechanisms of moving through solid substrata by burrowing or boring depend on the mechanical properties of the medium and the size and morphology of the organism. For burrowing animals, mud differs mechanically from sand; in mud, sediment grains are suspended in an organic matrix that fails by fracture. Macrofauna extend burrows through this elastic mud by fracture. Sand is granular and non-cohesive, enabling grains to more easily move relative to each other, and macrofaunal burrowers use fluidization or plastic rearrangement of grains. In both sand and mud, peristaltic movements apply normal forces and reduce shear. Excavation and localized grain compaction are mechanisms that plastically deform sediments and are effective in both mud and sand, with bulk excavation being used by larger organisms and localized compaction by smaller organisms. Mechanical boring of hard substrata is an extreme form of excavation in which no compaction of burrow walls occurs and grains are abraded with rigid, hard structures. Chemical boring involves secretion to dissolve or soften generally carbonate substrata. Despite substantial differences in the mechanics of the media, similar burrowing behaviors are effective in mud and sand. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Simple Expressions for the Design of Linear Tapers in Overmoded Corrugated Waveguides

DOE PAGES

Schaub, S. C.; Shapiro, M. A.; Temkin, R. J.

2015-08-16

In this paper, simple analytical formulae are presented for the design of linear tapers with very low mode conversion loss in overmoded corrugated waveguides. For tapers from waveguide radius a2 to a1, with a11a 2/λ. Here, λ is the wavelength of radiation. The fractional loss of the HE 11 mode in an optimized taper is 0.0293(a 2-a 1) 4/amore » $$2\\atop{1}$$1a$$2\\atop{2}$$. These formulae are accurate when a2≲2a 1. Slightly more complex formulae, accurate for a 2≤4a 1, are also presented in this paper. The loss in an overmoded corrugated linear taper is less than 1 % when a 2≤2.12a 1 and less than 0.1 % when a 2≤1.53a 1. The present analytic results have been benchmarked against a rigorous mode matching code and have been found to be very accurate. The results for linear tapers are compared with the analogous expressions for parabolic tapers. Finally, parabolic tapers may provide lower loss, but linear tapers with moderate values of a 2/a 1 may be attractive because of their simplicity of fabrication.« less

Undular bore theory for the Gardner equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamchatnov, A. M.; Kuo, Y.-H.; Lin, T.-C.; Horng, T.-L.; Gou, S.-C.; Clift, R.; El, G. A.; Grimshaw, R. H. J.

2012-09-01

We develop modulation theory for undular bores (dispersive shock waves) in the framework of the Gardner, or extended Korteweg-de Vries (KdV), equation, which is a generic mathematical model for weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive wave propagation, when effects of higher order nonlinearity become important. Using a reduced version of the finite-gap integration method we derive the Gardner-Whitham modulation system in a Riemann invariant form and show that it can be mapped onto the well-known modulation system for the Korteweg-de Vries equation. The transformation between the two counterpart modulation systems is, however, not invertible. As a result, the study of the resolution of an initial discontinuity for the Gardner equation reveals a rich phenomenology of solutions which, along with the KdV-type simple undular bores, include nonlinear trigonometric bores, solibores, rarefaction waves, and composite solutions representing various combinations of the above structures. We construct full parametric maps of such solutions for both signs of the cubic nonlinear term in the Gardner equation. Our classification is supported by numerical simulations.

Quantitative evaluation of apically extruded debris during root canal instrumentation with ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, WaveOne, and self-adjusting file systems

PubMed Central

Ozsu, Damla; Karatas, Ertugrul; Arslan, Hakan; Topcu, Meltem C.

2014-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the amount of apically extruded debris during preparation with ProTaper Universal (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), ProTaper Next (Dentsply Maillefer), a reciprocating single-file (WaveOne; VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany), and a self-adjusting file (SAF; ReDent Nova, Ra’anna, Israel). Materials and Methods: Fifty-six intact mandibular premolar teeth were randomly assigned to four groups. The root canals were prepared according to the manufacturers’ instructions using the ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, WaveOne, and SAF. Apically extruded debris was collected in preweighted Eppendorf tubes during instrumentation. The net weight of the apically extruded debris was determined by subtracting the preweights and postweights of the tubes. The data were statistically analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference tests at a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: A measurable amount of debris was apically extruded in all groups, and the amounts of debris extrusion in the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The ProTaper Next and WaveOne groups resulted in less debris extrusion than the ProTaper Universal group (P < 0.05), and the SAF group resulted in the least debris extrusion. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that all systems extruded debris beyond the apical foramen. PMID:25512732

The effects of tapering on strength performance in trained athletes.

PubMed

Gibala, M J; MacDougall, J D; Sale, D G

1994-11-01

The optimum pre-competition taper procedure for "strength athletes" is not known. We examined voluntary strength and evoked contractile properties of the elbow flexors over a 10 day rest only (ROT) and a 10 day reduced volume taper (RVT) in 8 resistance trained males (23 +/- 2.1 years). Following 3 wks of standardized training of the elbow flexors, subjects were randomly assigned to one of the tapers. Upon completion, they resumed training for 3 wks and completed the other taper. No arm training was performed during the ROT, while high intensity, low volume training was done every second day during the RVT. Maximum isometric (MVC), low (0.52 rad.s-1; LV) and high velocity (3.14 rad.s-1; HV) concentric peak torque, and evoked isometric twitch contractile properties were measured before and after each training phase and every 48 h during each taper. ANOVA comparison of the tapers revealed that MVC increased (p < or = 0.05) over pre-taper values throughout the RVT (measurement days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10), as did LV at 2, 4, 6, and 8 d. MVC did not change over the ROT but LV was significantly higher on day 2 and lower on days 8 and 10. LV was also greater on days 4, 6, 8 and 10 during the RVT compared to the ROT. The evoked contractile properties remained largely unchanged. The data indicate that resistance-trained athletes can improve low velocity concentric strength for at least 8 days by greatly reducing training volume, but maintaining training intensity.

5 CFR 353.303 - Restoration rights of TAPER employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Restoration rights of TAPER employees... Restoration rights of TAPER employees. An employee serving in the competitive service under a temporary... she left or an equivalent one in the same commuting area. ...

Formulating entompathogens for control of boring beetles in avocado orchards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A foam formulation of Beauveria bassiana was adapted to control boring beetles in avocado orchards. The two geographically independent avocado growing areas in the United States are threatened by emerging diseases vectored by boring beetles. In the California growing region, Fusarium dieback is vect...

Narrowband spectral filter based on biconical tapered fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celaschi, Sergio; Malheiros-Silveira, Gilliard N.

2018-02-01

The ease of fabrication and compactness of devices based on tapered optical fibers contribute to its potential using in several applications ranging from telecommunication components to sensing devices. In this work, we proposed, fabricated, and characterized a spectral filter made of biconical taper from a coaxial optical fiber. This filter is defined by adiabatically tapering a depressed-cladding fiber. The adiabatic taper profile obtained during fabrication prevents the interference of other modes than HE11 and HE12 ones, which play the main role for the beating phenomenon and the filter response. The evolution of the fiber shapes during the pulling was modeled by two coupled partial differential equations, which relate the normalized cross-section area, and the axial velocity of the fiber elongation. These equations govern the mass and axial momentum conservation. The numerical results of the filter characteristics are in good accordance with the experimental ones. The filter was packaged in order to let it ready for using in optical communication bands. The characteristics are: free spectral range (FSR) of 6.19 nm, insertion loss bellow 0.5 dB, and isolation > 20 dB at C-band. Its transmission spectrum extends from 1200 to 1600 nm where the optical fiber core supports monomode transmission. Such characteristics may also be interesting to be applied in sensing applications. We show preliminary numerical results assuming a biconic taper embedded into a dielectric media, showing promising results for electro-optic sensing applications.

14 CFR 27.753 - Main float design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Main float design. 27.753 Section 27.753... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Design and Construction Floats and Hulls § 27.753 Main float design. (a) Bag floats. Each bag float must be designed to withstand— (1) The maximum pressure differential...

14 CFR 29.753 - Main float design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Main float design. 29.753 Section 29.753... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Design and Construction Floats and Hulls § 29.753 Main float design. (a) Bag floats. Each bag float must be designed to withstand— (1) The maximum pressure differential...

Multimode Brillouin spectrum in a long tapered birefringent photonic crystal fiber.

PubMed

Tchahame, Joël Cabrel; Beugnot, Jean-Charles; Kudlinski, Alexandre; Sylvestre, Thibaut

2015-09-15

We investigate the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in a long tapered birefringent solid-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and compare our results with a similar but untapered PCF. It is shown that the taper generates a broadband and multipeaked Brillouin spectrum, while significantly increasing the threshold power. Furthermore, we observe that the strong fiber birefringence gives rise to a frequency shift of the Brillouin spectrum which increases along the fiber. Numerical simulations are also presented to account for the taper effect and the birefringence. Our findings open a new means to control or inhibit the SBS by tapering photonic crystal fibers.

Float Zone Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naumann, R. J.

1980-01-01

A summary of the Analytical Float Zone Experiment System (AFZES) concept is presented. The types of experiments considered for such a facility are discussed. Reports from various industrial producers and users of float zone material are presented. Special emphasis is placed on state-of-the-art developments in low gravity manufacturing and their applications to space processing.

Asymptomatic Pseudotumors in Patients with Taper Corrosion of a Dual-Taper Modular Femoral Stem: MARS-MRI and Metal Ion Study.

PubMed

Kwon, Young-Min; Khormaee, Sariah; Liow, Ming Han Lincoln; Tsai, Tsung-Yuan; Freiberg, Andrew A; Rubash, Harry E

2016-10-19

Modularity in total hip arthroplasty facilitates intraoperative restoration of patient anatomy. Although dual-taper modular total hip arthroplasty offers potential advantages for optimizing the hip center of rotation, it has been associated with modular taper corrosion. This corrosion has led to adverse local tissue reactions (pseudotumors) at the neck-stem junction and elevated metal-ion levels. However, the occurrence of taper-corrosion-related pseudotumors in patients who remain asymptomatic following total hip arthroplasty with a dual-taper modular femoral stem remains largely unknown. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic pseudotumors by utilizing metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MARS-MRI) and (2) compare serum metal-ion levels between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with a dual-taper modular stem total hip replacement. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of 97 consecutive patients who had been treated with a dual-taper modular femoral stem total hip arthroplasty. Eighty-three patients were stratified into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups and evaluated with MARS-MRI, measurement of serum metal-ion levels, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) functional hip score. The prevalence of pseudotumors as determined with MARS-MRI was 15% in our asymptomatic patients and 36% in the overall cohort. The median serum cobalt level and cobalt/chromium ratio were significantly higher in patients with a pseudotumor than in those without a pseudotumor (8.0 versus 2.0 μg/L [p = 0.004] and 10.3 versus 2.4 μg/L [p = 0.012], respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the serum cobalt level or cobalt/chromium ratio between symptomatic patients with a pseudotumor and asymptomatic patients with a pseudotumor (7.6 versus 6.2 μg/L [p = 0.37] and 8.3 versus 10.6 μg/L [p = 0.46], respectively). The UCLA scores of asymptomatic patients with a pseudotumor were

Health Monitoring and Diagnosis of Solid Rocket Motors with Bore Cracks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

Bore Cracks 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Anhduong Q. Le, L. Z. Sun, and Timothy C. Miller 5d...element-based computational model is used to investigate the effects of bore cracking on the changes in stress distributions along the bondline of solid...between the crack depth and the sensor data to inversely estimate the size of bore cracks in the motor. It is shown that the proposed type of sensing

Acoustic vibration sensor based on nonadiabatic tapered fibers.

PubMed

Xu, Ben; Li, Yi; Sun, Miao; Zhang, Zhen-Wei; Dong, Xin-Yong; Zhang, Zai-Xuan; Jin, Shang-Zhong

2012-11-15

A simple and low-cost vibration sensor based on single-mode nonadiabatic fiber tapers is proposed and demonstrated. The environmental vibrations can be detected by demodulating the transmission loss of the nonadiabatic fiber taper. Theoretical simulations show that the transmission loss is related to the microbending of the fiber taper induced by vibrations. Unlike interferometric sensors, this vibration sensor does not need any feedback loop to control the quadrature point to obtain a stable performance. In addition, it has no requirement for the coherence of the light source and is insensitive to temperature changes. Experimental results show that this sensing system has a wide frequency response range from a few hertz to tens of kilohertz with the maximal signal to noise ratio up to 73 dB.

Polymer taper bridge for silicon waveguide to single mode waveguide coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Kevin; Middlebrook, Christopher T.

2016-03-01

Coupling of optical power from high-density silicon waveguides to silica optical fibers for signal routing can incur high losses and often requires complex end-face preparation/processing. Novel coupling device taper structures are proposed for low coupling loss between silicon photonic waveguides and single mode fibers are proposed and devices are fabricated and measured in terms of performance. Theoretical mode conversion models for waveguide tapers are derived for optimal device structure design and performance. Commercially viable vertical and multi-layer taper designs using polymer waveguide materials are proposed as innovative, cost-efficient, and mass-manufacturable optical coupling devices. The coupling efficiency for both designs is determined to evaluate optimal device dimensions and alignment tolerances with both silicon rib waveguides and silicon nanowire waveguides. Propagation loss as a function of waveguide roughness and metallic loss are determined and correlated to waveguide dimensions to obtain total insertion loss for the proposed taper designs. Multi-layer tapers on gold-sputtered substrates are fabricated through photolithography as proof-of-concept devices and evaluated for device loss optimization. Tapered waveguide coupling loss with Si WGs (2.74 dB) was experimentally measured with high correlation to theoretical results.

White light supercontinuum generation in a Y-shaped microstructured tapered fiber pumped at 1064 nm.

PubMed

Cascante-Vindas, J; Díez, A; Cruz, J L; Andrés, M V

2010-07-05

We report the generation of supercontinuum in a Ge-doped Y-shape tapered fiber pumped at 1064 nm in the ns pump regime. The taper was designed to have long taper transitions and a taper waist with a core diameter of 0.9 mum. The large air-filling fraction and diameter of the air-hole microstructure reduces the confinement loss at long wavelengths so, enabling the extension of the spectrum to longer wavelengths. Along the taper transition the zero-dispersion wavelength decreases as the diameter of the taper becomes smaller. The spectral components generated along the taper transition pump the taper waist, enhancing the generation of short wavelengths. A flat spectrum spanning from 420 nm to 1850 nm is reported.

Implementation of rectangular slit-inserted ultra-wideband tapered slot antenna.

PubMed

Kim, Sun-Woong; Choi, Dong-You

2016-01-01

In this paper, a tapered slot antenna capable of ultra-wideband communication was designed. In the proposed antenna, rectangular slits were inserted to enhance the bandwidth and reduce the area of the antenna. The rectangular slit-inserted tapered slot antenna operated at a bandwidth of 8.45 GHz, and the bandwidth improved upon the basic tapered slot antenna by 4.72 GHz. The radiation pattern of the antenna was suitable for location recognition in a certain direction owing to an appropriate 3 dB beam width. The antenna gain was analyzed within the proposed bandwidth, and the highest gain characteristic at 7.55 dBi was exhibited at a 5-GHz band. The simulation and measurement results of the proposed tapered slot antenna were similar.

Vertically-tapered optical waveguide and optical spot transformer formed therefrom

DOEpatents

Bakke, Thor; Sullivan, Charles T.

2004-07-27

An optical waveguide is disclosed in which a section of the waveguide core is vertically tapered during formation by spin coating by controlling the width of an underlying mesa structure. The optical waveguide can be formed from spin-coatable materials such as polymers, sol-gels and spin-on glasses. The vertically-tapered waveguide section can be used to provide a vertical expansion of an optical mode of light within the optical waveguide. A laterally-tapered section can be added adjacent to the vertically-tapered section to provide for a lateral expansion of the optical mode, thereby forming an optical spot-size transformer for efficient coupling of light between the optical waveguide and a single-mode optical fiber. Such a spot-size transformer can also be added to a III-V semiconductor device by post processing.

Development of an active boring bar for increased chatter immunity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redmond, J.; Barney, P.; Smith, D.

The development and initial evaluation of a prototype boring bar featuring active vibration control for increased chatter immunity is described. The significance of active damping both normal and tangential to the workpiece surface is evaluated, indicating the need for two axis control to ensure adequate performance over expected variations in tool mounting procedures. The prototype tool features a commercially available boring bar modified to accommodate four PZT stack actuators for two axis bending control. Measured closed-loop dynamics are combined with a computer model of the boring process to simulate increased metal removal rate and improved workpiece surface finish through activemore » control.« less

Tapered fiber optical tweezers for microscopic particle trapping: fabrication and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhihai; Guo, Chengkai; Yang, Jun; Yuan, Libo

2006-12-01

A novel single tapered fiber optical tweezers is proposed and fabricated by heating and drawing technology. The microscopic particle tapping performance of this special designed tapered fiber probe is demonstrated and investigated. The distribution of the optical field emerging from the tapered fiber tip is numerically calculated based on the beam propagation method. The trapping force FDTD analysis results, both axial and transverse, are also given.

Octave spanning supercontinuum in an As₂S₃ taper using ultralow pump pulse energy.

PubMed

Hudson, Darren D; Dekker, Stephen A; Mägi, Eric C; Judge, Alexander C; Jackson, Stuart D; Li, Enbang; Sanghera, J S; Shaw, L B; Aggarwal, I D; Eggleton, Benjamin J

2011-04-01

An octave spanning spectrum is generated in an As₂S₃ taper via 77 pJ pulses from an ultrafast fiber laser. Using a previously developed tapering method, we construct a 1.3 μm taper that has a zero-dispersion wavelength around 1.4 μm. The low two-photon absorption of sulfide-based chalcogenide fiber allows for higher input powers than previous efforts in selenium-based chalcogenide tapered fibers. This higher power handling capability combined with input pulse chirp compensation allows an octave spanning spectrum to be generated directly from the taper using the unamplified laser output.

Microdroplet-etched highly birefringent low-loss fiber tapers.

PubMed

Mikkelsen, Jared C; Poon, Joyce K S

2012-07-01

We use hydrofluoric acid microdroplets to directly etch highly birefringent biconical fiber tapers from standard single-mode fibers. The fiber tapers have micrometer-sized cross sections, which are controlled by the etching condition. The characteristic teardrop cross section leads to a high group birefringence of B(G)≈0.017 and insertion losses <0.7 dB over waist lengths of about 2.1 mm.

Study on boring hardened materials dryly by ultrasonic vibration cutter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiangzhong; Zhang, Heng; Zhang, Yue

2011-05-01

It has been one of the difficulties that high-precision hole on hardened materials is machined. The supersonic vibration boring acoustic system in the lathe in which supersonic wave energy is applied on tool is introduced to create pulse power on the cutting process. The separation vibration cutting is achieved by the pulse force. The comparative tests on boring accuracy and surface quality are carried. The quality of surface machined by this method is compared to that by grinding. This cutting is the green cutting. The boring process system is stability. Under the condition that the cutting speed is less than or equal to 1/3 the tool vibration speed, the cutting force is pulse force and the Cutting energy is of high concentration in time, space and direction. The pulse energy effects on the cutting unit in less than one ten-thousandth second. Traditional cutting of irregular movement elastic compression are eliminated. The cutting force is greatly reduced. The cutting temperature is at room temperature. The tool life is greatly increased. Shape precision and surface quality is greatly improved. The regulations of the ultrasonic vibration boring dry cutting of hardened material are also summarized. The test results show that the ultrasonic vibration cutting tool boring is of very superior cutting mechanism and is a high-precision deep-hole machining of hardened materials, efficient cutting methods.

Customer Overview of Pulsed Laser Heating for Evaluation of Gun Bore Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Technical Report ARWSB-TR-15003 Customer Overview of Pulsed Laser Heating for Evaluation of Gun Bore Materials Mark E. Todaro...SUBTITLE Customer Overview of Pulsed Laser Heating for Evaluation of Gun Bore Materials 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c...thermomechanical effects that occur at the bore of large and medium caliber guns during firing. Hence, PLH has been used not only to gain insight into the erosion

Note on performance of tapered grip tensile loading devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. H.; Brown, W. F., Jr.

1975-01-01

Alignment results are presented in terms of percent bending for a quick release, tapered grip, tensile loading device that has been proposed for testing sharply notched specimens of aluminum and magnesium alloys by a Task Group of the ASTM Committee E-24 on Fracture Testing of Metals. The results show that the bending introduced by the fixtures is strongly dependent on their relative rotational positions in respect to the loading rods which adapt them, to the tensile machine. For one set of tapered grips the highest bending was about 15%. Recommendations are made for improvement in the design of the tapered grips which should reduce the bending stresses substantially.

Tapered rib fiber coupler for semiconductor optical devices

DOEpatents

Vawter, Gregory A.; Smith, Robert Edward

2001-01-01

A monolithic tapered rib waveguide for transformation of the spot size of light between a semiconductor optical device and an optical fiber or from the fiber into the optical device. The tapered rib waveguide is integrated into the guiding rib atop a cutoff mesa type semiconductor device such as an expanded mode optical modulator or and expanded mode laser. The tapered rib acts to force the guided light down into the mesa structure of the semiconductor optical device instead of being bound to the interface between the bottom of the guiding rib and the top of the cutoff mesa. The single mode light leaving or entering the output face of the mesa structure then can couple to the optical fiber at coupling losses of 1.0 dB or less.

Stress intensity factor in a tapered specimen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xue-Hui, L.; Erdogan, F.

1985-01-01

The general problem of a tapered specimen containing an edge crack is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations. The equations are solved and the stress intensity factor is calculated for a compact and for a slender tapered specimen, the latter simulating the double cantilever beam. The results are obtained primarily for a pair of concentrated forces and for crack surface wedge forces. The stress intensity factors are also obtained for a long strip under uniform tension which contains inclined edge cracks.

Using a slightly tapered optical fiber to attract and transport microparticles.

PubMed

Sheu, Fang-Wen; Wu, Hong-Yu; Chen, Sy-Hann

2010-03-15

We exploit a fiber puller to transform a telecom single-mode optical fiber with a 125 microm diameter into a symmetric and unbroken slightly tapered optical fiber with a 50 microm diameter at the minimum waist. When the laser light is launched into the optical fiber, we can observe that, due to the evanescent wave of the slightly tapered fiber, the nearby polystyrene microparticles with 10 microm diameters will be attracted onto the fiber surface and roll separately in the direction of light propagation. We have also simulated and compared the optical propulsion effects on the microparticles when the laser light is launched into a slightly tapered fiber and a heavily tapered (subwavelength) fiber, respectively.

A Volume and Taper Prediction System for Bald Cypress

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol; James E. Hotvedt; Quang V. Cao

1987-01-01

A volume and taper prediction system based on d10 and consisting of a total volume equation, two volume ratio equations (one for diameter limits, the other for height limits), and a taper equation was developed for bald cypress using sample tree data collected in Louisiana. Normal diameter (dn), a subjective variable-...

Quality Designed Twin Wire Arc Spraying of Aluminum Bores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

König, Johannes; Lahres, Michael; Methner, Oliver

2015-01-01

After 125 years of development in combustion engines, the attractiveness of these powerplants still gains a great deal of attention. The efficiency of engines has been increased continuously through numerous innovations during the last years. Especially in the field of motor engineering, consequent friction optimization leads to cost-effective fuel consumption advantages and a CO2 reduction. This is the motivation and adjusting lever of NANOSLIDE® from Mercedes-Benz. The twin wire arc-spraying process of the aluminum bore creates a thin, iron-carbon-alloyed coating which is surface-finished through honing. Due to the continuous development in engines, the coating strategies must be adapted in parallel to achieve a quality-conformed coating result. The most important factors to this end are the controlled indemnification of a minimal coating thickness and a homogeneous coating deposition of the complete bore. A specific system enables the measuring and adjusting of the part and the central plunging of the coating torch into the bore to achieve a homogeneous coating thickness. Before and after measurement of the bore diameter enables conclusions about the coating thickness. A software tool specifically developed for coating deposition can transfer this information to a model that predicts the coating deposition as a function of the coating strategy.

Electrically floating, near vertical incidence, skywave antenna

DOEpatents

Anderson, Allen A.; Kaser, Timothy G.; Tremblay, Paul A.; Mays, Belva L.

2014-07-08

An Electrically Floating, Near Vertical Incidence, Skywave (NVIS) Antenna comprising an antenna element, a floating ground element, and a grounding element. At least part of said floating ground element is positioned between said antenna element and said grounding element. The antenna is separated from the floating ground element and the grounding element by one or more electrical insulators. The floating ground element is separated from said antenna and said grounding element by one or more electrical insulators.

6. VIEW OF BORING MILL. Chuck action of locomotive wheel ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

6. VIEW OF BORING MILL. Chuck action of locomotive wheel Wheel weight 1200 pounds, 3'-0' diameter. Table 53' in diameter Wheel is 48'. Largest hole that can be bored is 9-1/2' plus (GE axle is 10'). - Juniata Shops, Erecting Shop & Machine Shop, East of Fourth Avenue, between Fourth & Fifth Streets, Altoona, Blair County, PA

Scanning and Measuring Device for Diagnostic of Barrel Bore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marvan, Ales; Hajek, Josef; Vana, Jan; Dvorak, Radim; Drahansky, Martin; Jankovych, Robert; Skvarek, Jozef

The article discusses the design, mechanical design, electronics and software for robot diagnosis of barrels with caliber of 120 mm to 155 mm. This diagnostic device is intended primarily for experimental research and verification of appropriate methods and technologies for the diagnosis of the main bore guns. Article also discusses the design of sensors and software, the issue of data processing and image reconstruction obtained by scanning of the surface of the bore.

NULL Convention Floating Point Multiplier

PubMed Central

Ramachandran, Seshasayanan

2015-01-01

Floating point multiplication is a critical part in high dynamic range and computational intensive digital signal processing applications which require high precision and low power. This paper presents the design of an IEEE 754 single precision floating point multiplier using asynchronous NULL convention logic paradigm. Rounding has not been implemented to suit high precision applications. The novelty of the research is that it is the first ever NULL convention logic multiplier, designed to perform floating point multiplication. The proposed multiplier offers substantial decrease in power consumption when compared with its synchronous version. Performance attributes of the NULL convention logic floating point multiplier, obtained from Xilinx simulation and Cadence, are compared with its equivalent synchronous implementation. PMID:25879069

NULL convention floating point multiplier.

PubMed

Albert, Anitha Juliette; Ramachandran, Seshasayanan

2015-01-01

Floating point multiplication is a critical part in high dynamic range and computational intensive digital signal processing applications which require high precision and low power. This paper presents the design of an IEEE 754 single precision floating point multiplier using asynchronous NULL convention logic paradigm. Rounding has not been implemented to suit high precision applications. The novelty of the research is that it is the first ever NULL convention logic multiplier, designed to perform floating point multiplication. The proposed multiplier offers substantial decrease in power consumption when compared with its synchronous version. Performance attributes of the NULL convention logic floating point multiplier, obtained from Xilinx simulation and Cadence, are compared with its equivalent synchronous implementation.

Stabilized floating platforms

DOEpatents

Thomas, David G.

1976-01-01

The subject invention is directed to a floating platform for supporting nuclear reactors and the like at selected offshore sites. The platform is provided with a stabilizer mechanism which significantly reduces the effects of wave action upon the platform and which comprises a pair of relatively small floats attached by rigid booms to the platform at locations spaced therefrom for reducing wave pitch, acceleration, and the resonance period of the wave.

33 CFR 144.01-1 - Life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Life floats. 144.01-1 Section 144... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES LIFESAVING APPLIANCES Manned Platforms § 144.01-1 Life floats. Each manned platform shall be provided with at least two approved life floats. The life floats shall have sufficient...

33 CFR 144.01-1 - Life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Life floats. 144.01-1 Section 144... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES LIFESAVING APPLIANCES Manned Platforms § 144.01-1 Life floats. Each manned platform shall be provided with at least two approved life floats. The life floats shall have sufficient...

33 CFR 144.01-1 - Life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Life floats. 144.01-1 Section 144... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES LIFESAVING APPLIANCES Manned Platforms § 144.01-1 Life floats. Each manned platform shall be provided with at least two approved life floats. The life floats shall have sufficient...

33 CFR 144.01-1 - Life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Life floats. 144.01-1 Section 144... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES LIFESAVING APPLIANCES Manned Platforms § 144.01-1 Life floats. Each manned platform shall be provided with at least two approved life floats. The life floats shall have sufficient...

33 CFR 144.01-1 - Life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Life floats. 144.01-1 Section 144... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES LIFESAVING APPLIANCES Manned Platforms § 144.01-1 Life floats. Each manned platform shall be provided with at least two approved life floats. The life floats shall have sufficient...

14 CFR 23.753 - Main float design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Main float design. 23.753 Section 23.753... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Floats and Hulls § 23.753 Main float design. Each seaplane main float must meet the requirements of § 23.521. [Doc...

Reducing float coal dust

PubMed Central

Patts, J.R.; Colinet, J.F.; Janisko, S.J.; Barone, T.L.; Patts, L.D.

2016-01-01

Controlling float coal dust in underground coal mines before dispersal into the general airstream can reduce the risk of mine explosions while potentially achieving a more effective and efficient use of rock dust. A prototype flooded-bed scrubber was evaluated for float coal dust control in the return of a continuous miner section. The scrubber was installed inline between the face ventilation tubing and an exhausting auxiliary fan. Airborne and deposited dust mass measurements were collected over three days at set distances from the fan exhaust to assess changes in float coal dust levels in the return due to operation of the scrubber. Mass-based measurements were collected on a per-cut basis and normalized on the basis of per ton mined by the continuous miner. The results show that average float coal dust levels measured under baseline conditions were reduced by more than 90 percent when operating the scrubber. PMID:28018004

Chemical versus mechanical bioerosion of coral reefs by boring sponges--lessons from Pione cf. vastifica.

PubMed

Zundelevich, A; Lazar, B; Ilan, M

2007-01-01

Bioerosion by boring sponges is an important mechanism shaping the structure of coral reefs all around the world. To determine the excavation rate by boring sponges, we developed a system in which chemical and mechanical boring rates [calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) dissolution and chip production, respectively] were measured simultaneously in experimental tanks containing reefal rock inhabited by a boring sponge. Pione cf. vastifica (Hancock 1849) was chosen as a model species to study the erosion rate of boring sponges. It is an abundant species in the coral reefs of the Nature Reserve Reef, Elat, Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea, reaching maximum abundance at 25-30 m. The rate of chemical bioerosion was determined from the increase in tank-seawater alkalinity over time, and the mechanical bioerosion rate was estimated from the total amount of CaCO(3) chips produced over the same time interval. The measured bioerosion rate of P. cf. vastifica was 2.3 g m(-2) sponge day(-1), showing seasonal but not diurnal variations, suggesting that the zooxanthellae harboring the sponge have no effect on its boring rate. The experiments indicated clearly that per each mass of chips that P. cf. vastifica produces during its boring activity, it dissolves three masses of reef CaCO(3) framework. Assuming that some additional boring sponges can use a similar strategy of bioerosion, these findings suggest that chips, the most obvious erosion products of boring sponges, represent only a small fraction of boring sponge bioerosion capacity.

A system for comparison of boring parameters of mini-HDD machines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gunsaulis, F.R.

A system has been developed to accurately evaluate changes in performance of a mini-horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system in the backreaming/pullback portion of a bore as the parameters influencing the backream are changed. Parameters incorporated in the study include spindle rotation rate, rate of pull, fluid flow rate, and backreamer design. The boring system is able to run at variable, operator-determined rates of spindle rotation and pullback speed utilizing electronic feedback controls for regulation. Spindle torque and pullback force are continuously measured and recorded giving an indication of the performance of the unit. A method has also been developed tomore » measure the pull load on the installed service line to determine the effect of the boring parameters on the service line. Variability of soil along the bore path is measured and quantified using a soil sampling system developed for the study. Sample results obtained with the system are included in the report. 2 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Ultrasonic Measurements of Bore Temperature in Large Caliber Guns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuhas, Donald E.; Mutton, Mark J.; Remiasz, Jack R.; Vorres, Carol L.

2009-03-01

The Navy has a need to measure temperatures at critical areas on large caliber gun inner bore surfaces to insure appropriate action is taken in case of a misfire. Inappropriate actions could result in the loss of life and the disabling of a naval warship. In this report we describe the development of an ultrasonic-based sensor capable of non-intrusively measuring internal bore temperature. The results obtained during live fire field trials will be presented.

Have Floating Rates Been a Success?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higham, David

1983-01-01

Floating exchange rates have not lived up to all expectations, but neither have they performed as badly as some critics have suggested. Examined are the impact of floating rates on balance of payments adjustment, domestic economic policy, and inflation and the claim that floating rates have displayed excessive fluctuations. (Author/RM)

Propagation of atmospheric-pressure ionization waves along the tapered tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yang; Wang, Wenchun; Liu, Dongping; Yan, Wen; Bi, Zhenhua; Ji, Longfei; Niu, Jinhai; Zhao, Yao

2018-02-01

Gas discharge in a small radius dielectric tube may result in atmospheric pressure plasma jets with high energy and density of electrons. In this study, the atmospheric pressure ionization waves (IWs) were generated inside a tapered tube. The propagation behaviors of IWs inside the tube were studied by using a spatially and temporally resolved optical detection system. Our measurements show that both the intensity and velocity of the IWs decrease dramatically when they propagate to the tapered region. After the taper, the velocity, intensity, and electron density of the IWs are improved with the tube inner diameter decreasing from 4.0 to 0.5 mm. Our analysis indicates that the local gas conductivity and surface charges may play a role in the propagation of the IWs under such a geometrical constraint, and the difference in the dynamics of the IWs after the taper can be related to the restriction in the size of IWs.

On floats and float tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seewald, Friedrich

1931-01-01

The principal source of information on float resistance is the model test. In view of the insuperable difficulties opposing any attempt at theoretical treatment of the resistance problem, particularly at attitudes which tend toward satisfactory take-off, such as the transitory stage to planing, the towing test is and will remain the primary method for some time.

Opioid Tapering in Fibromyalgia Patients: Experience from an Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Program.

PubMed

Cunningham, Julie L; Evans, Michele M; King, Susan M; Gehin, Jessica M; Loukianova, Larissa L

2016-09-01

Despite current guideline recommendations against the use of opioids for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain, opioid use is reported in approximately 30% of the patient population. There is a lack of information describing the process and results of tapering of chronic opioids. The purpose of this study is to describe opioid tapering and withdrawal symptoms in fibromyalgia patients on opioids. This retrospective research study included a baseline analysis of 159 patients consecutively admitted to the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center from 2006 through 2012 with a pain diagnosis of fibromyalgia completing a 3-week outpatient interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program. Opioid tapering analysis included 55 (35%) patients using daily opioids. Opioid tapering was individualized to each patient based on interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation team determination. Opioid withdrawal symptoms were assessed daily, utilizing the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale. Patients taking daily opioids had a morphine equivalent mean dose of 99 mg/day. Patients on < 100 mg/day were tapered off over a mean of 10 days compared with patients on > 200 mg/day over a mean of 28 days (P < 0.001). Differences in peak withdrawal symptoms were not statistically significant based on the mean equivalent dose (P = 22). Patients taking opioids for <2 years did not differ in length of tapering (P =0.63) or peak COWS score (P =0.80) compared with >2 years duration. Patients had significant improvements in pain-related measures including numeric pain scores, depression catastrophizing, health perception, interference with life, and perceived life control at program completion. Fibromyalgia patients on higher doses of opioids were tapered off over a longer period of time but no differences in withdrawal symptoms were seen based on opioid dose. Duration of opioid use did not affect the time to complete opioid taper or withdrawal symptoms. Despite opioid tapering, pain-related measures

Tapered fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers for vibration and elasticity sensing applications.

PubMed

Chen, Nan-Kuang; Hsieh, Yu-Hsin; Lee, Yi-Kun

2013-05-06

We demonstrate the optical measurements of heart-beat pulse rate and also elasticity of a polymeric tube, using a tapered fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This device has two abrupt tapers in the Er/Yb codoped fiber and thus fractional amount of core mode is converted into cladding modes at the first abrupt taper. The core and cladding modes propagate through different optical paths and meet again at the second abrupt taper to produce interferences. The mechanical vibration signals generated by the blood vessels and by an inflated polymeric tube can perturb the optical paths of resonant modes to move around the resonant wavelengths. Thus, the cw laser signal is modulated to become pulses to reflect the heart-beat pulse rate and the elasticity of a polymeric tube, respectively.

Supercompensation Kinetics of Physical Qualities During a Taper in Team-Sport Athletes.

PubMed

Marrier, Bruno; Robineau, Julien; Piscione, Julien; Lacome, Mathieu; Peeters, Alexis; Hausswirth, Christophe; Morin, Jean-Benoît; Le Meur, Yann

2017-10-01

Peaking for major competition is considered critical for maximizing team-sport performance. However, there is little scientific information available to guide coaches in prescribing efficient tapering strategies for team-sport players. To monitor the changes in physical performance in elite team-sport players during a 3-wk taper after a preseason training camp. Ten male international rugby sevens players were tested before (Pre) and after (Post) a 4-wk preseason training camp focusing on high-intensity training and strength training with moderate loads and once each week during a subsequent 3-wk taper. During each testing session, midthigh-pull maximal strength, sprint-acceleration mechanical outputs, and performance, as well as repeated-sprint ability (RSA), were assessed. At Post, no single peak performance was observed for maximal lower-limb force output and sprint performance, while RSA peaked for only 1 athlete. During the taper, 30-m-sprint time decreased almost certainly (-3.1% ± 0.9%, large), while maximal lower-limb strength and RSA, respectively, improved very likely (+7.7% ± 5.3%, small) and almost certainly (+9.0% ± 2.6%, moderate). Of the peak performances, 70%, 80%, and 80% occurred within the first 2 wk of taper for RSA, maximal force output, and sprint performance, respectively. These results show the sensitivity of physical qualities to tapering in rugby sevens players and suggest that an ~1- to 2-wk tapering time frame appears optimal to maximize the overall physical-performance response.

