Sample records for activation energy difference

  1. Improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sima, Wenxia; Jiang, Xiongwei; Peng, Qingjun; Sun, Potao

    2018-05-01

    Electrical breakdown is an important physical phenomenon in electrical equipment and electronic devices. Many related models and theories of electrical breakdown have been proposed. However, a widely recognized understanding on the following phenomenon is still lacking: impulse breakdown strength which varies with waveform parameters, decrease in the breakdown strength of AC voltage with increasing frequency, and higher impulse breakdown strength than that of AC. In this work, an improved model of activation energy absorption for different electrical breakdowns in semi-crystalline insulating polymers is proposed based on the Harmonic oscillator model. Simulation and experimental results show that, the energy of trapped charges obtained from AC stress is higher than that of impulse voltage, and the absorbed activation energy increases with the increase in the electric field frequency. Meanwhile, the frequency-dependent relative dielectric constant ε r and dielectric loss tanδ also affect the absorption of activation energy. The absorbed activation energy and modified trap level synergistically determine the breakdown strength. The mechanism analysis of breakdown strength under various voltage waveforms is consistent with the experimental results. Therefore, the proposed model of activation energy absorption in the present work may provide a new possible method for analyzing and explaining the breakdown phenomenon in semi-crystalline insulating polymers.

  2. Activation energy of extracellular enzymes in soils from different biomes.

    PubMed

    Steinweg, J Megan; Jagadamma, Sindhu; Frerichs, Joshua; Mayes, Melanie A

    2013-01-01

    Enzyme dynamics are being incorporated into soil carbon cycling models and accurate representation of enzyme kinetics is an important step in predicting belowground nutrient dynamics. A scarce number of studies have measured activation energy (Ea) in soils and fewer studies have measured Ea in arctic and tropical soils, or in subsurface soils. We determined the Ea for four typical lignocellulose degrading enzymes in the A and B horizons of seven soils covering six different soil orders. We also elucidated which soil properties predicted any measurable differences in Ea. β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, phenol oxidase and peroxidase activities were measured at five temperatures, 4, 21, 30, 40, and 60°C. Ea was calculated using the Arrhenius equation. β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase Ea values for both A and B horizons in this study were similar to previously reported values, however we could not make a direct comparison for B horizon soils because of the lack of data. There was no consistent relationship between hydrolase enzyme Ea and the environmental variables we measured. Phenol oxidase was the only enzyme that had a consistent positive relationship between Ea and pH in both horizons. The Ea in the arctic and subarctic zones for peroxidase was lower than the hydrolases and phenol oxidase values, indicating peroxidase may be a rate limited enzyme in environments under warming conditions. By including these six soil types we have increased the number of soil oxidative enzyme Ea values reported in the literature by 50%. This study is a step towards better quantifying enzyme kinetics in different climate zones.

  3. Science Activities in Energy: Electrical Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Presented is a science activities in energy package which includes 16 activities relating to electrical energy. Activities are simple, concrete experiments for fourth, fifth and sixth grades which illustrate principles and problems relating to energy. Each activity is outlined in a single card which is introduced by a question. A teacher's…

  4. Energy Activities for the Primary Classroom. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tierney, Blue, Comp.

    An energy education program at the primary level should help students to understand the nature and importance of energy, consider different energy sources, learn about energy conservation, prepare for energy related careers, and become energy conscious in other career fields. The activities charts, readings, and experiments provided in this…

  5. Get Current: Switch on Clean Energy Activity Book

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

    None

    2014-06-01

    Switching on clean energy technologies means strengthening the economy while protecting the environment. This activity book for all ages promotes energy awareness, with facts on different types of energy and a variety of puzzles in an energy theme.

  6. Science Activities in Energy: Wind Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Included in this science activities energy package are 12 activities related to wind energy for elementary students. Each activity is outlined on a single card and is introduced by a question. Topics include: (1) At what time of day is there enough wind to make electricity where you live?; (2) Where is the windiest spot on your schoolground?; and…

  7. Correlating hydrogen oxidation and evolution activity on platinum at different pH with measured hydrogen binding energy

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

    Sheng, WC; Zhuang, ZB; Gao, MR

    2015-01-08

    The hydrogen oxidation/evolution reactions are two of the most fundamental reactions in distributed renewable electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems. The identification of the reaction descriptor is therefore of critical importance for the rational catalyst design and development. Here we report the correlation between hydrogen oxidation/evolution activity and experimentally measured hydrogen binding energy for polycrystalline platinum examined in several buffer solutions in a wide range of electrolyte pH from 0 to 13. The hydrogen oxidation/evolution activity obtained using the rotating disk electrode method is found to decrease with the pH, while the hydrogen binding energy, obtained from cyclic voltammograms, linearlymore » increases with the pH. Correlating the hydrogen oxidation/evolution activity to the hydrogen binding energy renders a monotonic decreasing hydrogen oxidation/evolution activity with the hydrogen binding energy, strongly supporting the hypothesis that hydrogen binding energy is the sole reaction descriptor for the hydrogen oxidation/evolution activity on monometallic platinum.« less

  8. Activity and energy expenditure in older people playing active video games.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Lynne M; Maddison, Ralph; Pfaeffli, Leila A; Rawstorn, Jonathan C; Gant, Nicholas; Kerse, Ngaire M

    2012-12-01

    Tayl To quantify energy expenditure in older adults playing interactive video games while standing and seated, and secondarily to determine whether participants' balance status influenced the energy cost associated with active video game play. Cross-sectional study. University research center. Community-dwelling adults (N=19) aged 70.7±6.4 years. Participants played 9 active video games, each for 5 minutes, in random order. Two games (boxing and bowling) were played in both seated and standing positions. Energy expenditure was assessed using indirect calorimetry while at rest and during game play. Energy expenditure was expressed in kilojoules per minute and metabolic equivalents (METs). Balance was assessed using the mini-BESTest, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG). Mean ± SD energy expenditure was significantly greater for all game conditions compared with rest (all P≤.01) and ranged from 1.46±.41 METs to 2.97±1.16 METs. There was no significant difference in energy expenditure, activity counts, or perceived exertion between equivalent games played while standing and seated. No significant correlations were observed between energy expenditure or activity counts and balance status. Active video games provide light-intensity exercise in community-dwelling older people, whether played while seated or standing. People who are unable to stand may derive equivalent benefits from active video games played while seated. Further research is required to determine whether sustained use of active video games alters physical activity levels in community settings for this population. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Changing Conceptions of Activation Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pacey, Philip D.

    1981-01-01

    Provides background material which relates to the concept of activation energy, fundamental in the study of chemical kinetics. Compares the related concepts of the Arrhenius activation energy, the activation energy at absolute zero, the enthalpy of activation, and the threshold energy. (CS)

  10. Pyrolysis kinetic and product analysis of different microalgal biomass by distributed activation energy model and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xuewei; Zhang, Rui; Fu, Juan; Geng, Shu; Cheng, Jay Jiayang; Sun, Yuan

    2014-07-01

    To assess the energy potential of different microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana and Monoraphidium were selected for studying the pyrolytic behavior at different heating rates with the analytical method of thermogravimetric analysis (TG), distributed activation energy model (DAEM) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Results presented that Monoraphidium 3s35 showed superiority for pyrolysis at low heating rate. Calculated by DAEM, during the conversion rate range from 0.1 to 0.7, the activation energies of C. sorokiniana 21 were much lower than that of Monoraphidium 3s35. Both C. sorokiniana 21 and Monoraphidium 3s35 can produce certain amount (up to 20.50%) of alkane compounds, with 9-Octadecyne (C18H34) as the primary compound. Short-chain alkanes (C7-C13) with unsaturated carbon can be released in the pyrolysis at 500°C for both microalgal biomass. It was also observed that the pyrolysis of C. sorokiniana 21 released more alcohol compounds, while Monoraphidium 3s35 produced more saccharides. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Activation energy and energy density: a bioenergetic framework for assessing soil organic matter stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, E. K.; Plante, A. F.

    2017-12-01

    The stability and cycling of natural organic matter depends on the input of energy needed to decompose it and the net energy gained from its decomposition. In soils, this relationship is complicated by microbial enzymatic activity which decreases the activation energies associated with soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and by chemical and physical protection mechanisms which decreases the concentrations of the available organic matter substrate and also require additional energies to overcome for decomposition. In this study, we utilize differential scanning calorimetry and evolved CO2 gas analysis to characterize differences in the energetics (activation energy and energy density) in soils that have undergone degradation in natural (bare fallow), field (changes in land-use), chemical (acid hydrolysis), and laboratory (high temperature incubation) experimental conditions. We will present this data in a novel conceptual framework relating these energy dynamics to organic matter inputs, decomposition, and molecular complexity.

  12. Dietary intake, physical activity and energy expenditure of Malaysian adolescents.

    PubMed

    Zalilah, M S; Khor, G L; Mirnalini, K; Norimah, A K; Ang, M

    2006-06-01

    Paediatric obesity is a public health concern worldwide as it can track into adulthood and increase the risk of adult morbidity and mortality. While the aetiology of obesity is multi-factorial, the roles of diet and physical activity are controversial. Thus, the purpose of this study was to report on the differences in energy intake, diet composition, time spent doing physical activity and energy expenditure among underweight (UW), normal weight (NW) and at-risk of overweight (OW) Malaysian adolescents (317 females and 301 males) aged 11-15 years. This was a cross-sectional study with 6,555 adolescents measured for weights and heights for body mass index (BMI) categorisation. A total of 618 subjects were randomly selected from each BMI category according to gender. The subjects' dietary intake and physical activity were assessed using self-reported three-day food and activity records, respectively. Dietary intake components included total energy and macronutrient intakes. Energy expenditure was calculated as a sum of energy expended for basal metabolic rate and physical activity. Time spent (in minutes) in low, medium and high intensity activities was also calculated. The OW adolescents had the highest crude energy intake and energy expenditure. However, after adjusting for body weight, the OW subjects had the lowest energy intake and energy expenditure (p-value is less than 0.001). The study groups did not differ significantly in time spent for low, medium and high intensity activities. Macronutrient intakes differed significantly only among the girls where the OW group had the highest intakes compared to UW and NW groups (p-value is less than 0.05). All study groups had greater than 30 percent and less than 55 percent of energy intake from fat and carbohydrate, respectively. The data suggested that a combination of low energy expenditure adjusted for body weight and high dietary fat intake may be associated with overweight and obesity among adolescents. To

  13. Activation energy determinations suggest that thiols reverse autooxidation of tetrahydrobiopterin by a different mechanism than ascorbate.

    PubMed

    Valent, Sándor; Tóth, Miklós

    2006-01-01

    In neutral aqueous solutions tetrahydrobiopterin is oxidized by dioxygen in a reaction that is succinctly described as autooxidation. Ascorbate and thiols moderate this reaction by reversing the oxidative process. In the present study the effect of various thiols on the apparent Arrhenius activation energy of tetrahydrobiopterin autooxidation was characterized and compared to that of ascorbate determined previously. We observed that - in sharp contrast to ascorbate - the efficiency of thiols to protect tetrahydrobiopterin decreased with the elevation of temperature from 22 to 37 degrees C. Accordingly, the apparent Arrhenius activation energies (in kJ/mol) measured in the presence of thiols were consistently greater than the value determined with tetrahydrobiopterin alone (59.6 +/- 1.4) or in the presence of ascorbate (59.9 +/- 2.8). Thus, the energy values were 88.8+/-1.1 with glutathione, 87.6 +/- 2.1 with N-acetylcysteine, 79.2 +/- 1.6 with cysteine, 75.1 +/- 2.4 with dithiotreitol and 70.3 +/- 0.9 with homocysteine. Since thiols are as potent reducing agents as ascorbate, these findings suggest that thiols and ascorbate protect tetrahydrobiopterin from oxidation acting at different steps of the oxidation process. It is likely that thiols reduce quinoidal dihydrobiopterin, whereas ascorbate scavenges the trihydrobiopterin radical to tetrahydrobiopterin. Furthermore, the results indicate that thiols are excellent tools to protect tetrahydrobiopterin from autooxidative decomposition in laboratory experiments conducted at relatively low temperatures, whereas the protective effect diminishes at 37 degrees C, i.e. under physiological conditions.

  14. [Effects of waterlogging on the growth and energy-metabolic enzyme activities of different tree species].

    PubMed

    Wang, Gui-Bin; Cao, Fu-Liang; Zhang, Xiao-Yan; Zhang, Wang-Xiang

    2010-03-01

    Aimed to understand the waterlogging tolerance and adaptation mechanisms of different tree species, a simulated field experiment was conducted to study the growth and energy-metabolic enzyme activities of one-year-old seedlings of Taxodium distichum, Carya illinoensis, and Sapium sebiferum. Three treatments were installed, i. e., CK, waterlogging, and flooding, with the treatment duration being 60 days. Under waterlogging and flooding, the relative growth of test tree species was in the order of T. distichum > C. illinoensis > S. sebiferum, indicating that T. distichum had the strongest tolerance against waterlogging and flooding, while S. sebiferum had the weakest one. Also under waterlogging and flooding, the root/crown ratio of the three tree species increased significantly, suggesting that more photosynthates were allocated in roots, and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activities of the tree species also had a significant increase. Among the test tree species, T. distichum had the lowest increment of LDH and ADH activities under waterlogging and flooding, but the increment could maintain at a higher level in the treatment duration, while for C. illinoensis and S. sebiferum, the increment was larger during the initial and medium period, but declined rapidly during the later period of treatment. The malate dehydrogenase (MDH), phosphohexose (HPI), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) -6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) activities of the tree species under waterlogging and flooding had a significant decrease, and the decrement was the largest for T. distichum, being 35.6% for MDH, 21.0% for HPI, and 22.7% for G6PDH - 6PGDH under flooding. It was suggested that under waterlogging and flooding, the tree species with strong waterlogging tolerance had a higher ability to maintain energy-metabolic balance, and thus, its growth could be maintained at a certain level.

  15. Energy expenditure and sex differences of golf playing.

    PubMed

    Zunzer, Stefan C; von Duvillard, Serge P; Tschakert, Gerhard; Mangus, Brent; Hofmann, Peter

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to assess the average physical intensity and energy expenditure during a single round of golf on hilly and flat courses in a heterogeneous group of healthy men and women of varying age and golf handicap. Forty-two males and 24 females completed an incremental cycle-ergometer exercise test to determine exercise performance markers. The heart rate (HR), duration, distance, walking speed, ascent and descent were measured via a global positioning system (GPS)/HR monitor during the game and energy expenditure was calculated. Playing 9 or 18-holes of golf, independent of the golf course design, the average HR was not significantly different between sexes or the subgroups. The intensities were light with respect to the percentage of maximal HR and metabolic equivalents of task (METs). Total energy expenditure of all participants was not significantly different for hilly (834 ± 344 kcal) vs. flat courses (833 ± 295 kcal) whereas male players expended significantly greater energy than female players (926 ± 292 vs. 556 ± 180 kcal), but did not have significantly greater relative energy expenditure (2.8 ± 0.8 vs. 2.2 ± 0.7 METs). As a high volume physical activity, playing golf is suggested to yield health benefits. Since the intensity was well below recommended limits, golf may have health related benefits unrelated to the intensity level of the activity.