Can tasks be inherently boring?

PubMed

Charney, Evan

2013-12-01

Kurzban et al. argue that the experiences of "effort," "boredom," and "fatigue" are indications that the costs of a task outweigh its benefits. Reducing the costs of tasks to "opportunity costs" has the effect of rendering tasks costless and of denying that they can be inherently boring or tedious, something that "vigilance tasks" were intentionally designed to be.

Comparison of the fracture resistance of dental implants with different abutment taper angles.

PubMed

Wang, Kun; Geng, Jianping; Jones, David; Xu, Wei

2016-06-01

To investigate the effects of abutment taper angles on the fracture strength of dental implants with TIS (taper integrated screwed-in) connection. Thirty prototype cylindrical titanium alloy 5.0mm-diameter dental implants with different TIS-connection designs were divided into six groups and tested for their fracture strength, using a universal testing machine. These groups consisted of combinations of 3.5 and 4.0 mm abutment diameter, each with taper angles of 6°, 8° or 10°. 3-Dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) was also used to analyze stress states at implant-abutment connection areas. In general, the mechanical tests found an increasing trend of implant fracture forces as the taper angle enlarged. When the abutment diameter was 3.5 mm, the mean fracture forces for 8° and 10° taper groups were 1638.9 N ± 20.3 and 1577.1 N ± 103.2, respectively, both larger than that for the 6° taper group of 1475.0 N ± 24.4, with the largest increasing rate of 11.1%. Furthermore, the difference between 8° and 6° taper groups was significant, based on Tamhane's multiple comparison test (P<0.05). In 4.0 mm-diameter abutment groups, as the taper angle was enlarged from 6° to 8° and 10°, the mean fracture value was increased from 1066.7 N ± 56.1 to 1241.4 N ± 6.4 and 1419.3 N ± 20.0, with the largest increasing rate of 33.1%, and the differences among the three groups were significant (P<0.05). The FEA results showed that stress values varied in implants with different abutment taper angles and supported the findings of the static tests. In conclusion, increases of the abutment taper angle could significantly increase implant fracture resistance in most cases established in the study, which is due to the increased implant wall thickness in the connection part resulting from the taper angle enlargement. The increasing effects were notable when a thin implant wall was present to accommodate wide abutments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effects of autoclave sterilization on the cyclic fatigue resistance of ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, and ProTaper Gold nickel-titanium instruments.

PubMed

Özyürek, Taha; Yılmaz, Koray; Uslu, Gülşah

2017-11-01

It was aimed to compare the cyclic fatigue resistances of ProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Next (PTN), and ProTaper Gold (PTG) and the effects of sterilization by autoclave on the cyclic fatigue life of nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments. Eighty PTU, 80 PTN, and 80 PTG were included to the present study. Files were tested in a simulated canal. Each brand of the NiTi files were divided into 4 subgroups: group 1, as received condition; group 2, pre-sterilized instruments exposed to 10 times sterilization by autoclave; group 3, instruments tested were sterilized after being exposed to 25%, 50%, and 75% of the mean cycles to failure, then cycled fatigue test was performed; group 4, instruments exposed to the same experiment with group 3 without sterilization. The number of cycles to failure (NCF) was calculated. The data was statistically analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests. PTG showed significantly higher NCF than PTU and PTN in group 1 ( p < 0.05). Sterilization significantly increased the NCF of PTN and PTG ( p < 0.05) in group 2. PTN in group 3 had significantly higher cyclic fatigue resistance than PTN group 4 ( p < 0.05). Also, significantly higher NCF was observed for PTG in group 2 than in groups 3 and 4 ( p < 0.05). PTG instrument made of new gold alloy was more resistant to fatigue failure than PTN and PTU. Autoclaving increased the cyclic fatigue resistances of PTN and PTG.

The effects of autoclave sterilization on the cyclic fatigue resistance of ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, and ProTaper Gold nickel-titanium instruments

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objectives It was aimed to compare the cyclic fatigue resistances of ProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Next (PTN), and ProTaper Gold (PTG) and the effects of sterilization by autoclave on the cyclic fatigue life of nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments. Materials and Methods Eighty PTU, 80 PTN, and 80 PTG were included to the present study. Files were tested in a simulated canal. Each brand of the NiTi files were divided into 4 subgroups: group 1, as received condition; group 2, pre-sterilized instruments exposed to 10 times sterilization by autoclave; group 3, instruments tested were sterilized after being exposed to 25%, 50%, and 75% of the mean cycles to failure, then cycled fatigue test was performed; group 4, instruments exposed to the same experiment with group 3 without sterilization. The number of cycles to failure (NCF) was calculated. The data was statistically analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests. Results PTG showed significantly higher NCF than PTU and PTN in group 1 (p < 0.05). Sterilization significantly increased the NCF of PTN and PTG (p < 0.05) in group 2. PTN in group 3 had significantly higher cyclic fatigue resistance than PTN group 4 (p < 0.05). Also, significantly higher NCF was observed for PTG in group 2 than in groups 3 and 4 (p < 0.05). Conclusions PTG instrument made of new gold alloy was more resistant to fatigue failure than PTN and PTU. Autoclaving increased the cyclic fatigue resistances of PTN and PTG. PMID:29142878

Quantification of the Contact Area at the Head-Stem Taper Interface of Modular Hip Prostheses

PubMed Central

Witt, Florian; Gührs, Julian; Morlock, Michael M.; Bishop, Nicholas E.

2015-01-01

Corrosion of modular taper junctions of hip implants may be associated with clinical failure. Taper design parameters, as well as the intraoperatively applied assembly forces, have been proposed to affect corrosion. Fretting corrosion is related to relative interface shear motion and fluid ingress, which may vary with contact force and area. It was hypothesised in this study that assembly forces modify the extent and distribution of the surface contact area at the taper interface between a cobalt chrome head and titanium stem taper with a standard threaded surface profile. Local abrasion of a thin gold coating applied to the stem taper prior to assembly was used to determine the contact area after disassembly. Profilometry was then used to assess permanent deformation of the stem taper surface profile. With increasing assembly force (500 N, 2000 N, 4000 N and 8000 N) the number of stem taper surface profile ridges in contact with the head taper was found to increase (9.2±9.3%, 65.4±10.8%, 92.8±6.0% and 100%) and the overall taper area in contact was also found to increase (0.6±0.7%, 5.5±1.0%, 9.9±1.1% and 16.1±0.9%). Contact was inconsistently distributed over the length of the taper. An increase in plastic radial deformation of the surface ridges (-0.05±0.14 μm, 0.1±0.14 μm, 0.21±0.22 μm and 0.96±0.25 μm) was also observed with increasing assembly force. The limited contact of the taper surface ridges at lower assembly forces may influence corrosion rates, suggesting that the magnitude of the assembly force may affect clinical outcome. The method presented provides a simple and practical assessment of the contact area at the taper interface. PMID:26280914

Quantification of the Contact Area at the Head-Stem Taper Interface of Modular Hip Prostheses.

PubMed

Witt, Florian; Gührs, Julian; Morlock, Michael M; Bishop, Nicholas E

2015-01-01

Corrosion of modular taper junctions of hip implants may be associated with clinical failure. Taper design parameters, as well as the intraoperatively applied assembly forces, have been proposed to affect corrosion. Fretting corrosion is related to relative interface shear motion and fluid ingress, which may vary with contact force and area. It was hypothesised in this study that assembly forces modify the extent and distribution of the surface contact area at the taper interface between a cobalt chrome head and titanium stem taper with a standard threaded surface profile. Local abrasion of a thin gold coating applied to the stem taper prior to assembly was used to determine the contact area after disassembly. Profilometry was then used to assess permanent deformation of the stem taper surface profile. With increasing assembly force (500 N, 2000 N, 4000 N and 8000 N) the number of stem taper surface profile ridges in contact with the head taper was found to increase (9.2±9.3%, 65.4±10.8%, 92.8±6.0% and 100%) and the overall taper area in contact was also found to increase (0.6±0.7%, 5.5±1.0%, 9.9±1.1% and 16.1±0.9%). Contact was inconsistently distributed over the length of the taper. An increase in plastic radial deformation of the surface ridges (-0.05±0.14 μm, 0.1±0.14 μm, 0.21±0.22 μm and 0.96±0.25 μm) was also observed with increasing assembly force. The limited contact of the taper surface ridges at lower assembly forces may influence corrosion rates, suggesting that the magnitude of the assembly force may affect clinical outcome. The method presented provides a simple and practical assessment of the contact area at the taper interface.

Tapered Roller Bearing Damage Detection Using Decision Fusion Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Kreider, Gary; Fichter, Thomas

2006-01-01

A diagnostic tool was developed for detecting fatigue damage of tapered roller bearings. Tapered roller bearings are used in helicopter transmissions and have potential for use in high bypass advanced gas turbine aircraft engines. A diagnostic tool was developed and evaluated experimentally by collecting oil debris data from failure progression tests conducted using health monitoring hardware. Failure progression tests were performed with tapered roller bearings under simulated engine load conditions. Tests were performed on one healthy bearing and three pre-damaged bearings. During each test, data from an on-line, in-line, inductance type oil debris sensor and three accelerometers were monitored and recorded for the occurrence of bearing failure. The bearing was removed and inspected periodically for damage progression throughout testing. Using data fusion techniques, two different monitoring technologies, oil debris analysis and vibration, were integrated into a health monitoring system for detecting bearing surface fatigue pitting damage. The data fusion diagnostic tool was evaluated during bearing failure progression tests under simulated engine load conditions. This integrated system showed improved detection of fatigue damage and health assessment of the tapered roller bearings as compared to using individual health monitoring technologies.

Mechanics of the tapered interference fit in dental implants.

PubMed

Bozkaya, Dinçer; Müftü, Sinan

2003-11-01

In evaluation of the long-term success of a dental implant, the reliability and the stability of the implant-abutment interface plays a great role. Tapered interference fits provide a reliable connection method between the abutment and the implant. In this work, the mechanics of the tapered interference fits were analyzed using a closed-form formula and the finite element (FE) method. An analytical solution, which is used to predict the contact pressure in a straight interference, was modified to predict the contact pressure in the tapered implant-abutment interface. Elastic-plastic FE analysis was used to simulate the implant and abutment material behavior. The validity and the applicability of the analytical solution were investigated by comparisons with the FE model for a range of problem parameters. It was shown that the analytical solution could be used to determine the pull-out force and loosening-torque with 5-10% error. Detailed analysis of the stress distribution due to tapered interference fit, in a commercially available, abutment-implant system was carried out. This analysis shows that plastic deformation in the implant limits the increase in the pull-out force that would have been otherwise predicted by higher interference values.

Effect of Instrumentation Techniques and Preparation Taper on Apical Extrusion of Bacteria.

PubMed

Aksel, Hacer; Küçükkaya Eren, Selen; Çakar, Aslı; Serper, Ahmet; Özkuyumcu, Cumhur; Azim, Adham A

2017-06-01

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different root canal instrumentation techniques and preparation tapers on the amount of apically extruded bacteria. The root canals of 98 extracted human mandibular incisors were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis suspension. After incubation at 37°C for 24 hours, the root canals were instrumented with K3 rotary files in a crown-down (CD) or full-length linear instrumentation technique (FL) by using 3 different root canal tapers (0.02, 0.04, and 0.06). During instrumentation, apically extruded bacteria were collected into vials containing saline solution. The microbiological samples were taken from the vials and incubated in brain-heart agar medium for 24 hours, and the numbers of colony-forming units (CFUs) were determined. The obtained results were analyzed with t test and one-way analysis of variance for the comparisons between the instrumentation techniques (CD and FL) and the preparation tapers (0.02, 0.04, and 0.06), respectively. Tukey honestly significant difference test was used for pairwise comparisons. The preparation taper had no effect on the number of CFUs when a FL instrumentation technique was used (P > .05). There was a statistically significant difference in the CFUs between FL and CD techniques when the preparation taper was 0.02 (P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference between the 0.04 and 0.06 preparation tapers in any of the instrumentation techniques (P > .05). Using a 0.02 taper in a CD manner results in the least amount of bacterial extrusion. The instrumentation technique did not seem to affect the amount of bacterial extrusion when 0.04 and 0.06 taper instruments were used for cleaning and shaping the root canal space. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Thread gauge for tapered threads

DOEpatents

Brewster, Albert L.

1994-01-11

The thread gauge permits the user to determine the pitch diameter of tapered threads at the intersection of the pitch cone and the end face of the object being measured. A pair of opposed anvils having lines of threads which match the configuration and taper of the threads on the part being measured are brought into meshing engagement with the threads on opposite sides of the part. The anvils are located linearly into their proper positions by stop fingers on the anvils that are brought into abutting engagement with the end face of the part. This places predetermined reference points of the pitch cone of the thread anvils in registration with corresponding points on the end face of the part being measured, resulting in an accurate determination of the pitch diameter at that location. The thread anvils can be arranged for measuring either internal or external threads.

Thread gauge for tapered threads

DOEpatents

Brewster, A.L.

1994-01-11

The thread gauge permits the user to determine the pitch diameter of tapered threads at the intersection of the pitch cone and the end face of the object being measured. A pair of opposed anvils having lines of threads which match the configuration and taper of the threads on the part being measured are brought into meshing engagement with the threads on opposite sides of the part. The anvils are located linearly into their proper positions by stop fingers on the anvils that are brought into abutting engagement with the end face of the part. This places predetermined reference points of the pitch cone of the thread anvils in registration with corresponding points on the end face of the part being measured, resulting in an accurate determination of the pitch diameter at that location. The thread anvils can be arranged for measuring either internal or external threads. 13 figures.

Optimised process for fabricating tapered long period gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullaney, K.; Staines, S. E.; James, S. W.; Tatam, R. P.

2017-04-01

The process of fabricating tapered long period gratings (TLPGs) using a CO2 laser is described. TLPGs with a period spacing of 378 μm, were fabricated by optimization of the taper waist diameter and careful control of the duty-cycle and its uniformity along the length of the grating. The 6-period TLPGs exhibited a pass-band insertion loss of 0.6 dB, resonance band extinction values of 3 dB and had a physical length of 2.27 mm.

Measuring the charge density of a tapered optical fiber using trapped microparticles.

PubMed

Kamitani, Kazuhiko; Muranaka, Takuya; Takashima, Hideaki; Fujiwara, Masazumi; Tanaka, Utako; Takeuchi, Shigeki; Urabe, Shinji

2016-03-07

We report the measurements of charge density of tapered optical fibers using charged particles confined in a linear Paul trap at ambient pressure. A tapered optical fiber is placed across the trap axis at a right angle, and polystyrene microparticles are trapped along the trap axis. The distance between the equilibrium position of a positively charged particle and the tapered fiber is used to estimate the amount of charge per unit length of the fiber without knowing the amount of charge of the trapped particle. The charge per unit length of a tapered fiber with a diameter of 1.6 μm was measured to be 2-1+3×10 -11 C/m.

Vertical boring mill capacity is increased

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, R. J.

1968-01-01

Commercially available vertical boring mill with a nominal capacity to 27 feet in diameter of workpiece has been modified in-shop to handle work up to 36 feet in diameter. Capacity was increased by adding extension saddles to the mill support columns on each side.

A Tree Taper Model Based on Similar Triangles and Use of Crown Ratio as a Measure of Form in Taper Equations for Longleaf Pine

Treesearch

Dennis J. Shaw; Ralph S. Meldahl; John S. Kush; Greg L. Somers

2003-01-01

We used data from 322 natural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) trees to include crown ratio as a continuous variable in taper equations. The data were divided into 10 crown-ratio classes and fitted taper equations into each class to detect trends in the coefficients. For application to longleaf pine, we replaced coefficients that exhibited a...

Misalignment tolerant efficient inverse taper coupler for silicon waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Peng; Michael, Aron; Kwok, Chee Yee; Chen, Ssu-Han

2015-12-01

This paper describes an efficient fiber to submicron silicon waveguide coupling based on an inversely tapered silicon waveguide embedded in a SiO2 waveguide that is suspended in air. The inverse taper waveguide consist of a 50um long and 240nm thick silicon that linearly taper in width from 500nm to 120nm, which is embedded in SiO2. The SiO2 waveguide is 6um wide and 10um long. The simulation results show that the coupling loss of this new approach is 2.7dB including the interface loss at the input and output. The tolerance to fiber misalignment at the input of the coupler is 2um in both horizontal and vertical directions for only 1.5dB additional loss.

A Stereomicroscopic Evaluation of Dentinal Cracks at Different Instrumentation Lengths by Using Different Rotary Files (ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, and HyFlex CM): An Ex Vivo Study

PubMed Central

Shankarappa, Pushpa; Misra, Abhinav; Sawhney, Asheesh; Sridevi, Nandamuri; Singh, Anu

2016-01-01

Introduction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the dentinal cracks after root canal preparation with rotary files: Gates Glidden, ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, and HyFlex CM at different instrumentation lengths. Methodology. Sixty-five mandibular premolars were mounted in the acrylic tube with simulated periodontal ligaments and the apex was exposed. The root canals were instrumented with different rotary files, namely, ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Next, and HyFlex CM, to the major apical foramen (AF), short AF, and beyond AF. The root apex was stained with 1% methylene blue dye and digital images of apical surface of every tooth were taken and development of dentinal defects was determined by using stereomicroscope. Multinomial logistic regression test was performed to identify influencing factors. Results. Instrumentation with rotary files terminated 2 mm short AF and did not cause any cracks. Significantly less cracks were seen when instrumentation with rotary files terminated 1 mm short apical foramen when compared with the instrumentation terminated at or beyond apical foramen (p < 0.05). Conclusion. ProTaper Universal rotary files caused more dentinal cracks than ProTaper Next and HyFlex CM. Instrumentation short AF reduced the risk of dentinal defects. PMID:27446636

Verification of floating-point software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoover, Doug N.

1990-01-01

Floating point computation presents a number of problems for formal verification. Should one treat the actual details of floating point operations, or accept them as imprecisely defined, or should one ignore round-off error altogether and behave as if floating point operations are perfectly accurate. There is the further problem that a numerical algorithm usually only approximately computes some mathematical function, and we often do not know just how good the approximation is, even in the absence of round-off error. ORA has developed a theory of asymptotic correctness which allows one to verify floating point software with a minimum entanglement in these problems. This theory and its implementation in the Ariel C verification system are described. The theory is illustrated using a simple program which finds a zero of a given function by bisection. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

46 CFR 148.04-13 - Ferrous metal borings, shavings, turnings, or cuttings (excluding stainless steel).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ferrous metal borings, shavings, turnings, or cuttings... Requirements for Certain Material § 148.04-13 Ferrous metal borings, shavings, turnings, or cuttings (excluding... described as ferrous metal borings, shavings, turnings, or cuttings on board vessels (excluding stainless...

Taper of wood poles

Treesearch

Billy Bohannan; Hermann Habermann; Joan E. Lengel

1974-01-01

Round wood pole use has changed without accompanying advancement in engineering design data. Previous pole design was based on the assumption that maximum stress occurred at the groundline but, with the larger poles that are now being used, maximum stress may occur along the pole length. For accurate engineering analysis the shape or taper of a pole must be known. Both...

Dwarf mistletoe does not increase trunk taper in released red firs in California

Treesearch

Robert F. Scharpf

1977-01-01

Dwarf mistletoe had no noticeable effect on trunk taper of young, dominant and codominant red firs 4 to 22 inches (10.2 to 55.9 cm) d.b.h. Also, taper was not influenced by live crown ratio of infected and uninfected trees. Trees less than 7 inches d.b.h. had significantly more taper than larger trees, irrespective of dwarf mistletoe.

DIFMOS - A floating-gate electrically erasable nonvolatile semiconductor memory technology. [Dual Injector Floating-gate MOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosney, W. M.

1977-01-01

Electrically alterable read-only memories (EAROM's) or reprogrammable read-only memories (RPROM's) can be fabricated using a single-level metal-gate p-channel MOS technology with all conventional processing steps. Given the acronym DIFMOS for dual-injector floating-gate MOS, this technology utilizes the floating-gate technique for nonvolatile storage of data. Avalanche injection of hot electrons through gate oxide from a special injector diode in each bit is used to charge the floating gates. A second injector structure included in each bit permits discharge of the floating gate by avalanche injection of holes through gate oxide. The overall design of the DIFMOS bit is dictated by the physical considerations required for each of the avalanche injector types. The end result is a circuit technology which can provide fully decoded bit-erasable EAROM-type circuits using conventional manufacturing techniques.

Empyema and effusion: outcome of image-guided small-bore catheter drainage.

PubMed

Keeling, A N; Leong, S; Logan, P M; Lee, M J

2008-01-01

Empyema and complicated pleural effusion represent common medical problems. Current treatment options are multiple. The purpose of this study was to access the outcome of image-guided, small-bore catheter drainage of empyema and effusion. We evaluated 93 small-bore catheters in 82 patients with pleural effusion (n = 30) or empyema (n = 52), over a 2-year period. Image guidance was with ultrasound (US; n = 56) and CT (n = 37). All patients were followed clinically, with catheter dwell times, catheter outcome, pleural fluid outcome, reinsertion rates, and need for urokinase or surgery recorded. Ninety-three small-bore chest drains (mean=10.2 Fr; range, 8.2-12.2 Fr) were inserted, with an average dwell time of 7.81 days for empyemas and 7.14 days for effusions (p > 0.05). Elective removal rates (73% empyema vs 86% effusions) and dislodgement rates (12% empyema vs 13% effusions) were similar for both groups. Eight percent of catheters became blocked and 17% necessitated reinsertion in empyemas, with no catheters blocked or requiring reinsertion in effusions (p < 0.05). Thirty-two patients (51%) required urokinase in the empyema group, versus 2 patients (6%) in the effusion group (p < 0.05). All treatment failures, requiring surgery, occurred in the empyema group (19%; n = 12; p < 0.05). In conclusion, noninfected pleural collections are adequately treated with small-bore catheters, however, empyemas have a failure rate of 19%. The threshold for using urokinase and larger-bore catheters should be low in empyema.

The Influence of Contamination and Cleaning on the Strength of Modular Head Taper Fixation in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Krull, Annika; Morlock, Michael M; Bishop, Nicholas E

2017-10-01

Intraoperative interface contamination of modular head-stem taper junctions of hip implants can lead to poor fixation strength, causing fretting and crevice corrosion or even stem taper fracture. Careful cleaning before assembly should help to reduce these problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cleaning (with and without drying) contaminated taper interfaces on the taper fixation strength. Metal or ceramic heads were impacted onto titanium alloy stem tapers with cleaned or contaminated (fat or saline solution) interfaces. The same procedure was performed after cleaning and drying the contaminated interfaces. Pull-off force was used to determine the influence of contamination and cleaning on the taper strength. Pull-off forces after contamination with fat were significantly lower than those for uncontaminated interfaces for both head materials. Pull-off forces after application of saline solution were not significantly different from those for uncontaminated tapers. However, a large variation in taper strength was observed, pull-off forces for cleaned and dried tapers were similar to those for uncontaminated tapers for both head materials. Intraoperative contamination of taper interfaces may be difficult to detect but has a major influence on taper fixation strength. Cleaning of the stem taper with saline solution and drying with gauze directly before assembly allows the taper strength of the pristine components to be achieved. Not drying the taper results in a large variation in pull-off forces, emphasizing that drying is essential for sufficient and reproducible fixation strength. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiological evaluation of the morphological changes of root canals shaped with ProTaper for hand use and the ProTaper and RaCe rotary instruments.

PubMed

Aguiar, Carlos M; Câmara, Andréa C

2008-12-01

This study evaluated, by means of the radiography examination, the occurrence of deviations in the apical third of root canals shaped with hand and rotary instruments. Sixty mandibular human molars were divided into three groups. The root canals in group 1 were instrumented with ProTaper (Dentsply/Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) for hand use, group 2 with ProTaper and group 3 with RaCe. The images obtained by double superimposition of the pre- and postoperative radiographs were evaluated by two endodontists with the aid of a magnifier-viewer and a fivefold magnifier. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton. The instrumentation using the ProTaper for hand use showed 25% of the canals with a deviation in the apical third, as did the ProTaper, while the corresponding figure for the RaCe (FKG Dentaire, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) was 20%, but these results were not statistically significant. There was no correlation between the occurrence of deviations in the apical third and the systems used.

The floating anchored craniotomy

PubMed Central

Gutman, Matthew J.; How, Elena; Withers, Teresa

2017-01-01

Background: The “floating anchored” craniotomy is a technique utilized at our tertiary neurosurgery institution in which a traditional decompressive craniectomy has been substituted for a floating craniotomy. The hypothesized advantages of this technique include adequate decompression, reduction in the intracranial pressure, obviating the need for a secondary cranioplasty, maintained bone protection, preventing the syndrome of the trephined, and a potential reduction in axonal stretching. Methods: The bone plate is re-attached via multiple loosely affixed vicryl sutures, enabling decompression, but then ensuring the bone returns to its anatomical position once cerebral edema has subsided. Results: From the analysis of 57 consecutive patients analyzed at our institution, we have found that the floating anchored craniotomy is comparable to decompressive craniectomy for intracranial pressure reduction and has some significant theoretical advantages. Conclusions: Despite the potential advantages of techniques that avoid the need for a second cranioplasty, they have not been widely adopted and have been omitted from trials examining the utility of decompressive surgery. This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data suggests that the floating anchored craniotomy may be applicable instead of decompressive craniectomy. PMID:28713633

High-brightness tapered laser diodes with photonic crystal structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yi; Du, Weichuan; Kun, Zhou; Gao, Songxin; Ma, Yi; Tang, Chun

2018-02-01

Beam quality of tapered laser diodes is limited by higher order lateral mode. On purpose of optimizing the brightness of tapered laser diodes, we developed a novel design of tapered diodes. This devices based on InGaAs/AlGaAs asymmetry epitaxial structure, containing higher order lateral mode filtering schemes especially photonic crystal structures, which fabricated cost effectively by using standard photolithography and dry etch processes. Meanwhile, the effects of photonic crystal structures on mode control are also investigated theoretically by FDBPM (Finite-Difference Beam Propagation Method) calculation. We achieved a CW optical output power of 6.9W at 940nm for a single emitter with 4 mm cavity length. A nearly diffraction limited beam of M2 ≍1.9 @ 0.5W has been demonstrated, and a highest brightness of β =75MW/(cm2 ·sr) was reached.

Supercontinuum generation from 437 to 2850 nm in a tapered fluorotellurite microstructured fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F.; Jia, Z. X.; Yao, C. F.; Wang, S. B.; Hu, M. L.; Wu, C. F.; Ohishi, Y.; Qin, W. P.; Qin, G. S.

2016-12-01

We demonstrated supercontinuum (SC) generation in a tapered fluorotellurite microstructured fiber (MF) with a sub-micrometer core diameter. Fluorotellurite MFs based on TeO2-BaF2-Y2O3 glasses were fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method and a tapered fluorotellurite MF with a minimum core diameter of ~0.65 µm was prepared by employing a tapering system. A 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser was used as the pumping source. With increasing the peak power of the launched pump laser to ~11 kW, SC light expanding from 437 to 2850 nm was generated in the tapered fluorotellurite MF. In addition, relatively strong blue-shifted dispersive wave at ~489 nm was also observed from the tapered fluorotellurite MF.

Suitability of Secondary PEEK Telescopic Crowns on Zirconia Primary Crowns: The Influence of Fabrication Method and Taper.

PubMed

Merk, Susanne; Wagner, Christina; Stock, Veronika; Eichberger, Marlis; Schmidlin, Patrick R; Roos, Malgorzata; Stawarczyk, Bogna

2016-11-08

This study investigates the retention load (RL) between ZrO₂ primary crowns and secondary polyetheretherketone (PEEK) crowns made by different fabrication methods with three different tapers. Standardized primary ZrO₂ crowns were fabricated with three different tapers: 0°, 1°, and 2° ( n = 10/group). Ten secondary crowns were fabricated (i) milled from breCam BioHPP blanks (PM); (ii) pressed from industrially fabricated PEEK pellets (PP) (BioHPP Pellet); or (iii) pressed from granular PEEK (PG) (BioHPP Granulat). One calibrated operator adjusted all crowns. In total, the RL of 90 secondary crowns were measured in pull-off tests at 50 mm/min, and each specimen was tested 20 times. Two- and one-way ANOVAs followed by a Scheffé's post-hoc test were used for data analysis ( p < 0.05). Within crowns with a 0° taper, the PP group showed significantly higher retention load values compared with the other groups. Among the 1° taper, the PM group presented significantly lower retention loads than the PP group. However, the pressing type had no impact on the results. Within the 2° taper, the fabrication method had no influence on the RL. Within the PM group, the 2° taper showed significantly higher retention load compared with the 1° taper. The taper with 0° was in the same range value as the 1° and 2° tapers. No impact of the taper on the retention value was observed between the PP groups. Within the PG groups, the 0° taper presented significantly lower RL than the 1° taper, whereas the 2° taper showed no differences. The fabrication method of the secondary PEEK crowns and taper angles showed no consistent effect within all tested groups.

Bone-boring worms: characterizing the morphology, rate, and method of bioerosion by Osedax mucofloris (Annelida, Siboglinidae).

PubMed

Higgs, Nicholas D; Glover, Adrian G; Dahlgren, Thomas G; Little, Crispin T S

2011-12-01

Osedax worms possess unique "root" tissues that they use to bore into bones on the seafloor, but details of the boring pattern and processes are poorly understood. Here we use X-ray micro-computed tomography to investigate the borings of Osedax mucofloris in bones of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), quantitatively detailing their morphological characteristics for the first time. Comparative thin-sections of the borings reveal how the bone is eroded at the sub-millimeter level. On the basis of these results we hypothesize a model of boring that is dependent on the density and microstructure of the bone. We also present evidence of acidic mucopolysaccharides in the mucus of the root tissue, and hypothesize that this plays an important role in the boring mechanism. We discuss the utility of these new data in evaluating Osedax trace fossils and their relevance for O. mucofloris ecology. Measured rates of bone erosion (6% per year) and evidence of enhanced sulfide release from the borings indicate that Osedax worms are important habitat modifiers in whale-fall communities.

[Evaluation of preparation of curved root canals using hand-used ProTaper].

PubMed

Nie, Min; Zhao, Xin-Chen; Peng, Bin; Fan, Ming-Wen; Bian, Zhuan

2009-05-01

To evaluate the shaping ability of hand-used ProTaper on curved canals using Endodontic Cube. Fifty-four curved root canals in vitro were selected and divided into three groups according to the curved degree (alpha), group A: 0 degrees < or = alpha < 25 degrees , group B: 25 degrees < or = alpha < 40 degrees , group C: 40 degrees < or = alpha < 55 degrees . Endodontic Cube was assembled, and each sample was sectioned perpendicular to the axis of the tooth into four sections with Isomer-Buhler in low speed. Then the root canals were prepared with hand-used ProTaper. Before and after shaping, photograph of all the sections were taken under a stereomicroscope. Statistical analyses were performed. The dentin cutting quantity of the whole canal prepared with ProTaper in group B and C was larger than that of group A. The deviation distance of the whole canal prepared by ProTaper in group C was significantly larger than that in group A, and the deviation distance in middle portion larger than that in group B. The maintaining ability in the middle portion of group C by ProTaper was worse than that of group A and B. The curvature of root canal may increase the cutting quantity of the -dentin and reduce the ability of remaining original canal shape prepared by ProTaper.

14 CFR 25.753 - Main float design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Main float design. 25.753 Section 25.753 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Design and Construction Floats and Hulls § 25.753 Main float design...

Tuning micropillar tapering for optimal friction performance of thermoplastic gecko-inspired adhesive.

PubMed

Kim, Yongkwan; Chung, Yunsie; Tsao, Angela; Maboudian, Roya

2014-05-14

We present a fabrication method and friction testing of a gecko-inspired thermoplastic micropillar array with control over the tapering angle of the pillar sidewall. A combination of deep reactive ion etching of vertical silicon pillars and subsequent maskless chemical etching produces templates with various widths and degrees of taper, which are then replicated with low-density polyethylene. As the silicon pillars on the template are chemically etched in a bath consisting of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid (HNA), the pillars are progressively thinned, then shortened. The replicated polyethylene pillar arrays exhibit a corresponding increase in friction as the stiffness is reduced with thinning and then a decrease in friction as the stiffness is again increased. The dilution of the HNA bath in water influences the tapering angle of the silicon pillars. The friction of the replicated pillars is maximized for the taper angle that maximizes the contact area at the tip which in turn is influenced by the stiffness of the tapered pillars. To provide insights on how changes in microscale geometry and contact behavior may affect friction of the pillar array, the pillars are imaged by scanning electron microscopy after friction testing, and the observed deformation behavior from shearing is related to the magnitude of the macroscale friction values. It is shown that the tapering angle critically changes the pillar compliance and the available contact area. Simple finite element modeling calculations are performed to support that the observed deformation is consistent with what is expected from a mechanical analysis. We conclude that friction can be maximized via proper pillar tapering with low stiffness that still maintains enough contact area to ensure high adhesion.

Discussion boards: boring no more!

PubMed

Adelman, Deborah S; Nogueras, Debra J

2013-01-01

Creating discussion boards (DBs) that capture student imaginations and contain meaningful interactions can be a difficult process. Traditional DBs use a question-and-answer format that often is boring for both the student and instructor. The authors present creative approaches to DBs that result in lively debates and student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions, including role playing, blogging, wikis, and the use of voice.

Temperature sensing through long period fiber gratings mechanically induced on tapered optical fibers.

PubMed

Pulido-Navarro, María Guadalupe; Escamilla-Ambrosio, Ponciano Jorge; Marrujo-García, Sigifredo; Álvarez-Chávez, José Alfredo; Martínez-Piñón, Fernando

2017-07-01

In this work the feasibility of employing two well-known techniques already used on designing optical fiber sensors is explored. The first technique employed involves monomode tapered fibers, which were fabricated using a taper machine designed, built, and implemented in our laboratory. This implementation greatly reduced the costs and fabrication time allowing us to produce the desired taper length and transmission conditions. The second technique used fiber Bragg gratings, which we decided to have mechanically induced and for that reason we devised and produced our own mechanical gratings with the help of a computer numerical control tool. This grating had to be fabricated with aluminum to withstand temperatures of up to 600°C. When light traveling through an optical fiber reaches a taper it couples into the cladding layer and comes back into the core when the taper ends. In the same manner, when the light encounters gratings in the fiber, it couples to the cladding modes, and when the gratings end, the light couples back into the core. For our experimentation, the tapering machine was programmed to fabricate single-mode tapers with 3 cm length, and the mechanically induced gratings characteristics were 5 cm length, and had a period of 500 μm and depth of the period of 300 μm. For the conducting tests, the tapered fiber is positioned in between two aluminum slabs, one grooved and the other plane. These two blocks accomplish the mechanically induced long period grating (LPG); the gratings on the grooved plaque are imprinted on the taper forming the period gratings. An optical spectrum analyzer is used to observe the changes on the transmission spectrum as the temperature varies from 20°C to 600°C. The resultant attenuation peak wavelength in the transmission spectrum shifts up to 8 nm, which is a higher shift compared to what has been reported using nontapered fibers. As the temperature increases there is no longer a shift, but there is significant power loss

Plasmonic structure: fiber grating formed by gold nanorods on a tapered fiber.

PubMed

Trevisanutto, J O; Linhananta, A; Das, G

2016-12-15

The authors demonstrated the fabrication of a fiber Bragg grating-like plasmonic nanostructure on the surface of a tapered optical fiber using gold nanorods (GNRs). A multimode optical fiber with core and cladding diameters of 105 and 125 μm, respectively, was used to make a tapered fiber using a dynamic etching process. The tip diameter was ∼100  nm. Light from a laser was coupled to the untapered end of the fiber, which produced a strong evanescent field around the tapered section of the fiber. The gradient force due to the evanescent field trapped the GNRs on the surface of the tapered fiber. The authors explored possible causes of the GNR distribution. The plasmonic structure will be a good candidate for sensing based on surface enhanced Raman scattering.

40 CFR 63.1063 - Floating roof requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the point of refloating the floating roof shall be continuous and shall be performed as soon as... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Floating roof requirements. 63.1063...) National Emission Standards for Storage Vessels (Tanks)-Control Level 2 § 63.1063 Floating roof...

Mechanics of the taper integrated screwed-in (TIS) abutments used in dental implants.

PubMed

Bozkaya, Dinçer; Müftü, Sinan

2005-01-01

The tapered implant-abutment interface is becoming more popular due to the mechanical reliability of retention it provides. Consequently, understanding the mechanical properties of the tapered interface with or without a screw at the bottom has been the subject of a considerable amount of studies involving experiments and finite element (FE) analysis. This paper focuses on the tapered implant-abutment interface with a screw integrated at the bottom of the abutment. The tightening and loosening torques are the main factors in determining the reliability and the stability of the attachment. Analytical formulas are developed to predict tightening and loosening torque values by combining the equations related to the tapered interface with screw mechanics equations. This enables the identification of the effects of the parameters such as friction, geometric properties of the screw, the taper angle, and the elastic properties of the materials on the mechanics of the system. In particular, a relation between the tightening torque and the screw pretension is identified. It was shown that the loosening torque is smaller than the tightening torque for typical values of the parameters. Most of the tightening load is carried by the tapered section of the abutment, and in certain combinations of the parameters the pretension in the screw may become zero. The calculations performed to determine the loosening torque as a percentage of tightening torque resulted in the range 85-137%, depending on the values of taper angle and the friction coefficient.

Analytic model for a weakly dissipative shallow-water undular bore.

PubMed

El, G A; Grimshaw, R H J; Kamchatnov, A M

2005-09-01

We use the integrable Kaup-Boussinesq shallow water system, modified by a small viscous term, to model the formation of an undular bore with a steady profile. The description is made in terms of the corresponding integrable Whitham system, also appropriately modified by viscosity. This is derived in Riemann variables using a modified finite-gap integration technique for the Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur (AKNS) scheme. The Whitham system is then reduced to a simple first-order differential equation which is integrated numerically to obtain an asymptotic profile of the undular bore, with the local oscillatory structure described by the periodic solution of the unperturbed Kaup-Boussinesq system. This solution of the Whitham equations is shown to be consistent with certain jump conditions following directly from conservation laws for the original system. A comparison is made with the recently studied dissipationless case for the same system, where the undular bore is unsteady.