  16. Science Activities in Energy: Solar Energy II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Included in this science activities energy package are 14 activities related to solar energy for secondary students. Each activity is outlined on a single card and is introduced by a question such as: (1) how much solar heat comes from the sun? or (2) how many times do you have to run water through a flat-plate collector to get a 10 degree rise in…

  17. Activities Handbook for Energy Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVito, Alfred; Krockover, Gerald H.

    The purpose of this handbook is to present information about energy and to translate this information into learning activities for children. Chapter 1, "Energy: A Delicate Dilemma," presents activities intended to provide an introduction to energy and energy usage. Chapter 2, "What are the Sources of Energy?" provides…

  18. Energy Storage. Teachers Guide. Science Activities in Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobs, Mary Lynn, Ed.

    Included in this science activities energy package for students in grades 4-10 are 12 activities related to energy storage. Each activity is outlined on the front and back of a single sheet and is introduced by a key question. Most of the activities can be completed in the classroom with materials readily available in any community. Among the…

  19. Energy expenditure and enjoyment during video game play: differences by game type.

    PubMed

    Lyons, Elizabeth J; Tate, Deborah F; Ward, Dianne S; Bowling, J Michael; Ribisl, Kurt M; Kalyararaman, Sriram

    2011-10-01

    Play of physically active video games may be a way to increase physical activity and/or decrease sedentary behavior, but games are not universally active or enjoyable. Active games may differ from traditional games on important attributes, which may affect frequency and intensity of play. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in energy expenditure and enjoyment across four game types: shooter (played with traditional controllers), band simulation (guitar or drum controller), dance simulation (dance mat controller), and fitness (balance board controller). Energy expenditure (METs) and enjoyment were measured across 10 games in 100 young adults age 18-35 yr (50 women). All games except shooter games significantly increased energy expenditure over rest (P < 0.001). Fitness and dance games increased energy expenditure by 322% (mean ± SD = 3.10 ± 0.89 METs) and 298% (2.91 ± 0.87 METs), which was greater than that produced by band simulation (73%, 1.28 ± 0.28 METs) and shooter games (23%, 0.91 ± 0.16 METs). However, enjoyment was higher in band simulation games than in other types (P < 0.001). Body mass-corrected energy expenditure was greater in normal weight than in overweight participants in the two most active game types (P < 0.001). Active video games can significantly increase energy expended during screen time, but these games are less enjoyable than other more sedentary games, suggesting that they may be less likely to be played over time. Less active but more enjoyable video games may be a promising method for decreasing sedentary behavior.

  20. Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment during Video Game Play: Differences by Game Type

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Elizabeth J.; Tate, Deborah F.; Ward, Dianne S.; Bowling, J. Michael; Ribisl, Kurt M.; Kalyararaman, Sriram

    2012-01-01

    Purpose Play of physically active video games may be a way to increase physical activity and/or decrease sedentary behavior, but games are not universally active or enjoyable. Active games may differ from traditional games on important attributes, which may affect frequency and intensity of play. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in energy expenditure and enjoyment across four game types: shooter (played with traditional controllers), band simulation (guitar or drum controller), dance simulation (dance mat controller), and fitness (balance board controller). Methods Energy expenditure (metabolic equivalents [METs]) and enjoyment were measured across ten games in 100 young adults aged 18 to 35 (50 females). Results All games except shooter games significantly increased energy expenditure over rest (P < .001). Fitness and dance games increased energy expenditure by 322 (mean [SD] 3.10 [0.89] METs) and 298 (2.91 [0.87] METs) percent, which was greater than that produced by band simulation (73%, 1.28 [0.28] METs) and shooter games (23%, 0.91 [0.16] METs). However, enjoyment was higher in band simulation games than in other types (P < .001). Body mass-corrected energy expenditure was greater in normal weight than overweight participants in the two most active game types (P < .001). Conclusions Active video games can significantly increase energy expended during screen time, but these games are less enjoyable than other more sedentary games, suggesting that they may be less likely to be played over time. Less active but more enjoyable video games may be a promising method for decreasing sedentary behavior. PMID:21364477

  1. Energy Adventure Center. Activity Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlton, Linda L.

    Energy activities are provided in this student activity book. They include: (1) an energy walk; (2) forms of energy in the home; (3) energy conversion; (4) constructing a solar hot dog cooker (with instructions for drawing a parabola); (5) interviewing senior citizens to learn about energy use in the past; (6) packaging materials; (7) insulation;…

  2. SU-E-T-543: Measurement of Neutron Activation From Different High Energy Varian Linear Accelerators

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

    Thatcher, T; Madsen, S; Sudowe, R

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Linear accelerators producing photons above 10 MeV may induce photonuclear reactions in high Z components of the accelerator. These liberated neutrons can then activate the structural components of the accelerator and other materials in the beam path through neutron capture reactions. The induced activity within the accelerator may contribute to additional dose to both patients and personnel. This project seeks to determine the total activity and activity per activated isotope following irradiation in different Varian accelerators at energies above 10 MeV. Methods: A Varian 21IX accelerator was used to irradiate a 30 cm × 30 cm × 20 cmmore » solid water phantom with 15 MV x-rays. The phantom was placed at an SSD of 100 cm and at the center of a 20 cm × 20 cm field. Activation induced gamma spectra were acquired over a 5 minute interval after 1 and 15 minutes from completion of the irradiation. All measurements were made using a CANBERRA Falcon 5000 Portable HPGe detector. The majority of measurements were made in scattering geometry with the detector situated at 90° to the incident beam, 30 cm from the side of the phantom and approximately 10 cm from the top. A 5 minute background count was acquired and automatically subtracted from all subsequent measurements. Photon spectra were acquired for both open and MLC fields. Results: Based on spectral signatures, nuclides have been identified and their activities calculated for both open and MLC fields. Preliminary analyses suggest that activities from the activation products in the microcurie range. Conclusion: Activation isotopes have been identified and their relative activities determined. These activities are only gross estimates since efficiencies have not been determined for this source-detector geometry. Current efforts are focused on accurate determination of detector efficiencies using Monte Carlo calculations.« less

  3. Ligand reorganization and activation energies in nonadiabatic electron transfer reactions

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

    Zhu Jianjun; Wang Jianji; Stell, George

    2006-10-28

    The activation energy and ligand reorganization energy for nonadiabatic electron transfer reactions in chemical and biological systems are investigated in this paper. The free energy surfaces and the activation energy are derived exactly in the general case in which the ligand vibration frequencies are not equal. The activation energy is derived by free energy minimization at the transition state. Our formulation leads to the Marcus-Hush [J. Chem. Phys. 24, 979 (1956); 98, 7170 (1994); 28, 962 (1958)] results in the equal-frequency limit and also generalizes the Marcus-Sumi [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 4894 (1986)] model in the context of studying themore » solvent dynamic effect on electron transfer reactions. It is found that when the ligand vibration frequencies are different, the activation energy derived from the Marcus-Hush formula deviates by 5%-10% from the exact value. If the reduced reorganization energy approximation is introduced in the Marcus-Hush formula, the result is almost exact.« less

  4. Ligand reorganization and activation energies in nonadiabatic electron transfer reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Jianjun; Wang, Jianji; Stell, George

    2006-10-01

    The activation energy and ligand reorganization energy for nonadiabatic electron transfer reactions in chemical and biological systems are investigated in this paper. The free energy surfaces and the activation energy are derived exactly in the general case in which the ligand vibration frequencies are not equal. The activation energy is derived by free energy minimization at the transition state. Our formulation leads to the Marcus-Hush [J. Chem. Phys. 24, 979 (1956); 98, 7170 (1994); 28, 962 (1958)] results in the equal-frequency limit and also generalizes the Marcus-Sumi [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 4894 (1986)] model in the context of studying the solvent dynamic effect on electron transfer reactions. It is found that when the ligand vibration frequencies are different, the activation energy derived from the Marcus-Hush formula deviates by 5%-10% from the exact value. If the reduced reorganization energy approximation is introduced in the Marcus-Hush formula, the result is almost exact.