Investigation of Tapered Roller Bearing Damage Detection Using Oil Debris Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Krieder, Gary; Fichter, Thomas

2006-01-01

A diagnostic tool was developed for detecting fatigue damage to tapered roller bearings. Tapered roller bearings are used in helicopter transmissions and have potential for use in high bypass advanced gas turbine aircraft engines. This diagnostic tool was developed and evaluated experimentally by collecting oil debris data from failure progression tests performed by The Timken Company in their Tapered Roller Bearing Health Monitoring Test Rig. Failure progression tests were performed under simulated engine load conditions. Tests were performed on one healthy bearing and three predamaged bearings. During each test, data from an on-line, in-line, inductance type oil debris sensor was monitored and recorded for the occurrence of debris generated during failure of the bearing. The bearing was removed periodically for inspection throughout the failure progression tests. Results indicate the accumulated oil debris mass is a good predictor of damage on tapered roller bearings. The use of a fuzzy logic model to enable an easily interpreted diagnostic metric was proposed and demonstrated.

Tapered optical fiber sensor based on localized surface plasmon resonance.

PubMed

Lin, Hsing-Ying; Huang, Chen-Han; Cheng, Gia-Ling; Chen, Nan-Kuang; Chui, Hsiang-Chen

2012-09-10

A tapered fiber localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensor is demonstrated for refractive index sensing and label-free biochemical detection. The sensing strategy relies on the interrogation of the transmission intensity change due to the evanescent field absorption of immobilized gold nanoparticles on the tapered fiber surface. The refractive index resolution based on the interrogation of transmission intensity change is calculated to be 3.2×10⁻⁵ RIU. The feasibility of DNP-functionalized tapered fiber LSPR sensor in monitoring anti-DNP antibody with different concentrations spiked in buffer is examined. Results suggest that the compact sensor can perform qualitative and quantitative biochemical detection in real-time and thus has potential to be used in biomolecular sensing applications.

Program Converts VAX Floating-Point Data To UNIX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alves, Marcos; Chapman, Bruce; Chu, Eugene

1996-01-01

VAX Floating Point to Host Floating Point Conversion (VAXFC) software converts non-ASCII files to unformatted floating-point representation of UNIX machine. This is done by reading bytes bit by bit, converting them to floating-point numbers, then writing results to another file. Useful when data files created by VAX computer must be used on other machines. Written in C language.

Combination nicotine replacement therapy: strategies for initiation and tapering.

PubMed

Hsia, Stephanie L; Myers, Mark G; Chen, Timothy C

2017-04-01

Several studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated the efficacy of combination nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for patients who wish to quit smoking. However, there is limited guidance with respect to initiation and tapering of combination NRT. We attempt to review the evidence and rationale behind combination NRT, present the dosing used in combination NRT studies, and propose a step-down approach for tapering of combination NRT with integration of behavioral strategies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Cyclic fatigue resistance of ProTaper Next nickel-titanium rotary files.

PubMed

Elnaghy, A M

2014-11-01

To compare the cyclic fatigue resistance of ProTaper Next files (PTN; Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) with Twisted Files (TF; SybronEndo, Orange, CA, USA), HyFlex CM (HF; ColténeEndo/Whaledent, Inc, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA) and ProTaper Universal (PT; Dentsply Maillefer). Size 25, .06 taper for PTN X2, TF, HF and PT F1 size 20, .07 taper were rotated in simulated canals until failure, and the number of cycles to failure (NCF) was recorded to evaluate their cyclic fatigue resistance. A scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the topographic features of the fracture surfaces of broken files. The data of the NCF and fragment length values were analysed statistically using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05. Twisted Files had a significantly higher resistance to cyclic fatigue than the other instruments (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in NCF between PTN and HF (P > 0.05); however, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) of both these systems with PT, which exhibited the lowest mean NCF. The ranking in the NCF values was: TF > PTN > HF > PT. The fracture cross-sections of all brands revealed similar fractographic features, including crack origins, fatigue zone and an overload fast fracture zone. The new ProTaper Next had greater resistance to cyclic fatigue compared with ProTaper and HyFlex CM but not the Twisted Files. © 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tunnel Boring Machine Performance Study. Final Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-06-01

Full face tunnel boring machine "TBM" performance during the excavation of 6 tunnels in sedimentary rock is considered in terms of utilization, penetration rates and cutter wear. The construction records are analyzed and the results are used to inves...

Tapered Optical Fiber Sensor for Label-Free Detection of Biomolecules

PubMed Central

Tian, Ye; Wang, Wenhui; Wu, Nan; Zou, Xiaotian; Wang, Xingwei

2011-01-01

This paper presents a fast, highly sensitive and low-cost tapered optical fiber biosensor that enables the label-free detection of biomolecules. The sensor takes advantage of the interference effect between the fiber’s first two propagation modes along the taper waist region. The biomolecules bonded on the taper surface were determined by demodulating the transmission spectrum phase shift. Because of the sharp spectrum fringe signals, as well as a relatively long biomolecule testing region, the sensor displayed a fast response and was highly sensitive. To better understand the influence of various biomolecules on the sensor, a numerical simulation that varied biolayer parameters such as thickness and refractive index was performed. The results showed that the spectrum fringe shift was obvious to be measured even when the biolayer was only nanometers thick. A microchannel chip was designed and fabricated for the protection of the sensor and biotesting. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques were used to precisely control the profile and depth of the microchannel on the silicon chip with an accuracy of 2 μm. A tapered optical fiber biosensor was fabricated and evaluated with an Immune globulin G (IgG) antibody-antigen pair. PMID:22163821

Finite-Difference Time-Domain Analysis of Tapered Photonic Crystal Fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, M. I. Md; Sanusidin, S. N.; Yusof, M. H. M.

2018-03-01

This paper brief about the simulation of tapered photonic crystal fiber (PCF) LMA-8 single-mode type based on correlation of scattering pattern at wavelength of 1.55 μm, analyzation of transmission spectrum at wavelength over the range of 1.0 until 2.5 μm and correlation of transmission spectrum with the refractive index change in photonic crystal holes with respect to taper size of 0.1 until 1.0 using Optiwave simulation software. The main objective is to simulate using Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) technique of tapered LMA-8 PCF and for sensing application by improving the capabilities of PCF without collapsing the crystal holes. The types of FDTD techniques used are scattering pattern and transverse transmission and principal component analysis (PCA) used as a mathematical tool to model the data obtained by MathCad software. The simulation results showed that there is no obvious correlation of scattering pattern at a wavelength of 1.55 μm, a correlation obtained between taper sizes with a transverse transmission and there is a parabolic relationship between the refractive index changes inside the crystal structure.

Tapered optical fiber sensor for label-free detection of biomolecules.

PubMed

Tian, Ye; Wang, Wenhui; Wu, Nan; Zou, Xiaotian; Wang, Xingwei

2011-01-01

This paper presents a fast, highly sensitive and low-cost tapered optical fiber biosensor that enables the label-free detection of biomolecules. The sensor takes advantage of the interference effect between the fiber's first two propagation modes along the taper waist region. The biomolecules bonded on the taper surface were determined by demodulating the transmission spectrum phase shift. Because of the sharp spectrum fringe signals, as well as a relatively long biomolecule testing region, the sensor displayed a fast response and was highly sensitive. To better understand the influence of various biomolecules on the sensor, a numerical simulation that varied biolayer parameters such as thickness and refractive index was performed. The results showed that the spectrum fringe shift was obvious to be measured even when the biolayer was only nanometers thick. A microchannel chip was designed and fabricated for the protection of the sensor and biotesting. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques were used to precisely control the profile and depth of the microchannel on the silicon chip with an accuracy of 2 μm. A tapered optical fiber biosensor was fabricated and evaluated with an Immune globulin G (IgG) antibody-antigen pair.

Stability of tapered and parallel-walled dental implants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Atieh, Momen A; Alsabeeha, Nabeel; Duncan, Warwick J

2018-05-15

Clinical trials have suggested that dental implants with a tapered configuration have improved stability at placement, allowing immediate placement and/or loading. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the implant stability of tapered dental implants compared to standard parallel-walled dental implants. Applying the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for in electronic databases and complemented by hand searching. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool and data were analyzed using statistical software. A total of 1199 studies were identified, of which, five trials were included with 336 dental implants in 303 participants. Overall meta-analysis showed that tapered dental implants had higher implant stability values than parallel-walled dental implants at insertion and 8 weeks but the difference was not statistically significant. Tapered dental implants had significantly less marginal bone loss compared to parallel-walled dental implants. No significant differences in implant failure rate were found between tapered and parallel-walled dental implants. There is limited evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of tapered dental implants in achieving greater implant stability compared to parallel-walled dental implants. Superior short-term results in maintaining peri-implant marginal bone with tapered dental implants are possible. Further properly designed RCTs are required to endorse the supposed advantages of tapered dental implants in immediate loading protocol and other complex clinical scenarios. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wood-boring beetles in homes

Treesearch

V.R. Lewis; S.J. Seybold

2010-01-01

Three groups of wood-boring beetles—powderpost, deathwatch, and false powderpost (Table 1)—invade and damage wood furniture as well as structural and decorative wood inside of buildings. The beetle larvae feed in and do most of the damage to wood, and when they reach the adult stage, they emerge through round exit holes, which they create by chewing through the wood...

Optical microscope and tapered fiber coupling apparatus for a dilution refrigerator.

PubMed

MacDonald, A J R; Popowich, G G; Hauer, B D; Kim, P H; Fredrick, A; Rojas, X; Doolin, P; Davis, J P

2015-01-01

We have developed a system for tapered fiber measurements of optomechanical resonators inside a dilution refrigerator, which is compatible with both on- and off-chip devices. Our apparatus features full three-dimensional control of the taper-resonator coupling conditions enabling critical coupling, with an overall fiber transmission efficiency of up to 70%. Notably, our design incorporates an optical microscope system consisting of a coherent bundle of 37,000 optical fibers for real-time imaging of the experiment at a resolution of ∼1 μm. We present cryogenic optical and optomechanical measurements of resonators coupled to tapered fibers at temperatures as low as 9 mK.

Temperature-independent refractometer based on a tapered photonic crystal fiber interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Kai; Chan, Chi Chiu; Dong, Xinyong; Poh, C. L.; Li, Tao

2013-03-01

A temperature-independent refractometer by using a tapered photonic crystal fiber (PCF) based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. It is fabricated by sandwiching a tapered PCF of 29 mm long between two standard single mode fibers (SMFs) with the fully collapsed air holes of the PCF in the fusion splicing region. It has been found that tapering the PCF greatly enhances the sensitivity of the refractometer. A maximum sensitivity of 1529 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) is achieved within the range from 1.3355 to 1.413. The refractometer is nearly temperature-insensitive due to the ultra low temperature dependence of the used.

Analysis on pile testing results of post-grouting bored pile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, A. R.

2017-04-01

Based on static load test results, the bearing capacity of bored piles with pile-toe and pile-shaft post-grouting has been analyzed. The analysis reveals that: with post-grouting, the interface between pile and surrounding soil are strengthened and the relative sliding displacement in between is reduced; end resistance of pile is enhanced and can be mobilized at earlier stage with smaller sliding displacement. As a result, the performance of bored pile is improved with increased bearing capacity and reduced settlement.

High-sensitivity refractive index sensors based on fused tapered photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xing-hu; Xie, Hai-yang; Yang, Chuan-qing; Qu, Yu-wei; Zhang, Shun-yang; Fu, Guang-wei; Guo, Xuan; Bi, Wei-hong

2016-05-01

In this paper, a novel liquid refractive index (RI) sensor based on fused tapered photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed. It is fabricated by fusing and tapering a section of PCF which is spliced with two single-mode fibers (SMFs). Due to the fused biconical taper method, the sensor becomes longer and thinner, to make the change of the outside RI has more direct effects on the internal optical field of the PCF, which finally enhances the sensitivity of this sensor. Experimental results show that the transmission spectra of the sensor are red-shifted obviously with the increase of RI. The longer the tapered region of the sensor, the higher the sensitivity is. This sensor has the advantages of simple structure, easy fabrication, high performance and so on, so it has potential applications in RI measurement.

Tapered holey fibers for spot-size and numerical-aperture conversion.

PubMed

Town, G E; Lizier, J T

2001-07-15

Adiabatically tapered holey fibers are shown to be potentially useful for guided-wave spot-size and numerical-aperture conversion. Conditions for adiabaticity and design guidelines are provided in terms of the effective-index model. We also present finite-difference time-domain calculations of downtapered holey fiber, showing that large spot-size conversion factors are obtainable with minimal loss by use of short, optimally shaped tapers.

Merging taper lengths for short duration lane closure : final report, December 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

The Utility Industry has requested that the Florida Department of Transportation provide for the use of merging taper lengths that are significantly shorter than the lengths computed using the taper length equations published in the MUTCD Section 6C....

Bent optical fiber tapers for refractometery and biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penchev, Emil; Eftimov, Tinko; Bock, Wojtek

2015-01-01

We report the results of our study of the spectral shifts caused by surrounding refractive index changes (SRI) in bent fibre tapers. Fused and etched fibre tapers were fabricated using a gas burner and HF acid. Spectral shifts as high as 200 nm have been observed for SRI variations from 1.33 to 1.44 and sensitivity as high as 830 nm/r.i.u. around water RI values. We present results for refractometric measurements of cow milk of varying fat content and compare results with those obtained with conventional Abbe refractometers and high sensitivity double resonance LPGs.

A Computer-Controlled Laser Bore Scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Charles C.

1980-08-01

This paper describes the design and engineering of a laser scanning system for production applications. The laser scanning techniques, the timing control, the logic design of the pattern recognition subsystem, the digital computer servo control for the loading and un-loading of parts, and the laser probe rotation and its synchronization will be discussed. The laser inspection machine is designed to automatically inspect the surface of precision-bored holes, such as those in automobile master cylinders, without contacting the machined surface. Although the controls are relatively sophisticated, operation of the laser inspection machine is simple. A laser light beam from a commercially available gas laser, directed through a probe, scans the entire surface of the bore. Reflected light, picked up through optics by photoelectric sensors, generates signals that are fed to a mini-computer for processing. A pattern recognition techniques program in the computer determines acceptance or rejection of the part being inspected. The system's acceptance specifications are adjustable and are set to the user's established tolerances. However, the computer-controlled laser system is capable of defining from 10 to 75 rms surface finish, and voids or flaws from 0.0005 to 0.020 inch. Following the successful demonstration with an engineering prototype, the described laser machine has proved its capability to consistently ensure high-quality master brake cylinders. It thus provides a safety improvement for the automotive braking system. Flawless, smooth cylinder bores eliminate premature wearing of the rubber seals, resulting in a longer-lasting master brake cylinder and a safer and more reliable automobile. The results obtained from use of this system, which has been in operation about a year for replacement of a tedious, manual operation on one of the high-volume lines at the Bendix Hydraulics Division, have been very satisfactory.

Development of a photogrammetric method of measuring tree taper outside bark

Treesearch

David R. Larsen

2006-01-01

A photogrammetric method is presented for measuring tree diameters outside bark using calibrated control ground-based digital photographs. The method was designed to rapidly collect tree taper information from subject trees for the development of tree taper equations. Software that is commercially available, but designed for a different purpose, can be readily adapted...

Modeling International Space Station (ISS) Floating Potentials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Dale C.; Gardner, Barbara

2002-01-01

The floating potential of the International Space Station (ISS) as a function of the electron current collection of its high voltage solar array panels is derived analytically. Based on Floating Potential Probe (FPP) measurements of the ISS potential and ambient plasma characteristics, it is shown that the ISS floating potential is a strong function of the electron temperature of the surrounding plasma. While the ISS floating potential has so far not attained the pre-flight predicted highly negative values, it is shown that for future mission builds, ISS must continue to provide two-fault tolerant arc-hazard protection for astronauts on EVA.

Experimental design rules for implementing biconically tapered single mode optical fibre displacement sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arregui, Francisco J.; Matias, Ignacio R.; Bariain, Candido; Lopez-Amo, Manuel

1998-06-01

Tapered optical fibers are used to design couplers, wavelength division multiplexers, near field scanning optical microscopy, just to mention a few. Moreover, and due to its strong transmission dependence to external medium the tapered fiber may also be used to sense distinct parameters such as temperature, humidity, PH, etc. In this work bending effects in tapers are exploited to achieved displacement sensors and to present design rules for implementing these sensors according to the desired both range and sensitivity.

National Trade can Drive Range Expansion of Bark- and Wood-Boring Beetles

Treesearch

Davide Rassati; Robert A Haack; Miloš Knížek; Massimo Faccoli

2017-01-01

Several native species of bark- and wood-boring beetles (Coleoptera) have expanded their range within their native biogeographic regions in the last years, but the role of human activity in driving this phenomenon has been underinvestigated. Here we analyze 3 yr of trapping records of native bark- and wood-boring beetles (Cerambycidae and Scolytinae) collected at 12...

Taper models for commercial tree species in the northeastern United States

Treesearch

James A. Westfall; Charles T. Scott

2010-01-01

A new taper model was developed based on the switching taper model of Valentine and Gregoire; the most substantial changes were reformulation to incorporate estimated join points and modification of a switching function. Random-effects parameters were included that account for within-tree correlations and allow for customized calibration to each individual tree. The...

Does It Sink or Float?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Judith Richards

2012-01-01

This activity is designed to teach prekindergarten to second grade students about the concept of sink or float through an inquiry activity. Students will use familiar objects to predict and test the properties of sink and float. Background information is offered to teachers to assist them with this activity. This lesson begins with an engaging…

14 CFR 29.757 - Hull and auxiliary float strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hull and auxiliary float strength. 29.757... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Design and Construction Floats and Hulls § 29.757 Hull and auxiliary float strength. The hull, and auxiliary floats if used, must withstand the...

Spectrum online-tunable Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on step-like tapers and its refractive index sensing characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yong; Chen, Mao-qing; Xia, Feng; Hu, Hai-feng

2017-11-01

A novel refractive index (RI) sensor based on an asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with two different step-like tapers is proposed. The step-like taper is fabricated by fusion splicing two half tapers with an appropriate offset. By further applying offset and discharging to the last fabricated step-like taper of MZI, influence of taper parameters on interference spectrum is investigated using only one device. This simple technique provides an on-line method to sweep parameters of step-like tapers and speeds up the optimization process of interference spectrum, meanwhile. In RI sensing experiment, the sensor has a high sensitivity of -185.79 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) in the RI range of 1.3333-1.3673.

Ultraviolet, visible, and infrared laser delivery using laser-to-fiber coupling via a grazing-incidence-based hollow taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilev, Ilko K.; Waynant, Ronald W.

2001-01-01

We present a novel all-optical-waveguide method for ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and infrared (IR) laser delivery including a lens-free method of laser-to-fiber coupling using a simple uncoated glass hollow taper. Based on the grazing incidence effect, the hollow taper provides a way of direct launching, without any intermediate focusing elements, high power laser radiation into delivery fibers. Because of the mutual action of the nearly parallel laser excitation, the mode coupling process, and mode filtering effect, the hollow taper serves as a mode converter that transforms the highly multimode profile of the input laser emission into a high-quality Gaussian-shaped profile at the taper output. When the grazing incidence effect of the taper is applied to laser delivery, the maintenance of high reflectance coefficients in a wide spectral region allows to utilize the same uncoated hollow taper for laser radiation in the UV, VIS and IR ranges. Applying the experimental hollow-taper based delivery systems, we obtain high laser- to-taper and taper-to-fiber coupling efficiencies.

An evaluation of .06 tapered gutta-percha cones for filling of .06 taper prepared curved root canals.

PubMed

Gordon, M P J; Love, R M; Chandler, N P

2005-02-01

To compare the area occupied by gutta-percha, sealer, or void in standardized .06 tapered prepared simulated curved canals and in mesio-buccal canals of extracted maxillary first molars filled with a single .06 gutta-percha point and sealer or lateral condensation of multiple .02 gutta-percha points and sealer. Simulated canals in resin blocks with either a 30 degrees curve and radius of 10.5 mm (n = 20) or a 58 degrees curve and 4.7 mm radius (n = 20) and curved mesio-buccal canals of extracted maxillary first molars (n = 20) were prepared using .06 ProFiles in a variable tip crown-down sequence to an apical size 35 at 0.5 mm from the canal terminus or apical foramen. Ten 30 degrees and 58 degrees curved resin canals and 10 canals in the extracted teeth group were obturated with .02 taper gutta-percha cones and AH 26 sealer using lateral condensation. The time required to obturate was recorded. The remaining canals were obturated with a single .06 taper gutta-percha cone and AH 26 sealer. Excess gutta-percha was removed from the specimens using heat and the warm mass vertically condensed. Horizontal sections were cut at 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 4.5, 7.5 and 11.5 mm from the canal terminus or apical foramen. Colour photographs were taken using an Olympus 35 mm camera attached to a stereomicroscope set at x40 magnification, and then digitized using a flatbed scanner. The cross-sectional area of the canal contents was analysed using Adobe PhotoShop. The percentage of gutta-percha, sealer or voids to the total root canal area were derived and data analysed using unpaired Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. In the 30 degrees curved canals the levels had between 94 and 100% of the area filled with gutta-percha with no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the lateral condensation and single cone techniques. In the 58 degrees curved canals the levels had 92-99% of the area filled with gutta-percha, with the single cone technique having significantly (P < 0.05) more

Morse taper dental implants and platform switching: The new paradigm in oral implantology

PubMed Central

Macedo, José Paulo; Pereira, Jorge; Vahey, Brendan R.; Henriques, Bruno; Benfatti, Cesar A. M.; Magini, Ricardo S.; López-López, José; Souza, Júlio C. M.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to conduct a literature review on the potential benefits with the use of Morse taper dental implant connections associated with small diameter platform switching abutments. A Medline bibliographical search (from 1961 to 2014) was carried out. The following search items were explored: “Bone loss and platform switching,” “bone loss and implant-abutment joint,” “bone resorption and platform switching,” “bone resorption and implant-abutment joint,” “Morse taper and platform switching.” “Morse taper and implant-abutment joint,” Morse taper and bone resorption,” “crestal bone remodeling and implant-abutment joint,” “crestal bone remodeling and platform switching.” The selection criteria used for the article were: meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; prospective cohort studies; as well as reviews written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish languages. Within the 287 studies identified, 81 relevant and recent studies were selected. Results indicated a reduced occurrence of peri-implantitis and bone loss at the abutment/implant level associated with Morse taper implants and a reduced-diameter platform switching abutment. Extrapolation of data from previous studies indicates that Morse taper connections associated with platform switching have shown less inflammation and possible bone loss with the peri-implant soft tissues. However, more long-term studies are needed to confirm these trends. PMID:27011755

Simple, Flexible, Trigonometric Taper Equations

Treesearch

Charles E. Thomas; Bernard R. Parresol

1991-01-01

There have been numerous approaches to modeling stem form in recent decades. The majority have concentrated on the simpler coniferous bole form and have become increasingly complex mathematical expressions. Use of trigonometric equations provides a simple expression of taper that is flexible enough to fit both coniferous and hard-wood bole forms. As an illustration, we...

Taper tables for western hemlock.

Treesearch

Floyd A. Johnson; Wilbur Engstrom

1949-01-01

In 1947 the West Coast Forestry procedures Committee recommended several mensuration projects, one of which called for the construction of taper tables for Western hemlock. In response the present tables were prepared. Basic data for these tables consist of measurements of 912 trees taken a number of years ago by members of the Pacific Northwest Forest & Range...

Melioidosis from Contaminated Bore Water and Successful UV Sterilization

PubMed Central

McRobb, Evan; Kaestli, Mirjam; Mayo, Mark; Price, Erin P.; Sarovich, Derek S.; Godoy, Daniel; Spratt, Brian G.; Currie, Bart J.

2013-01-01

Two cases of melioidosis at a residence in rural northern Australia were linked to the unchlorinated domestic bore (automated well) water supply, which was found to have a high concentration of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Using multilocus sequence typing, clinical B. pseudomallei isolates from both cases were identical to an isolate from the bore water supply. A simple UV sterilizer reduced B. pseudomallei from the domestic water supply to undetectable levels. We have shown that UV treatment is highly effective for remediation of water contaminated with B. pseudomallei and recommend its consideration in households where individuals may be at heightened risk of contracting melioidosis. PMID:23751401

Grinding tool for making hemispherical bores in hard materials

DOEpatents

Duran, E.L.

1985-04-03

A grinding tool for forming hemispherical bores in hard materials such as boron carbide. The tool comprises a hemicircular grinding bit, formed of a metal bond diamond matrix, which is mounted transversely on one end of a tubular tool shaft. The bit includes a spherically curved outer edge surface which is the active grinding surface of the tool. Two coolant fluid ports on opposite sides of the bit enable introduction of coolant fluid through the bore of the tool shaft so as to be emitted adjacent the opposite sides of the grinding bit, thereby providing optimum cooling of both the workpiece and the bit.

STIR-Physics: Cold Atoms and Nanocrystals in Tapered Nanofiber and High-Q Resonator Potentials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-02

STIR- Physics : Cold Atoms and Nanocrystals in Tapered Nanofiber and High-Q Resonator Potentials We worked on a tapered fiber in cold atomic cloud...reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals: Final Report: STIR- Physics : Cold Atoms and Nanocrystals in Tapered Nanofiber...other than abstracts): Number of Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other than abstracts): Books Number of Manuscripts: 0.00Number of

Fusion splice between tapered inhibited coupling hypocycloid-core Kagome fiber and SMF.

PubMed

Zheng, Ximeng; Debord, Benoît; Vincetti, Luca; Beaudou, Benoît; Gérôme, Frédéric; Benabid, Fetah

2016-06-27

We report for the first time on tapering inhibited coupling (IC) hypocycloid-core shape Kagome hollow-core photonic crystal fibers whilst maintaining their delicate core-contour negative curvature with a down-ratio as large as 2.4. The transmission loss of down-tapered sections reaches a figure as low as 0.07 dB at 1550 nm. The tapered IC fibers are also spliced to standard SMF with a total insertion loss of 0.48 dB. These results show that all-fiber photonic microcells with the ultra-low loss hypocycloid core-contour Kagome fibers is now possible.

Strain energy release rate analysis of delamination in a tapered laminate subjected to tension load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salpekar, S. A.; Raju, I. S.; Obrien, T. K.

1990-01-01

A tapered composite laminate subjected to tension load was analyzed using the finite-element method. The glass/epoxy laminate has a (+ or - 45)sub 3 group of plies dropped in three distinct steps, each 20 ply-thicknesses apart, thus forming a taper angle of 5.71 degrees. Steep gradients of interlaminar normal and shear stress on a potential delamination interface suggest the existence of stress singularities at the points of material and geometric discontinuities created by the internal plydrops. The delamination was assumed to initiate at the thin end of the taper on a -45/+45 interface and the delamination growth was simulated in both directions, i.e., along the taper and into the thin region. The strain-energy-release rate for a delamination growing into the thin laminate consisted predominantly of mode I (opening) component. For a delamination growing along the tapered region, the strain-energy-release rate was initially all mode I, but the proportion of mode I decreased with increase in delamination size until eventually total G was all mode II. The total G for both delamination tips increased with increase in delamination size, indicating that a delamination initiating at the end of the taper will grow unstably along the taper and into the thin laminate simultaneously.

The effect of component junction tapering on miniature cryocooler performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, Ted; Pathak, Mihir G.; Ghiaasiaan, S. Mostafa; Kirkconnell, Carl

2012-06-01

Due to their relatively smaller volume and available cooling power, miniature cryocoolers are likely to be more sensitive to hydrodynamic losses than their full scale counterparts. Abrupt changes in diameter between cryocooler components are a possible source of such losses as flow separation and recirculation may occur at these points. Underutilization of regions of the regenerator and heat exchanger porous matrices may also occur due to jetting of fluid into these components. Eliminating such abrupt diameter changes by tapering transitions between cryocooler components may therefore improve system performance. The effects of various tapers applied at component interfaces on the performance of miniature pulse tube cryocoolers were investigated using system-level CFD models. A miniature scale pulse tube cryocooler design whose suitability for cryocooling under ideal conditions has been theoretically demonstrated was used as the basis for these models. Transitions between different combinations of open and porous regions were considered; tapers or chamfers were applied to these component junctions and the performance predictions for the resulting systems were compared to those for a model with sharp component transitions. Visualizations of the predicted flow patterns were also used to determine the effects of the applied tapers on the flow within the pulse tube.

Stools - floating

MedlinePlus

... diagnosis. Alternative Names Floating stools Images Lower digestive anatomy References Schiller LR, Sellin JH. Diarrhea. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease . 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016: ...

Floating point arithmetic in future supercomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, David H.; Barton, John T.; Simon, Horst D.; Fouts, Martin J.

1989-01-01

Considerations in the floating-point design of a supercomputer are discussed. Particular attention is given to word size, hardware support for extended precision, format, and accuracy characteristics. These issues are discussed from the perspective of the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Systems Division at NASA Ames. The features believed to be most important for a future supercomputer floating-point design include: (1) a 64-bit IEEE floating-point format with 11 exponent bits, 52 mantissa bits, and one sign bit and (2) hardware support for reasonably fast double-precision arithmetic.

Sensitive Leptospira DNA detection using tapered optical fiber sensor.

PubMed

Zainuddin, Nurul H; Chee, Hui Y; Ahmad, Muhammad Z; Mahdi, Mohd A; Abu Bakar, Muhammad H; Yaacob, Mohd H

2018-03-23

This paper presents the development of tapered optical fiber sensor to detect a specific Leptospira bacteria DNA. The bacteria causes Leptospirosis, a deadly disease but with common early flu-like symptoms. Optical single mode fiber (SMF) of 125 μm diameter is tapered to produce 12 μm waist diameter and 15 cm length. The novel DNA-based optical fiber sensor is functionalized by incubating the tapered region with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde. Probe DNA is immobilized onto the tapered region and subsequently hybridized by its complementary DNA (cDNA). The transmission spectra of the DNA-based optical fiber sensor are measured in the 1500 to 1600 nm wavelength range. It is discovered that the shift of the wavelength in the SMF sensor is linearly proportional with the increase in the cDNA concentrations from 0.1 to 1.0 nM. The sensitivity of the sensor toward DNA is measured to be 1.2862 nm/nM and able to detect as low as 0.1 fM. The sensor indicates high specificity when only minimal shift is detected for non-cDNA testing. The developed sensor is able to distinguish between actual DNA of Leptospira serovars (Canicola and Copenhageni) against Clostridium difficile (control sample) at very low (femtomolar) target concentrations. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Float processing of high-temperature complex silicate glasses and float baths used for same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Reid Franklin (Inventor); Cook, Glen Bennett (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A float glass process for production of high melting temperature glasses utilizes a binary metal alloy bath having the combined properties of a low melting point, low reactivity with oxygen, low vapor pressure, and minimal reactivity with the silicate glasses being formed. The metal alloy of the float medium is exothermic with a solvent metal that does not readily form an oxide. The vapor pressure of both components in the alloy is low enough to prevent deleterious vapor deposition, and there is minimal chemical and interdiffusive interaction of either component with silicate glasses under the float processing conditions. Alloys having the desired combination of properties include compositions in which gold, silver or copper is the solvent metal and silicon, germanium or tin is the solute, preferably in eutectic or near-eutectic compositions.

WindWaveFloat (WWF): Final Scientific Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alla Weinstein; Roddier, Dominique; Banister, Kevin

2012-03-30

Principle Power Inc. and National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) have completed a contract to assess the technical and economic feasibility of integrating wave energy converters into the WindFloat, resulting in a new concept called the WindWaveFloat (WWF). The concentration of several devices on one platform could offer a potential for both economic and operational advantages. Wind and wave energy converters can share the electrical cable and power transfer equipment to transport the electricity to shore. Access to multiple generation devices could be simplified, resulting in cost saving at the operational level. Overall capital costs may also be reduced, provided thatmore » the design of the foundation can be adapted to multiple devices with minimum modifications. Finally, the WindWaveFloat confers the ability to increase energy production from individual floating support structures, potentially leading to a reduction in levelized energy costs, an increase in the overall capacity factor, and greater stability of the electrical power delivered to the grid. The research conducted under this grant investigated the integration of several wave energy device types into the WindFloat platform. Several of the resulting system designs demonstrated technical feasibility, but the size and design constraints of the wave energy converters (technical and economic) make the WindWaveFloat concept economically unfeasible at this time. Not enough additional generation could be produced to make the additional expense associated with wave energy conversion integration into the WindFloat worthwhile.« less

Effect of ripple taper on band-gap overlap in a coaxial Bragg structure operating at terahertz frequency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding Xueyong; Li Hongfan; Lv Zhensu

Based on the mode-coupling method, numerical analysis is presented to demonstrate the influence of ripple taper on band-gap overlap in a coaxial Bragg structure operating at terahertz frequency. Results show that the interval between the band-gaps of the competing mode and the desired working mode is narrowed by use of positive-taper ripples, but is expanded if negative-taper ripples are employed, and the influence of the negative-taper ripples is obviously more advantageous than the positive-taper ripples; the band-gap overlap of modes can be efficiently separated by use of negative-taper ripples. The residual side-lobes of the frequency response in a coaxial Braggmore » structure with ripple taper also can be effectively suppressed by employing the windowing-function technique. These peculiarities provide potential advantage in constructing a coaxial Bragg cavity with high quality factor for single higher-order-mode operation of a high-power free-electron maser in the terahertz frequency range.« less

Endodontic shaping performance using nickel-titanium hand and motor ProTaper systems by novice dental students.

PubMed

Tu, Ming-Gene; Chen, San-Yue; Huang, Heng-Li; Tsai, Chi-Cheng

2008-05-01

Preparing a continuous tapering conical shape and maintaining the original shape of a canal are obligatory in root canal preparation. The purpose of this study was to compare the shaping performance in simulated curved canal resin blocks of the same novice dental students using hand-prepared and engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary ProTaper instruments in an endodontic laboratory class. Twenty-three fourth-year dental students attending China Medical University Dental School prepared 46 simulated curved canals in resin blocks with two types of NiTi rotary systems: hand and motor ProTaper files. Composite images were prepared for estimation. Material removed, canal width and canal deviation were measured at five levels in the apical 4 mm of the simulated curved canals using AutoCAD 2004 software. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. The hand ProTaper group cut significantly wider than the motor rotary ProTaper group in the outer wall, except for the apical 0 mm point. The total canal width was cut significantly larger in the hand group than in the motor group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in centering canal shape, except at the 3 mm level. These findings show that the novice students prepared the simulated curved canal that deviated more outwardly from apical 1 mm to 4 mm using the hand ProTaper. The ability to maintain the original curvature was better in the motor rotary ProTaper group than in the hand ProTaper group. Undergraduate students, if following the preparation sequence carefully, could successfully perform canal shaping by motor ProTaper files and achieve better root canal geometry than by using hand ProTaper files within the same teaching and practicing sessions.

Fabrication and characterization of tapered graphite/epoxy box beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, S.-C.; Gopal, P.; Dharani, L. R.

1993-04-01

Graphite/epoxy (T300/934) prepreg is used to fabricate tapered box beams with a taper angle of 2 deg between the top and bottom walls. The prepreg is cured on a segmented steel core using a hot-press. A screw arrangement is used to apply curing pressure in the horizontal direction, while the platens of the hot-press apply pressure in the vertical direction. The inplane bending stiffness of the beam is determined by 3-point bend test and is found to be in agreement with theory.

40 CFR 65.44 - External floating roof (EFR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... external floating roof except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents does... floating roof shall meet the following specifications: (i) Except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents, each opening in the noncontact external floating roof shall provide a...

40 CFR 65.44 - External floating roof (EFR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... external floating roof except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents does... floating roof shall meet the following specifications: (i) Except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents, each opening in the noncontact external floating roof shall provide a...

40 CFR 65.44 - External floating roof (EFR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... external floating roof except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents does... floating roof shall meet the following specifications: (i) Except for automatic bleeder vents (vacuum breaker vents) and rim space vents, each opening in the noncontact external floating roof shall provide a...

Floating plant dominance as a stable state

PubMed Central

Scheffer, Marten; Szabó, Sándor; Gragnani, Alessandra; van Nes, Egbert H.; Rinaldi, Sergio; Kautsky, Nils; Norberg, Jon; Roijackers, Rudi M. M.; Franken, Rob J. M.

2003-01-01

Invasion by mats of free-floating plants is among the most important threats to the functioning and biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems ranging from temperate ponds and ditches to tropical lakes. Dark, anoxic conditions under thick floating-plant cover leave little opportunity for animal or plant life, and they can have large negative impacts on fisheries and navigation in tropical lakes. Here, we demonstrate that floating-plant dominance can be a self-stabilizing ecosystem state, which may explain its notorious persistence in many situations. Our results, based on experiments, field data, and models, represent evidence for alternative domains of attraction in ecosystems. An implication of our findings is that nutrient enrichment reduces the resilience of freshwater systems against a shift to floating-plant dominance. On the other hand, our results also suggest that a single drastic harvest of floating plants can induce a permanent shift to an alternative state dominated by rooted, submerged growth forms. PMID:12634429

Chirped self-similar optical pulses in tapered centrosymmetric nonlinear waveguides doped with resonant impurities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, J. R.; Xu, S. L.; Xue, L.

2017-11-01

Exact chirped self-similar optical pulses propagating in tapered centrosymmetric nonlinear waveguides doped with resonant impurities are reported. The propagation behaviors of the pulses are studied by tailoring of the tapering function. Numerical simulations and stability analysis reveal that the tapering can be used to postpone the wave dispersion and the addition of a small cubic self-focusing term to the governing equation could stabilize the chirped bright pulses. An example of possible experimental protocol that may generate the pulses in realistic waveguides is given. The obtained chirped self-similar optical pulses are particularly useful in the design of amplifying or attenuating pulse compressors for chirped solitary waves in tapered centrosymmetric nonlinear waveguides doped with resonant impurities.