  5. Estimating activity energy expenditure: how valid are physical activity questionnaires?

    PubMed

    Neilson, Heather K; Robson, Paula J; Friedenreich, Christine M; Csizmadi, Ilona

    2008-02-01

    Activity energy expenditure (AEE) is the modifiable component of total energy expenditure (TEE) derived from all activities, both volitional and nonvolitional. Because AEE may affect health, there is interest in its estimation in free-living people. Physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) could be a feasible approach to AEE estimation in large populations, but it is unclear whether or not any PAQ is valid for this purpose. Our aim was to explore the validity of existing PAQs for estimating usual AEE in adults, using doubly labeled water (DLW) as a criterion measure. We reviewed 20 publications that described PAQ-to-DLW comparisons, summarized study design factors, and appraised criterion validity using mean differences (AEE(PAQ) - AEE(DLW), or TEE(PAQ) - TEE(DLW)), 95% limits of agreement, and correlation coefficients (AEE(PAQ) versus AEE(DLW) or TEE(PAQ) versus TEE(DLW)). Only 2 of 23 PAQs assessed most types of activity over the past year and indicated acceptable criterion validity, with mean differences (TEE(PAQ) - TEE(DLW)) of 10% and 2% and correlation coefficients of 0.62 and 0.63, respectively. At the group level, neither overreporting nor underreporting was more prevalent across studies. We speculate that, aside from reporting error, discrepancies between PAQ and DLW estimates may be partly attributable to 1) PAQs not including key activities related to AEE, 2) PAQs and DLW ascertaining different time periods, or 3) inaccurate assignment of metabolic equivalents to self-reported activities. Small sample sizes, use of correlation coefficients, and limited information on individual validity were problematic. Future research should address these issues to clarify the true validity of PAQs for estimating AEE.

  6. C&RE-SLC: Database for conservation and renewable energy activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavallo, J. D.; Tompkins, M. M.; Fisher, A. G.

    1992-08-01

    The Western Area Power Administration (Western) requires all its long-term power customers to implement programs that promote the conservation of electric energy or facilitate the use of renewable energy resources. The hope is that these measures could significantly reduce the amount of environmental damage associated with electricity production. As part of preparing the environmental impact statement for Western's Electric Power Marketing Program, Argonne National Laboratory constructed a database of the conservation and renewable energy activities in which Western's Salt Lake City customers are involved. The database provides information on types of conservation and renewable energy activities and allows for comparisons of activities being conducted at different utilities in the Salt Lake City region. Sorting the database allows Western's Salt Lake City customers to be classified so the various activities offered by different classes of utilities can be identified; for example, comparisons can be made between municipal utilities and cooperatives or between large and small customers. The information included in the database was collected from customer planning documents in the files of Western's Salt Lake City office.

  7. Energy expenditure and affect responses to different types of active video game and exercise.

    PubMed

    Monedero, Javier; Murphy, Enda E; O'Gorman, Donal J

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare entertainment-themed active video game (AVG) and fitness-themed AVG play with traditional exercise to examine the interaction between physiological and psychological responses. Participants (N = 23) were randomly assigned to 30-min of (i) self-selected intensity exercise (SS-EX), (ii) moderate intensity exercise (MOD-EX), (iii) entertainment-themed video game (ET-VG) and (iv) fitness-themed video game (FT-VG). Physiological and psychological outcomes were recorded before, during and after each trial. All trials met the ACSM criteria for moderate or vigorous physical activity. The [Formula: see text] (68.3±13.9%) and rate of energy expenditure (10.3±3.1kcal/min) was significantly higher in the SS-EX trial with lowest values reported for ET-VG (p<0.05). No differences were found in % heart rate reserve between SS-EX and FT-VG (66.9±12.5% and 67.1±6% respectively). The AVG's were significantly more enjoyable than the exercise trials (p<0.05) and the ET-VG resulted in the highest core flow and psychological well-being (p<0.05). AVG's can elicit physiological responses that meet recommended exercise intensities but are more enjoyable than conventional exercise in young inactive adults. While further work is required, this study highlights the importance of examining the interaction between physiological outcomes and psychological states to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time.

  8. Energy Conservation Activity Guide, Grades 9-12. Bulletin 1602.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser, Mollie; And Others

    As an interdisciplinary, non-sequential teaching guide, this publication was developed to increase awareness and understanding of the energy situation and to encourage individuals to become energy conservationists. Sections provide background information for the teacher followed by a variety of student activities using different subject areas for…

  9. Differences in the Postprandial Release of Appetite-Related Hormones Between Active and Inactive Men.

    PubMed

    Bøhler, Linn; Coutinho, Sílvia Ribeiro; Rehfeld, Jens F; Morgan, Linda; Martins, Catia

    2018-02-12

    Active, as opposed to inactive, individuals are able to adjust their energy intake after preloads of different energy content. The mechanisms responsible for this remain unknown. This study examined differences in plasma concentration of appetite-related hormones in response to breakfasts of different energy content, between active and inactive men. 16 healthy non-obese (BMI 18.5-27 kg/m 2 ) adult males (9 active, 7 inactive), participated in the study. Participants were given a high- (HE, 570 kcal) or a low-energy (LE, 205 kcal) breakfast in random order. Subjective feelings of appetite and plasma concentrations of active ghrelin (AG), active glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), total peptide YY (PYY), cholecystokinin (CCK) and insulin were measured in fasting and every 30 minutes up to 2.5 hours, in response to both breakfasts. Mixed ANOVA (fat mass (%) as a covariate) revealed a higher concentration of AG and lower concentration of GLP-1 and CCK after the LE breakfast (p<0.001 for all). Postprandial concentration of PYY was greater after the HE compared with the LE, but for inactive participants only (p=0.014). Active participants had lower postprandial concentrations of insulin than inactive participants (p<0.001). Differences in postprandial insulin between breakfasts were significantly lower in active compared with inactive participants (p<0.001). PA seems to modulate the postprandial plasma concentration of insulin and PYY after the intake of breakfasts of different energy content and that may contribute, at least partially, to the differences in short-term appetite control between active and inactive individuals.

  10. [Energy requirements in active elderly individuals living in a rural region of Northwest Mexico].