Maneuvering impact boring head

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zollinger, W.T.; Reutzel, E.W.

An impact boring head may comprise a main body having an internal cavity with a front end and a rear end. A striker having a head end and a tail end is slidably mounted in the internal cavity of the main body so that the striker can be reciprocated between a forward position and an aft position in response to hydraulic pressure. A compressible gas contained in the internal cavity between the head end of the striker and the front end of the internal cavity returns the striker to the aft position upon removal of the hydraulic pressure. 8 figs.

Maneuvering impact boring head

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.; Reutzel, E.W.

1998-08-18

An impact boring head may comprise a main body having an internal cavity with a front end and a rear end. A striker having a head end and a tail end is slidably mounted in the internal cavity of the main body so that the striker can be reciprocated between a forward position and an aft position in response to hydraulic pressure. A compressible gas contained in the internal cavity between the head end of the striker and the front end of the internal cavity returns the striker to the aft position upon removal of the hydraulic pressure. 8 figs.

Maneuvering impact boring head

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W. Thor; Reutzel, Edward W.

1998-01-01

An impact boring head may comprise a main body having an internal cavity with a front end and a rear end. A striker having a head end and a tail end is slidably mounted in the internal cavity of the main body so that the striker can be reciprocated between a forward position and an aft position in response to hydraulic pressure. A compressible gas contained in the internal cavity between the head end of the striker and the front end of the internal cavity returns the striker to the aft position upon removal of the hydraulic pressure.

Methods and apparatus of suppressing tube waves within a bore hole and seismic surveying systems incorporating same

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.; Haefner, Daryl

2004-08-17

Methods and apparatus for attenuating waves in a bore hole, and seismic surveying systems incorporating the same. In one embodiment, an attenuating device includes a soft compliant bladder coupled to a pressurized gas source. A pressure regulating system reduces the pressure of the gas from the gas source prior to entering the bladder and operates in conjunction with the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in a bore hole to maintain the pressure of the bladder at a specified pressure relative to the surrounding bore hole pressure. Once the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid exceeds that of the gas source, bore hole fluid may be admitted into a vessel of the gas source to further compress and displace the gas contained therein. In another embodiment, a water-reactive material may be used to provide gas to the bladder wherein the amount of gas generated by the water-reactive material may depend on the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid.

Methods and apparatus of suppressing tube waves within a bore hole and seismic surveying systems incorporating same

DOEpatents

West, Phillip B.; Haefner, Daryl

2005-12-13

Methods and apparatus for attenuating waves in a bore hole, and seismic surveying systems incorporating the same. In one embodiment, an attenuating device includes a soft compliant bladder coupled to a pressurized gas source. A pressure regulating system reduces the pressure of the gas from the gas source prior to entering the bladder and operates in conjunction with the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in a bore hole to maintain the pressure of the bladder at a specified pressure relative to the surrounding bore hole pressure. Once the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid exceeds that of the gas source, bore hole fluid may be admitted into a vessel of the gas source to further compress and displace the gas contained therein. In another embodiment, a water-reactive material may be used to provide gas to the bladder wherein the amount of gas generated by the water-reactive material may depend on the hydrostatic pressure of the bore hole fluid.

Quasi-phase-matched χ(3 )-parametric interactions in sinusoidally tapered waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Mohammed F.

2018-01-01

In this article, I show how periodically tapered waveguides can be employed as efficient quasi-phase-matching schemes for four-wave mixing parametric processes in third-order nonlinear materials. As an example, a thorough study of enhancing third-harmonic generation in sinusoidally tapered fibers has been conducted. The quasi-phase-matching condition has been obtained for nonlinear parametric interactions in these structures using Fourier-series analysis. The dependencies of the conversion efficiency of the third harmonic on the modulation amplitude, tapering period, longitudinal-propagation direction, and pump wavelength have been studied. In comparison to uniform waveguides, the conversion efficiency has been enhanced by orders of magnitudes. I envisage that this work will have a great impact in the field of guided nonlinear optics using centrosymmetric materials.

Radiation Losses Due to Tapering of a Double-Core Optical Waveguide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, Donald R.; Khet, Myat; Pencil, Eric (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The theoretical model we designed parameterizes the power losses as a function of .the profile shape for a tapered, single mode, optical dielectric coupler. The focus of this project is to produce a working model that determines the power losses experienced by the fibers when light crosses a taper region. This phenomenon can be examined using coupled mode theory. The optical directional coupler consists of a parallel, dual-channel, waveguide with minimal spacing between the channels to permit energy exchange. Thus, power transfer is essentially a function of the taper profile. To find the fields in the fibers, the approach used was that of solving the Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates involving Bessel and modified Bessel functions depending on the location.

40 CFR 65.44 - External floating roof (EFR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... design requirements. The owner or operator who elects to control storage vessel regulated material emissions by using an external floating roof shall comply with the design requirements listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) of this section. (1) The external floating roof shall be designed to float on the...

40 CFR 65.44 - External floating roof (EFR).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... design requirements. The owner or operator who elects to control storage vessel regulated material emissions by using an external floating roof shall comply with the design requirements listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) of this section. (1) The external floating roof shall be designed to float on the...

Orthogonal feeding techniques for tapered slot antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Richard Q.; Simons, Rainee N.

1998-01-01

For array of "brick" configuration there are electrical and mechanical advantages to feed the antenna with a feed on a substrate perpendicular to the antenna substrate. Different techniques have been proposed for exciting patch antennas using such a feed structure.Rncently, an aperture-coupled dielectric resonator antenna using a perpendicular feed substrate has been demonstrated to have very good power coupling efficiency. For a two-dimensional rectangular array with tapered slot antenna elements, a power combining network on perpendicular substrate is generally required to couple power to or from the array. In this paper, we will describe two aperture-coupled techniques for coupling microwave power from a linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) to a microstrip feed on a perpendicular substrate. In addition, we will present measured results for return losses and radiation patterns.

Multimode interference tapered fiber refractive index sensors.

PubMed

Biazoli, Claudecir R; Silva, Susana; Franco, Marcos A R; Frazão, Orlando; Cordeiro, Cristiano M B

2012-08-20

Real-time monitoring of the fabrication process of tapering down a multimode-interference-based fiber structure is presented. The device is composed of a pure silica multimode fiber (MMF) with an initial 125 μm diameter spliced between two single-mode fibers. The process allows a thin MMF with adjustable parameters to obtain a high signal transmittance, arising from constructive interference among the guided modes at the output end of the MMF. Tapered structures with waist diameters as low as 55 μm were easily fabricated without the limitation of fragile splices or difficulty in controlling lateral fiber alignments. The sensing device is shown to be sensitive to the external environment, and a maximum sensitivity of 2946 nm/refractive index unit in the refractive index range of 1.42-1.43 was attained.

Floating assembly of diatom Coscinodiscus sp. microshells.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Pan, Junfeng; Cai, Jun; Zhang, Deyuan

2012-03-30

Diatoms have silica frustules with transparent and delicate micro/nano scale structures, two dimensional pore arrays, and large surface areas. Although, the diatom cells of Coscinodiscus sp. live underwater, we found that their valves can float on water and assemble together. Experiments show that the convex shape and the 40 nm sieve pores of the valves allow them to float on water, and that the buoyancy and the micro-range attractive forces cause the valves to assemble together at the highest point of water. As measured by AFM calibrated glass needles fixed in manipulator, the buoyancy force on a single floating valve may reach up to 10 μN in water. Turning the valves over, enlarging the sieve pores, reducing the surface tension of water, or vacuum pumping may cause the floating valves to sink. After the water has evaporated, the floating valves remained in their assembled state and formed a monolayer film. The bonded diatom monolayer may be valuable in studies on diatom based optical devices, biosensors, solar cells, and batteries, to better use the optical and adsorption properties of frustules. The floating assembly phenomenon can also be used as a self-assembly method for fabricating monolayer of circular plates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Damage Patterns at the Head-Stem Taper Junction Helps Understand the Mechanisms of Material Loss.

PubMed

Hothi, Harry S; Panagiotopoulos, Andreas C; Whittaker, Robert K; Bills, Paul J; McMillan, Rebecca A; Skinner, John A; Hart, Alister J

2017-01-01

Material loss at the taper junction of metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties has been implicated in their early failure. The mechanisms of material loss are not fully understood; analysis of the patterns of damage at the taper can help us better understand why material loss occurs at this junction. We mapped the patterns of material loss in a series of 155 metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties received at our center by scanning the taper surface using a roundness-measuring machine. We examined these material loss maps to develop a 5-tier classification system based on visual differences between different patterns. We correlated these patterns to surgical, implant, and patient factors known to be important for head-stem taper damage. We found that 63 implants had "minimal damage" at the taper (material loss <1 mm 3 ), and the remaining 92 implants could be categorized by 4 distinct patterns of taper material loss. We found that (1) head diameter and (2) time to revision were key significant variables separating the groups. These material loss maps allow us to suggest different mechanisms that dominate the cause of the material loss in each pattern: (1) corrosion, (2) mechanically assisted corrosion, or (3) intraoperative damage or poor size tolerances leading to toggling of trunnion in taper. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Size segregation in a granular bore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, A. N.; Vriend, N. M.

2016-10-01

We investigate the effect of particle-size segregation in an upslope propagating granular bore. A bidisperse mixture of particles, initially normally graded, flows down an inclined chute and impacts with a closed end. This impact causes the formation of a shock in flow thickness, known as a granular bore, to travel upslope, leaving behind a thick deposit. This deposit imprints the local segregated state featuring both pure and mixed regions of particles as a function of downstream position. The particle-size distribution through the depth is characterized by a thin purely small-particle layer at the base, a significant linear transition region, and a thick constant mixed-particle layer below the surface, in contrast to previously observed S-shaped steady-state concentration profiles. The experimental observations agree with recent progress that upward and downward segregation of large and small particles respectively is asymmetric. We incorporate the three-layer, experimentally observed, size-distribution profile into a depth-averaged segregation model to modify it accordingly. Numerical solutions of this model are able to match our experimental results and therefore motivate the use of a more general particle-size distribution profile.

Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Sensor Based on Adiabatically Tapered Microfiber Long Period Gratings

PubMed Central

Ji, Wen Bin; Tjin, Swee Chuan; Lin, Bo; Ng, Choong Leng

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a refractive index sensor based on a long period grating (LPG) inscribed in a special photosensitive microfiber with double-clad profile. The fiber is tapered gradually enough to ensure the adiabaticity of the fiber taper. In other words, the resulting insertion loss is sufficiently small. The boron and germanium co-doped inner cladding makes it suitable for inscribing gratings into its tapered form. The manner of wavelength shift for refractive indices (RIs) differs from conventional LPG, and the refractive index detection limit is 1.67 × 10−5. PMID:24141267

Highly sensitive refractive index sensor based on adiabatically tapered microfiber long period gratings.

PubMed

Ji, Wen Bin; Tjin, Swee Chuan; Lin, Bo; Ng, Choong Leng

2013-10-17

We demonstrate a refractive index sensor based on a long period grating (LPG) inscribed in a special photosensitive microfiber with double-clad profile. The fiber is tapered gradually enough to ensure the adiabaticity of the fiber taper. In other words, the resulting insertion loss is sufficiently small. The boron and germanium co-doped inner cladding makes it suitable for inscribing gratings into its tapered form. The manner of wavelength shift for refractive indices (RIs) differs from conventional LPG, and the refractive index detection limit is 1.67 × 10⁻⁵.

Functional overreaching: the key to peak performance during the taper?

PubMed

Aubry, Anaël; Hausswirth, Christophe; Louis, Julien; Coutts, Aaron J; LE Meur, Yann

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study is to examine whether performance supercompensation during taper is maximized in endurance athletes after experiencing overreaching during an overload training (OT) period. Thirty-three trained male triathletes were assigned to either OT (n = 23) or normal training groups (n = 10, CTL) during 8 wk. Cycling performance and maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) were measured after 1 wk of moderate training, a 3-wk period of OT, and then each week during 4-wk taper. Eleven of the 23 subjects from the OT group were diagnosed as functionally overreached (F-OR) after the overload period (decreased performance with concomitant high perceived fatigue), whereas the 12 other subjects were only acutely fatigued (AF) (no decrease in performance). According to qualitative statistical analysis, the AF group demonstrated a small to large greater peak performance supercompensation than the F-OR group (2.6% ± 1.1%) and the CTL group (2.6% ± 1.6%). V˙O2max increased significantly from baseline at peak performance only in the CTL and AF groups. Of the peak performances, 60%, 83%, and 73% occurred within the two first weeks of taper in CTL, AF, and OR, respectively. Ten cases of infection were reported during the study with higher prevalence in F-OR (70%) than that in AF (20%) and CTL (10%). This study showed that 1) greater gains in performance and V˙O2max can be achieved when higher training load is prescribed before the taper but not in the presence of F-OR; 2) peak performance is not delayed during taper when heavy training loads are completed immediately prior; and 3) F-OR provides higher risk for training maladaptation, including increased infection risks.

Development of a high speed extrusion concept using a floating screw sleeve for solid-melt-separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karrenberg, Gregor; Wortberg, Johannes

2015-05-01

The High-Speed-S-Truder with floating screw sleeve is an alternative extrusion concept with solid-melt-separation. A fairly conventional 35 mm screw with a length of 21 D, which is accelerated by a 75 kW gearless, water cooled synchronous drive, conveys the resin into a 60 mm screw sleeve with a length of 10 D. Inside the sleeve the material is plasticizied and discharged into the outer screw channel of the sleeve through radial bores. Only the solid bed remains inside. The development of a melt pool - and thus a decrease of the plasticizing capacity - is avoided. The sleeve is rotated by drag forces only (approximately 10 - 15 % of the screw speed). Due to the low speed of the screw sleeve molten material is conveyed to a 4 D Dynamic Mixing Ring in a gentle manner. The DMRs floating ring and the screw sleeve are directly coupled. The granules in the screw channel are stopped by a barrier on the screw in front of the mixing device. So nearly no unmelted material can pass the system. For temperature management in the plastification and mixing zone a 3-zone heating/air-cooling system is used. Various kinds of experiments with the High-Speed S-Truder were conducted. Reachable throughputs with different types of material (LDPE, LLDPE, PP, PS) have been tested. Also three screw geometries, which are mainly varying in the channel depth, were compared. Experimental results and theoretical background will be described in this paper.

Measurement of the acoustic response of a wind instrument with application to bore reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Walstijn, Maarten; Campbell, Murray

2002-11-01

Reconstruction of a bore from measured acoustic response data has been shown to be very useful in studying wind instruments. Such data may be obtained in different ways; directly measuring the frequency-domain response of an acoustic bore has some distinct advantages over directly measuring time-domain data (for example, by pulse reflectometry), but so far has been unsuitable for producing input data for deterministic bore reconstruction algorithms, due to the limited accuracy at high frequencies. In this paper a method is presented for large-bandwidth measurement of the input impedance of a wind instrument using a cylindrical measurement head with multiple wall-mounted microphones. The influence of the number of microphones and the types of calibration impedance on the accuracy will be discussed, and bore reconstructions derived using this technique will be compared with reconstructions obtained using pulse reflectometry. [Work supported by EPSRC.

Endolithic Boring Enhance the Deep-sea Carbonate Lithification on the Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, X.; Xu, H.

2017-12-01

Deep-sea carbonates represent an important type of sedimentary rock due to their effect on the composition of upper oceanic crust and their contribution to deep-sea geochemical cycles. However, the lithification of deep-sea carbonates at the seafloor has remained a mystery for many years. A large lithified carbonate area, characterized by thriving benthic faunas and tremendous amount of endolithic borings, was discovered in 2008, blanketed on the seafloor of ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). Macrofaunal inhabitants including echinoids, polychaetes, gastropods as well as crustaceans, are abundant in the sample. The most readily apparent feature of the sample is the localized enhancement of density around the borings. The boring features of these carbonate rocks and factors that may enhance deep-sea carbonate lithification are reported. The δ13CPDB values of 46 bulk samples are -0.37 to 1.86‰, while these samples have a relatively narrow δ18OPDB range of 1.35 to 3.79‰. The bulk δ13CPDB values of chalk and gray excrements are positively correlated with bulk δ18OPDB values (r = 0.91) (Fig. 8), which reflects that endolithic boring is possibly a critical factor influence the lithification. We suggest that active boring may trigger the dissolution of the original calcite and thus accelerate deep-sea carbonate lithification on mid-ocean ridges. Our study reports an unfamiliar phenomenon of non-burial carbonate lithification and interested by the observation that it is often associated with boring feature. These carbonate rocks may provide a novel mechanism for deep-sea carbonate lithification at the deep-sea seafloor and also illuminate the geological and biological importance of deep-sea carbonate rocks on mid-ocean ridges.

Fretting-corrosion at the modular tapers interface: Inspection of standard ASTM F1875-98.

PubMed

Bingley, Rachel; Martin, Alan; Manfredi, Olivia; Nejadhamzeeigilani, Mahdiyar; Oladokun, Abimbola; Beadling, Andrew Robert; Siddiqui, Sohail; Anderson, James; Thompson, Jonathan; Neville, Anne; Bryant, Michael

2018-05-01

Interest in the degradation mechanisms at the modular tapers interfaces has been renewed due to increased reported cases of adverse reactions to metal debris and the appearance of wear and corrosion at the modular tapers interfaces at revision. Over the past two decades, a lot of research has been expended to understand the degradation mechanisms, with two primary implant loading procedures and orientations used consistently across the literature. ASTM F1875-98 is often used as a guide to understand and benchmark the tribocorrosion processes occurring within the modular tapers interface. This article presents a comparison of the two methods outlined in ASTM F1875-98 as well as a critique of the standard considering the current paradigm in pre-clinical assessment of modular tapers.

Large Bore Powder Gun Qualification (U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rabern, Donald A.; Valdiviez, Robert

A Large Bore Powder Gun (LBPG) is being designed to enable experimentalists to characterize material behavior outside the capabilities of the NNSS JASPER and LANL TA-55 PF-4 guns. The combination of these three guns will create a capability to conduct impact experiments over a wide range of pressures and shock profiles. The Large Bore Powder Gun will be fielded at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) U1a Complex. The Complex is nearly 1000 ft below ground with dedicated drifts for testing, instrumentation, and post-shot entombment. To ensure the reliability, safety, and performance of the LBPG, a qualification plan has beenmore » established and documented here. Requirements for the LBPG have been established and documented in WE-14-TR-0065 U A, Large Bore Powder Gun Customer Requirements. The document includes the requirements for the physics experiments, the gun and confinement systems, and operations at NNSS. A detailed description of the requirements is established in that document and is referred to and quoted throughout this document. Two Gun and Confinement Systems will be fielded. The Prototype Gun will be used primarily to characterize the gun and confinement performance and be the primary platform for qualification actions. This gun will also be used to investigate and qualify target and diagnostic modifications through the life of the program (U1a.104 Drift). An identical gun, the Physics Gun, will be fielded for confirmatory and Pu experiments (U1a.102D Drift). Both guns will be qualified for operation. The Gun and Confinement System design will be qualified through analysis, inspection, and testing using the Prototype Gun for the majority of process. The Physics Gun will be qualified through inspection and a limited number of qualification tests to ensure performance and behavior equivalent to the Prototype gun. Figure 1.1 shows the partial configuration of U1a and the locations of the Prototype and Physics Gun/Confinement Systems.« less

Characterized Brillouin scattering in silica optical fiber tapers based on Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis.

PubMed

Zou, Weiwen; Jiang, Wenning; Chen, Jianping

2013-03-11

This paper demonstrates stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) characterization in silica optical fiber tapers drawn from commercial single mode optical fibers by hydrogen flame. They have different waist diameters downscaled from 5 μm to 42 μm. The fully-distributed SBS measurement along the fiber tapers is implemented by Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis technique with millimeter spatial resolution. It is found that the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) in the waist of all fiber tapers is approximately the same (i.e., ~11.17 GHz at 1550 nm). However, the BFS is gradually reduced and the Brillouin gain decreases from the waist to the untapered zone in each fiber taper.

The effect of preparation taper on the retention of cemented cast crowns under lateral fatigue loading.

PubMed

Cameron, Stephen M; Morris, W Jack; Keesee, Stephen M; Barsky, Todd B; Parker, M Harry

2006-06-01

Clinicians have used resistance form as a basis for determining guidelines for preparation design to ensure clinical success of cemented cast restorations. Disagreement on whether clinical success follows the on-off or linear nature of resistance form continues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the number of cycles required to dislodge a cemented complete crown casting under a cyclic lateral load as a function of taper and to compare this relationship for the resistive and nonresistive ranges of taper. Three dies were milled from stainless steel at each of the following tapers: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32 degrees. A gold-palladium metal-ceramic alloy crown was fabricated for each die, cemented, and subjected to lateral cyclic loading until failure or 1,000,000 cycles. The limiting taper for the dies with their given height and base was 26.6 degrees. Dies with taper less than 26.6 degrees had resistance form, whereas dies with taper larger than 26.6 degrees did not. A linear regression (alpha=.05) was used to evaluate the relation of cycles at dislodgement to taper. The average number of cycles to crown dislodgement or completion for each taper (SD), in units of 10,000, was as follows: 4 degrees, 100 (0); 8 degrees, 100 (0); 12 degrees, 93.54 (16.56); 16 degrees, 61.33 (38.47); 20 degrees, 25.73 (34.67); 24 degrees, 4.33 (7.36); 28 degrees, 0.06 (0.08); and 32 degrees, 0.05 (0.09). The crowns in the resistive area less than 26.6 degrees that demonstrated failure showed a linear regression with a correlation coefficient of -0.995 between the average number of cycles to dislodge the crown and the taper. The slope was significantly different from zero (P=.0048), with a value of -7.58 and a standard error of 0.53. The number of cycles required to cause crown dislodgement was linear after 12 degrees in the resistive area and nearly zero for preparations in the nonresistive area. The limiting taper concept closely predicted the transition point where the

Temperature-independent curvature sensor based on tapered photonic crystal fiber interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Kai; Li, Tao; Hu, Limin; Qian, Wenwen; Zhang, Quanyao; Jin, Shangzhong

2012-11-01

A temperature-independent highly-sensitive curvature sensor by using a tapered-photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. It is fabricated by sandwiching a tapered-PCF between two standard single mode fibers (SMFs) with the air holes of the PCF in the fusion splicing region being fully collapsed. The tapering of PCF is found to enhance the sensitivity significantly. Large curvature sensitivities of 2.81 dB/m-1 and 8.35 dB/m-1 are achieved in the measurement ranges of 0.36-0.87 m-1 and 0.87-1.34 m-1, respectively, with the resolution of 0.0012 m-1 being guaranteed. The proposed sensor also shows negligible temperature sensitivity less than 0.006 dB/°C.

Improved power and efficiency for tapered lasers with optimized photonic crystal structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaolong; Qu, Hongwei; Zhao, Shaoyu; Zhou, Xuyan; Lin, Yuzhe; Zheng, Wanhua

2017-10-01

High power and high beam quality laser sources are required in numerous applications such as nonlinear frequency conversion, optical pumping of solid-state and fiber lasers, material processing and others. Tapered lasers can provide a high output power while keeping a high beam quality. However, the conventional tapered lasers suffer from a large vertical beam divergence. We have demonstrated 2-mm long tapered lasers with photonic crystal structures. A high beam quality and a narrow vertical divergence are achieved. In this paper, we optimized the photonic crystal structure and fabricated a 4-mm long tapered laser to further increase the output power and the wall-plug efficiency. Compared with our precious wafer, the optimized structure has a lower doping level to reduce the internal loss. The period of the photonic crystal structure and the thickness of the upper cladding are also reduced. The device has a 1-mm long ridge-waveguide section and a 3-mm long tapered section. The taper angle is 4°. An output power of 7.3 W is achieved with a peak wall-plug efficiency of 46% in continuous-wave mode. The threshold current is around 500 mA and the slope efficiency is 0.93 W/A. In pulsed mode, the output power is 15.6 W and the maximum wall-plug efficiency is 48.1%. The far-field divergence with full width at half maximum is 6.3° for the lateral direction at 3 A. The vertical far-field beam divergence is around 11° at different injection levels. High beam qualities are demonstrated by beam quality factor M2 of 1.52 for the lateral direction and 1.54 for the vertical direction.

Salivary hormones, IgA, and performance during intense training and tapering in judo athletes.

PubMed

Papacosta, Elena; Gleeson, Michael; Nassis, George P

2013-09-01

The aims of this study were to identify the time course of change of salivary testosterone (sT), cortisol (sC), and IgA (SIgA); mood state; and performance capacity during a 2-week taper in judo athletes and to examine the diurnal variation in these salivary markers. Eleven male judo athletes completed 5 weeks of training: 1 week of normal training (NORM), 2 weeks of intensified training (INT), and 2 weeks of exponential tapering (TAPER). Once per week subjects completed vertical and horizontal countermovement jump tests, a grip strength test, a Special Judo Fitness Test, a multistage aerobic fitness test, a 3 × 300-m run test, and anthropometric measurement. Subjects also completed questionnaires to assess mood state and muscle soreness. Two daily saliva samples (at 0700 and 1900) were collected at the end of each week during NORM and INT and every day during TAPER. Increased morning sT, decreased evening sC, lower muscle soreness, and enhanced mood state (p < 0.05) were evident by the early phases of TAPER. A significant 7.0% improvement in 3 × 300-m performance time, a 6.9% improvement in the vertical jump (p < 0.05), and increased morning and evening SIgA secretion rate (p < 0.01) were observed during the middle-late phases of TAPER. The higher values of salivary variables were observed in the morning. This study indicates that salivary hormones display diurnal variation. Furthermore, changes in hormonal responses, mood state, and muscle soreness precede enhancements in performance and mucosal immunity, suggesting that judo athletes taper for at least a week before competition.

Efficiency considerations for the purely tapered interference fit (TIF) abutments used in dental implants.

PubMed

Bozkaya, Dinçer; Müftü, Sinan

2004-08-01

A tapered interference fit provides a mechanically reliable retention mechanism for the implant-abutment interface in a dental implant. Understanding the mechanical properties of the tapered interface with or without a screw at the bottom has been the subject of a considerable amount of studies involving experiments and finite element (FE) analysis. In this paper, approximate closed-form formulas are developed to analyze the mechanics of a tapered interference fit. In particular, the insertion force, the efficiency, defined as the ratio of the pull-out force to insertion force, and the critical insertion depth, which causes the onset of plastic deformation, are analyzed. It is shown that the insertion force is a function of the taper angle, the contact length, the inner and outer radii of the implant, the static and the kinetic coefficients of friction, and the elastic modulii of the implant/abutment materials. The efficiency of the tapered interference fit, which is defined as the ratio of the pull-out force to insertion force, is found to be greater than one, for taper angles that are less than 6 deg when the friction coefficient is 0.3. A safe range of insertion forces has been shown to exist. The lower end of this range depends on the maximum pull-out force that may occur due to occlusion in the multiple tooth restorations and the efficiency of the system; and the upper end of this range depends on the plastic deformation of the abutment and the implant due to interference fit. It has been shown that using a small taper angle and a long contact length widens the safe range of insertion forces.

Floating drug delivery systems: a review.

PubMed

Arora, Shweta; Ali, Javed; Ahuja, Alka; Khar, Roop K; Baboota, Sanjula

2005-10-19

The purpose of writing this review on floating drug delivery systems (FDDS) was to compile the recent literature with special focus on the principal mechanism of floatation to achieve gastric retention. The recent developments of FDDS including the physiological and formulation variables affecting gastric retention, approaches to design single-unit and multiple-unit floating systems, and their classification and formulation aspects are covered in detail. This review also summarizes the in vitro techniques, in vivo studies to evaluate the performance and application of floating systems, and applications of these systems. These systems are useful to several problems encountered during the development of a pharmaceutical dosage form.

The failures of root canal preparation with hand ProTaper.

PubMed

Bătăiosu, Marilena; Diaconu, Oana; Moraru, Iren; Dăguci, C; Tuculină, Mihaela; Dăguci, Luminiţa; Gheorghiţă, Lelia

2012-07-01

The failures of root canal preparation are due to some anatomical deviation (canal in "C" or "S") and some technique errors. The technique errors are usually present in canal root cleansing and shaping stage and are the result of endodontic treatment objectives deviation. Our study was made on technique errors while preparing the canal roots with hand ProTaper. Our study was made "in vitro" on 84 extracted teeth (molars, premolars, incisors and canines). The canal root of these teeth were cleansed and shaped with hand ProTaper by crown-down technique and canal irrigation with NaOCl(2,5%). The dental preparation control was made by X-ray. During canal root preparation some failures were observed like: canal root overinstrumentation, zipping and stripping phenomenon, discarded and/or fractured instruments. Hand ProTaper represents a revolutionary progress of endodontic treatment, but a deviation from accepted rules of canal root instrumentation can lead to failures of endodontic treatment.

The failures of root canal preparation with hand ProTaper

PubMed Central

Bătăiosu, Marilena; Diaconu, Oana; Moraru, Iren; Dăguci, C.; Ţuculină, Mihaela; Dăguci, Luminiţa; Gheorghiţă, Lelia

2012-01-01

The failures of root canal preparation are due to some anatomical deviation (canal in “C” or “S”) and some technique errors. The technique errors are usually present in canal root cleansing and shaping stage and are the result of endodontic treatment objectives deviation. Objectives: Our study was made on technique errors while preparing the canal roots with hand ProTaper. Methodology: Our study was made “in vitro” on 84 extracted teeth (molars, premolars, incisors and canines). The canal root of these teeth were cleansed and shaped with hand ProTaper by crown-down technique and canal irrigation with NaOCl(2,5%). The dental preparation control was made by X-ray. Results: During canal root preparation some failures were observed like: canal root overinstrumentation, zipping and stripping phenomenon, discarded and/or fractured instruments. Conclusions: Hand ProTaper represents a revolutionary progress of endodontic treatment, but a deviation from accepted rules of canal root instrumentation can lead to failures of endodontic treatment. PMID:24778848

Magnetic field tunability of optical microfiber taper integrated with ferrofluid.

PubMed

Miao, Yinping; Wu, Jixuan; Lin, Wei; Zhang, Kailiang; Yuan, Yujie; Song, Binbin; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Bo; Yao, Jianquan

2013-12-02

Optical microfiber taper has unique propagation properties, which provides versatile waveguide structure to design the tunable photonic devices. In this paper, the S-tapered microfiber is fabricated by using simple fusion spicing. The spectral characteristics of microfiber taper integrated with ferrofluid under different magnetic-field intensities have been theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The spectrum are both found to become highly magnetic-field-dependent. The results indicate the transmission and wavelength of the dips are adjustable by changing magnetic field intensity. The response of this device to the magnetic field intensity exhibits a Langvin function. Moreover, there is a linear relationship between the transmission loss and magnetic field intensity for a magnetic field intensity range of 25 to 200Oe, and the sensitivities as high as 0.13056dB/Oe and 0.056nm/Oe have been achieved, respectively. This suggests a potential application of this device as a tunable all-in-fiber photonic device, such as magneto-optic modulator, filter, and sensing element.

46 CFR 160.027-3 - Additional requirements for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional requirements for life floats. 160.027-3..., CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Life Floats for Merchant Vessels § 160.027-3 Additional requirements for life floats. (a) Each life float must have a platform designed...

46 CFR 160.027-3 - Additional requirements for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional requirements for life floats. 160.027-3..., CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Life Floats for Merchant Vessels § 160.027-3 Additional requirements for life floats. (a) Each life float must have a platform designed...

46 CFR 160.027-3 - Additional requirements for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Additional requirements for life floats. 160.027-3..., CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Life Floats for Merchant Vessels § 160.027-3 Additional requirements for life floats. (a) Each life float must have a platform designed...

46 CFR 160.027-3 - Additional requirements for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional requirements for life floats. 160.027-3..., CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Life Floats for Merchant Vessels § 160.027-3 Additional requirements for life floats. (a) Each life float must have a platform designed...

46 CFR 160.027-3 - Additional requirements for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Additional requirements for life floats. 160.027-3..., CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Life Floats for Merchant Vessels § 160.027-3 Additional requirements for life floats. (a) Each life float must have a platform designed...

Principles and performance of tapered fiber lasers: from uniform to flared geometry.

PubMed

Kerttula, Juho; Filippov, Valery; Chamorovskii, Yuri; Ustimchik, Vasily; Golant, Konstantin; Okhotnikov, Oleg G

2012-10-10

We have studied the recently demonstrated concept of fiber lasers based on active tapered double-clad fiber (T-DCF) in copropagating and counterpropagating configurations, both theoretically and experimentally, and compared the performance to fiber lasers based on conventional cylindrical fibers in end-pumped configurations. Specific properties of T-DCFs were considered theoretically using a rate-equation model developed for tapered fibers, and a detailed comparative study was carried out experimentally. Furthermore, we have studied mode coupling effects in long adiabatic tapers due to coiling and local bending. The results allow us to conclude that, with proper fiber design, the T-DCF technology offers a high-potential alternative for bright, cost-effective fiber devices.

Transverse Vibration of Tapered Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Embedded in Viscoelastic Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Y. J.; Zhang, D. P.; Shen, Z. B.

2017-12-01

Based on the nonlocal theory, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and Kelvin viscoelastic foundation model, free transverse vibration is studied for a tapered viscoelastic single-walled carbon nanotube (visco-SWCNT) embedded in a viscoelastic medium. Firstly, the governing equations for vibration analysis are established. And then, we derive the natural frequencies in closed form for SWCNTs with arbitrary boundary conditions by applying transfer function method and perturbation method. Numerical results are also presented to discuss the effects of nonlocal parameter, relaxation time and taper parameter of SWCNTs, and material property parameters of the medium. This study demonstrates that the proposed model is available for vibration analysis of the tapered SWCNTs-viscoelastic medium coupling system.

Future float zone development in industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandfort, R. M.

1980-01-01

The present industrial requirements for float zone silicon are summarized. Developments desired by the industry in the future are reported. The five most significant problems faced today by the float zone crystal growth method in industry are discussed. They are economic, large diameter, resistivity uniformity, control of carbon, and swirl defects.

Hydrodynamic and Aerodynamic Tests of Models of Floats for Single-float Seaplanes NACA Models 41-D, 41-E, 61-A, 73, and 73-A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, J B; HOUSE R O

1938-01-01

Tests were made in the NACA tank and in the NACA 7 by 10 foot wind tunnel on two models of transverse step floats and three models of pointed step floats considered to be suitable for use with single float seaplanes. The object of the program was the reduction of water resistance and spray of single float seaplanes without reducing the angle of dead rise believed to be necessary for the satisfactory absorption of the shock loads. The results indicated that all the models have less resistance and spray than the model of the Mark V float and that the pointed step floats are somewhat superior to the transverse step floats in these respects. Models 41-D, 61-A, and 73 were tested by the general method over a wide range of loads and speeds. The results are presented in the form of curves and charts for use in design calculations.

In Vitro Comparison of Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of ProTaper Next, HyFlex CM, OneShape, and ProTaper Universal Instruments in a Canal with a Double Curvature.

PubMed

Topçuoğlu, Hüseyin Sinan; Topçuoğlu, Gamze; Akti, Ahmet; Düzgün, Salih

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare the resistance to cyclic fatigue of ProTaper Next X2 (PTN X2; size 25, 0.06 taper), Hyflex CM (HCM; size 25, 0.06 taper), OneShape (OS; size 25, 0.06 taper), and ProTaper Universal F2 (PTU F2; size 25, 0.08 taper) nickel-titanium files in an artificial root canal with a double (S-shaped) curvature. A total of 160 new PTN X2, OS, HCM, and PTU F2 files were tested in an artificial stainless steel canal with a double curvature. Forty files from each system were rotated until fracture to calculate the number of cycles to failure. The length of each fractured fragment was recorded. Data were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests. The resistance to cyclic fatigue of the PTN X2 and HCM instruments was significantly greater than the OS and PTU F2 instruments in the apical curvature (P < .05). There was no statistical difference in the cyclic fatigue resistance of the PTN X2 and HCM instruments in the apical curvature (P > .05). In addition, there was no statistical difference between the OS and PTU F2 instruments in the apical curvature (P > .05). PTN X2, OS, HCM, and PTU F2 instruments showed similar cyclic fatigue resistance values in the coronal curvature (P > .05). This study showed that PTN X2 and HCM instruments exhibit greater resistance to cyclic fatigue than OS and PTU F2 instruments in the apical curvature of an artificial canal with a double curvature. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tunable optofluidic microring laser based on a tapered hollow core microstructured optical fiber.

PubMed

Li, Zhi-Li; Zhou, Wen-Yuan; Luo, Ming-Ming; Liu, Yan-Ge; Tian, Jian-Guo

2015-04-20

A tunable optofluidic microring dye laser within a tapered hollow core microstructured optical fiber was demonstrated. The fiber core was filled with a microfluidic gain medium plug and axially pumped by a nanosecond pulse laser at 532 nm. Strong radial emission and low-threshold lasing (16 nJ/pulse) were achieved. Lasing was achieved around the surface of the microfluidic plug. Laser emission was tuned by changing the liquid surface location along the tapered fiber. The possibility of developing a tunable laser within the tapered simplified hollow core microstructured optical fiber presents opportunities for developing liquid surface position sensors and biomedical analysis.

Evaluation of the Painful Dual Taper Modular Neck Stem Total Hip Arthroplasty: Do They All Require Revision?