    PubMed

    Alemán-Mateo, H; Reza-Durán, G T; Esparza, J; Valencia, M E

    1999-06-01

    The energy requirements in free-living elderly rural people were investigated by measuring physical activity level and basal energy expenditure using a physical activity questionnaire and indirect calorimetry, respectively. Approximately 65 different occupational and leisure activities over the previous 12 months were considered. Energy expenditure by physical activity was estimated using PAL for specific activities reported in the literature. All 65 the activities were considered to adapt the questionnaire. Reproducibility was evaluated by administering the questionnaire on two separate occasions within 3-4 week elapsed between them. It was found to be reliable for the study (Pearson correlation was r = 0.85; p < 0.05). The physical activity level of the women and men were 1.50 +/- 0.29 and 1.65 +/- 0.66, respectively (p < 0.05). The basal metabolic rate also differed between women and men (p < 0.05) with 5348 +/- 719 kJ/day and 6160 +/- 862 kJ/day, respectively. Similarly the total energy expenditure was different (p < 0.05) in women and men 8311 +/- 1610 kJ/day and 10,210 +/- 2268 kJ/day, respectively. Results indicate that the physical activity questionnaire presented can be an alternative methodology to estimate physical activity in free-living elderly people and together with indirect calorimetry measurements can be useful to estimate their energy expenditure and hence energy requirements.

  11. New Perspectives on Spontaneous Brain Activity: Dynamic Networks and Energy Matter.

    PubMed

    Tozzi, Arturo; Zare, Marzieh; Benasich, April A

    2016-01-01

    Spontaneous brain activity has received increasing attention as demonstrated by the exponential rise in the number of published article on this topic over the last 30 years. Such "intrinsic" brain activity, generated in the absence of an explicit task, is frequently associated with resting-state or default-mode networks (DMN)s. The focus on characterizing spontaneous brain activity promises to shed new light on questions concerning the structural and functional architecture of the brain and how they are related to "mind". However, many critical questions have yet to be addressed. In this review, we focus on a scarcely explored area, specifically the energetic requirements and constraints of spontaneous activity, taking into account both thermodynamical and informational perspectives. We argue that the "classical" definitions of spontaneous activity do not take into account an important feature, that is, the critical thermodynamic energetic differences between spontaneous and evoked brain activity. Spontaneous brain activity is associated with slower oscillations compared with evoked, task-related activity, hence it exhibits lower levels of enthalpy and "free-energy" (i.e., the energy that can be converted to do work), thus supporting noteworthy thermodynamic energetic differences between spontaneous and evoked brain activity. Increased spike frequency during evoked activity has a significant metabolic cost, consequently, brain functions traditionally associated with spontaneous activity, such as mind wandering, require less energy that other nervous activities. We also review recent empirical observations in neuroscience, in order to capture how spontaneous brain dynamics and mental function can be embedded in a non-linear dynamical framework, which considers nervous activity in terms of phase spaces, particle trajectories, random walks, attractors and/or paths at the edge of the chaos. This takes us from the thermodynamic free-energy, to the realm of "variational

  12. Food portion size and energy density evoke different patterns of brain activation in children12

    PubMed Central

    Fearnbach, S Nicole; Wilson, Stephen J; Fisher, Jennifer O; Savage, Jennifer S; Rolls, Barbara J; Keller, Kathleen L

    2017-01-01

    Background: Large portions of food promote intake, but the mechanisms that drive this effect are unclear. Previous neuroimaging studies have identified the brain-reward and decision-making systems that are involved in the response to the energy density (ED) (kilocalories per gram) of foods, but few studies have examined the brain response to the food portion size (PS). Objective: We used functional MRI (fMRI) to determine the brain response to food images that differed in PSs (large and small) and ED (high and low). Design: Block-design fMRI was used to assess the blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) response to images in 36 children (7–10 y old; girls: 50%), which was tested after a 2-h fast. Pre-fMRI fullness and liking were rated on visual analog scales. A whole-brain cluster-corrected analysis was used to compare BOLD activation for main effects of the PS, ED, and their interaction. Secondary analyses were used to associate BOLD contrast values with appetitive traits and laboratory intake from meals for which the portions of all foods were increased. Results: Compared with small-PS cues, large-PS cues were associated with decreased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (P < 0.01). Compared with low-ED cues, high-ED cues were associated with increased activation in multiple regions (e.g., in the caudate, cingulate, and precentral gyrus) and decreased activation in the insula and superior temporal gyrus (P < 0.01 for all). A PS × ED interaction was shown in the superior temporal gyrus (P < 0.01). BOLD contrast values for high-ED cues compared with low-ED cues in the insula, declive, and precentral gyrus were negatively related to appetitive traits (P < 0.05). There were no associations between the brain response to the PS and either appetitive traits or intake. Conclusions: Cues regarding food PS may be processed in the lateral prefrontal cortex, which is a region that is implicated in cognitive control, whereas ED activates multiple areas involved in

  13. Effects of optical band gap energy, band tail energy and particle shape on photocatalytic activities of different ZnO nanostructures prepared by a hydrothermal method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klubnuan, Sarunya; Suwanboon, Sumetha; Amornpitoksuk, Pongsaton

    2016-03-01

    The dependence of the crystallite size and the band tail energy on the optical properties, particle shape and oxygen vacancy of different ZnO nanostructures to catalyse photocatalytic degradation was investigated. The ZnO nanoplatelets and mesh-like ZnO lamellae were synthesized from the PEO19-b-PPO3 modified zinc acetate dihydrate using aqueous KOH and CO(NH2)2 solutions, respectively via a hydrothermal method. The band tail energy of the ZnO nanostructures had more influence on the band gap energy than the crystallite size. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue increased as a function of the irradiation time, the amount of oxygen vacancy and the intensity of the (0 0 0 2) plane. The ZnO nanoplatelets exhibited a better photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue than the mesh-like ZnO lamellae due to the migration of the photoelectrons and holes to the (0 0 0 1) and (0 0 0 -1) planes, respectively under the internal electric field, that resulted in the enhancement of the photocatalytic activities.

  14. More physically active and leaner adolescents have higher energy intake.

    PubMed

    Cuenca-García, Magdalena; Ortega, Francisco B; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Labayen, Idoia; Moreno, Luis A; Patterson, Emma; Vicente-Rodríguez, Germán; González-Gross, Marcela; Marcos, Ascensión; Polito, Angela; Manios, Yannis; Beghin, Laurent; Huybrechts, Inge; Wästlund, Acki; Hurtig-Wennlöf, Anita; Hagströmer, Maria; Molnár, Dénes; Widhalm, Kurt; Kafatos, Anthony; De Henauw, Stefaan; Castillo, Manuel J; Gutin, Bernard; Sjöström, Michael

    2014-01-01

    To test whether youths who engage in vigorous physical activity are more likely to have lean bodies while ingesting relatively large amounts of energy. For this purpose, we studied the associations of both physical activity and adiposity with energy intake in adolescents. The study subjects were adolescents who participated in 1 of 2 cross-sectional studies, the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study (n = 1450; mean age, 14.6 years) or the European Youth Heart Study (EYHS; n = 321; mean age, 15.6 years). Physical activity was measured by accelerometry, and energy intake was measured by 24-hour recall. In the HELENA study, body composition was assessed by 2 or more of the following methods: skinfold thickness, bioelectrical impedance analysis, plus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or air-displacement plethysmography in a subsample. In the EYHS, body composition was assessed by skinfold thickness. Fat mass was inversely associated with energy intake in both studies and using 4 different measurement methods (P ≤ .006). Overall, fat-free mass was positively associated with energy intake in both studies, yet the results were not consistent across measurement methods in the HELENA study. Vigorous physical activity in the HELENA study (P < .05) and moderate physical activity in the EYHS (P < .01) were positively associated with energy intake. Overall, results remained unchanged after adjustment for potential confounding factors, after mutual adjustment among the main exposures (physical activity and fat mass), and after the elimination of obese subjects, who might tend to underreport energy intake, from the analyses. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that more physically active and leaner adolescents have higher energy intake than less active adolescents with larger amounts of fat mass. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Energy utilization associated with regular activity breaks and continuous physical activity: A randomized crossover trial.

    PubMed

    Fenemor, S P; Homer, A R; Perry, T L; Skeaff, C M; Peddie, M C; Rehrer, N J

    2018-06-01

    To quantify and compare energy utilization associated with prolonged sitting alone, or interrupted with regular activity breaks and/or an additional bout of continuous physical activity. Thirty six adults (11 males, BMI 24.1 ± 4.6) completed four interventions: (1) prolonged sitting (SIT), (2) sitting with 2-min of walking every 30 min (RAB), (3) prolonged sitting with 30-min of continuous walking at the end of the day (SIT + PA), (4) a combination of the activities in (2) and (3) above (RAB + PA). All walking was at a speed and incline corresponding to 60% V̇O 2max . Energy utilization over 7 h for each intervention was estimated using indirect calorimetry. Compared to SIT, SIT + PA increased total energy utilization by 709 kJ (95% CI 485-933 kJ), RAB by 863 kJ (95% CI 638-1088 kJ), and RAB + PA by 1752 kJ (95% CI 1527-1927 kJ) (all p < 0.001). There was no difference in total energy utilization between SIT + PA and RAB, however, post-physical activity energy utilization in RAB was 632 kJ greater than SIT + PA (95% CI 561-704 kJ; p < 0.001). Short frequent activity, results in greater accumulation of elevated post-physical activity energy utilization compared to a single bout of continuous activity; however the total energy utilization is similar. Combining activity breaks with a longer continuous bout of activity will further enhance energy utilization, and in the longer term, may positively affect weight management of a greater magnitude than either activity pattern performed alone. ANZCTR12614000624684. Copyright © 2018 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Microstructural characterization of high-manganese austenitic steels with different stacking fault energies

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

    Sato, Shigeo, E-mail: s.sato@imr.tohoku.ac.jp; Kwon, Eui-Pyo; Imafuku, Muneyuki

    Microstructures of tensile-deformed high-manganese austenitic steels exhibiting twinning-induced plasticity were analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction pattern observation and X-ray diffraction measurement to examine the influence of differences in their stacking fault energies on twinning activity during deformation. The steel specimen with the low stacking fault energy of 15 mJ/m{sup 2} had a microstructure with a high population of mechanical twins than the steel specimen with the high stacking fault energy (25 mJ/m{sup 2}). The <111> and <100> fibers developed along the tensile axis, and mechanical twinning occurred preferentially in the <111> fiber. The Schmid factors for slip and twinning deformationsmore » can explain the origin of higher twinning activity in the <111> fiber. However, the high stacking fault energy suppresses the twinning activity even in the <111> fiber. A line profile analysis based on the X-ray diffraction data revealed the relationship between the characteristics of the deformed microstructures and the stacking fault energies of the steel specimens. Although the variation in dislocation density with the tensile deformation is not affected by the stacking fault energies, the effect of the stacking fault energies on the crystallite size refinement becomes significant with a decrease in the stacking fault energies. Moreover, the stacking fault probability, which was estimated from a peak-shift analysis of the 111 and 200 diffractions, was high for the specimen with low stacking fault energy. Regardless of the difference in the stacking fault energies of the steel specimens, the refined crystallite size has a certain correlation with the stacking fault probability, indicating that whether the deformation-induced crystallite-size refinement occurs depends directly on the stacking fault probability rather than on the stacking fault energies in the present steel specimens. - Highlights: {yields} We studied effects of stacking fault

  17. Interdependence of different symmetry energy elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mondal, C.; Agrawal, B. K.; De, J. N.; Samaddar, S. K.; Centelles, M.; Viñas, X.

    2017-08-01

    Relations between the nuclear symmetry energy coefficient and its density derivatives are derived. The relations hold for a class of interactions with quadratic momentum dependence and a power-law density dependence. The structural connection between the different symmetry energy elements as obtained seems to be followed by almost all reasonable nuclear energy density functionals, both relativistic and nonrelativistic, suggesting a universality in the correlation structure. This, coupled with known values of some well-accepted constants related to nuclear matter, helps in constraining values of different density derivatives of the nuclear symmetry energy, shedding light on the isovector part of the nuclear interaction.

  18. Effects of Activation Energy to Transient Response of Semiconductor Gas Sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujimoto, Akira; Ohtani, Tatsuki

    The smell classifiable gas sensor will be desired for many applications such as gas detection alarms, process controls for food production and so on. We have tried to realize the sensor using transient responses of semiconductor gas sensor consisting of tin dioxide and pointed out that the sensor gave us different transient responses for kinds of gas. Results of model calculation showed the activation energy of chemical reaction on the sensor surface strongly depended on the transient response. We tried to estimate the activation energies by molecular orbital calculation with SnO2 Cluster. The results show that there is a liner relationship between the gradient of the transient responses and activation energies for carboxylic and alcoholic gases. Transient response will be predicted from activation energy in the same kind of gas and the smell discrimination by single semiconductor gas sensor will be realized by this relationship.

  19. Diabat Interpolation for Polymorph Free-Energy Differences.

    PubMed

    Kamat, Kartik; Peters, Baron

    2017-02-02

    Existing methods to compute free-energy differences between polymorphs use harmonic approximations, advanced non-Boltzmann bias sampling techniques, and/or multistage free-energy perturbations. This work demonstrates how Bennett's diabat interpolation method ( J. Comput. Phys. 1976, 22, 245 ) can be combined with energy gaps from lattice-switch Monte Carlo techniques ( Phys. Rev. E 2000, 61, 906 ) to swiftly estimate polymorph free-energy differences. The new method requires only two unbiased molecular dynamics simulations, one for each polymorph. To illustrate the new method, we compute the free-energy difference between face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic polymorphs for a Gaussian core solid. We discuss the justification for parabolic models of the free-energy diabats and similarities to methods that have been used in studies of electron transfer.

  20. Energy Conservation Activity Packet, Grade 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bakke, Ruth

    This activity packet for grade 3 is one of a series developed in response to the concern for energy conservation. It contains activities that stress an energy conservation ethic and includes many values clarification activities for grade three. The packet is divided into two parts and provides the teacher with background information, concepts and…

  1. Activities of the Iowa Energy Policy Council in Energy Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiting, W. Tony

    This report describes the various energy education programs and projects with which the Iowa Energy Policy Council has been involved since 1976. Briefly summarized are the Council's activities in curriculum development, inservice education, energy extension, and the organization of energy-related special events. (WB)

  2. The activation energy of stabilised/solidified contaminated soils.

    PubMed

    Chitambira, B; Al-Tabbaa, A; Perera, A S R; Yu, X D

    2007-03-15

    Developing an understanding of the time-related performance of cement-treated materials is essential in understanding their durability and long-term effectiveness. A number of models have been developed to predict this time-related performance. One such model is the maturity concept which involves use of the 'global' activation energy which derives from the Arrhenius equation. The accurate assessment of the activation energy is essential in the realistic modelling of the accelerated ageing of cement-treated soils. Experimentally, this model is applied to a series of tests performed at different elevated temperatures. Experimental work, related to the results of a time-related performance on a contaminated site in the UK treated with in situ stabilisation/solidification was carried out. Three different cement-based grouts were used on two model site soils which were both contaminated with a number of heavy metals and a hydrocarbon. Uncontaminated soils were also tested. Elevated temperatures up to 60 degrees C and curing periods up to 90 days were used. The resulting global activation energies for the uncontaminated and contaminated soils were compared. Lower values were obtained for the contaminated soils reflecting the effect of the contaminants. The resulting equivalent ages for the uncontaminated and contaminated mixes tested were 5.1-7.4 and 0.8-4.1 years, respectively. This work shows how a specific set of contaminants affect the E(a) values for particular cementitious systems and how the maturity concept can be applied to cement-treated contaminated soils.