PubMed

Kwon, Young-Min

2016-07-01

Although dual taper modular-neck total hip arthroplasty (THA) design with additional neck-stem modularity has the potential to optimize hip biomechanical parameters by facilitating adjustments of leg length, femoral neck version and offset, there is increasing concern regarding this stem design as a result of the growing numbers of adverse local tissue reactions due to fretting and corrosion at the neck-stem taper junction. Implant factors such as taper cone angle, taper surface roughness, taper contact area, modular neck taper metallurgy, and femoral head size play important roles in influencing extent of taper corrosion. There should be a low threshold to conduct a systematic clinical evaluation of patients with dual-taper modular-neck stem THA using systematic risk stratification algorithms as early recognition and diagnosis will ensure prompt and appropriate treatment. Although specialized tests such as metal ion analysis and cross-sectional imaging modalities such as metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MARS MRI) are useful in optimizing clinical decision-making, overreliance on any single investigative tool in the clinical decision-making process for revision surgery should be avoided. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvements in floating point addition/subtraction operations

DOEpatents

Farmwald, P.M.

1984-02-24

Apparatus is described for decreasing the latency time associated with floating point addition and subtraction in a computer, using a novel bifurcated, pre-normalization/post-normalization approach that distinguishes between differences of floating point exponents.

77 FR 45588 - Tapered Roller Bearings and Parts Thereof, Finished and Unfinished, From the People's Republic of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-01

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-601] Tapered Roller Bearings and... new shipper review (``NSR'') of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings from the People... The notice announcing the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings from the PRC was published...

76 FR 6397 - Tapered Roller Bearings and Parts Thereof, Finished and Unfinished From the People's Republic of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-601] Tapered Roller Bearings and... on tapered roller bearings (``TRBs'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') meets the... published in the Federal Register on June 15, 1987. See Antidumping Duty Order; Tapered Roller Bearings and...

76 FR 45777 - Tapered Roller Bearings and Parts Thereof, Finished and Unfinished From the People's Republic of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-01

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-601] Tapered Roller Bearings and... tapered roller bearings (``TRBs'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') meets the statutory and... Register on June 15, 1987. See Antidumping Duty Order; Tapered Roller Bearings and Parts Thereof, Finished...

Asymmetrical dual tapered fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer for fiber-optic directional tilt sensor.

PubMed

Lee, Cheng-Ling; Shih, Wen-Cheng; Hsu, Jui-Ming; Horng, Jing-Shyang

2014-10-06

This work proposes a novel, highly sensitive and directional fiber tilt sensor that is based on an asymmetrical dual tapered fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (ADTFMZI). The fiber-optic tilt sensor consists of two abrupt tapers with different tapered waists into which are incorporated a set of iron spheres to generate an asymmetrical strain in the ADTFMZI that is correlated with the tilt angle and the direction of inclination. Owing to the asymmetrical structure of the dual tapers, the proposed sensor can detect the non-horizontal/horizontal state of a structure and whether the test structure is tilted to clockwise or counterclockwise by measuring the spectral responses. Experimental results show that the spectral wavelengths are blue-shifted and red-shifted when the sensor tilts to clockwise (-θ) and counterclockwise ( + θ), respectively. Tilt angle sensitivities of about 335 pm/deg. and 125 pm/deg. are achieved in the -θ and + θ directions, respectively, when the proposed sensing scheme is utilized.

Characterization of poly(vinyl acetate) based floating matrix tablets.

PubMed

Strübing, Sandra; Metz, Hendrik; Mäder, Karsten

2008-03-03

Floating Kollidon SR matrix tablets containing Propranolol HCl were developed and characterized with respect to drug release characteristics and floating strength. Kollidon SR was able to delay Propranolol HCl release efficiently. Drug release kinetics was evaluated using the Korsmeyer-Peppas model and found to be governed by Fickian diffusion. Tablet floating started immediately and continued for 24 h. It was possible to monitor the floating strength of the matrix devices using a simple experimental setup. Floating strength was related to Kollidon SR level with improved floating characteristics for samples with a high polymer/drug ratio. Swelling characteristics of the tablets were analyzed by applying the equation according to Therien-Aubin et al. The influence of the polymer content on swelling characteristics was found to be only marginal. Furthermore, the new method of benchtop MRI was introduced to study the water diffusion and swelling behaviour non-invasively and continuously.

Floating nut retention system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, J. F.; Theakston, H. A. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A floating nut retention system includes a nut with a central aperture. An inner retainer plate has an opening which is fixedly aligned with the nut aperture. An outer retainer member is formed of a base plate having an opening and a surface adjacent to a surface of the inner retainer plate. The outer retainer member includes a securing mechanism for retaining the inner retainer plate adjacent to the outer retainer member. The securing mechanism enables the inner retainer plate to float with respect to the outer retainer number, while simultaneously forming a bearing surface for inner retainer plate.

Psychotherapy with the boring patient.

PubMed

Taylor, G J

1984-04-01

Boredom is an unpleasant affective state which may be evoked by monotonous sensory input and reduction of an individual's internal instinctual and fantasy activity. Certain difficult patients have the capacity to evoke boredom in their psychotherapists and unless technical modifications are used, therapy quickly reaches an impasse and may be terminated on the grounds that the patient is 'not psychologically-minded.' Chronically boring patients have an impaired capacity for symbolization and can be identified by their non-symbolic communicative style. This reflects an inner struggle with primitive mental states due to fixation at, or regression to, the paranoid-schizoid developmental position. The patient may use projective identification to discharge unbearable psychic tension into the therapist whose boredom is partly a defense against this. Alternatively, the patient may create impenetrable barriers with language by making 'attacks on linking' which are tantamount to attacks on the therapist's peace of mind. The therapist should initially interpret the form and function of the patient's communications rather than the contents. In a manner comparable to a mother's interaction with her young child, the therapist can help the patient acquire a greater capacity for symbolization, including the ability to accurately label and verbalize different affective experiences. Careful analysis of the countertransference will identify the patient's projective identifications, provide valuable information about the patient's primitive mental life, and prevent anti-therapeutic projective counter-identifications. The patient will become less boring as he learns to use symbols and as his primitive anxieties are resolved.

Influence of different types of low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose on tableting, disintegration, and floating behaviour of floating drug delivery systems

PubMed Central

Diós, Péter; Pernecker, Tivadar; Nagy, Sándor; Pál, Szilárd; Dévay, Attila

2014-01-01

The object of the present study is to evaluate the effect of application of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC) 11 and B1 as excipients promoting floating in gastroretentive tablets. Directly compressed tablets were formed based on experimental design. Face-centred central composite design was applied with two factors and 3 levels, where amount of sodium alginate (X1) and L-HPC (X2) were the numerical factors. Applied types of L-HPCs and their 1:1 mixture were included in a categorical factor (X3). Studied parameters were floating lag time, floating time, floating force, swelling behaviour of tablets and dissolution of paracetamol, which was used as a model active substance. Due to their physical character, L-HPCs had different water uptake and flowability. Lower flowability and lower water uptake was observed after 60 min at L-HPC 11 compared to L-HPC B1. Shorter floating times were detected at L-HPC 11 and L-HPC mixtures with 0.5% content of sodium alginate, whereas alginate was the only significant factor. Evaluating results of drug release and swelling studies on floating tablets revealed correlation, which can serve to help to understand the mechanism of action of L-HPCs in the field development of gastroretentive dosage forms. PMID:26702261

Compatible taper algorithms for California hardwoods

Treesearch

James W. Flewelling

2007-01-01

For 13 species of California hardwoods, cubic volume equations to three merchantability standards had been developed earlier. The equations predict cubic volume from the primary bole, forks, and branches, but do not differentiate between the sources of the wood. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program needed taper equations that are compatible with the volume...

Floating Magnet Demonstration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wake, Masayoshi

1990-01-01

A room-temperature demonstration of a floating magnet using a high-temperature superconductor is described. The setup and operation of the apparatus are described. The technical details of the effect are discussed. (CW)

Effects of self-adjusting file, Mtwo, and ProTaper on the root canal wall.

PubMed

Hin, Ellemieke S; Wu, Min-Kai; Wesselink, Paul R; Shemesh, Hagay

2013-02-01

The purpose of this ex vivo study was to observe the incidence of cracks in root dentin after root canal preparation with hand files, self-adjusting file (SAF), ProTaper, and Mtwo. One hundred extracted mandibular premolars with single canals were randomly selected. Two angulated radiographs were taken for each tooth, and the width of the canal was measured at 9 mm from the apex. Five groups of 20 teeth each were comparable in canal width. The control group was left unprepared. Four experimental groups were instrumented with hand files, ProTaper, Mtwo, and SAF. Roots were then sectioned horizontally and observed under a microscope. The presence of dentinal cracks and their location were noted. The difference between the experimental groups was analyzed with a χ(2) test. No cracks were observed in the control group. In the experimental groups, ProTaper, Mtwo, and SAF caused cracks in 35%, 25%, and 10% of teeth, respectively. The hand-file group did not show any dentinal cracks (P < .0001). ProTaper and Mtwo caused more cracks than hand files (P < .05), but SAF did not (P > .05). Instrumentation of root canals with SAF, Mtwo, and ProTaper could cause damage to root canal dentin. SAF has a tendency to cause less dentinal cracks as compared with ProTaper or Mtwo. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Cervical Spinal Canal Tapers Differently in Patients with Chiari I with and without Syringomyelia.

PubMed

Thompson, A; Madan, N; Hesselink, J R; Weinstein, G; Munoz del Rio, A; Haughton, V

2016-04-01

The cause of syringomyelia in patients with Chiari I remains uncertain. Cervical spine anatomy modifies CSF velocities, flow patterns, and pressure gradients, which may affect the spinal cord. We tested the hypothesis that cervical spinal anatomy differs between Chiari I patients with and without syringomyelia. We identified consecutive patients with Chiari I at 3 institutions and divided them into groups with and without syringomyelia. Five readers measured anteroposterior cervical spinal diameters, tonsillar herniation, and syrinx dimensions on cervical MR images. Taper ratios for C1-C7, C1-C4, and C4-C7 spinal segments were calculated by linear least squares fitting to the appropriate spinal canal diameters. Mean taper ratios and tonsillar herniation for groups were compared and tested for statistical significance with a Kruskal-Wallis test. Inter- and intrareader agreement and correlations in the data were measured. One hundred fifty patients were included, of which 49 had syringomyelia. C1-C7 taper ratios were smaller and C4-C7 taper ratios greater for patients with syringomyelia than for those without it. C1-C4 taper ratios did not differ significantly between groups. Patients with syringomyelia had, on average, greater tonsillar herniation than those without a syrinx. However, C4-C7 taper ratios were steeper, for all degrees of tonsil herniation, in patients with syringomyelia. Differences among readers did not exceed differences among patient groups. The tapering of the lower cervical spine may contribute to the development of syringomyelia in patients with Chiari I. © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Validation of Volume and Taper Equations For Loblolly Shortleaf and Slash Pine

Treesearch

Allan E. Tiarks; V. Clark Baldwin

1999-01-01

Inside-bark diameter measurements at 6.64 intervals of 137 loblolly, 52 shortleaf, and 64 slash pines were used to calculate the actual volume and taper of each species for comparison with volumes and tapers predicted from published equations. The loblolly pine were cut in Texas (TX) and Louisiana (LA) while the shortleaf was sampled only in TX. The slash pine were...

Design and Synthesis of Network-Forming Triblock Copolymers Using Tapered Block Interfaces

PubMed Central

Kuan, Wei-Fan; Roy, Raghunath; Rong, Lixia; Hsiao, Benjamin S.; Epps, Thomas H.

2012-01-01

We report a strategy for generating novel dual-tapered poly(isoprene-b-isoprene/styrene-b-styrene-b-styrene/methyl methacrylate-b-methyl methacrylate) [P(I-IS-S-SM-M)] triblock copolymers that combines anionic polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition click chemistry. The tapered interfaces between blocks were synthesized via a semi-batch feed using programmable syringe pumps. This strategy allows us to manipulate the transition region between copolymer blocks in triblock copolymers providing control over the interfacial interactions in our nanoscale phase-separated materials independent of molecular weight and block constituents. Additionally, we show the ability to retain a desirous and complex multiply-continuous network structure (alternating gyroid) in our dual-tapered triblock material. PMID:23066522

The experimental and calculated characteristics of 22 tapered wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Raymond F

1938-01-01

The experimental and calculated aerodynamic characteristics of 22 tapered wings are compared, using tests made in the variable-density wind tunnel. The wings had aspect ratios from 6 to 12 and taper ratios from 1:6:1 and 5:1. The compared characteristics are the pitching moment, the aerodynamic-center position, the lift-curve slope, the maximum lift coefficient, and the curves of drag. The method of obtaining the calculated values is based on the use of wing theory and experimentally determined airfoil section data. In general, the experimental and calculated characteristics are in sufficiently good agreement that the method may be applied to many problems of airplane design.

Manipulation of spontaneous emission in a tapered photonic crystal fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, S. J.; Fussell, D. P.; Dawes, J. M.; Mägi, E.; McPhedran, R. C.; Eggleton, B. J.; de Sterke, C. Martijn

2006-12-01

We characterize the spontaneous emission of dye that is introduced into the central core of a tapered photonic crystal fiber. Since the photonic crystal period in the fibre cladding varies along the taper, the transmission and spontaneous emission spectra over a wide range of relative frequencies can be observed. The spontaneous emission spectra of the fibre transverse to the fiber axis show suppression due to partial band-gaps of the structure, and also enhancement of spontaneous emission near the band edges. We associate these with van Hove features, as well as finite cluster size effects.

Investigation of Tank 241-AW-104 Composite Floating Layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meznarich, H. K.; Bolling, S. D.; Lachut, J. S.

Seven grab samples and one field blank were taken from Tank 241-AW-104 (AW-104) on June 2, 2017, and received at 222-S Laboratory on June 5, 2017. A visible layer with brown solids was observed floating on the top of two surface tank waste samples (4AW-17-02 and 4AW 17 02DUP). The floating layer from both samples was collected, composited, and submitted for chemical analyses and solid phase characterization in order to understand the composition of the floating layer. Tributyl phosphate and tridecane were higher in the floating layer than in the aqueous phase. Density in the floating layer was slightly lowermore » than the mean density of all grab samples. Sodium nitrate and sodium carbonate were major components with a trace of gibbsite and very small size agglomerates were present in the solids of the floating layer. The supernate consisted of organics, soluble salt, and particulates.« less

Adiabatically tapered splice for selective excitation of the fundamental mode in a multimode fiber.

PubMed

Jung, Yongmin; Jeong, Yoonchan; Brambilla, Gilberto; Richardson, David J

2009-08-01

We propose a simple and effective method to selectively excite the fundamental mode of a multimode fiber by adiabatically tapering a fusion splice to a single-mode fiber. We experimentally demonstrate the method by adiabatically tapering splice (taper waist=15 microm, uniform length=40 mm) between single-mode and multimode fiber and show that it provides a successful mode conversion/connection and allows for almost perfect fundamental mode excitation in the multimode fiber. Excellent beam quality (M(2) approximately 1.08) was achieved with low loss and high environmental stability.

Experimental results for characterization of a tapered plastic optical fiber sensor based on SPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cennamo, N.; Galatus, R.; Zeni, L.

2015-05-01

The experimental results obtained with two different Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) geometries, tapered and not-tapered, for a sensor based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) are presented. SPR is used for determining the refractive index variations at the interface between a gold layer and a dielectric medium (aqueous medium). In this work SPR sensors in POF configurations, useful for bio-sensing applications, have been realized for the optimization of the sensitivity and experimentally tested. The results show as the sensitivity increases with the tapered POF configuration, when the refractive index of aqueous medium increases.

Portable fiber-optic taper coupled optical microscopy platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weiming; Yu, Yan; Huang, Hui; Ou, Jinping

2017-04-01

The optical fiber taper coupled with CMOS has advantages of high sensitivity, compact structure and low distortion in the imaging platform. So it is widely used in low light, high speed and X-ray imaging systems. In the meanwhile, the peculiarity of the coupled structure can meet the needs of the demand in microscopy imaging. Toward this end, we developed a microscopic imaging platform based on the coupling of cellphone camera module and fiber optic taper for the measurement of the human blood samples and ascaris lumbricoides. The platform, weighing 70 grams, is based on the existing camera module of the smartphone and a fiber-optic array which providing a magnification factor of 6x.The top facet of the taper, on which samples are placed, serves as an irregular sampling grid for contact imaging. The magnified images of the sample, located on the bottom facet of the fiber, are then projected onto the CMOS sensor. This paper introduces the portable medical imaging system based on the optical fiber coupling with CMOS, and theoretically analyzes the feasibility of the system. The image data and process results either can be stored on the memory or transmitted to the remote medical institutions for the telemedicine. We validate the performance of this cell-phone based microscopy platform using human blood samples and test target, achieving comparable results to a standard bench-top microscope.

14 CFR 29.757 - Hull and auxiliary float strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Hull and auxiliary float strength. 29.757 Section 29.757 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... § 29.757 Hull and auxiliary float strength. The hull, and auxiliary floats if used, must withstand the...

A bi-axial active boring tool for chatter mitigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redmond, J.M.; Barney, P.S.

This paper summarizes results of metal cutting tests using an actively damped boring bar to suppress regenerative chatter. PZT stack actuators were integrated into a commercially available two-inch diameter boring bar to suppress bending vibrations. Since the modified tool requires no specialized mounting hardware, it can be readily mounted on a variety of machines. A cutting test using the prototype bar to remove metal from a hardened steel workpiece verifies that the authors actively damped tool yields significant vibration reduction and improved surface finish as compared to the open-loop case. In addition, the overall performance of the prototype bar ismore » compared to that of an unmodified bar of pristine geometry, revealing that a significant enlargement of the stable machining envelope is obtained through application of feedback control.« less

Tapered microelectrode array system for dielectrophoretically filtration: fabrication, characterization, and simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buyong, Muhamad Ramdzan; Larki, Farhad; Takamura, Yuzuru; Majlis, Burhanuddin Yeop

2017-10-01

This paper presents the fabrication, characterization, and simulation of microelectrode arrays system with tapered profile having an aluminum surface for dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based manipulation of particles. The proposed structure demonstrates more effective electric field gradient compared with its counterpart with untapered profile. Therefore, according to the asymmetric distribution of the electric field in the active region of microelectrode, it produces more effective particle manipulation. The tapered aluminum microelectrode array (TAMA) fabrication process uses a state-of-the-art technique in the formation of the resist's taper profile. The performance of TAMA with various sidewall profile angles (5 deg to 90 deg) was analyzed through finite-element method numerical simulations to offer a better understanding of the origin of the sidewall profile effect. The ability of capturing and manipulating of the device was examined through modification of the Clausius-Mossotti factor and cross-over frequency (f). The fabricated system has been particularly implemented for filtration of particles with a desired diameter from a mixture of particles with three different diameters in an aqueous medium. The microelectrode system with tapered side wall profile offers a more efficient platform for particle manipulation and sensing applications compared with the conventional microelectrode systems.

Theoretical investigation for excitation light and fluorescence signal of fiber optical sensor using tapered fiber tip.

PubMed

Yuan, Yinquan; Ding, Liyun

2011-10-24

For fiber optical sensor made of tapered fiber tip, the effects of the geometrical parameters of tapered tip on two important factors have been investigated. One factor is the intensity of the evanescent wave into fluorescent layer through core-medium interface; the other is the intensity of fluorescence signal transmitted from fluorescent layer to measurement end. A dependence relation of the intensity of fluorescence signal transmitted from fluorescent layer to measurement end upon the geometrical parameters of tapered tip has been obtained. Theoretical results show that the intensity of the evanescent wave into fluorescent layer rises with the decrease of the end diameter of tapered tip, and the increase of the tip length; and the transmitted power of fluorescence signal increases linearly with the increase of the tip length due to the contribution of the side area of tapered tip. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Development of guided horizontal boring tools. Final report, June 1984-March 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDonald, W.J.; Herben, W.C.; Pittard, G.T.

Maurer Engineering Inc. (MEI), under a contract with the Gas Research Institute (GRI), has led a team of research and manufacturing companies with the goal of developing a guided boring tool for installing gas distribution piping. Studies indicated guided horizontal boring systems can provide gas utilities with a more effective and economical method for installing pipe than conventional techniques with a potential cost savings of at least 15% to 50%. A comprehensive state of technology review of horizontal boring tools identified concepts appropriate to being directionally controlled. Development of a universal system was found impractical because the requirements for shortmore » and extended range systems are significantly different. Concepts for steering and tracking were evaluated through lab and field experiments which progressed from proof of concept tests to cooperative field tests with gas utilities at the various stages of system development. The systems were brought to commercial status with needed modifications and the technology transferred to licensees who would market the systems. The program resulted in the development and commercialization of five distinct guided boring system. Pipe can now be installed more rapidly over longer distances with a minimal amount of excavation required for launching and retrieval. This means increased work crew productivity, reduced disturbance to landscaping and environmentally sensitive areas, and reduced traffic disruption and public inconvenience.« less

Mid-IR soliton compression in silicon optical fibers and fiber tapers.

PubMed

Peacock, Anna C

2012-03-01

Numerical simulations are used to investigate soliton compression in silicon core optical fibers at 2.3 μm in the mid-infrared waveguide regime. Compression in both standard silicon fibers and fiber tapers is compared to establish the relative compression ratios for a range of input pulse conditions. The results show that tapered fibers can be used to obtain higher levels of compression for moderate soliton orders and thus lower input powers. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Tsunami Wave Propagation for double layer state in Bore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuvaraj, V.; Rajasekaran, S.; Nagarajan, D.

2018-04-01

Tsunami wave enters into the river bore in the landslide. Tsunami wave propagation are described in two-layer states. The velocity and amplitude of the tsunami wave propagation are calculated using the double layer. The numerical and analytical solutions are given for the nonlinear equation of motion of the wave propagation in a bore.

Membrane voltage changes in passive dendritic trees: a tapering equivalent cylinder model.

PubMed

Poznański, R R

1988-01-01

An exponentially tapering equivalent cylinder model is employed in order to approximate the loss of the dendritic trunk parameter observed from anatomical data on apical and basilar dendrites of CA1 and CA3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. This model allows dendritic trees with a relative paucity of branching to be treated. In particular, terminal branches are not required to end at the same electrotonic distance. The Laplace transform method is used to obtain analytic expressions for the Green's function corresponding to an instantaneous pulse of current injected at a single point along a tapering equivalent cylinder with sealed ends. The time course of the voltage in response to an arbitrary input is computed using the Green's function in a convolution integral. Examples of current input considered are (1) an infinitesimally brief (Dirac delta function) pulse and (2) a step pulse. It is demonstrated that inputs located on a tapering equivalent cylinder are more effective at the soma than identically placed inputs on a nontapering equivalent cylinder. Asymptotic solutions are derived to enable the voltage response behaviour over both relatively short and long time periods to be analysed. Semilogarithmic plots of these solutions provide a basis for estimating the membrane time constant tau m from experimental transients. Transient voltage decrement from a clamped soma reveals that tapering tends to reduce the error associated with inadequate voltage clamping of the dendritic membrane. A formula is derived which shows that tapering tends to increase the estimate of the electrotonic length parameter L.

Air-Deployable Profiling Floats for Tropical Cyclone Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayne, S. R.; Robbins, P.; Owens, B.; Ekholm, A.; Dufour, J. E.; Sanabia, E.

2016-02-01

The development of a smaller profiling float that can be launched from Hurricane Hunter aircraft offers the opportunity to monitor the upper-ocean thermal structure over a time span of many months. These Argo-type profiling floats can be deployed in advance of, or during, a tropical cyclone from any aircraft equipped with an A-sized (AXBT) launch tube, or from the stern ramp of a C-130. The floats have the same dimensions as an AXBT and weigh about 8.5 kg. Upon deployment, the floats parachute to the surface, detach and automatically begin their programmed mission. The recorded temperature data is averaged over 1-meter bins that are reported back via the Iridium satellite phone network, which is then automatically processed and posted to the GTS. The floats are also reprogrammable via the 2-way communication afforded by Iridium. We report on the results of deployments during the 2014 and 2015 hurricane seasons. Unique observations of the ocean response from Hurricane Ignacio are particularly noteworthy and will be presented. Further plans for continued development of floats include measuring salinity (from an inductive conductivity sensor) and observations of the surface wave field (measured by an onboard accelerometer) will also be described.

Segmented polynomial taper equation incorporating years since thinning for loblolly pine plantations

Treesearch

A. Gordon Holley; Thomas B. Lynch; Charles T. Stiff; William Stansfield

2010-01-01

Data from 108 trees felled from 16 loblolly pine stands owned by Temple-Inland Forest Products Corp. were used to determine effects of years since thinning (YST) on stem taper using the Max–Burkhart type segmented polynomial taper model. Sample tree YST ranged from two to nine years prior to destructive sampling. In an effort to equalize sample sizes, tree data were...

A foam formulation of an entomopathogenic fungus for control of boring beetles in avocado orchards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A foam formulation of Beauveria bassiana was adapted to control boring beetles in avocado orchards. The two geographically independent avocado growing areas in the United States are threatened by emerging diseases vectored by boring beetles. In the California growing region, Fusarium dieback is vect...

Artificial Intelligence Procedures for Tree Taper Estimation within a Complex Vegetation Mosaic in Brazil.

PubMed

Nunes, Matheus Henrique; Görgens, Eric Bastos

2016-01-01

Tree stem form in native tropical forests is very irregular, posing a challenge to establishing taper equations that can accurately predict the diameter at any height along the stem and subsequently merchantable volume. Artificial intelligence approaches can be useful techniques in minimizing estimation errors within complex variations of vegetation. We evaluated the performance of Random Forest® regression tree and Artificial Neural Network procedures in modelling stem taper. Diameters and volume outside bark were compared to a traditional taper-based equation across a tropical Brazilian savanna, a seasonal semi-deciduous forest and a rainforest. Neural network models were found to be more accurate than the traditional taper equation. Random forest showed trends in the residuals from the diameter prediction and provided the least precise and accurate estimations for all forest types. This study provides insights into the superiority of a neural network, which provided advantages regarding the handling of local effects.

33 CFR 144.01-15 - Alternates for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alternates for life floats. 144... for life floats. (a) Approved lifeboats, approved life rafts or approved inflatable life rafts may be used in lieu of approved life floats for either all or part of the capacity required. When either...

33 CFR 144.01-15 - Alternates for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Alternates for life floats. 144... for life floats. (a) Approved lifeboats, approved life rafts or approved inflatable life rafts may be used in lieu of approved life floats for either all or part of the capacity required. When either...

An Analysis of the Full-Floating Journal Bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaw, M C; Nussdorfer, T J , Jr

1947-01-01

An analysis of the operating characteristics of a full-floating journal bearing, a bearing in which a floating sleeve is located between the journal and bearing surfaces, is presented together with charts from which the performance of such bearings may be predicted. Examples are presented to illustrate the use of these charts and a limited number of experiments conducted upon a glass full-floating bearing are reported to verify some results of the analysis.

Solid-to-hybrid transitioning armature railgun with non-conforming-to-prejudice bore profile

DOEpatents

Solberg, Jerome Michael

2012-12-04

An improved railgun, railgun barrel, railgun projectile, and railgun system for accelerating a solid-to-hybrid transitioning armature projectile using a barrel having a bore that does not conform to a cross-sectional profile of the projectile, to contact and guide the projectile only by the rails in a low pressure bore volume so as to minimize damage, failure, and/or underperformance caused by plasma armatures, insulator ablation, and/or restrikes.

Apparatus for electrolytically tapered or contoured cavities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. A. (Inventor)

1967-01-01

An electrolytic machining apparatus for forming tapered or contoured cavities in an electrically conductive and electrochemically erodible piece is presented. It supports the workpiece and an electrode for movement relatively toward each other and has means for pumping an electrolyte between the workpiece and the electrode.

The effect of screw taper on interference fit during load to failure at the soft tissue/bone interface.

PubMed

Mann, Charles J; Costi, John J; Stanley, Richard M; Dobson, Peter J

2005-10-01

The effect of screw geometry on the pullout strength of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is well documented. The effect of a truly tapered screw has not been previously investigated. Thirty bovine knees in right and left knee pairs were collected. Superficial digital flexors from the hind legs of sheep were harvested to form a quadruple tendon graft. For each knee pair, one tendon graft was fixed using a tapered screw (n=15) and the other with a non-tapered screw (n=15). Interference screws were manufactured from stainless steel, and apart from the tapered or non-tapered profile were identical. The screws were inserted into a tibial tunnel already containing the tendon graft. The interference fit was tested by extensile load to failure tests. The insertion torque of the screws and first sign of load to failure (by pullout) of the interference fit were recorded. Results were analysed using paired t-tests. The results indicated that tapered screws have significantly higher resistance to interference failure (p=0.007) and insertion torque (p<0.001) than non-tapered screws. The improved biomechanical performance of tapered screws demonstrated in this study may translate into superior clinical results, particularly at the tibial attachment of hamstring anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and also of hamstring fixation to the medial femoral condyle for patella instability.

Cooling arrangement for a tapered turbine blade

DOEpatents

Liang, George

2010-07-27

A cooling arrangement (11) for a highly tapered gas turbine blade (10). The cooling arrangement (11) includes a pair of parallel triple-pass serpentine cooling circuits (80,82) formed in an inner radial portion (50) of the blade, and a respective pair of single radial channel cooling circuits (84,86) formed in an outer radial portion (52) of the blade (10), with each single radial channel receiving the cooling fluid discharged from a respective one of the triple-pass serpentine cooling circuit. The cooling arrangement advantageously provides a higher degree of cooling to the most highly stressed radially inner portion of the blade, while providing a lower degree of cooling to the less highly stressed radially outer portion of the blade. The cooling arrangement can be implemented with known casting techniques, thereby facilitating its use on highly tapered, highly twisted Row 4 industrial gas turbine blades that could not be cooled with prior art cooling arrangements.

Design of Ultra-Wideband Tapered Slot Antenna by Using Binomial Transformer with Corrugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chareonsiri, Yosita; Thaiwirot, Wanwisa; Akkaraekthalin, Prayoot

2017-05-01

In this paper, the tapered slot antenna (TSA) with corrugation is proposed for UWB applications. The multi-section binomial transformer is used to design taper profile of the proposed TSA that does not involve using time consuming optimization. A step-by-step procedure for synthesis of the step impedance values related with step slot widths of taper profile is presented. The smooth taper can be achieved by fitting the smoothing curve to the entire step slot. The design of TSA based on this method yields results with a quite flat gain and wide impedance bandwidth covering UWB spectrum from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. To further improve the radiation characteristics, the corrugation is added on the both edges of the proposed TSA. The effects of different corrugation shapes on the improvement of antenna gain and front-to-back ratio (F-to-B ratio) are investigated. To demonstrate the validity of the design, the prototypes of TSA without and with corrugation are fabricated and measured. The results show good agreement between simulation and measurement.

Coherent beam combining architectures for high power tapered laser arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schimmel, G.; Janicot, S.; Hanna, M.; Decker, J.; Crump, P.; Erbert, G.; Witte, U.; Traub, M.; Georges, P.; Lucas-Leclin, G.

2017-02-01

Coherent beam combining (CBC) aims at increasing the spatial brightness of lasers. It consists in maintaining a constant phase relationship between different emitters, in order to combine them constructively in one single beam. We have investigated the CBC of an array of five individually-addressable high-power tapered laser diodes at λ = 976 nm, in two architectures: the first one utilizes the self-organization of the lasers in an interferometric extended-cavity, which ensures their mutual coherence; the second one relies on the injection of the emitters by a single-frequency laser diode. In both cases, the coherent combining of the phase-locked beams is ensured on the front side of the array by a transmission diffractive grating with 98% efficiency. The passive phase-locking of the laser bar is obtained up to 5 A (per emitter). An optimization algorithm is implemented to find the proper currents in the five ridge sections that ensured the maximum combined power on the front side. Under these conditions we achieve a maximum combined power of 7.5 W. In the active MOPA configuration, we can increase the currents in the tapered sections up to 6 A and get a combined power of 11.5 W, corresponding to a combining efficiency of 76%. It is limited by the beam quality of the tapered emitters and by fast phase fluctuations between emitters. Still, these results confirm the potential of CBC approaches with tapered lasers to provide a high-power and high-brightness beam, and compare with the current state-of-the-art with laser diodes.

46 CFR 131.870 - Life floats and buoyant apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Life floats and buoyant apparatus. 131.870 Section 131... OPERATIONS Markings for Fire Equipment and Emergency Equipment § 131.870 Life floats and buoyant apparatus. (a) The name of the vessel must be plainly marked or painted on each life float or buoyant apparatus...

46 CFR 131.870 - Life floats and buoyant apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Life floats and buoyant apparatus. 131.870 Section 131... OPERATIONS Markings for Fire Equipment and Emergency Equipment § 131.870 Life floats and buoyant apparatus. (a) The name of the vessel must be plainly marked or painted on each life float or buoyant apparatus...

46 CFR 131.870 - Life floats and buoyant apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Life floats and buoyant apparatus. 131.870 Section 131... OPERATIONS Markings for Fire Equipment and Emergency Equipment § 131.870 Life floats and buoyant apparatus. (a) The name of the vessel must be plainly marked or painted on each life float or buoyant apparatus...

46 CFR 131.870 - Life floats and buoyant apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... OPERATIONS Markings for Fire Equipment and Emergency Equipment § 131.870 Life floats and buoyant apparatus. (a) The name of the vessel must be plainly marked or painted on each life float or buoyant apparatus... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Life floats and buoyant apparatus. 131.870 Section 131...

46 CFR 131.870 - Life floats and buoyant apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OPERATIONS Markings for Fire Equipment and Emergency Equipment § 131.870 Life floats and buoyant apparatus. (a) The name of the vessel must be plainly marked or painted on each life float or buoyant apparatus... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Life floats and buoyant apparatus. 131.870 Section 131...

Corrosion on the acetabular liner taper from retrieved modular metal-on-metal total hip replacements.

PubMed

Gascoyne, Trevor C; Dyrkacz, Richard M; Turgeon, Thomas R; Burnell, Colin D; Wyss, Urs P; Brandt, Jan-M

2014-10-01

Eight retrieved metal-on-metal total hip replacements displayed corrosion damage along the cobalt-chromium alloy liner taper junction with the Ti alloy acetabular shell. Scanning electron microscopy indicated the primary mechanism of corrosion to be grain boundary and associated crevice corrosion, which was likely accelerated through mechanical micromotion and galvanic corrosion resulting from dissimilar alloys. Coordinate measurements revealed up to 4.3mm(3) of the cobalt-chromium alloy taper surface was removed due to corrosion, which is comparable to previous reports of corrosion damage on head-neck tapers. The acetabular liner-shell taper appears to be an additional source of metal corrosion products in modular total hip replacements. Patients with these prostheses should be closely monitored for signs of adverse reaction towards corrosion by-products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Near-field fluorescence thermometry using highly efficient triple-tapered near-field optical fiber probe.

PubMed

Fujii, T; Taguchi, Y; Saiki, T; Nagasaka, Y

2012-12-01

A novel local temperature measurement method using fluorescence near-field optics thermal nanoscopy (Fluor-NOTN) has been developed. Fluor-NOTN enables nanoscale temperature measurement in situ by detecting the temperature-dependent fluorescence lifetime of CdSe quantum dots (QDs). In this paper, we report a novel triple-tapered near-field optical fiber probe that can increase the temperature measurement sensitivity of Fluor-NOTN. The performance of the proposed probe was numerically evaluated by the finite difference time domain method. Due to improvements in both the throughput and collection efficiency of near-field light, the sensitivity of the proposed probe was 1.9 times greater than that of typical double-tapered probe. The proposed shape of the triple-tapered core was successfully fabricated utilizing a geometrical model. The detected signal intensity of dried layers of QDs was greater by more than two orders than that of auto-fluorescence from the fiber core. In addition, the near-field fluorescence lifetime of the QDs and its temperature dependence were successfully measured by the fabricated triple-tapered near-field optical fiber probe. These measurement results verified the capability of the proposed triple-tapered near-field optical fiber probe to improve the collection efficiency of near-field fluorescence.

Compatible taper equation for loblolly pine

Treesearch

J. P. McClure; R. L. Czaplewski

1986-01-01

Cao's compatible, segmented polynomial taper equation (Q. V. Cao, H. E. Burkhart, and T. A. Max. For. Sci. 26: 71-80. 1980) is fitted to a large loblolly pine data set from the southeastern United States. Equations are presented that predict diameter at a given height, height to a given top diameter, and volume below a given position on the main stem. All...

Potential of water surface-floating microalgae for biodiesel production: Floating-biomass and lipid productivities.

PubMed

Muto, Masaki; Nojima, Daisuke; Yue, Liang; Kanehara, Hideyuki; Naruse, Hideaki; Ujiro, Asuka; Yoshino, Tomoko; Matsunaga, Tadashi; Tanaka, Tsuyoshi

2017-03-01

Microalgae have been accepted as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production owing to their capability of converting solar energy into lipids through photosynthesis. However, the high capital and operating costs, and high energy consumption, are hampering commercialization of microalgal biodiesel. In this study, the surface-floating microalga, strain AVFF007 (tentatively identified as Botryosphaerella sudetica), which naturally forms a biofilm on surfaces, was characterized for use in biodiesel production. The biofilm could be conveniently harvested from the surface of the water by adsorbing onto a polyethylene film. The lipid productivity of strain AVFF007 was 46.3 mg/L/day, allowing direct comparison to lipid productivities of other microalgal species. The moisture content of the surface-floating biomass was 86.0 ± 1.2%, which was much lower than that of the biomass harvested using centrifugation. These results reveal the potential of this surface-floating microalgal species as a biodiesel producer, employing a novel biomass harvesting and dewatering strategy. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Floating seal system for rotary devices

DOEpatents

Banasiuk, Hubert A.