  3. Strain-dependent activation energy of shear transformation in metallic glasses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Bin; Falk, Michael; Li, Jinfu; Kong, Lingti

    2017-04-01

    Shear transformation (ST) plays a decisive role in determining the mechanical behavior of metallic glasses, which is believed to be a stress-assisted thermally activated process. Understanding the dependence in its activation energy on the stress imposed on the material is of central importance to model the deformation process of metallic glasses and other amorphous solids. Here a theoretical model is proposed to predict the variation of the minimum energy path (MEP) associated with a particular ST event upon further deformation. Verification based on atomistic simulations and calculations are also conducted. The proposed model reproduces the MEP and activation energy of an ST event under different imposed macroscopic strains based on a known MEP at a reference strain. Moreover, an analytical approach is proposed based on the atomistic calculations, which works well when the stress varies linearity along the MEP. These findings provide necessary background for understanding the activation processes and, in turn, the mechanical behavior of metallic glasses.

  4. Government: Its Energy Policy and Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winek, Gary J.

    1980-01-01

    Discusses the federal government's progress toward the formation of a national energy policy and briefly describes the energy activities of government agencies, especially the Department of Energy. (SK)

  5. Female Age-Related Differences in Biomechanics and Muscle Activity During Descents on the Outstretched Arms.

    PubMed

    Lattimer, Lauren J; Lanovaz, Joel L; Farthing, Jonathan P; Madill, Stéphanie; Kim, Soo; Robinovitch, Stephen; Arnold, Cathy

    2017-07-01

    The purposes of this study were to examine female age differences in: (1) upper extremity (UE) and trunk muscle activity, elbow joint moment, loading force, and UE energy absorption during a controlled forward body descent; and (2) UE muscle strength. Twenty young (mean 24.8 ± 3.4 years) and 20 older (68.4 ± 5.7 years) women were assessed via dynamometry for isometric, concentric, and eccentric UE strength and performed forward descents on force plates at three body lean angles (60°, 45°, and 30° from horizontal). Significant differences (p < .05) were found for muscle strength, biomechanics, and muscle activity. Concentric UE strength averaged 15% lower in older women. At 30° body lean, older women absorbed less energy. Older women had greater biceps brachii activation and less external oblique activation at all body lean angles. Age differences in muscle strength, activation, and energy absorption may contribute to fall-related injury risk.

  6. ZnO nanostructures with different morphology for enhanced photocatalytic activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peter, I. John; Praveen, E.; Vignesh, G.; Nithiananthi, P.

    2017-12-01

    ZnO nanomaterials of different morphologies have been synthesized and the effect of morphology on Photocatalytic activity on natural dye has been investigated. Crystalline size and lattice strain of the synthesized particles are determined by XRD analysis and Williamson-Hall (W-H) method respectively. All other important physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density values are also calculated using W-H analysis using different models such as uniform deformation model, uniform deformation stress model and uniform deformation energy density model. A shift in the peak of FTIR spectrum of ZnO is observed due to morphology effects. The SEM analysis reveals that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles appear as flake, rod and dot. ZnO quantum dot exhibits higher photocatalytic activity comparing to the other morphologies. Larger surface area, high adsorption rate, large charge separation and the slow recombination of electrons/holes in ZnO dots establish dots as favorable morphology for good photocatalysis. Among the three, ZnO quantum dot shows three-times enhancement in the kinetic rate constants of photocatalysis. The results confirm that availability of specific (active) surface area, photocatalytic potential and quantum confinement of photo-induced carriers differ with morphology.

  7. Statistical analysis of activation and reaction energies with quasi-variational coupled-cluster theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Black, Joshua A.; Knowles, Peter J.

    2018-06-01

    The performance of quasi-variational coupled-cluster (QV) theory applied to the calculation of activation and reaction energies has been investigated. A statistical analysis of results obtained for six different sets of reactions has been carried out, and the results have been compared to those from standard single-reference methods. In general, the QV methods lead to increased activation energies and larger absolute reaction energies compared to those obtained with traditional coupled-cluster theory.

  8. [Sedentary lifestyle: physical activity duration versus percentage of energy expenditure].

    PubMed

    Cabrera de León, Antonio; Rodríguez-Pérez, María del C; Rodríguez-Benjumeda, Luis M; Anía-Lafuente, Basilio; Brito-Díaz, Buenaventura; Muros de Fuentes, Mercedes; Almeida-González, Delia; Batista-Medina, Marta; Aguirre-Jaime, Armando

    2007-03-01

    To compare different definitions of a sedentary lifestyle and to determine which is the most appropriate for demonstrating its relationship with the metabolic syndrome and other cardiovascular risk factors. A cross-sectional study of 5814 individuals was carried out. Comparisons were made between two definitions of a sedentary lifestyle: one based on active energy expenditure being less than 10% of total energy expenditure, and the other, on performing less than 25-30 minutes of physical activity per day. Reported levels of physical activity, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical markers of cardiovascular risk were recorded. The associations between a sedentary lifestyle and metabolic syndrome and other risk factors were adjusted for gender, age and tobacco use. The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle was higher in women (70%) than in men (45-60%, according to the definition used). The definitions based on physical activity duration and on energy expenditure were equally useful: there were direct associations between a sedentary lifestyle and metabolic syndrome, body mass index, abdominal and pelvic circumferences, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, apolipoprotein B, and triglycerides, and inverse associations with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and paraoxonase activity, which demonstrated the greatest percentage difference between sedentary and active individuals. An incidental finding was that both definitions of a sedentary lifestyle were more strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome as defined by International Diabetes Federation criteria than by Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Given that it is relatively easy to determine whether a patient performs less than 25 minutes of physical activity per day, use of this definition of a sedentary lifestyle is recommended for clinical practice. The serum paraoxonase activity level could provide a useful marker for studying sedentary lifestyles.

  9. The Limit of Free Magnetic Energy in Active Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Ron; Falconer, David; Sterling, Alphonse

    2012-01-01

    By measuring from active-region magnetograms a proxy of the free energy in the active region fs magnetic field, it has been found previously that (1) there is an abrupt upper limit to the free energy the field can hold that increases with the amount of magnetic field in the active region, the active region fs magnetic flux content, and (2) the free energy is usually near its limit when the field explodes in a CME/flare eruption. That is, explosive active regions are concentrated in a main-sequence path bordering the free-energy ]limit line in (flux content, free-energy proxy) phase space. Here, from measurement of Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograms, we find the magnetic condition that underlies the free ]energy limit and the accompanying main sequence of explosive active regions. Using a suitable free ]energy proxy measured from vector magnetograms of 44 active regions, we find that (1) in active regions at and near their free ]energy limit, the ratio of magnetic-shear free energy to the non ]free magnetic energy the potential field would have is approximately 1 in the core field, the field rooted along the neutral line, and (2) this ratio is progressively less in active regions progressively farther below their free ]energy limit. This shows that most active regions in which this core-field energy ratio is much less than 1 cannot be triggered to explode; as this ratio approaches 1, most active regions become capable of exploding; and when this ratio is 1 or greater, most active regions are compelled to explode. From these results we surmise the magnetic condition that determines the free ]energy limit is the ratio of the free magnetic energy to the non-free energy the active region fs field would have were it completely relaxed to its potential ]field configuration, and that this ratio is approximately 1 at the free-energy limit and in the main sequence of explosive active regions.