1983-01-01

This invention relates to a floating seal system for rotary devices to reduce gas leakage around the rotary device in a duct and across the face of the rotary device to an adjacent duct. The peripheral seal bodies are made of resilient material having a generally U-shaped cross section wherein one of the legs is secured to a support member and the other of the legs forms a contacting seal against the rotary device. The legs of the peripheral seal form an extended angle of intersection of about 10.degree. to about 30.degree. in the unloaded condition to provide even sealing forces around the periphery of the rotary device. The peripheral seal extends around the periphery of the support member except where intersected by radial seals which reduce gas leakage across the face of the rotary device and between adjacent duct portions. The radial seal assembly is fabricated from channel bars, the smaller channel bar being secured to the divider of the support member and a larger inverted rigid floating channel bar having its legs freely movable over the legs of the smaller channel bar forming therewith a tubular channel. A resilient flexible tube is positioned within the tubular channel for substantially its full length to reduce gas leakage across the tubular channel. A spacer extends beyond the face of the floating channel near each end of the floating channel a distance to provide desired clearance between the floating channel and the face of the rotary device.

Floating seal system for rotary devices

DOEpatents

Banasiuk, H.A.

1983-08-23

This invention relates to a floating seal system for rotary devices to reduce gas leakage around the rotary device in a duct and across the face of the rotary device to an adjacent duct. The peripheral seal bodies are made of resilient material having a generally U-shaped cross section wherein one of the legs is secured to a support member and the other of the legs forms a contacting seal against the rotary device. The legs of the peripheral seal form an extended angle of intersection of about 10[degree] to about 30[degree] in the unloaded condition to provide even sealing forces around the periphery of the rotary device. The peripheral seal extends around the periphery of the support member except where intersected by radial seals which reduce gas leakage across the face of the rotary device and between adjacent duct portions. The radial seal assembly is fabricated from channel bars, the smaller channel bar being secured to the divider of the support member and a larger inverted rigid floating channel bar having its legs freely movable over the legs of the smaller channel bar forming therewith a tubular channel. A resilient flexible tube is positioned within the tubular channel for substantially its full length to reduce gas leakage across the tubular channel. A spacer extends beyond the face of the floating channel near each end of the floating channel a distance to provide desired clearance between the floating channel and the face of the rotary device. 5 figs.

33 CFR 144.01-10 - Equipment for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Equipment for life floats. 144.01... for life floats. (a) Each lifefloat shall be provided with a painter. This painter shall be a manila... 1/2 inch in diameter. (b) Each life float must have a water light of an approved automatic electric...

33 CFR 144.01-10 - Equipment for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Equipment for life floats. 144.01... for life floats. (a) Each lifefloat shall be provided with a painter. This painter shall be a manila... 1/2 inch in diameter. (b) Each life float must have a water light of an approved automatic electric...

33 CFR 144.01-10 - Equipment for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Equipment for life floats. 144.01... for life floats. (a) Each lifefloat shall be provided with a painter. This painter shall be a manila... 1/2 inch in diameter. (b) Each life float must have a water light of an approved automatic electric...

33 CFR 144.01-10 - Equipment for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Equipment for life floats. 144.01... for life floats. (a) Each lifefloat shall be provided with a painter. This painter shall be a manila... 1/2 inch in diameter. (b) Each life float must have a water light of an approved automatic electric...

33 CFR 144.01-10 - Equipment for life floats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Equipment for life floats. 144.01... for life floats. (a) Each lifefloat shall be provided with a painter. This painter shall be a manila... 1/2 inch in diameter. (b) Each life float must have a water light of an approved automatic electric...

Comparison of Small Bore Catheter Aspiration and Chest Tube Drainage in the Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax.

PubMed

Korczyński, P; Górska, K; Nasiłowski, J; Chazan, R; Krenke, R

2015-01-01

Beside standard chest tube drainage other less invasive techniques have been used in the management of patients with an acute episode of spontaneous pneumothorax. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short term effect of spontaneous pneumothorax treatment with small-bore pleural catheter and manual aspiration as compared to large-bore chest tube drainage. Patients with an episode of pneumothorax who required pleural intervention were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to one of the treatment arms: (1) small-bore pleural catheter (8 Fr) with manual aspiration; (2) standard chest tube drainage (20-24 Fr). Success rate of the first line treatment, duration of catheter or chest tube drainage, and the need for surgical intervention were the outcome measures. The study group included 49 patients (mean age 46.9±21.3 years); with 22 and 27 allocated to small bore manual aspiration and chest tube drainage groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of patients in both therapeutic arms. First line treatment success rates were 64% and 82% in the manual aspiration and chest tube drainage groups, respectively; the difference was insignificant. Median time of treatment with small bore catheter was significantly shorter than conventional chest tube drainage (2.0 vs. 6.0 days; p<0.05). Our results show that treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax with small-bore pleural catheter and manual aspiration might be similarly effective as is chest tube drainage in terms of immediate lung re-expansion.

Research on stability of nozzle-floating plate institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bin; Tao, Jiayue; Yi, Jiajing; Chen, Shijing

2016-01-01

In this paper, air hammer instability of nozzle-floating plate institution in gas lubricated force sensor were studied. Through establishment of the theoretical model for the analysis of the nozzle-floating plate institution stability, combined with air hammer stability judgment theorems, we had some simulation research on the radius of the nozzle, the radius of the pressure chamber, pressure chamber depth, orifice radius and the relationship between air supply pressure and bearing capacity, in order to explore the instability mechanism of nozzle-floating plate institution. For conducting experimental observations for the stability of two groups nozzle-floating plate institution, which have typical structural parameters conducted experimental observations. We set up a special experimental device, verify the correctness of the theoretical study and simulation results. This paper shows that in the nozzle-floating plate institution, increasing the nozzle diameter, reduced pressure chamber radius, reducing the depth of the pressure chamber and increase the supply orifice radius, and other measures is conducive to system stability. Results of this study have important implications for research and design of gas lubricated force sensor.

Environment parameters and basic functions for floating-point computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, W. S.; Feldman, S. I.

1978-01-01

A language-independent proposal for environment parameters and basic functions for floating-point computation is presented. Basic functions are proposed to analyze, synthesize, and scale floating-point numbers. The model provides a small set of parameters and a small set of axioms along with sharp measures of roundoff error. The parameters and functions can be used to write portable and robust codes that deal intimately with the floating-point representation. Subject to underflow and overflow constraints, a number can be scaled by a power of the floating-point radix inexpensively and without loss of precision. A specific representation for FORTRAN is included.

Incident wave, infragravity wave, and non-linear low-frequency bore evolution across fringing coral reefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storlazzi, C. D.; Griffioen, D.; Cheriton, O. M.

2016-12-01

Coral reefs have been shown to significantly attenuate incident wave energy and thus provide protection for 100s of millions of people globally. To better constrain wave dynamics and wave-driven water levels over fringing coral reefs, a 4-month deployment of wave and tide gauges was conducted across two shore-normal transects on Roi-Namur Island and two transects on Kwajalein Island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. At all locations, although incident wave (periods <25 s) heights were an order of magnitude greater than infragravity wave (periods > 250 s) heights on the outer reef flat just inshore of the zone of wave breaking, the infragravity wave heights generally equaled the incident wave heights by the middle of the reef flat and exceeded the incident wave heights on the inner reef flat by the shoreline. The infragravity waves generally were asymmetric, positively skewed, bore-like forms with incident-band waves riding the infragravity wave crest at the head of the bore; these wave packets have similar structure to high-frequency internal waves on an internal wave bore. Bore height was shown to scale with water depth, offshore wave height, and offshore wave period. For a given tidal elevation, with increasing offshore wave heights, such bores occurred more frequently on the middle reef flat, whereas they occurred less frequently on the inner reef flat. Skewed, asymmetric waves are known to drive large gradients in velocity and shear stress that can transport material onshore. Thus, a better understanding of these low-frequency, energetic bores on reef flats is critical to forecasting how coral reef-lined coasts may respond to sea-level rise and climate change.

Artificial Intelligence Procedures for Tree Taper Estimation within a Complex Vegetation Mosaic in Brazil

PubMed Central

Nunes, Matheus Henrique

2016-01-01

Tree stem form in native tropical forests is very irregular, posing a challenge to establishing taper equations that can accurately predict the diameter at any height along the stem and subsequently merchantable volume. Artificial intelligence approaches can be useful techniques in minimizing estimation errors within complex variations of vegetation. We evaluated the performance of Random Forest® regression tree and Artificial Neural Network procedures in modelling stem taper. Diameters and volume outside bark were compared to a traditional taper-based equation across a tropical Brazilian savanna, a seasonal semi-deciduous forest and a rainforest. Neural network models were found to be more accurate than the traditional taper equation. Random forest showed trends in the residuals from the diameter prediction and provided the least precise and accurate estimations for all forest types. This study provides insights into the superiority of a neural network, which provided advantages regarding the handling of local effects. PMID:27187074

980 nm tapered lasers with photonic crystal structure for low vertical divergence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaolong; Qu, Hongwei; Zhao, Pengchao; Liu, Yun; Zheng, Wanhua

2016-10-01

High power tapered lasers with nearly diffraction-limited beam quality have attracted much attention in numerous applications such as nonlinear frequency conversion, optical pumping of solid-state and fiber lasers, medical treatment and others. However, the large vertical divergence of conventional tapered lasers is a disadvantage, which makes beam shaping difficult and expensive in applications. Diode lasers with photonic crystal structure can achieve a large mode size and a narrow vertical divergence. In this paper, we present tapered lasers with photonic crystal structure emitting at 980 nm. The epitaxial layer is grown using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The device has a total cavity length of 2 mm, which consists of a 400-um long ridge-waveguide section and a 1600-um long tapered section. The taper angle is 4°. An output power of 3.3 W is achieved with a peak conversion efficiency of 35% in pulsed mode. The threshold current is 240 mA and the slope efficiency is 0.78 W/A. In continuous wave mode, the output power is 2.87 W, which is limited by a suddenly failure resulting from catastrophic optical mirror damage. The far field divergences with full width at half maximum are 12.3° in the vertical direction and 2.9° in the lateral direction at 0.5 A. At high injection level the vertical divergence doesn't exceed 16°. Beam quality factor M2 is measured based on second moment definition in CW mode. High beam quality is demonstrated by M2 value of less than 2 in both vertical and lateral directions.

Hydraulics of Iowa DOT slope-tapered pipe culverts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-06-01

This report updates the Iowa Department of Transportation design procedures for circular, slope-tapered concrete culverts. The current practice is to use the design coefficients for a square-edged, circular concrete culvert with a headwall that are f...

A Tapered Aluminium Microelectrode Array for Improvement of Dielectrophoresis-Based Particle Manipulation

PubMed Central

Buyong, Muhamad Ramdzan; Larki, Farhad; Faiz, Mohd Syafiq; Hamzah, Azrul Azlan; Yunas, Jumrail; Majlis, Burhanuddin Yeop

2015-01-01

In this work, the dielectrophoretic force (FDEP) response of Aluminium Microelectrode Arrays with tapered profile is investigated through experimental measurements and numerical simulations. A standard CMOS processing technique with a step for the formation of a tapered profile resist is implemented in the fabrication of Tapered Aluminium Microelectrode Arrays (TAMA). The FDEP is investigated through analysis of the Clausius-Mossotti factor (CMF) and cross-over frequency (fxo). The performance of TAMA with various side wall angles is compared to that of microelectrodes with a straight cut sidewall profile over a wide range of frequencies through FEM numerical simulations. Additionally, electric field measurement (EFM) is performed through scanning probe microscopy (SPM) in order to obtain the region of force focus in both platforms. Results showed that the tapered profile microelectrodes with angles between 60° and 70° produce the highest electric field gradient on the particles. Also, the region of the strongest electric field in TAMA is located at the bottom and top edge of microelectrode while the strongest electric field in microelectrodes with straight cut profile is found at the top corner of the microelectrode. The latter property of microelectrodes improves the probability of capturing/repelling the particles at the microelectrode’s side wall. PMID:25970255

A tapered aluminium microelectrode array for improvement of dielectrophoresis-based particle manipulation.

PubMed

Buyong, Muhamad Ramdzan; Larki, Farhad; Faiz, Mohd Syafiq; Hamzah, Azrul Azlan; Yunas, Jumrail; Majlis, Burhanuddin Yeop

2015-05-11

In this work, the dielectrophoretic force (F(DEP)) response of Aluminium Microelectrode Arrays with tapered profile is investigated through experimental measurements and numerical simulations. A standard CMOS processing technique with a step for the formation of a tapered profile resist is implemented in the fabrication of Tapered Aluminium Microelectrode Arrays (TAMA). The F(DEP) is investigated through analysis of the Clausius-Mossotti factor (CMF) and cross-over frequency (f(xo)). The performance of TAMA with various side wall angles is compared to that of microelectrodes with a straight cut sidewall profile over a wide range of frequencies through FEM numerical simulations. Additionally, electric field measurement (EFM) is performed through scanning probe microscopy (SPM) in order to obtain the region of force focus in both platforms. Results showed that the tapered profile microelectrodes with angles between 60° and 70° produce the highest electric field gradient on the particles. Also, the region of the strongest electric field in TAMA is located at the bottom and top edge of microelectrode while the strongest electric field in microelectrodes with straight cut profile is found at the top corner of the microelectrode. The latter property of microelectrodes improves the probability of capturing/repelling the particles at the microelectrode's side wall.

PLANING MILL, FIRST FLOOR INTERIOR, LOOKING WEST. A WHEEL BORING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

PLANING MILL, FIRST FLOOR INTERIOR, LOOKING WEST. A WHEEL BORING MACHINE AND SUPERVISOR’S OFFICE ARE VISIBLE. - Southern Pacific, Sacramento Shops, Planing Mill, 111 I Street, Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

Floating Solar Photovoltaics Gaining Ground | State, Local, and Tribal

Science.gov Websites

Gaining Ground January 24, 2017 by Alison Holm Floating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, so-called flotovoltaics (a trademarked term) or floating solar, represent an emerging application in which PV panels are sited on bodies of water. The PV panel technology used for floating solar applications is very similar

Piezoelectric energy harvester having planform-tapered interdigitated beams

DOEpatents

Kellogg, Rick A [Tijeras, NM; Sumali, Hartono [Albuquerque, NM

2011-05-24

Embodiments of energy harvesters have a plurality of piezoelectric planform-tapered, interdigitated cantilevered beams anchored to a common frame. The plurality of beams can be arranged as two or more sets of beams with each set sharing a common sense mass affixed to their free ends. Each set thus defined being capable of motion independent of any other set of beams. Each beam can comprise a unimorph or bimorph piezoelectric configuration bonded to a conductive or non-conductive supporting layer and provided with electrical contacts to the active piezoelectric elements for collecting strain induced charge (i.e. energy). The beams are planform tapered along the entirety or a portion of their length thereby increasing the effective stress level and power output of each piezoelectric element, and are interdigitated by sets to increase the power output per unit volume of a harvester thus produced.

65-fs Yb-doped all-fiber laser using tapered fiber for nonlinearity and dispersion management.

PubMed

Yang, Peilong; Teng, Hao; Fang, Shaobo; Hu, Zhongqi; Chang, Guoqing; Wang, Junli; Wei, Zhiyi

2018-04-15

We implement an ultrafast Yb-doped all-fiber laser which incorporates tapered single-mode fibers for managing nonlinearity and dispersion. The tapered fiber placed in the oscillator cavity aims to broaden the optical spectrum of the intracavity pulse. At the oscillator output, we use another tapered fiber to perform pulse compression. The resulting 66.1-MHz Yb-doped all-fiber oscillator self-starts and generates 0.4-nJ, 65-fs pulses, which can serve as a compact and robust seed source for subsequent high-power, high-energy amplifiers.

TAPERED DEFINING SLOT

DOEpatents

Pressey, F.W.

1959-09-01

An improvement is reported in the shape and formation of the slot or opening in the collimating slot member which forms part of an ion source of the type wherein a vapor of the material to be ionized is bombarded by electrons in a magnetic field to strike an arc-producing ionization. The defining slot is formed so as to have a substantial taper away from the cathode, causing the electron bombardment from the cathode to be dispersed over a greater area reducing its temperature and at the same time bringing the principal concentration of heat from the electron bombardment nearer the anode side of the slot, thus reducing deterioration and prolonging the life of the slot member during operation.

Compatible taper and volume equations for young longleaf pine plantations in southwest Georgia

Treesearch

Lichun Jiang; John R. Brooks; Alexander Clark

2010-01-01

Inside and outside bark taper equations as well as compatible cubic foot volume equations were developed from felled tree data selected from young longleaf pine plantations that are part of an existing growth and yield study located in the Flint River drainage of southwest Georgia. A Max-Burkhart taper model was selected as the basic model form due to the accuracy...

4. VIEW OF BORING MILL IN OPERATION, operator unknown (note ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. VIEW OF BORING MILL IN OPERATION, operator unknown (note console in background). - Juniata Shops, Erecting Shop & Machine Shop, East of Fourth Avenue, between Fourth & Fifth Streets, Altoona, Blair County, PA

122. BENCH SHOP, SOUTHWEST CORNER SHOWING WOOD BORING MACHINE. DOOR ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

122. BENCH SHOP, SOUTHWEST CORNER SHOWING WOOD BORING MACHINE. DOOR TO WOODSHOP ON RIGHT. - Gruber Wagon Works, Pennsylvania Route 183 & State Hill Road at Red Bridge Park, Bernville, Berks County, PA

3. VIEW OF BORING MILL IN OPERATION, operator unknown (note ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. VIEW OF BORING MILL IN OPERATION, operator unknown (note console in background). - Juniata Shops, Erecting Shop & Machine Shop, East of Fourth Avenue, between Fourth & Fifth Streets, Altoona, Blair County, PA

Comparative evaluation of single and bilayered lamotrigine floating tablets

PubMed Central

Lakshmi, PK; Sridhar, M; Shruthi, B

2013-01-01

Aim: The purpose of this study was to prepare lamotrigine (LM) bilayered and single layered floating tablets and to compare their release profiles. Materials and Methods: LM floating tablets were prepared by direct compression method. Drug, hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose K4M, lactose monohydrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 constitute controlled release layer components and floating layer components includes polymers and sodium bicarbonate. The prepared tablets were evaluated for physicochemical parameters such as hardness, friability, weight variation, thickness, floating lag time (FLT), floating time, in vitro buoyancy study, in vitro release studies. The drug-polymer interaction was studied by fourier transform infrared and differential scanning calorimetry. Results and Discussion: The FLT of all the formulations were within the prescribed limits (<3 min). When ethyl cellulose was used as floating layer component, tablets showed good buoyancy effect but eroded within 6-8 h. Hence it was replaced with hydroxypropyl cellulose -M hydrophilic polymer, which showed good FLT and floating duration for 16 h. Formulation LFC4 was found to be optimized with dissolution profile of zero order kinetics showing fickian diffusion. A comparative study of bilayered and single layered tablets of LM showed a highest similarity factor of 83.03, difference factor of 2.74 and t-test (P < 0.05) indicates that there is no significant difference between them. Conclusion: Though bilayered tablet possess many advantages, single layered tablet would be economical, cost-effective and reproducible for large scale production in the industry. However, the results of present study demonstrated that the in vitro development of bilayered gastro retentive floating tablets with controlled drug release profile for LM is feasible. PMID:24167788

Characteristics of a Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna (LTSA) Conformed Longitudinally Around a Cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Jennifer L.; Ponchak, George E.; Tavassolian, Negar; Tentzeris, Manos M.

2007-01-01

The family of tapered slot antennas (TSA s) is suitable for numerous applications. Their ease of fabrication, wide bandwidth, and high gain make them desirable for military and commercial systems. Fabrication on thin, flexible substrates allows the TSA to be conformed over a given body, such as an aircraft wing or a piece of clothing for wearable networks. Previously, a Double Exponentially Tapered Slot Antenna (DETSA) was conformed around an exponential curvature, which showed that the main beam skewed towards the direction of curvature. This paper presents a Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna (LTSA) conformed longitudinally around a cylinder. Measured and simulated radiation patterns and the direction of maximum H co-polarization (Hco) as a function of the cylinder radius are presented.

Effects of taper and space settings of telescopic Ce-TZP/A crowns on retentive force and settling.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Shusuke; Torii, Katsunori; Tanaka, Masahiro

2017-03-31

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the taper and space setting of using Ce-TZP/A on retentive force and secondary crown settling. The taper were 2°, 4°, and 6°, and the space settings were 0 and 10 μm. The applied loads were 50 and 100 N. The taper had a significant effect on retentive force and settling at both loads (p<0.05). The space settings did not have a significant effect on retentive force or settling at either load (p<0.05). The taper of the telescopic crowns and the load affected the retentive force and the settling.

Simulation on friction taper plug welding of AA6063-20Gr metal matrix composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hynes, N. Rajesh Jesudoss; Nithin, Abeyram M.

2016-05-01

Friction taper plug welding a variant of friction welding is useful in welding of similar and dissimilar materials. It could be used for joining of composites to metals in sophisticated aerospace applications. In the present work numerical simulation of friction taper plug welding process is carried out using finite element based software. Graphite reinforced AA6063 is modelled using the software ANSYS 15.0 and temperature distribution is predicted. Effect of friction time on temperature distribution is numerically investigated. When the friction time is increased to 30 seconds, the tapered part of plug gets detached and fills the hole in the AA6063 plate perfectly.

Resurgence of catatonia following tapering or stoppage of lorazepam - A case series and implications.

PubMed

Ali, Syed Farooq; Gowda, Guru S; Jaisoorya, T S; Math, Suresh Bada

2017-08-01

The resurgence of catatonia following tapering of lorazepam is a common clinical phenomenon. However, there is limited evidence on the relationship between tapering method of lorazepam and resurgence of catatonic state. We report seven (0.6%) such patients who were found to have resurgence of catatonia. The mean age is 35.7 years; five of them had schizophrenia and other psychotic spectrum disorders. Five of them had resurgence within one week of stoppage, and three of them had multiple resurgences and required maintenance treatment with lorazepam. So gradual tapering and maintenance treatment with lorazepam might be effective in preventing resurgence of catatonia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tapered Microfluidic for Continuous Micro-Object Separation Based on Hydrodynamic Principle.

PubMed

Ahmad, Ida Laila; Ahmad, Mohd Ridzuan; Takeuchi, Masaru; Nakajima, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Yasuhisa

2017-12-01

Recent advances in microfluidic technologies have created a demand for a simple and efficient separation intended for various applications such as food industries, biological preparation, and medical diagnostic. In this paper, we report a tapered microfluidic device for passive continuous separation of microparticles by using hydrodynamic separation. By exploiting the hydrodynamic properties of the fluid flow and physical characteristics of micro particles, effective size based separation is demonstrated. The tapered microfluidic device has widening geometries with respect to specific taper angle which amplify the sedimentation effect experienced by particles of different sizes. A mixture of 3-μm and 10-μm polystyrene microbeads are successfully separated using 20° and 25° taper angles. The results obtained are in agreement with three-dimensional finite element simulation conducted using Abaqus 6.12. Moreover, the feasibility of this mechanism for biological separation is demonstrated by using polydisperse samples consists of 3-μm polystyrene microbeads and human epithelial cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells. 98% of samples purity is recovered at outlet 1 and outlet 3 with flow rate of 0.5-3.0 μl/min. Our device is interesting despite adopting passive separation approach. This method enables straightforward, label-free, and continuous separation of multiparticles in a stand-alone device without the need for bulky apparatus. Therefore, this device may become an enabling technology for point of care diagnosis tools and may hold potential for micrototal analysis system applications.

Large-aperture, tapered fiber-coupled, 10-kHz particle-image velocimetry.

PubMed

Hsu, Paul S; Roy, Sukesh; Jiang, Naibo; Gord, James R

2013-02-11

We demonstrate the design and implementation of a fiber-optic beam-delivery system using a large-aperture, tapered step-index fiber for high-speed particle-image velocimetry (PIV) in turbulent combustion flows. The tapered fiber in conjunction with a diffractive-optical-element (DOE) fiber-optic coupler significantly increases the damage threshold of the fiber, enabling fiber-optic beam delivery of sufficient nanosecond, 532-nm, laser pulse energy for high-speed PIV measurements. The fiber successfully transmits 1-kHz and 10-kHz laser pulses with energies of 5.3 mJ and 2 mJ, respectively, for more than 25 min without any indication of damage. It is experimentally demonstrated that the tapered fiber possesses the high coupling efficiency (~80%) and moderate beam quality for PIV. Additionally, the nearly uniform output-beam profile exiting the fiber is ideal for PIV applications. Comparative PIV measurements are made using a conventionally (bulk-optic) delivered light sheet, and a similar order of measurement accuracy is obtained with and without fiber coupling. Effective use of fiber-coupled, 10-kHz PIV is demonstrated for instantaneous 2D velocity-field measurements in turbulent reacting flows. Proof-of-concept measurements show significant promise for the performance of fiber-coupled, high-speed PIV using a tapered optical fiber in harsh laser-diagnostic environments such as those encountered in gas-turbine test beds and the cylinder of a combustion engine.

A Compatible Stem Taper-Volume-Weight System For Intensively Managed Fast Growing Loblolly Pine

Treesearch

Yugia Zhang; Bruce E. Borders; Robert L Bailey

2002-01-01

eometry-oriented methodology yielded a compatible taper-volume-weight system of models whose parameters were estimated using data from intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in the lower coastal plain of Georgia. Data analysis showed that fertilization has significantly reduced taper (inside and outside bark) on the upper...

Flow and turbulence structure in a hypertidal estuary with the world's biggest tidal bore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Junbiao; Fan, Daidu

2017-04-01

Turbulent and flow structure associated with breaking tidal bores are deliberately investigated on the basis of field measurements. High-resolution velocity and hydrographic data are collected in the middle Qiantang Estuary by a vertical array of acoustic Doppler velocimeters and optical backscatter sensors, collaborated with a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler. Besides obvious variations in diurnal and spring-neap tidal cycles, the estuarine dynamics is featured by extreme asymmetry in flood and ebb tides. The flood tide is abnormally accelerated to generate tidal bores at the first 10 min or more, with breaking or undular configurations at the front. The occurrence of peak flow velocity, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and TKE dissipation rate (ɛ) is definitely associated with breaking bores, with their values several times to 2 orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding secondary peak values during the maximum ebb flows. Flow and turbulence dynamics are significantly affected by the tidal-bore Froude number. A sandwich ɛ structure is clear exhibited with the maximum value at the surface, secondary maximum near the bed, and the minimum at the intermediate. Dual TKE sources are indicated by an approximate local balance between shear production and dissipation near the bottom, and a top-down TKE dissipation using the modified Froude scaling in the vertical water column. The highly elevated dissipation by breaking bores is comparable to that by intense breaking waves in the surf zone, and the former potentially penetrates the entire water column to produce extreme sediment-resuspension events in combination with intense bottom shear stress.

77 FR 50716 - Tapered Roller Bearings From China

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-344 (Third Review)] Tapered Roller..., the United States International Trade Commission (Commission) determines, pursuant to section 751(c... notice in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, Washington, DC, and by...

39. TUNNEL BORE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. VIEW SHOWS LIGHT CONSTRUCTION RAILWAY ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

39. TUNNEL BORE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. VIEW SHOWS LIGHT CONSTRUCTION RAILWAY FOR HAULING MUCK AND SPOIL - Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, Tunnel, Two miles east of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Springdale, Washington County, UT

Wood-boring insect abundance in fire-injured ponderosa pine

Treesearch

Sheryl L. Costello; Jose F. Negron; William R. Jacobi

2011-01-01

Wood-boring larvae in the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae are often found in high densities in burned trees after wildland fires. They play an important role in tree decomposition, often reducing the value of salvageable timber, and represent an important avian food source.

Floating arterial thrombus related stroke treated by intravenous thrombolysis.

PubMed

Vanacker, P; Cordier, M; Janbieh, J; Federau, C; Michel, P

2014-01-01

The effects of intravenous thrombolysis on floating thrombi in cervical and intracranial arteries of acute ischemic stroke patients are unknown. Similarly, the best prevention methods of early recurrences remain controversial. This study aimed to describe the clinical and radiological outcome of thrombolyzed strokes with floating thrombi. We retrospectively analyzed all thrombolyzed stroke patients in our institution between 2003 and 2010 with floating thrombi on acute CT-angiography before the intravenous thrombolysis. The floating thrombus was diagnosed if an elongated thrombus of at least 5 mm length, completely surrounded by contrast on supra-aortic neck or intracerebral arteries, was present on CT-angiography. Demographics, vascular risk factors, and comorbidities were recorded and stroke etiology was determined after a standardized workup. Repeat arterial imaging was performed by CTA at 24 h or before if clinical worsening was noted and then by Doppler and MRA during the first week and at four months. Of 409 thrombolyzed stroke patients undergoing acute CT Angiography, seven (1.7%) had a floating thrombus; of these seven, six had it in the anterior circulation. Demographics, risk factors and stroke severity of these patients were comparable to the other thrombolyzed patients. After intravenous thrombolysis, the floating thrombi resolved completely at 24 h in four of the patients, whereas one had an early recurrent stroke and one developed progressive worsening. One patient developed early occlusion of the carotid artery with floating thrombus and subsequently a TIA. The two patients with a stable floating thrombus had no clinical recurrences. In the literature, only one of four reported cases were found to have a thrombolysis-related early recurrence. Long-term outcome seemed similar in thrombolyzed patients with floating thrombus, despite a possible increase of very early recurrence. It remains to be established whether acute mechanical thrombectomy could be

Theoretical study of mode evolution in active long tapered multimode fiber.

PubMed

Shi, Chen; Wang, Xiaolin; Zhou, Pu; Xu, Xiaojun; Lu, Qisheng

2016-08-22

A concise and effective model based on coupled mode theory to describe mode evolution in long tapered active fiber is presented in this manuscript. The mode coupling due to variation of core radius and slight perturbation have been analyzed and local gain with transverse spatial hole burning (TSHB) effect, loss and curvature have been taken into consideration in our model. On the base of this model, the mode evolution behaviors under different factors have been numerically investigated. Our model and results can provide instructive suggestions when designing long tapered fiber based laser and amplifiers.

Dragging a floating horizontal cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Duck-Gyu; Kim, Ho-Young

2010-11-01

A cylinder immersed in a fluid stream experiences a drag, and it is well known that the drag coefficient is a function of the Reynolds number only. Here we study the force exerted on a long horizontal cylinder that is dragged perpendicular to its axis while floating on an air-water interface with a high Reynolds number. In addition to the flow-induced drag, the floating body is subjected to capillary forces along the contact line where the three phases of liquid/solid/gas meet. We first theoretically predict the meniscus profile around the horizontally moving cylinder assuming the potential flow, and show that the profile is in good agreement with that obtained experimentally. Then we compare our theoretical predictions and experimental measurement results for the drag coefficient of a floating horizontal cylinder that is given by a function of the Weber number and the Bond number. This study can help us to understand the horizontal motion of partially submerged objects at air-liquid interface, such as semi-aquatic insects and marine plants.

Can flexibility help you float?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, L. J.; Bush, J. W. M.

2012-10-01

We consider the role of flexibility in the weight-bearing characteristics of bodies floating at an interface. Specifically, we develop a theoretical model for a two-dimensional thin floating plate that yields the maximum stable plate load and optimal stiffness for weight support. Plates small relative to the capillary length are primarily supported by surface tension, and their weight-bearing potential does not benefit from flexibility. Above a critical size comparable to the capillary length, flexibility assists interfacial flotation. For plates on the order of and larger than the capillary length, deflection from an initially flat shape increases the force resulting from hydrostatic pressure, allowing the plate to support a greater load. In this large plate limit, the shape that bears the most weight is a semicircle, which displaces the most fluid above the plate for a fixed plate length. Exact results for maximum weight-bearing plate shapes are compared to analytic approximations made in the limits of large and small plate sizes. The value of flexibility for floating to a number of biological organisms is discussed in light of our study.

Fiber Volume Fraction Influence on Fiber Compaction in Tapered Resin Injection Pultrusion Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masuram, N. B.; Roux, J. A.; Jeswani, A. L.

2016-06-01

Liquid resin is injected into the tapered injection chamber through the injection slots to completely wetout the fiber reinforcements in a resin injection pultrusion process. As the resin penetrates through the fibers, the resin also pushes the fibers away from the wall towards the centerline causing compaction of the fiber reinforcements. The fibers are squeezed together due to compaction, making resin penetration more difficult; thus higher resin injection pressures are required to effectively penetrate through the fibers and achieve complete wetout. Fiber volume fraction in the final pultruded composite is a key to decide the mechanical and/or chemical properties of the composite. If the fiber volume fraction is too high, more fibers are squeezed together creating a fiber lean region near the wall and fiber rich region away from the wall. Also, the design of the injection chamber significantly affects the minimum injection pressure required to completely wet the fibers. A tapered injection chamber is considered such that wetout occurs at lower injection pressures due to the taper angle of the injection chamber. In this study, the effect of fiber volume fraction on the fiber reinforcement compaction and complete fiber wetout for a tapered injection chamber is investigated.

Double-clad fiber with a tapered end for confocal endomicroscopy

PubMed Central

Lemire-Renaud, Simon; Strupler, Mathias; Benboujja, Fouzi; Godbout, Nicolas; Boudoux, Caroline

2011-01-01

We present a double-clad fiber coupler (DCFC) for use in confocal endomicroscopy to reduce speckle contrast, increase signal collection while preserving optical sectioning. The DCFC is made by incorporating a double-clad tapered fiber (DCTF) to a fused-tapered DCFC for achromatic transmission (from 1265 nm to 1325 nm) of > 95% illumination light trough the single mode (SM) core and collection of > 40% diffuse light through inner cladding modes. Its potential for confocal endomicroscopy is demonstrated in a spectrally-encoded imaging setup which shows a 3 times reduction in speckle contrast as well as 5.5 × increase in signal collection compared to imaging with a SM fiber. PMID:22076259

Double-clad fiber with a tapered end for confocal endomicroscopy.

PubMed

Lemire-Renaud, Simon; Strupler, Mathias; Benboujja, Fouzi; Godbout, Nicolas; Boudoux, Caroline

2011-11-01

We present a double-clad fiber coupler (DCFC) for use in confocal endomicroscopy to reduce speckle contrast, increase signal collection while preserving optical sectioning. The DCFC is made by incorporating a double-clad tapered fiber (DCTF) to a fused-tapered DCFC for achromatic transmission (from 1265 nm to 1325 nm) of > 95% illumination light trough the single mode (SM) core and collection of > 40% diffuse light through inner cladding modes. Its potential for confocal endomicroscopy is demonstrated in a spectrally-encoded imaging setup which shows a 3 times reduction in speckle contrast as well as 5.5 × increase in signal collection compared to imaging with a SM fiber.

Vertical pump with free floating check valve

DOEpatents

Lindsay, Malcolm

1980-01-01

A vertical pump with a bottom discharge having a free floating check valve isposed in the outlet plenum thereof. The free floating check valve comprises a spherical member with a hemispherical cage-like member attached thereto which is capable of allowing forward or reverse flow under appropriate conditions while preventing reverse flow under inappropriate conditions.

Whatever Floats Your Boat: A Design Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kornoelje, Joanne; Roman, Harry T.

2012-01-01

This article presents a simple design challenge, based on the PBS program "Design Squad's" "Watercraft" activity that will prove engaging to most technology and engineering students. In this floating boat challenge, students are to build a boat that can float and support 25 pennies for at least 10 seconds--without leaking, sinking, or tipping…

BORED AND ASSEMBLED GATE VALVES RECEIVING PROTECTIVE COATING IN THE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

BORED AND ASSEMBLED GATE VALVES RECEIVING PROTECTIVE COATING IN THE VALVE PAINT BOOTH OF THE VALVE ASSEMBLY BUILDING. - Stockham Pipe & Fittings Company, Valve Assembly Building, 4000 Tenth Avenue North, Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL

The histological and elemental characterisation of corrosion particles from taper junctions.

PubMed

Munir, S; Oliver, R A; Zicat, B; Walter, W L; Walter, W K; Walsh, W R

2016-09-01

This study aimed to characterise and qualitatively grade the severity of the corrosion particles released into the hip joint following taper corrosion. The 26 cases examined were CoC/ABG Modular (n = 13) and ASR/SROM (n = 13). Blood serum metal ion levels were collected before and after revision surgery. The haematoxylin and eosin tissue sections were graded on the presence of fibrin exudates, necrosis, inflammatory cells and corrosion products. The corrosion products were identified based on visible observation and graded on abundance. Two independent observers blinded to the clinical patient findings scored all cases. Elemental analysis was performed on corrosion products within tissue sections. X-Ray diffraction was used to identify crystalline structures present in taper debris. The CoC/ABG Modular patients had a mean age of 64.6 years (49.4 to 76.5) and ASR/SROM patients had a mean age of 58.2 years (33.3 to 85.6). The mean time in situ for CoC/ABG was 4.9 years (2 to 6.4) and ASR/SROM was 6.1 years (2.5 to 8.1). The blood serum metal ion concentrations reduced following revision surgery with the exception of Cr levels within CoC/ABG. The grading of tissue sections showed that the macrophage response and metal debris were significantly higher for the ASR/SROM patients (p < 0.001). The brown/red particles were significantly higher for ASR/SROM (p < 0.001). The taper debris contained traces of titanium oxide, chromium oxide and aluminium nitride. This study characterised and qualitatively graded the severity of the corrosion particles released into the hip joint from tapers that had corrosion damage.Cite this article: S. Munir, R. A. Oliver, B. Zicat, W. L. Walter, W. K. Walter, W. R. Walsh. The histological and elemental characterisation of corrosion particles from taper junctions. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:370-378. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.59.2000507. © 2016 Munir et al.

Mode conversion in a tapered fiber via a whispering gallery mode resonator and its application as add/drop filter.

PubMed

Huang, Ligang; Wang, Jie; Peng, Weihua; Zhang, Wending; Bo, Fang; Yu, Xuanyi; Gao, Feng; Chang, Pengfa; Song, Xiaobo; Zhang, Guoquan; Xu, Jingjun

2016-02-01

Based on the conversion between the fundamental mode (LP01) and the higher-order mode (LP11) in a tapered fiber via a whispering gallery mode resonator, an add/drop filter was proposed and demonstrated experimentally, in which the resonator only interacted with one tapered fiber, rather than two tapered fibers as in conventional configurations. The filter gains advantages of easy alignment and low scattering loss over the other filters based on tapered fiber and resonator, and will be useful in application.

Changing Patterns of the Floating Population in China during 2000-2010*

PubMed Central

Liang, Zai; Li, Zhen; Ma, Zhongdong

2015-01-01

Using data from the 2000 and 2010 Chinese Population Censuses and applying a consistent definition of migration, this paper examines changing patterns of China's floating population during 2000-2010. We find that during the first decade of the 21st century, there have been significant changes in China's floating population, as reflected in continuing rise of interprovincial floating population and the rise of the floating population in China's western and interior regions, geographic diversification of destinations for the floating population, a major increase in interprovincial return migration, and significant improvement in education and occupational profiles among the floating population. We argue that these patterns are driven by a combination of complex domestic and international factors, including the newly released Labor Law, removal of agricultural tax, the western China development program, increased investment in education by the Chinese government, and the global financial crisis. We also discuss several challenges facing the floating population in the coming years, which include equality of educational opportunity for migrant children and adequate housing and social welfare protection for the floating population. Finally, we reflect on the future of migration research in China. PMID:26213427

Multipoint fiber-optic laser-ultrasonic actuator based on fiber core-opened tapers.

PubMed

Tian, Jiajun; Dong, Xiaolong; Gao, Shimin; Yao, Yong

2017-11-27

In this study, a novel fiber-optic, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator based on fiber core-opened tapers (COTs) is proposed and demonstrated. The COTs were fabricated by splicing single-mode fibers using a standard fiber splicer. A COT can effectively couple part of a core mode into cladding modes, and the coupling ratio can be controlled by adjusting the taper length. Such characteristics are used to obtain a multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced signal strength by reasonably controlling the taper lengths of the COTs. As a prototype, we constructed an actuator that generated ultrasound at four points with a balanced ultrasonic strength by connecting four COTs with coupling ratios of 24.5%, 33.01%, 49.51%, and 87.8% in a fiber link. This simple-to-fabricate, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced ultrasound signal strength has potential applications in fiber-optic ultrasound testing technology.

Friction Stir Welding of Tapered Thickness Welds Using an Adjustable Pin Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Glynn; Venable, Richard; Lawless, Kirby

2003-01-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) can be used for joining weld lands that vary in thickness along the length of the weld. An adjustable pin tool mechanism can be used to accomplish this in a single-pass, full-penetration weld by providing for precise changes in the pin length relative to the shoulder face during the weld process. The difficulty with this approach is in accurately adjusting the pin length to provide a consistent penetration ligament throughout the weld. The weld technique, control system, and instrumentation must account for mechanical and thermal compliances of the tooling system to conduct tapered welds successfully. In this study, a combination of static and in-situ measurements, as well as active control, is used to locate the pin accurately and maintain the desired penetration ligament. Frictional forces at the pin/shoulder interface were a source of error that affected accurate pin position. A traditional FSW pin tool design that requires a lead angle was used to join butt weld configurations that included both constant thickness and tapered sections. The pitch axis of the tooling was fixed throughout the weld; therefore, the effective lead angle in the tapered sections was restricted to within the tolerances allowed by the pin tool design. The sensitivity of the FSW process to factors such as thickness offset, joint gap, centerline offset, and taper transition offset were also studied. The joint gap and the thickness offset demonstrated the most adverse affects on the weld quality. Two separate tooling configurations were used to conduct tapered thickness welds successfully. The weld configurations included sections in which the thickness decreased along the weld, as well as sections in which the thickness increased along the weld. The data presented here include weld metallography, strength data, and process load data.

Separation of amino acids and antibiotics by narrow-bore and normal-bore high-performance liquid chromatography with pre-column derivatization.

PubMed

Fiedler, H P; Plaga, A

1987-01-16

The selectivity, efficiency and lifetime of normal- and narrow-bore columns for high-performance liquid chromatography were investigated for the separation and quantification of amino acids and the amino acid-like antibiotics phosphinothricin and phosphinothricylalanylalanine in biological samples. These compounds were determined by an automated pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde-2-mercaptoethanol reagent and UV detection at 338 nm.

14 CFR 23.529 - Hull and main float landing conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hull and main float landing conditions. 23... Water Loads § 23.529 Hull and main float landing conditions. (a) Symmetrical step, bow, and stern... directed perpendicularly to the keel line. (b) Unsymmetrical landing for hull and single float seaplanes...

Design of multiple-ply laminated composite tapered beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, P.

1993-01-01

A study of a special case of symmetric laminated composite cantilever beams is presented. The approach models beams that are tapered both in depth and width and investigates the effect of the ply layup angle and the ply taper on bending and interlaminar shearing stresses. For the determination of stresses and deflections, the beam stiffness matrices are expressed as linear functions of the beam length. Using classical lamination theory (CLT) the stiffness matrices are determined and assembled at strategic locations along the length of the beam. They are then inverted and necessary stiffness parameters are obtained numerically and extracted for determination of design information at each location chosen. Several ply layup configurations are investigated, and design considerations are presented based on the findings. Finally, recommendations for the design of these beams are presented, and a means for anticipating the location of highest stresses is offered.

Design of multiple-ply laminated composite tapered beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez, P.

1993-06-01

A study of a special case of symmetric laminated composite cantilever beams is presented. The approach models beams that are tapered both in depth and width and investigates the effect of the ply layup angle and the ply taper on bending and interlaminar shearing stresses. For the determination of stresses and deflections, the beam stiffness matrices are expressed as linear functions of the beam length. Using classical lamination theory (CLT) the stiffness matrices are determined and assembled at strategic locations along the length of the beam. They are then inverted and necessary stiffness parameters are obtained numerically and extracted formore » determination of design information at each location chosen. Several ply layup configurations are investigated, and design considerations are preSDsented based on the findings. Finally, recommendations for the design of these beams are presented, and a means for anticipating the location of highest stresses is offered.« less

77 FR 12326 - Tapered Roller Bearings From China; Scheduling of a Full Five-Year Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-29

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-344 (Third Review)] Tapered Roller Bearings From China; Scheduling of a Full Five- Year Review AGENCY: United States International Trade... whether revocation of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings from China would be likely to...

Vector rectangular-shape laser based on reduced graphene oxide interacting with a long fiber taper.

PubMed

Gao, Lei; Zhu, Tao; Huang, Wei; Zeng, Jing

2014-10-01

A vector dual-wavelength rectangular-shape laser (RSL) based on a long fiber taper deposited with reduced graphene oxide is proposed, where nonlinearity is enhanced due to a large evanescent-field-interacting length and strong field confinement of an 8 mm fiber taper with a waist diameter of 4 μm. Graphene flakes are deposited uniformly on the taper waist with light pressure effect, so this structure guarantees both excellent saturable absorption and high nonlinearity. The RSL with a repetition rate of 7.9 MHz shows fast polarization switching in two orthogonal polarization directions, and temporal and spectral characteristics are investigated.

Micromechanisms with floating pivot

DOEpatents

Garcia, Ernest J.

2001-03-06

A new class of tilting micromechanical mechanisms have been developed. These new mechanisms use floating pivot structures to relieve some of the problems encountered in the use of solid flexible pivots.

New insights on poly(vinyl acetate)-based coated floating tablets: characterisation of hydration and CO2 generation by benchtop MRI and its relation to drug release and floating strength.

PubMed

Strübing, Sandra; Abboud, Tâmara; Contri, Renata Vidor; Metz, Hendrik; Mäder, Karsten

2008-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of floating and drug release behaviour of poly(vinyl acetate)-based floating tablets with membrane controlled drug delivery. Propranolol HCl containing tablets with Kollidon SR as an excipient for direct compression and different Kollicoat SR 30 D/Kollicoat IR coats varying from 10 to 20mg polymer/cm2 were investigated regarding drug release in 0.1N HCl. Furthermore, the onset of floating, the floating duration and the floating strength of the device were determined. In addition, benchtop MRI studies of selected samples were performed. Coated tablets with 10mg polymer/cm2 SR/IR, 8.5:1.5 coat exhibited the shortest lag times prior to drug release and floating onset, the fastest increase in and highest maximum values of floating strength. The drug release was delayed efficiently within a time interval of 24 h by showing linear drug release characteristics. Poly(vinyl acetate) proved to be an appropriate excipient to ensure safe and reliable drug release. Floating strength measurements offered the possibility to quantify the floating ability of the developed systems and thus to compare different formulations more efficiently. Benchtop MRI studies allowed a deeper insight into drug release and floating mechanisms noninvasively and continuously.

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico; Pigeon, Jeremy J.; Joshi, Chan

2016-06-01

We have used multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of C O2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulse train. A heuristic theory is presented that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. The measured values of vHB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico

Here, we use multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO 2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulsemore » train. We present a heuristic theory that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. Furthermore, the measured values of v HB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.« less

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring.

PubMed

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya; Fiuza, Frederico; Pigeon, Jeremy J; Joshi, Chan

2016-06-01

We have used multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, v_{HB}, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO_{2} laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the v_{HB} falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulse train. A heuristic theory is presented that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. The measured values of v_{HB}, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.

Acid secretion by the boring organ of the burrowing giant clam, Tridacna crocea.

PubMed

Hill, Richard W; Armstrong, Eric J; Inaba, Kazuo; Morita, Masaya; Tresguerres, Martin; Stillman, Jonathon H; Roa, Jinae N; Kwan, Garfield T

2018-06-01

The giant clam Tridacna crocea , native to Indo-Pacific coral reefs, is noted for its unique ability to bore fully into coral rock and is a major agent of reef bioerosion. However, T. crocea 's mechanism of boring has remained a mystery despite decades of research. By exploiting a new, two-dimensional pH-sensing technology and manipulating clams to press their presumptive boring tissue (the pedal mantle) against pH-sensing foils, we show that this tissue lowers the pH of surfaces it contacts by greater than or equal to 2 pH units below seawater pH day and night. Acid secretion is likely mediated by vacuolar-type H + -ATPase, which we demonstrate (by immunofluorescence) is abundant in the pedal mantle outer epithelium. Our discovery of acid secretion solves this decades-old mystery and reveals that, during bioerosion, T. crocea can liberate reef constituents directly to the soluble phase, rather than producing sediment alone as earlier assumed. © 2018 The Author(s).

Plasma dynamics near critical density inferred from direct measurements of laser hole boring

DOE PAGES

Gong, Chao; Tochitsky, Sergei Ya.; Fiuza, Frederico; ...

2017-06-24

Here, we use multiframe picosecond optical interferometry to make direct measurements of the hole boring velocity, vHB, of the density cavity pushed forward by a train of CO 2 laser pulses in a near critical density helium plasma. As the pulse train intensity rises, the increasing radiation pressure of each pulse pushes the density cavity forward and the plasma electrons are strongly heated. After the peak laser intensity, the plasma pressure exerted by the heated electrons strongly impedes the hole boring process and the vHB falls rapidly as the laser pulse intensity falls at the back of the laser pulsemore » train. We present a heuristic theory that allows the estimation of the plasma electron temperature from the measurements of the hole boring velocity. Furthermore, the measured values of v HB, and the estimated values of the heated electron temperature as a function of laser intensity are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from two-dimensional numerical simulations.« less

In-Bore MR-Guided Biopsy Systems and Utility of PI-RADS.

PubMed

Fütterer, Jurgen J; Moche, Michael; Busse, Harald; Yakar, Derya

2016-06-01

A diagnostic dilemma exists in cases wherein a patient with clinical suspicion for prostate cancer has a negative transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy session. Although transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy is the standard of care, a paradigm shift is being observed. In biopsy-naive patients and patients with at least 1 negative biopsy session, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being utilized for tumor detection and subsequent targeting. Several commercial devices are now available for targeted prostate biopsy ranging from transrectal ultrasound-MR fusion biopsy to in bore MR-guided biopsy. In this review, we will give an update on the current status of in-bore MRI-guided biopsy systems and discuss value of prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PIRADS).

Production of high energy protons with hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robinson, A. P. L.

The possibility of producing energetic protons with energies in the range of 100-200 MeV via hole-boring (HB) radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) at intensities around 10{sup 21} W cm{sup -2} is reexamined. It is found that hole-boring RPA can occur well below the relativistically corrected critical density in numerical simulations, with average proton energies in good agreement with established formulas. This suggests that protons in this energy range can be produced via HB RPA at around 10{sup 21} W cm{sup -2}. It is also shown that the prospects of doing this could be improved by using lasers of the same intensitymore » but longer wavelength.« less

Collective Behavior of Camphor Floats Migrating on the Water Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimori, Hiraku; Suematsu, Nobuhiko J.; Nakata, Satoshi

2017-10-01

As simple and easily controllable objects among various self-propelled particles, camphor floats on the water surface have been widely recognized. In this paper, we introduce characteristic behaviors and discuss the background mechanism of camphor floats on water, both in isolated and non-isolated conditions. In particular, we focus on: (i) the transition of dynamical characters through bifurcations exhibited by systems with small number of camphor floats and (ii) the emergence of a rich variety of complex dynamics observed in systems with large number camphor floats, and attempt to elucidate these phenomena through mathematical modeling as well as experimental analysis. Finally, we discuss the connection of the dynamics of camphor floats to that of a wider class of complex and sophisticated dynamics exhibited by various types of self-propelled particles.

Assessment of water quality index of bore well water samples from some selected locations of South Gujarat, India.

PubMed

Tripathi, S; Patel, H M; Srivastava, P K; Bafna, A M

2013-10-01

The present study calculates the water quality index (WQI) of some selected sites from South Gujarat (India) and assesses the impact of industries, agriculture and human activities. Chemical parameters were monitored for the calculation of WQI of some selected bore well samples. The results revealed that the WQI of the some bore well samples exceeded acceptable levels due to the dumping of wastes from municipal, industrial and domestic sources and agricultural runoff as well. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) was implemented for interpolation of each water quality parameter (pH, EC, alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, nitrate and sulphate) for the entire sampled area. The bore water is unsuitable for drinking and if the present state of affairs continues for long, it may soon become an ecologically dead bore.

Small-bore chest tubes seem to perform better than larger tubes in treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax.

PubMed

Iepsen, Ulrik Winning; Ringbæk, Thomas

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and complications of surgical (large-bore) chest tube drainage with smaller and less invasive chest tubes in the treatment of non-traumatic pneumothorax (PT).  This was a retrospective study of 104 cases (94 patients) of non-traumatic PT treated with chest tubes - either by pulmonary physicians (daytime and weekdays) using small-bore chest tubes, or by orthopaedic surgeons (remaining time slots) using large-bore chest tubes.  A total of 62 had primary spontaneous PT, 30 had secondary spontaneous PT and 12 had iatrogenic PT. A total of 62 patients were treated with large-bore (20-28 Fr) chest tubes placed with traditional thoracotomy, 42 patients were treated by a pulmonary physician, and in 30 of these cases a True-Close thoracic vent (11-13 Fr) was inserted. Patients treated with surgical chest tubes were comparable with patients treated with smaller chest tubes in terms of demographic data and type and size of PT. Compared with patients treated with smaller chest tubes, patients with surgical large-bore tubes had more complications (27.4% versus 9.5%; p = 0.026), a lower success rate (56.5% versus 85.7%; p = 0.002), and longer duration of chest tube (8.3 versus 4.9 days; p = 0.001) and of hospitalisation (11.8 versus 6.9 days; p = 0.004).  We found small chest tubes to be superior to large-bore chest tubes with regard to short-term outcomes in the treatment of non-traumatic PT.  not relevant. The project was approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency, file no. 2012-41-0554. 

Pharmacokinetics and analgesic effect of ketorolac floating delivery system.

PubMed

Radwan, Mahasen A; Abou El Ela, Amal El Sayeh F; Hassan, Maha A; El-Maraghy, Dalia A

2015-05-01

The efficacy of ketorolac tromethamine (KT) floating alginate beads as a drug delivery system for better control of KT release was investigated. The formulation with the highest drug loading, entrapment efficiency, swelling, buoyancy, and in vitro release would be selected for further in vivo analgesic effect in the mice and pharmacokinetics study in rats compared to the tablet dosage form. KT floating alginate beads were prepared by extrusion congealing technique. KT in plasma samples was analyzed using a UPLC MS/MS assay. The percentage yield, drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were increased proportionally with the hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) polymer amount in the KT floating beads. A reverse relationship was observed between HPMC amount in the beads and the KT in vitro release rate. F3-floating beads were selected, due to its better in vitro results (continued floating for >8 h) than others. A longer analgesic effect was observed for F3 in fed mice as compared to the tablets. After F3 administration to rats, the Cmax (2.2 ± 0.3 µg/ml) was achieved at ∼2 h and the decline in KT concentration was slower. F3 showed a significant increase in the AUC (1.89 fold) in rats as compared to the tablets. KT was successfully formulated as floating beads with prolonged in vitro release extended to a better in vivo characteristic with higher bioavailability in rats. KT in floating beads shows a superior analgesic effect over tablets, especially in fed mice.

Balloon-like singlemode-tapered multimode-singlemode fiber structure for refractive index sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Biyao; Niu, Yanxiong; Yang, Bowen; Dai, Lingling; Hu, Yanhui; Yin, Yiheng; Ding, Ming

2017-10-01

A novel high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on balloon-like singlemode-tapered multimode-singlemode (STMS) fiber structure has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Combining the tapering and bending endows the proposed sensor with large evanescent field, resulting in high sensitivity. Experimental results show that the proposed sensor has an average sensitivity of 1104.75 nm/RIU (RI Unit) in the range of 1.33-1.41 and a maximum sensitivity of 3374.50 nm/RIU at RI of 1.41.

Cementless Tapered Wedge Femoral Stems Decrease Subsidence in Obese Patients Compared to Traditional Fit-and-Fill Stems.

PubMed

Grant, Tanner W; Lovro, Luke R; Licini, David J; Warth, Lucian C; Ziemba-Davis, Mary; Meneghini, Robert M

2017-03-01

Femoral component stability and resistance to subsidence is critical for osseointegration and clinical success in cementless total hip arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to radiographically evaluate the anatomic fit and subsidence of 2 different proximally tapered, porous-coated modern cementless femoral component designs. A retrospective cohort study of 126 consecutive cementless total hip arthroplasties was performed. Traditional fit-and-fill stems were implanted in the first 61 hips with the remaining 65 receiving morphometric tapered wedge stems. Preoperative bone morphology was radiographically assessed by the canal flare index. Canal fill in the coronal plane, subsidence, and the sagittal alignment of stems was measured digitally on immediate and 1-month postoperative radiographs. Demographics and canal flare indices were similar between groups. The percentage of femoral canal fill was greater in the tapered wedge compared to the fit-and-fill stem (P = .001). There was significantly less subsidence in the tapered wedge design (0.3 mm) compared to the fit-and-fill design (1.1 mm) (P = .001). Subsidence significantly increased as body mass index (BMI) increased in the fit-and-fill stems, a finding not observed in the tapered wedge design (P = .013). An anatomically designed morphometric tapered wedge femoral stem demonstrated greater axial stability and decreased subsidence with increasing BMI than a traditional fit-and-fill stem. The resistance to subsidence, irrespective of BMI, is likely due to the inherent axial stability of a tapered wedge design and may be the optimal stem design for obese patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber

PubMed Central

Pisanello, Marco; Oldenburg, Ian A.; Sileo, Leonardo; Markowitz, Jeffrey E.; Peterson, Ralph E.; Della Patria, Andrea; Haynes, Trevor M.; Emara, Mohamed S.; Spagnolo, Barbara; Datta, Sandeep Robert; De Vittorio, Massimo; Sabatini, Bernardo L.

2017-01-01

Optogenetics promises spatiotemporal precise control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either spatially restricted or large brain volumes. Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons when compared to the standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs. PMID:28628101

Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber.

PubMed

Pisanello, Ferruccio; Mandelbaum, Gil; Pisanello, Marco; Oldenburg, Ian A; Sileo, Leonardo; Markowitz, Jeffrey E; Peterson, Ralph E; Della Patria, Andrea; Haynes, Trevor M; Emara, Mohamed S; Spagnolo, Barbara; Datta, Sandeep Robert; De Vittorio, Massimo; Sabatini, Bernardo L

2017-08-01

Optogenetics promises precise spatiotemporal control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either spatially restricted or large brain volumes. Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons, compared to standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs.

View of four large bore holes on top of quarry ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View of four large bore holes on top of quarry wall, facing northeast - Granite Hill Plantation, Quarry No. 4, South side of State Route 16, 1.3 miles northeast east of Sparta, Sparta, Hancock County, GA

Capture of free-floating planets by planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goulinski, Nadav; Ribak, Erez N.

2018-01-01

Evidence of exoplanets with orbits that are misaligned with the spin of the host star may suggest that not all bound planets were born in the protoplanetary disc of their current planetary system. Observations have shown that free-floating Jupiter-mass objects can exceed the number of stars in our Galaxy, implying that capture scenarios may not be so rare. To address this issue, we construct a three-dimensional simulation of a three-body scattering between a free-floating planet and a star accompanied by a Jupiter-mass bound planet. We distinguish between three different possible scattering outcomes, where the free-floating planet may get weakly captured after the brief interaction with the binary, remain unbound or 'kick out' the bound planet and replace it. The simulation was performed for different masses of the free-floating planets and stars, as well as different impact parameters, inclination angles and approach velocities. The outcome statistics are used to construct an analytical approximation of the cross-section for capturing a free-floating planet by fitting their dependence on the tested variables. The analytically approximated cross-section is used to predict the capture rate for these kinds of objects, and to estimate that about 1 per cent of all stars are expected to experience a temporary capture of a free-floating planet during their lifetime. Finally, we propose additional physical processes that may increase the capture statistics and whose contribution should be considered in future simulations in order to determine the fate of the temporarily captured planets.

Numerical study on aerodynamic damping of floating vertical axis wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Zhengshun; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Gao, Zhen; Moan, Torgeir

2016-09-01

Harvesting offshore wind energy resources using floating vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) has attracted an increasing interest in recent years. Due to its potential impact on fatigue damage, the aerodynamic damping should be considered in the preliminary design of a floating VAWT based on the frequency domain method. However, currently the study on aerodynamic damping of floating VAWTs is very limited. Due to the essential difference in aerodynamic load characteristics, the aerodynamic damping of a floating VAWT could be different from that of a floating horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). In this study, the aerodynamic damping of floating VAWTs was studied in a fully coupled manner, and its influential factors and its effects on the motions, especially the pitch motion, were demonstrated. Three straight-bladed floating VAWTs with identical solidity and with a blade number varying from two to four were considered. The aerodynamic damping under steady and turbulent wind conditions were estimated using fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic time domain simulations. It is found that the aerodynamic damping ratio of the considered floating VAWTs ranges from 1.8% to 5.3%. Moreover, the aerodynamic damping is almost independent of the rotor azimuth angle, and is to some extent sensitive to the blade number.

Late Permian wood-borings reveal an intricate network of ecological relationships.

PubMed

Feng, Zhuo; Wang, Jun; Rößler, Ronny; Ślipiński, Adam; Labandeira, Conrad

2017-09-15

Beetles are the most diverse group of macroscopic organisms since the mid-Mesozoic. Much of beetle speciosity is attributable to myriad life habits, particularly diverse-feeding strategies involving interactions with plant substrates, such as wood. However, the life habits and early evolution of wood-boring beetles remain shrouded in mystery from a limited fossil record. Here we report new material from the upper Permian (Changhsingian Stage, ca. 254-252 million-years ago) of China documenting a microcosm of ecological associations involving a polyphagan wood-borer consuming cambial and wood tissues of the conifer Ningxiaites specialis. This earliest evidence for a component community of several trophically interacting taxa is frozen in time by exceptional preservation. The combination of an entry tunnel through bark, a cambium mother gallery, and up to 11 eggs placed in lateral niches-from which emerge multi-instar larval tunnels that consume cambium, wood and bark-is ecologically convergent with Early Cretaceous bark-beetle borings 120 million-years later.Numerous gaps remain in our knowledge of how groups of organisms interacted in ancient ecosystems. Here, Feng and colleagues describe a late Permian fossil wood-boring beetle microcosm, with the oldest known example of complex tunnel geometry, host tissue response, and the presence of fungi within.

Bore tube assembly for steam cooling a turbine rotor

DOEpatents

DeStefano, Thomas Daniel; Wilson, Ian David

2002-01-01

An axial bore tube assembly for a turbine is provided to supply cooling steam to hot gas components of the turbine wheels and return the spent cooling steam. A pair of inner and outer tubes define a steam supply passage concentric about an inner return passage. The forward ends of the tubes communicate with an end cap assembly having sets of peripheral holes communicating with first and second sets of radial tubes whereby cooling steam from the concentric passage is supplied through the end cap holes to radial tubes for cooling the buckets and return steam from the buckets is provided through the second set of radial tubes through a second set of openings of the end cap into the coaxial return passage. A radial-to-axial flow transitioning device, including anti-swirling vanes is provided in the end cap. A strut ring adjacent the aft end of the bore tube assembly permits axial and radial thermal expansion of the inner tube relative to the outer tube.

Improved vibration sensor based on a biconical tapered singlemode fiber, using in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wonko, R.; Moś, J. E.; Stasiewicz, K. A.; Jaroszewicz, L. R.

2017-05-01

Optical fiber vibration sensors are an appropriate alternative for piezoelectric devices, which are electromagnetic sensitive to the external conditions. Most of the vibration sensors demonstrated in previous publications resist to different interferometers or Bragg's gratings. Such sensors require a long time of stabilization of an optical signal, because they are vulnerable to undesirable disturbance. In majority, time response of an optical sensor should be instantaneous, therefore we have proposed an in- line vibration sensing passive element based on a tapered fiber. Micrometer sized optical fiber tapers are attractive for many optical areas due to changes process of boundary conditions. Such phenomena allow for a sensitive detection of the modulation phase. Our experiment shows that a singlemode, adiabatic tapered fiber enables detecting an acoustic vibration. In this study, we report on Mach- Zehnder (MZ) interferometer as a vibration sensor which was composed of two 50/50 couplers at 1550 nm. In the reference arm we used a 4 meter singlemode optical fiber (SMF28), while in the arm under test we placed tapered optical fibers attached to a metal plate, put directly on speaker. Researches carried out on different tapered fibers which diameter of a taper waist was in the range from 5 μm to 25 μm, and each taper was characterized by optical losses less than 0,5 dB. The measured phase changes were over a frequency from 100 Hz to 1 kHz and an amplitude in the range from 100 mVpp to 1 Vpp. Although on account of a limited space we have showed only the results for 100 Hz. Nevertheless, experimental results show that this sensing system has a wide frequency response range from a few hertz to one of kilohertz, however for some conditions, a standard optical fiber showed better result.

Measurement of Antenna Bore-Sight Gain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fortinberry, Jarrod; Shumpert, Thomas

2016-01-01

The absolute or free-field gain of a simple antenna can be approximated using standard antenna theory formulae or for a more accurate prediction, numerical methods may be employed to solve for antenna parameters including gain. Both of these methods will result in relatively reasonable estimates but in practice antenna gain is usually verified and documented via measurements and calibration. In this paper, a relatively simple and low-cost, yet effective means of determining the bore-sight free-field gain of a VHF/UHF antenna is proposed by using the Brewster angle relationship.

Tapered optical fiber tip probes based on focused ion beam-milled Fabry-Perot microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Ricardo M.; Warren-Smith, Stephen C.; Becker, Martin; Dellith, Jan; Rothhardt, Manfred; Zibaii, M. I.; Latifi, H.; Marques, Manuel B.; Bartelt, Hartmut; Frazão, Orlando

2016-09-01

Focused ion beam technology is combined with dynamic chemical etching to create microcavities in tapered optical fiber tips, resulting in fiber probes for temperature and refractive index sensing. Dynamic chemical etching uses hydrofluoric acid and a syringe pump to etch standard optical fibers into cone structures called tapered fiber tips where the length, shape, and cone angle can be precisely controlled. On these tips, focused ion beam is used to mill several different types of Fabry-Perot microcavities. Two main cavity types are initially compared and then combined to form a third, complex cavity structure. In the first case, a gap is milled on the tapered fiber tip which allows the external medium to penetrate the light guiding region and thus presents sensitivity to external refractive index changes. In the second, two slots that function as mirrors are milled on the tip creating a silica cavity that is only sensitive to temperature changes. Finally, both cavities are combined on a single tapered fiber tip, resulting in a multi-cavity structure capable of discriminating between temperature and refractive index variations. This dual characterization is performed with the aid of a fast Fourier transform method to separate the contributions of each cavity and thus of temperature and refractive index. Ultimately, a tapered optical fiber tip probe with sub-standard dimensions containing a multi-cavity structure is projected, fabricated, characterized and applied as a sensing element for simultaneous temperature and refractive index discrimination.

Well bore breakouts and in situ stress

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zoback, Mark D.; Moos, Daniel; Mastin, Larry; Anderson, Roger N.

1985-01-01

The detailed cross-sectional shape of stress induced well bore breakouts has been studied using specially processed ultrasonic borehole televiewer data. Breakout shapes are shown for a variety of rock types and introduce a simple elastic failure model which explains many features of the observations. Both the observations and calculations indicate that the breakouts define relatively broad and flat curvilinear surfaces which enlarge the borehole in the direction of minimum horizontal compression. Refs.

Cyclic fatigue of ProTaper instruments.

PubMed

Lopes, Hélio Pereira; Moreira, Edson Jorge Lima; Elias, Carlos Nelson; de Almeida, Renata Andriola; Neves, Mônica Schultz

2007-01-01

The present work evaluated the influence of the curved segment length of artificial root canals (the arc) and the number of cycles necessary to fracture engine-driven nickel-titanium endodontic instruments. ProTaper F3 25-mm files at 250 rpm were used in two artificial canals. The artificial canals were made of stainless steel with an inner diameter of 1.04 mm, a total length of 20 mm, and arc on the ends with a radius of curvature of 6 mm. The arc length of the first tube measured 9.4 mm, and the straight part measured 10.6 mm. The second tube was 14.1 mm long, and the straight part measured 5.9 mm. We determined the fracture surface distances and the number of cycles necessary to induce fatigue fracture in the ProTaper F3 instruments. The fracture surfaces and the helical shaft of the instruments were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. The results indicated that the required number of cycles to cause a fracture was influenced by the canal arc length, the morphology of the fractured surface presented ductile characteristics, and plastic deformation in the helical shaft of the fractured instruments did not occur.

Experimental stress–strain analysis of tapered silica optical fibers with nanofiber waist

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holleis, S.; Hoinkes, T.; Wuttke, C.

2014-04-21

We experimentally determine tensile force–elongation diagrams of tapered optical fibers with a nanofiber waist. The tapered optical fibers are produced from standard silica optical fibers using a heat and pull process. Both, the force–elongation data and scanning electron microscope images of the rupture points indicate a brittle material. Despite the small waist radii of only a few hundred nanometers, our experimental data can be fully explained by a nonlinear stress–strain model that relies on material properties of macroscopic silica optical fibers. This is an important asset when it comes to designing miniaturized optical elements as one can rely on themore » well-founded material characteristics of standard optical fibers. Based on this understanding, we demonstrate a simple and non-destructive technique that allows us to determine the waist radius of the tapered optical fiber. We find excellent agreement with independent scanning electron microscope measurements of the waist radius.« less

Radiation Issues and Applications of Floating Gate Memories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheick, L. Z.; Nguyen, D. N.

2000-01-01

The radiation effects that affect various systems that comprise floating gate memories are presented. The wear-out degradation results of unirradiated flash memories are compared to irradiated flash memories. The procedure analyzes the failure to write and erase caused by wear-out and degradation of internal charge pump circuits. A method is described for characterizing the radiation effects of the floating gate itself. The rate dependence, stopping power dependence, SEU susceptibility and applications of floating gate in radiation environment are presented. The ramifications for dosimetry and cell failure are discussed as well as for the long term use aspects of non-volatile memories.

Float Package and the Data Rack aboard the DC-9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

Ted Brunzie and Peter Mason observe the float package and the data rack aboard the DC-9 reduced gravity aircraft. The float package contains a cryostat, a video camera, a pump and accelerometers. The data rack displays and record the video signal from the float package on tape and stores acceleration and temperature measurements on disk.

Long-period grating fabricated by periodically tapering standard single-mode fiber.

PubMed

Shao, Li-Yang; Zhao, Jian; Dong, Xinyong; Tam, H Y; Lu, C; He, Sailing

2008-04-01

We fabricated an asymmetric long-period grating (LPG) by periodically tapering a section of standard single-mode fiber using a resistive filament heating. The LPG exhibits large peak transmission attenuation of -30.31 dB with only 22 periods in a 1.0 cm long optical fiber and possesses unique characteristics for sensing applications. The bending and strain sensitivities are 1.74 nm m and 1.11 pm/mu epsilon, respectively. The polarization dependent loss is large, up to 11.65 dB, which is caused by an asymmetric index profile in the cross section of the tapered LPG.

WindFloat Pacific Project, Final Scientific and Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banister, Kevin

2017-01-17

PPI’s WindFloat Pacific project (WFP) was an up to 30 MW floating offshore wind demonstration project proposed off the Coast of Oregon. The project was to be sited approximately 18 miles due west of Coos Bay, in over 1000 ft. of water, and is the first floating offshore wind array proposed in the United States, and the first offshore wind project of any kind proposed off the West Coast. PPI’s WindFloat, a semi-submersible foundation designed for high-capacity (6MW+) offshore wind turbines, is at the heart of the proposed project, and enables access to the world class wind resource at themore » project site and, equally, to other deep water, high wind resource areas around the country.« less

Multifractal analysis of managed and independent float exchange rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stošić, Darko; Stošić, Dusan; Stošić, Tatijana; Stanley, H. Eugene

2015-06-01

We investigate multifractal properties of daily price changes in currency rates using the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). We analyze managed and independent floating currency rates in eight countries, and determine the changes in multifractal spectrum when transitioning between the two regimes. We find that after the transition from managed to independent float regime the changes in multifractal spectrum (position of maximum and width) indicate an increase in market efficiency. The observed changes are more pronounced for developed countries that have a well established trading market. After shuffling the series, we find that the multifractality is due to both probability density function and long term correlations for managed float regime, while for independent float regime multifractality is in most cases caused by broad probability density function.

DETAIL OF TWO LARGE BORE HOLES ON TOP OF SOUTH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

DETAIL OF TWO LARGE BORE HOLES ON TOP OF SOUTH QUARRY WALL, FACING NORTH - Granite Hill Plantation, Quarry No. 1, South side of State Route 16, 1.3 miles northeast east of Sparta, Sparta, Hancock County, GA

VIEW OF PARALLEL LINE OF LARGE BORE HOLES IN NORTHERN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF PARALLEL LINE OF LARGE BORE HOLES IN NORTHERN QUARRY AREA, FACING NORTHEAST - Granite Hill Plantation, Quarry No. 2, South side of State Route 16, 1.3 miles northeast east of Sparta, Sparta, Hancock County, GA

Leakage of the fundamental mode in photonic crystal fiber tapers.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hong C; Kuhlmey, Boris T; Steel, Michael J; Smith, Cameron L; Mägi, Eric C; McPhedran, Ross C; Eggleton, Benjamin J

2005-05-15

We report detailed measurements of the optical properties of tapered photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). We observe a striking long-wavelength loss as the fiber diameter is reduced, despite the minimal airhole collapse along the taper. We associate this loss with a transition of the fundamental core mode as the fiber dimensions contract: At wavelengths shorter than this transition wavelength, the core mode is strongly confined in the fiber microstructure, whereas at longer wavelengths the mode expands beyond the microstructure and couples out to higher-order modes. These experimental results are discussed in the context of the so-called fundamental mode cutoff described by Kuhlmey et al. [Opt. Express 10, 1285 (2002)], which apply to PCFs with a finite microstructure.

Single and low order mode interrogation of a multimode sapphire fibre Bragg grating sensor with tapered fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobnic, D.; Mihailov, S. J.; Ding, H.; Bilodeau, F.; Smelser, C. W.

2006-05-01

Multimode sapphire fibre Bragg gratings (SFBG) made with an ultrafast Ti:sapphire 800 nm laser and a phase mask were probed using a tapered single mode fibre of different taper diameters to produce single and low order mode reflection/transmission responses. A configuration made of an input single mode tapered fibre and multimode silica fibre used for output coupling was also tested and has delivered a filtered multimode transmission spectrum. The tapered coupling improved the spectral resolution of the SFBG. Such improvements facilitate the utilization of the SFBG as a high temperature sensor. Wavelength shifts of the single mode response were monitored as a function of temperature up to 1500 °C with no detectable degradation in the grating strength or hysteresis in the Bragg resonance.

Red-green-blue (RGB) light generator using tapered fiber pumped with a frequency-doubled Yb-fiber laser.

PubMed

Rusu, M; Kivistö, Samuli; Gawith, C; Okhotnikov, O

2005-10-17

We report on successful realization of a picosecond visible-continuum source embedding a single mode fiber taper. The output of ytterbium mode-locked fiber laser was frequency doubled in a periodically-polled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal to produce green pump light. Spectral brightness of the white light generated in the tapered fiber was improved by limiting the broadening just to the visible wavelengths. The influence of taper parameters, particularly the dispersion, on white light spectrum has been studied.

Red-green-blue (RGB) light generator using tapered fiber pumped with a frequency-doubled Yb-fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, M.; Kivistö, Samuli; Gawith, C. B. E.; Okhotnikov, O. G.

2005-10-01

We report on successful realization of a picosecond visible-continuum source embedding a single mode fiber taper. The output of ytterbium mode-locked fiber laser was frequency doubled in a periodically-polled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal to produce green pump light. Spectral brightness of the white light generated in the tapered fiber was improved by limiting the broadening just to the visible wavelengths. The influence of taper parameters, particularly the dispersion, on white light spectrum has been studied.

A novel grounded to floating admittance converter with electronic control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Dinesh; Ahmad, Javed; Srivastava, Mayank

2018-01-01

This article suggests a new grounded to floating admittance convertor employing only two voltage differencing transconductance amplifiers (VDTAs). The proposed circuit can convert any arbitrary grounded admittance into floating admittance with electronically controllable scaling factor. The presented converter enjoys the following beneficial: (1) no requirement of any additional passive element (2) scaling factor can be tuned electronically through bias currents of VDTAs (3) no matching constraint required (4) low values of active/passive sensitivity indexes and (5) excellent non ideal behavior that indicates no deviation in circuit behavior even under non ideal environment. Application of the proposed configuration in realization of floating resistor and floating capacitor has been presented and the workability of these floating elements has been confirmed by active filter design examples. SPICE simulations have been performed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed circuits.

Precision Float Polishing

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-11

signal did not vary on side B when the laser beam was incident on different regions of the surface. The absorption was the same when examining a...silica and zerodur I have been polished using this technique. Float polished substrates have a typical surface roughness of approximately 2 A, with a

An efficient method for supercontinuum generation in dispersion-tailored Lead-silicate fiber taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Ma, S.; Dutta, N. K.

2010-08-01

In this paper we theoretically study the broadband mid-IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a lead-silicate microstructured fiber (the glass for simulation is SF57). The total dispersion of the fiber can be tailored by changing the core diameter of the fiber so that dispersion profiles with two zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs) can be obtained. Numerical simulations of the SCG process in a 4 cm long SF57 fiber/fiber taper seeded by femto-second pulses at telecommunications wavelength of 1.55 µm are presented. The results show that a fiber taper features a continuous shift of the longer zero dispersion wavelength. This extends the generated continuum to a longer wavelength region compared to fibers with fixed ZDWs. The phase-matching condition (PMC) is continuously modified in the fiber taper and the bandwidth of the generated dispersive waves (DWs) is significantly broadened.

Strain-induced bi-thermoelectricity in tapered carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Algharagholy, L. A. A.; Pope, T.; Lambert, C. J.

2018-03-01

We show that carbon-based nanostructured materials are a novel testbed for controlling thermoelectricity and have the potential to underpin the development of new cost-effective environmentally-friendly thermoelectric materials. In single-molecule junctions, it is known that transport resonances associated with the discrete molecular levels play a key role in the thermoelectric performance, but such resonances have not been exploited in carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Here we study junctions formed from tapered CNTs and demonstrate that such structures possess transport resonances near the Fermi level, whose energetic location can be varied by applying strain, resulting in an ability to tune the sign of their Seebeck coefficient. These results reveal that tapered CNTs form a new class of bi-thermoelectric materials, exhibiting both positive and negative thermopower. This ability to change the sign of the Seebeck coefficient allows the thermovoltage in carbon-based thermoelectric devices to be boosted by placing CNTs with alternating-sign Seebeck coefficients in tandem.

Fatigue Life Methodology for Tapered Hybrid Composite Flexbeams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

urri, Gretchen B.; Schaff, Jeffery R.

2006-01-01

Nonlinear-tapered flexbeam specimens from a full-size composite helicopter rotor hub flexbeam were tested under combined constant axial tension and cyclic bending loads. Two different graphite/glass hybrid configurations tested under cyclic loading failed by delamination in the tapered region. A 2-D finite element model was developed which closely approximated the flexbeam geometry, boundary conditions, and loading. The analysis results from two geometrically nonlinear finite element codes, ANSYS and ABAQUS, are presented and compared. Strain energy release rates (G) associated with simulated delamination growth in the flexbeams are presented from both codes. These results compare well with each other and suggest that the initial delamination growth from the tip of the ply-drop toward the thick region of the flexbeam is strongly mode II. The peak calculated G values were used with material characterization data to calculate fatigue life curves for comparison with test data. A curve relating maximum surface strain to number of loading cycles at delamination onset compared well with the test results.

DETAIL VIEW OF LARGE BORE HOLE, SHOWING TRIANGULAR SHAPE FORMED ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

DETAIL VIEW OF LARGE BORE HOLE, SHOWING TRIANGULAR SHAPE FORMED BY CHISEL METHOD OF DRILLING - Granite Hill Plantation, Quarry No. 3, South side of State Route 16, 1.3 miles northeast east of Sparta, Sparta, Hancock County, GA

8. VIEW OF WHEEL RACK FOR BORING MILL. Fork loading ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. VIEW OF WHEEL RACK FOR BORING MILL. Fork loading crane, manufactured by Cleveland Tramrail, 2-1/2 ton capacity. - Juniata Shops, Erecting Shop & Machine Shop, East of Fourth Avenue, between Fourth & Fifth Streets, Altoona, Blair County, PA

9. VIEW OF WHEEL RACK FOR BORING MILL. Fork loading ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. VIEW OF WHEEL RACK FOR BORING MILL. Fork loading crane, manufactured by Cleveland Tramrail, 2-1/2 ton capacity. - Juniata Shops, Erecting Shop & Machine Shop, East of Fourth Avenue, between Fourth & Fifth Streets, Altoona, Blair County, PA

Comparison of Pressure Changes by Head and Neck Position between High-Volume Low-Pressure and Taper-Shaped Cuffs: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Komasawa, Nobuyasu; Mihara, Ryosuke; Imagawa, Kentaro; Hattori, Kazuo; Minami, Toshiaki

2015-01-01

The present study compared changes in cuff pressure by head and neck position between high-volume low-pressure (HVLP) and taper-shaped (taper) cuffs in a prospective randomized clinical trial. Methods. Forty patients were intubated using tracheal tubes with either HVLP (n = 20; HVLP group) or taper-shaped (n = 20; Taper group) cuffs. Initial cuff pressure was adjusted to 15, 20, or 25 cmH2O in the neutral position. Cuff pressure was evaluated after changing the head and neck positions to flexion, extension, and rotation. Results. Cuff pressure significantly increased with flexion in both HVLP and Taper groups at all initial cuff pressures. It significantly increased with extension in the HVLP group, but not in the Taper group. Cuff pressure did not significantly differ with rotation in either group and was significantly smaller in the Taper group during flexion and extension than in the HVLP group, regardless of initial cuff pressure. Conclusion. Cuff pressure changes with head and neck flexion and extension were smaller in the Taper group than in the HVLP group. Our results highlight the potential for taper cuffs to prevent excessive cuff pressure increases with positional changes in the head and neck. This trial is registered with UMIN000016119. PMID:26509152

Structure and Evolution of an Undular Bore on the High Plains and Its Effects on Migrating Birds.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locatelli, John D.; Stoelinga, Mark T.; Hobbs, Peter V.; Johnson, Jim

1998-06-01

On 18 September 1992 a series of thunderstorms in Nebraska and eastern Colorado, which formed south of a synoptic-scale cold front and north of a Rocky Mountain lee trough, produced a cold outflow gust front that moved southeastward into Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and Oklahoma around sunset. When this cold outflow reached the vicinity of the lee trough, an undular bore developed on a nocturnally produced stable layer and moved through the range of the Dodge City WSR-88D Doppler radar. The radar data revealed that the undular bore, in the leading portion of a region of northwesterly winds about 45 km wide by 4 km high directly abutting the cold outflow, developed five undulations over the course of 3 h. Contrary to laboratory tank experiments, observations indicated that the solitary waves that composed the bore probably did not form from the enveloping of the head of the cold air outflow by the stable layer and the breaking off of the head of the cold air outflow. The synoptic-scale cold front subsequently intruded on the surface layer of air produced by the cold outflow, but there was no evidence for the formation of another bore.Profiler winds, in the region affected by the cold air outflow and the undular bore, contained signals from nocturnally, southward-migrating birds (most likely waterfowl) that took off in nonfavorable southerly winds and remained aloft for several hours longer than usual, thereby staying ahead of the turbulence associated with the undular bore.

Analysis for leakage and rotordynamic coefficients of surface-roughened tapered annular gas seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, C. C.

1984-01-01

The present analysis calculates the leakage and rotor-dynamic coefficients for tapered annular gas seals whose rotor and stator have been subjected to different surface roughness treatments. The analysis is demonstrated for the effects of changes in the Space Shuttle Main Engine High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump's turbine interstage seal length, taper, clearance, and fluid prerotation. It is noted that changes in these parameters generally resulted in major changes in leakage and rotordynamic coefficients.

Testing of an actively damped boring bar featuring structurally integrated PZT stack actuators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redmond, J.; Barney, P.

This paper summarizes the results of cutting tests performed using an actively damped boring bar to minimize chatter in metal cutting. A commercially available 2 inch diameter boring bar was modified to incorporate PZT stack actuators for controlling tool bending vibrations encountered during metal removal. The extensional motion of the actuators induce bending moments in the host structure through a two-point preloaded mounting scheme. Cutting tests performed at various speeds and depths of cuts on a hardened steel workpiece illustrate the bar`s effectiveness toward eliminating chatter vibrations and improving workpiece surface finish.

Boring sponges, an increasing threat for coral reefs affected by bleaching events.

PubMed

Carballo, José L; Bautista, Eric; Nava, Héctor; Cruz-Barraza, José A; Chávez, Jesus A

2013-04-01

Coral bleaching is a stress response of corals induced by a variety of factors, but these events have become more frequent and intense in response to recent climate-change-related temperature anomalies. We tested the hypothesis that coral reefs affected by bleaching events are currently heavily infested by boring sponges, which are playing a significant role in the destruction of their physical structure. Seventeen reefs that cover the entire distributional range of corals along the Mexican Pacific coast were studied between 2005/2006, and later between 2009/2010. Most of these coral reefs were previously impacted by bleaching events, which resulted in coral mortalities. Sponge abundance and species richness was used as an indicator of bioerosion, and coral cover was used to describe the present condition of coral reefs. Coral reefs are currently highly invaded (46% of the samples examined) by a very high diversity of boring sponges (20 species); being the coral reef framework the substrate most invaded (56%) followed by the rubbles (45%), and the living colonies (36%). The results also indicated that boring sponges are promoting the dislodgment of live colonies and large fragments from the framework. In summary, the eastern coral reefs affected by bleaching phenomena, mainly provoked by El Niño, present a high diversity and abundance of boring sponges, which are weakening the union of the colony with the reef framework and promoting their dislodgment. These phenomena will probably become even more intense and severe, as temperatures are projected to continue to rise under the scenarios for future climate change, which could place many eastern coral reefs beyond their survival threshold.

Boring sponges, an increasing threat for coral reefs affected by bleaching events

PubMed Central

Carballo, José L; Bautista, Eric; Nava, Héctor; Cruz-Barraza, José A; Chávez, Jesus A

2013-01-01

Coral bleaching is a stress response of corals induced by a variety of factors, but these events have become more frequent and intense in response to recent climate-change-related temperature anomalies. We tested the hypothesis that coral reefs affected by bleaching events are currently heavily infested by boring sponges, which are playing a significant role in the destruction of their physical structure. Seventeen reefs that cover the entire distributional range of corals along the Mexican Pacific coast were studied between 2005/2006, and later between 2009/2010. Most of these coral reefs were previously impacted by bleaching events, which resulted in coral mortalities. Sponge abundance and species richness was used as an indicator of bioerosion, and coral cover was used to describe the present condition of coral reefs. Coral reefs are currently highly invaded (46% of the samples examined) by a very high diversity of boring sponges (20 species); being the coral reef framework the substrate most invaded (56%) followed by the rubbles (45%), and the living colonies (36%). The results also indicated that boring sponges are promoting the dislodgment of live colonies and large fragments from the framework. In summary, the eastern coral reefs affected by bleaching phenomena, mainly provoked by El Niño, present a high diversity and abundance of boring sponges, which are weakening the union of the colony with the reef framework and promoting their dislodgment. These phenomena will probably become even more intense and severe, as temperatures are projected to continue to rise under the scenarios for future climate change, which could place many eastern coral reefs beyond their survival threshold. PMID:23610632

4. VIEW OF VERTICAL BORING MACHINE. (Bullard) Vertical turning lathe ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. VIEW OF VERTICAL BORING MACHINE. (Bullard) Vertical turning lathe (VTL). Machining the fixture for GE Turboshroud. G.S. O'Brien, operator. - Juniata Shops, Machine Shop No. 1, East of Fourth Avenue at Third Street, Altoona, Blair County, PA

Hand-operated and rotary ProTaper instruments: a comparison of working time and number of rotations in simulated root canals.

PubMed

Pasqualini, Damiano; Scotti, Nicola; Tamagnone, Lorenzo; Ellena, Federica; Berutti, Elio

2008-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effective shaping time and number of rotations required by an endodontist working with hand and rotary ProTaper instruments to completely shape simulated root canals. Eighty Endo Training Blocks (curved canal shape) were used. Manual preflaring was performed with K-Flexofiles #08-10-12-15-17 and #20 Nitiflex at a working length of 18 mm. Specimens were then randomly assigned to 2 different groups (n = 40); group 1 was shaped by using hand ProTaper and group 2 with ProTaper rotary. The number of rotations made in the canal and the effective time required to achieve complete canal shaping were recorded for each instrument. Differences between groups were analyzed with the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test (P < .05). Hand ProTaper required significantly fewer rotations (P < .001) than rotary ProTaper, whereas the effective working time to fully shape the simulated canal was significantly higher (P < .001) with hand ProTaper.

Reduction of Claustrophobia with Short-Bore versus Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Rief, Matthias; Martus, Peter; Klingebiel, Randolf; Asbach, Patrick; Klessen, Christian; Diederichs, Gerd; Wagner, Moritz; Teichgräber, Ulf; Bengner, Thomas; Hamm, Bernd; Dewey, Marc

2011-01-01

Background Claustrophobia is a common problem precluding MR imaging. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether a short-bore or an open magnetic resonance (MR) scanner is superior in alleviating claustrophobia. Methods Institutional review board approval and patient informed consent were obtained to compare short-bore versus open MR. From June 2008 to August 2009, 174 patients (139 women; mean age = 53.1 [SD 12.8]) with an overall mean score of 2.4 (SD 0.7, range 0 to 4) on the Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ) and a clinical indication for imaging, were randomly assigned to receive evaluation by open or by short-bore MR. The primary outcomes were incomplete MR examinations due to a claustrophobic event. Follow-up was conducted 7 months after MR imaging. The primary analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat strategy. Results With 33 claustrophobic events in the short-bore group (39% [95% confidence interval [CI] 28% to 50%) versus 23 in the open scanner group (26% [95% CI 18% to 37%]; P = 0.08) the difference was not significant. Patients with an event were in the examination room for 3.8 min (SD 4.4) in the short-bore and for 8.5 min (SD 7) in the open group (P = 0.004). This was due to an earlier occurrence of events in the short-bore group. The CLQ suffocation subscale was significantly associated with the occurrence of claustrophobic events (P = 0.003). New findings that explained symptoms were found in 69% of MR examinations and led to changes in medical treatment in 47% and surgery in 10% of patients. After 7 months, perceived claustrophobia increased in 32% of patients with events versus in only 11% of patients without events (P = 0.004). Conclusions Even recent MR cannot prevent claustrophobia suggesting that further developments to create a more patient-centered MR scanner environment are needed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00715806 PMID:21887259

Trapping and propelling microparticles at long range by using an entirely stripped and slightly tapered no-core optical fiber.

PubMed

Sheu, Fang-Wen; Huang, Yen-Si

2013-02-28

A stripped no-core optical fiber with a 125 µm diameter was transformed into a symmetric and unbroken optical fiber that tapers slightly to a 45-µm-diameter waist. The laser light can be easily launched into the no-core optical fiber. The enhanced evanescent wave of the slightly tapered no-core optical fiber can attract nearby 5-µm-diameter polystyrene microparticles onto the surface of the tapered multimode optical fiber within fast flowing fluid and propel the trapped particles in the direction of the light propagation to longer delivery range than is possible using a slightly tapered telecom single-mode optical fiber.

The age and phylogeny of wood boring weevils and the origin of subsociality.

PubMed

Jordal, Bjarte H; Sequeira, Andrea S; Cognato, Anthony I

2011-06-01

A large proportion of the hyperdiverse weevils are wood boring and many of these taxa have subsocial family structures. The origin and relationship between certain wood boring weevil taxa has been problematic to solve and hypotheses on their phylogenies change substantially between different studies. We aimed at testing the phylogenetic position and monophyly of the most prominent wood boring taxa Scolytinae, Platypodinae and Cossoninae, including a range of weevil outgroups with either the herbivorous or wood boring habit. Many putatively intergrading taxa were included in a broad phylogenetic analysis for the first time in this study, such as Schedlarius, Mecopelmus, Coptonotus, Dactylipalpus, Coptocorynus and allied Araucariini taxa, Dobionus, Psepholax, Amorphocerus-Porthetes, and some peculiar wood boring Conoderini with bark beetle behaviour. Data analyses were based on 128 morphological characters, rDNA nucleotides from the D2-D3 segment of 28S, and nucleotides and amino acids from the protein encoding gene fragments of CAD, ArgK, EF-1α and COI. Although the results varied for some of the groups between various data sets and analyses, one may conclude the following from this study: Scolytinae and Platypodinae are likely sister lineages most closely related to Coptonotus; Cossoninae is monophyletic (including Araucariini) and more distantly related to Scolytinae; Amorphocerini is not part of Cossoninae and Psepholax may belong to Cryptorhynchini. Likelihood estimation of ancestral state reconstruction of subsociality indicated five or six origins as a conservative estimate. Overall the phylogenetic results were quite dependent on morphological data and we conclude that more genetic loci must be sampled to improve phylogenetic resolution. However, some results such as the derived position of Scolytinae were consistent between morphological and molecular data. A revised time estimation of the origin of Curculionidae and various subfamily groups were made using

Navigated MRI-guided liver biopsies in a closed-bore scanner: experience in 52 patients.

PubMed

Moche, Michael; Heinig, Susann; Garnov, Nikita; Fuchs, Jochen; Petersen, Tim-Ole; Seider, Daniel; Brandmaier, Philipp; Kahn, Thomas; Busse, Harald

2016-08-01

To evaluate clinical effectiveness and diagnostic efficiency of a navigation device for MR-guided biopsies of focal liver lesions in a closed-bore scanner. In 52 patients, 55 biopsies were performed. An add-on MR navigation system with optical instrument tracking was used for image guidance and biopsy device insertion outside the bore. Fast control imaging allowed visualization of the true needle position at any time. The biopsy workflow and procedure duration were recorded. Histological analysis and clinical course/outcome were used to calculate sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy. Fifty-four of 55 liver biopsies were performed successfully with the system. No major and four minor complications occurred. Mean tumour size was 23 ± 14 mm and the skin-to-target length ranged from 22 to 177 mm. In 39 cases, access path was double oblique. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were 88 %, 100 % and 92 %, respectively. The mean procedure time was 51 ± 12 min, whereas the puncture itself lasted 16 ± 6 min. On average, four control scans were taken. Using this navigation device, biopsies of poorly visible and difficult accessible liver lesions could be performed safely and reliably in a closed-bore MRI scanner. The system can be easily implemented in clinical routine workflow. • Targeted liver biopsies could be reliably performed in a closed-bore MRI. • The navigation system allows for image guidance outside of the scanner bore. • Assisted MRI-guided biopsies are helpful for focal lesions with a difficult access. • Successful integration of the method in clinical workflow was shown. • Subsequent system installation in an existing MRI environment is feasible.

Effects of Prosthesis Stem Tapers on Stress Distribution of Cemented Hip Arthroplasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Abdul Halim; Nor, Mohd Asri Mohd; Saman, Alias Mohd; Tamin, Mohd Nasir; Kadir, Mohammed Rafiq Abdul

2010-10-01

Aseptic loosening effects are critical issues in encouraging long term stability of cemented hip arthroplasty. Stress shielding is believed to be an important factor that contributes to the aseptic loosening problems. The numerous changes in the prosthesis stem design are intended to minimize the stress shielding and aseptic loosening problems and to improve the long term performance of the implants. In this study, the stress distribution in cemented hip arthroplasty is established using finite element method. The taper of the prosthesis is designed to be 3° at anterior/posterior, 3° at medial/lateral and 10° from wide lateral to narrow medial. Major muscle loads and contact forces are simulated for walking (toe-off phase) and stair climbing load cases. Effects of prosthesis stem tapers on the resulting stress distribution are investigated. Results show that compressive stress dominates in the medial plane while tensile stress in the lateral plane of the femur. The corresponding stress levels of intact femur for walking and stair-climbing load cases are 22 and 29 MPa, respectively. The magnitude of Tresca stress for the THA femur in stair-climbing load case remains higher in the region of 85 MPa while the walking load case induces around 40 MPa. The stress range in the straight and single taper stem prosthesis is lower than 260 MPa, while localized Tresca stress is in the order of the yield strength of Ti-6Al-4V alloy for double and triple taper stem design.

Float-zone processing in a weightless environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowle, A. A.; Haggerty, J. S.; Perron, R. R.; Strong, P. F.; Swanson, J. L.

1976-01-01

The results were reported of investigations to: (1) test the validity of analyses which set maximum practical diameters for Si crystals that can be processed by the float zone method in a near weightless environment, (2) determine the convective flow patterns induced in a typical float zone, Si melt under conditions perceived to be advantageous to the crystal growth process using flow visualization techniques applied to a dimensionally scaled model of the Si melt, (3) revise the estimates of the economic impact of space produced Si crystal by the float zone method on the U.S. electronics industry, and (4) devise a rational plan for future work related to crystal growth phenomena wherein low gravity conditions available in a space site can be used to maximum benefit to the U.S. electronics industry.

Intense Undular Bores on the Autumn Pycnocline of Shelf Waters of the Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgikh, G. I.; Novotryasov, V. V.; Yaroshchuk, I. O.; Permyakov, M. S.

2018-03-01

The results of field observations of an internal undular bore that were performed in a coastal zone of constant depth in the Sea of Japan are presented. A hydrodynamic model of undular bores is discussed according to which the recorded disturbances of the water medium are an experimental prototype of strongly nonlinear (intense) internal undular bores on the pycnocline of shelf waters of Peter the Great Bay with an intensity close to the limit.

Electrowetting in a water droplet with a movable floating substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, Amir; Masud, A. R.; Song, Jang-Kun

2016-05-01

Electrowetting (EW) enables facile manipulation of a liquid droplet on a hydrophobic surface. In this study, manipulation of an electrolyte droplet having a small floating object on it was investigated on a solid hydrophobic substrate under the EW process. Herein, the floating object exhibited a vertical motion under an applied electric field owing to the spreading and contraction of the droplet on its connecting substrates. The field-induced height variation of the floating object was significantly influenced by the thicknesses of the dielectric and hydrophobic materials. A small mass was also placed on the top floating object and its effect on the spreading of the droplet was observed. In this system, the height of the top floating object is precisely controllable under the application of an electric voltage. The proposed system is expected to be highly useful in the design of nano- and micro-oscillatory systems for microengineering.

Electrowetting in a water droplet with a movable floating substrate.

PubMed

Shahzad, Amir; Masud, A R; Song, Jang-Kun

2016-05-01

Electrowetting (EW) enables facile manipulation of a liquid droplet on a hydrophobic surface. In this study, manipulation of an electrolyte droplet having a small floating object on it was investigated on a solid hydrophobic substrate under the EW process. Herein, the floating object exhibited a vertical motion under an applied electric field owing to the spreading and contraction of the droplet on its connecting substrates. The field-induced height variation of the floating object was significantly influenced by the thicknesses of the dielectric and hydrophobic materials. A small mass was also placed on the top floating object and its effect on the spreading of the droplet was observed. In this system, the height of the top floating object is precisely controllable under the application of an electric voltage. The proposed system is expected to be highly useful in the design of nano- and micro-oscillatory systems for microengineering.

The technology improvement and development of the new design-engineering principles of pilot bore directional drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadrina, A.; Saruev, L.; Vasenin, S.

2016-09-01

This paper addresses the effectiveness of impact energy use in pilot bore directional drilling at pipe driving. We establish and develop new design-engineering principles for this method. These principles are based on a drill string construction with a new nipple thread connection and a generator construction of strain waves transferred through the drill string. The experiment was conducted on a test bench. Strain measurement is used to estimate compression, tensile, shear and bending stresses in the drill string during the propagation of elastic waves. Finally, the main directions of pilot bore directional drilling improvement during pipe driving are determinated. The new engineering design, as components of the pilot bore directional drilling technology are presented.

Single and low order mode interrogation of a multimode sapphire fiber Bragg grating sensor with tapered fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobnic, Dan; Mihailov, Stephen J.; Ding, H.; Bilodeau, F.; Smelser, Christopher W.

2005-05-01

Multimode sapphire fiber Bragg gratings (SFBG) made with an IR femtosecond laser and a phase mask were probed using tapered single mode fibers of different taper diameters producing single and low order mode reflection/transmission responses. A configuration made of an input single mode tapered fiber and multimode silica fiber used for output coupling was also tested and has delivered a filtered multimode transmission spectrum. The tapered coupling improved the spectral resolution of the SFBG as compared to its multimode responses previously reported. Such improvements facilitate the utilization of the SFBG as a high temperature sensor. Wavelength shifts of the single mode response were monitored as a function of temperature up to 1500 °C and were consistent with the measurement obtained from the multimode response published previously.

Shape matters: improved flight in tapered auto-rotating wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yucen; Vincent, Lionel; Kanso, Eva

2017-11-01

Many plants use gravity and wind to disperse their seeds. The shape of seed pods influence their aerodynamics. For example, Liana seeds form aerodynamic gliders and Sycamore trees release airborne ``helicopters.'' Here, we use carefully-controlled experiments and high-speed photography to examine dispersion by tumbling (auto-rotation) and we focus on the effect of geometry on flight characteristics. We consider four families of shapes: rectangular, elliptic, tapered, and sharp-tip wings, and we vary the span-to-chord ratio. We find that tapered wings exhibit extended flight time and range, that is, better performance. A quasi-steady two-dimensional model is used to highlight the mechanisms by which shape affects flight performance. These findings could have significant implications on linking seedpod designs to seed dispersion patterns as well as on optimizing wing design in active flight problems.

Mental health, fatigue and function are associated with increased risk of disease flare following TNF inhibitor tapering in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory analysis of data from the Optimizing TNF Tapering in RA (OPTTIRA) trial.

PubMed

Bechman, Katie; Sin, Fang En; Ibrahim, Fowzia; Norton, Sam; Matcham, Faith; Scott, David Lloyd; Cope, Andrew; Galloway, James

2018-01-01

Tapering of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy appears feasible, safe and effective in selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Depression is highly prevalent in RA and may impact on flare incidence through various mechanisms. This study aims to investigate if psychological states predict flare in patients' dose tapering their anti-TNF therapy. This study is a post-hoc analysis of the Optimizing TNF Tapering in RA trial, a multicentre, randomised, open-label study investigating anti-TNF tapering in RA patients with sustained low disease activity. Patient-reported outcomes (Health Assessment Questionnaire, EuroQol 5-dimension scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy fatigue scale (FACIT-F), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36)) were collected at baseline. The primary outcome was flare, defined as an increase in 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) ≥0.6 and ≥1 swollen joint. Discrete-time survival models were used to identify patient-reported outcomes that predict flare. Ninety-seven patients were randomised to taper their anti-TNF dose by either 33% or 66%. Forty-one patients flared. Higher baseline DAS28 score was associated with flare (adjusted HR 1.96 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.24), p=0.01). Disability (SF-36 physical component score), fatigue (FACIT-F) and mental health (SF-36 mental health subscale (MH)) predicted flare in unadjusted models. In multivariate analyses, only SF-36 MH remained a statistically significant predictor of flare (adjusted HR per 10 units 0.74 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.93), p=0.01). Baseline DAS28 and mental health status are independently associated with flare in patients who taper their anti-TNF therapy. Fatigue and function also associate with flare but the effect disappears when adjusting for confounders. Given these findings, mental health and functional status should be considered in anti-TNF tapering decisions in order to optimise the likelihood of success. EudraCT Number: 2010-020738-24; ISRCTN: 28955701

Mental health, fatigue and function are associated with increased risk of disease flare following TNF inhibitor tapering in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory analysis of data from the Optimizing TNF Tapering in RA (OPTTIRA) trial

PubMed Central

Bechman, Katie; Sin, Fang En; Ibrahim, Fowzia; Norton, Sam; Matcham, Faith; Scott, David Lloyd; Cope, Andrew; Galloway, James

2018-01-01

Background Tapering of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy appears feasible, safe and effective in selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Depression is highly prevalent in RA and may impact on flare incidence through various mechanisms. This study aims to investigate if psychological states predict flare in patients’ dose tapering their anti-TNF therapy. Methods This study is a post-hoc analysis of the Optimizing TNF Tapering in RA trial, a multicentre, randomised, open-label study investigating anti-TNF tapering in RA patients with sustained low disease activity. Patient-reported outcomes (Health Assessment Questionnaire, EuroQol 5-dimension scale, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy fatigue scale (FACIT-F), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36)) were collected at baseline. The primary outcome was flare, defined as an increase in 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) ≥0.6 and ≥1 swollen joint. Discrete-time survival models were used to identify patient-reported outcomes that predict flare. Results Ninety-seven patients were randomised to taper their anti-TNF dose by either 33% or 66%. Forty-one patients flared. Higher baseline DAS28 score was associated with flare (adjusted HR 1.96 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.24), p=0.01). Disability (SF-36 physical component score), fatigue (FACIT-F) and mental health (SF-36 mental health subscale (MH)) predicted flare in unadjusted models. In multivariate analyses, only SF-36 MH remained a statistically significant predictor of flare (adjusted HR per 10 units 0.74 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.93), p=0.01). Conclusions Baseline DAS28 and mental health status are independently associated with flare in patients who taper their anti-TNF therapy. Fatigue and function also associate with flare but the effect disappears when adjusting for confounders. Given these findings, mental health and functional status should be considered in anti-TNF tapering decisions in order to optimise the likelihood of success. Trial

Electroacupuncture for tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use: study protocol of randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Yeung, Wing-Fai; Chung, Ka-Fai; Zhang, Zhang-Jin; Chan, Wai-Chi; Zhang, Shi-Ping; Ng, Roger Man-Kin; Chan, Connie Lai-Wah; Ho, Lai-Ming; Yu, Yee-Man; Lao, Li-Xing

2017-03-31

Conventional approaches for benzodiazepine tapering have their limitations. Anecdotal studies have shown that acupuncture is a potential treatment for facilitating successful benzodiazepine tapering. As of today, there was no randomized controlled trial examining its efficacy and safety. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of using electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment to gradual tapering of benzodiazepine doses in complete benzodiazepine cessation in long-term benzodiazepine users. The study protocol of a randomized, assessor- and subject-blinded, controlled trial is presented. One hundred and forty-four patients with histories of using benzodiazepines in ≥50% of days for more than 3 months will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either electroacupuncture or placebo electroacupuncture combined with gradual benzodiazepine tapering schedule. Both experimental and placebo treatments will be delivered twice per week for 4 weeks. Major assessments will be conducted at baseline, week 6 and week 16 post-randomization. Primary outcome is the cessation rate of benzodiazepine use. Secondary outcomes include the percentage change in the doses of benzodiazepine usage and the severity of withdrawal symptoms experienced based on the Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire, insomnia as measured by the Insomnia Severity Index, and anxiety and depressive symptoms as evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Adverse events will also be measured at each study visit. Results of this study will provide high quality evidence of the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment for benzodiazepine tapering in long-term users. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02475538 .

New tapered metallic stent for unresectable malignant hilar bile duct obstruction.

PubMed

Sakai, Yuji; Tsuyuguchi, Toshio; Nishikawa, Takao; Sugiyama, Harutoshi; Sasaki, Reina; Sakamoto, Dai; Watanabe, Yuto; Nakamura, Masato; Yasui, Shin; Mikata, Rintaro; Yokosuka, Osamu

2015-10-16

To examine the usefulness of a new tapered metallic stent (MS) in patients with unresectable malignant hilar bile duct obstruction. This new tapered MS was placed in 11 patients with Bismuth II or severer unresectable malignant hilar bile duct obstruction, as a prospective study. The subjects were six patients with bile duct carcinoma, three with gallbladder cancer, and two with metastatic bile duct obstruction. Stenosis morphology was Bismuth II: 7, IIIa: 3, and IV: 1. UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000004758). MS placement was 100% (11/11) successful. There were no procedural accidents. The mean patency period was 208.401 d, the median survival period was 142.000 d, and the mean survival period was 193.273 d. Occlusion rate was 36.4% (4/11); the causes of occlusion were ingrowth and overgrowth in 2 patients each, 18.2%, respectively. Patients with occlusion underwent endoscopic treatment one more time and all were treatable. The tapered MS proved useful in patients with unresectable malignant hilar bile duct obstruction because it provided a long patency period, enabled re-treatment by re-intervention, and no procedural accidents occurred.

[Deformation evaluation of ProTaper nickel-titanium rotary instruments in curved canals instrumentation in vitro].

PubMed

Yan, Hong; Ren, Min; Yin, Xing-Zhe; Zhao, Shu-Yan; Zhang, Cheng-Fei

2008-04-01

To evaluate the deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments using in root canals of different curvature in vitro. Extracted first mandibular molars were divided into two experimental groups according to the curvature of mesial buccal canals: group A with moderate curvature and group B with severe curvature. Only the mesial buccal canals of all these teeth were prepared with 6 sets of new ProTaper rotary instruments individually. Additionally, the control group was established with a set of new ProTaper rotary instruments. After finishing each canal preparation, the instruments accompanied by control were examined under the stereomicroscope by an inspector without knowing the group. If distortion, unwinding, abrasion or fracture occurred within one set of instruments, then the whole set was disposed. The sets without problems were in use until 30 times. After 5, 10, 20 times canal preparation, S1, F1 files without deformation under stereomicroscope were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments happened after 12 times in group A and after 7 times in group B. In these two experimental groups, microcracks were found increasing with the times of use under SEM in the instruments without deformation under stereomicroscope. The microcracks on tip of instruments were deep in the early use and became smoother after 10 times. Similar changes happened on knife-edge of instruments, and the microcracks extended over the edge after 20 times use. Root canals with severe curvature tend to damage ProTaper rotary instruments more frequently than moderately curved canals. ProTaper rotary instruments are appropriate to treat less than 7 root canals with severe curvature or 12 root canals with moderate curvature. Stereomicroscope is recommended to detect early damages on Ni-Ti rotary instruments, for preventing instruments fracture in clinic.

Design of Structurally Efficient Tapered Struts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messinger, Ross

2010-01-01

This report describes the analytical study of two full-scale tapered composite struts. The analytical study resulted in the design of two structurally efficient carbon/epoxy struts in accordance with NASA-specified geometries and loading conditions. Detailed stress analysis was performed of the insert, end fitting, and strut body to obtain an optimized weight with positive margins. Two demonstration struts were fabricated based on a well-established design from a previous Space Shuttle strut development program.

Vibration-Assisted Femtosecond Laser Drilling with Controllable Taper Angles for AMOLED Fine Metal Mask Fabrication.

PubMed

Choi, Wonsuk; Kim, Hoon Young; Jeon, Jin Woo; Chang, Won Seok; Cho, Sung-Hak

2017-02-21

This study investigates the effect of focal plane variation using vibration in a femtosecond laser hole drilling process on Invar alloy fabrication quality for the production of fine metal masks (FMMs). FMMs are used in the red, green, blue (RGB) evaporation process in Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (AMOLED) manufacturing. The taper angle of the hole is adjusted by attaching the objective lens to a micro-vibrator and continuously changing the focal plane position. Eight laser pulses were used to examine how the hole characteristics vary with the first focal plane's position, where the first pulse is focused at an initial position and the focal planes of subsequent pulses move downward. The results showed that the hole taper angle can be controlled by varying the amplitude of the continuously operating vibrator during femtosecond laser hole machining. The taper angles were changed between 31.8° and 43.9° by adjusting the vibrator amplitude at a frequency of 100 Hz. Femtosecond laser hole drilling with controllable taper angles is expected to be used in the precision micro-machining of various smart devices.

High Sensitivity Refractometer Based on TiO₂-Coated Adiabatic Tapered Optical Fiber via ALD Technology.

PubMed

Zhu, Shan; Pang, Fufei; Huang, Sujuan; Zou, Fang; Guo, Qiang; Wen, Jianxiang; Wang, Tingyun

2016-08-15

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is introduced to fabricate a high sensitivity refractometer based on an adiabatic tapered optical fiber. Different thicknesses of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanofilm were coated around the tapered fiber precisely and uniformly under different deposition cycles. Attributed to the higher refractive index of the TiO₂ nanofilm compared to that of silica, an asymmetric Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonator could be constructed along the fiber taper. The central wavelength of the F-P resonator could be controlled by adjusting the thickness of the TiO₂ nanofilm. Such a F-P resonator is sensitive to changes in the surrounding refractive index (SRI), which is utilized to realize a high sensitivity refractometer. The refractometer developed by depositing 50.9-nm-thickness TiO₂ on the tapered fiber shows SRI sensitivity as high as 7096 nm/RIU in the SRI range of 1.3373-1.3500. Due to TiO₂'s advantages of high refractive index, lack of toxicity, and good biocompatibility, this refractometer is expected to have wide applications in the biochemical sensing field.

Vibration sensitivity of the scanning near-field optical microscope with a tapered optical fiber probe.

PubMed

Chang, Win-Jin; Fang, Te-Hua; Lee, Haw-Long; Yang, Yu-Ching

2005-01-01

In this paper the Rayleigh-Ritz method was used to study the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) with a tapered optical fiber probe's flexural and axial sensitivity to vibration. Not only the contact stiffness but also the geometric parameters of the probe can influence the flexural and axial sensitivity to vibration. According to the analysis, the lateral and axial contact stiffness had a significant effect on the sensitivity of vibration of the SNOM's probe, each mode had a different level of sensitivity and in the first mode the tapered optical fiber probe was the most acceptive to higher levels of flexural and axial vibration. Generally, when the contact stiffness was lower, the tapered probe was more sensitive to higher levels of both axial and flexural vibration than the uniform probe. However, the situation was reversed when the contact stiffness was larger. Furthermore, the effect that the probe's length and its tapered angle had on the SNOM's probe axial and flexural vibration were significant and these two conditions should be incorporated into the design of new SNOM probes.

An elastic strip with multiple cracks and applications to tapered specimens