  10. Testing and evaluation of different energy storage devices for piezoelectric energy harvesting under road conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gopalakrishnan, Pratheek

    The increasing needs in green technology have propelled the rapid development in energy conversion and the advancement of electric energy storage systems. A viable storage technology is needed to store intermittent electrical energy in different electronic applications. In this thesis, recent progress on the chemistry and design of batteries is summarized with their challenges and improvements. Along with that, electrolytic capacitors are also reviewed with their types, advantages and disadvantages of each in short. Super capacitors having higher surface area and thinner dielectrics than conventional capacitors along with hybrid capacitors, are discussed in detail. The potential of a hybrid capacitor, Ni(OH)2/ Active Carbon, compared with Ni-Cd batteries and electrolytic capacitors in the application of energy storage for high way energy harvesting has been explored in this work. Both the battery and the hybrid capacitor has been tested under various experimental conditions and their properties in relation to their chemical compositions are compared. The results obtained from the experiments have been analyzed and the most suitable energy storage devices have been selected with their application potential evaluated before drawing conclusion reported in this thesis.

  11. How Much Energy Can Be Stored in Solar Active Region Magnetic Fields?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Linker, J.; Downs, C.; Torok, T.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Mikic, Z.; Riley, P.

    2015-12-01

    Major solar eruptions such as X-class flares and very fast coronal mass ejections usually originate in active regions on the Sun. The energy that powers these events is believed to be stored as free magnetic energy (energy above the potential field state) prior to eruption. While coronal magnetic fields are not in general force-free, active regions have very strong magnetic fields and at low coronal heights the plasma beta is therefore very small, making the field (in equilibrium) essentially force-free. The Aly-Sturrock theorem shows that the energy of a fully force-free field cannot exceed the energy of the so-called open field. If the theorem holds, this places an upper limit on the amount of free energy that can be stored: the maximum free energy (MFE) is the difference between the open field energy and the potential field energy of the active region. In thermodynamic MHD simulations of a major eruption (the July 14, 2000 'Bastille' day event) and a modest event (February 13, 2009, we have found that the MFE indeed bounds the energy stored prior to eruption. We compute the MFE for major eruptive events in cycles 23 and 24 to investigate the maximum amount of energy that can be stored in solar active regions.Research supported by AFOSR, NASA, and NSF.

  12. Energy management and control of active distribution systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shariatzadeh, Farshid

    Advancements in the communication, control, computation and information technologies have driven the transition to the next generation active power distribution systems. Novel control techniques and management strategies are required to achieve the efficient, economic and reliable grid. The focus of this work is energy management and control of active distribution systems (ADS) with integrated renewable energy sources (RESs) and demand response (DR). Here, ADS mean automated distribution system with remotely operated controllers and distributed energy resources (DERs). DER as active part of the next generation future distribution system includes: distributed generations (DGs), RESs, energy storage system (ESS), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and DR. Integration of DR and RESs into ADS is critical to realize the vision of sustainability. The objective of this dissertation is the development of management architecture to control and operate ADS in the presence of DR and RES. One of the most challenging issues for operating ADS is the inherent uncertainty of DR and RES as well as conflicting objective of DER and electric utilities. ADS can consist of different layers such as system layer and building layer and coordination between these layers is essential. In order to address these challenges, multi-layer energy management and control architecture is proposed with robust algorithms in this work. First layer of proposed multi-layer architecture have been implemented at the system layer. Developed AC optimal power flow (AC-OPF) generates fair price for all DR and non-DR loads which is used as a control signal for second layer. Second layer controls DR load at buildings using a developed look-ahead robust controller. Load aggregator collects information from all buildings and send aggregated load to the system optimizer. Due to the different time scale at these two management layers, time coordination scheme is developed. Robust and deterministic controllers

  13. Body Segment Kinematics and Energy Expenditure in Active Videogames.

    PubMed

    Böhm, Birgit; Hartmann, Michael; Böhm, Harald

    2016-06-01

    Energy expenditure (EE) in active videogames (AVGs) is a component for assessing its benefit for cardiovascular health. Existing evidence suggests that AVGs are able to increase EE above rest and when compared with playing passive videogames. However, the association between body movement and EE remains unclear. Furthermore, for goal-directed game design, it is important to know the contribution of body segments to EE. This knowledge will help to acquire a certain level of exercise intensity during active gaming. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the best predictors of EE from body segment energies, acceleration, and heart rate during different game situations. EE and body segment movement of 17 subjects, aged 22.1 ± 2.5 years, were measured in two different AVGs. In randomized order, the subjects played a handheld-controlled Nintendo(®) Wii™ tennis (NWT) game and a whole body-controlled Sony EyeToy(®) waterfall (ETW) game. Body segment movement was analyzed using a three-dimensional motion capture system. From the video data, mean values of mechanical energy change and acceleration of 10 body segments were analyzed. Measured EE was significantly higher in ETW (7.8 ± 1.4 metabolic equivalents [METs]) than in NWT (3.4 ± 1.0 METs). The best prediction parameter for the more intense ETW game was the energy change of the right thigh and for the less intense hand-controlled NWT game was the energy change of the upper torso. Segment acceleration was less accurate in predicting EE. The best predictors of metabolic EE were the thighs and the upper torso in whole body and handheld-controlled games, respectively. Increasing movement of these body segments would lead to higher physical activity intensity during gaming, reducing sedentary behavior.

  14. Effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy of rambutan seed under different drying methods to promote storage stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, So'bah; Shamsul Anuar, Mohd; Saleena Taip, Farah; Shamsudin, Rosnah; M, Siti Roha A.

    2017-05-01

    The effects of two drying methods, oven and microwave drying on the effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy of rambutan seed were studied. Effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy are the main indicators used for moisture movement within the material. Hence, it is beneficial to determine an appropriate drying method to attain a final moisture content of rambutan seed that potentially could be used as secondary sources in the industry. An appropriate final moisture content will provide better storage stability that can extend the lifespan of the rambutan seed. The rambutan seeds were dried with two drying methods (oven and microwave) at two level of the process variables (oven temperature; 40°C and 60°C and microwave power; 250W and 1000W) at constant initial moisture contents. The result showed that a higher value of effective moisture diffusivity and less activation energy were observed in microwave drying compared to oven drying. This finding portrays microwave drying expedites the moisture removal to achieve the required final moisture content and the most appropriate drying method for longer storage stability for rambutan seed. With respect to the process variables; higher oven temperatures and lower microwave powers also exhibit similar trends. Hopefully, this study would provide a baseline data to determine an appropriate drying method for longer storage period for turning waste to by-products.

  15. Examining Energy Expenditure in Youth Using XBOX Kinect: Differences by Player Mode.

    PubMed

    Barkman, Jourdin; Pfeiffer, Karin; Diltz, Allie; Peng, Wei

    2016-06-01

    Replacing sedentary time with physical activity through new generation exergames (eg, XBOX Kinect) is a potential intervention strategy. The study's purpose was to compare youth energy expenditure while playing different exergames in single- vs. multiplayer mode. Participants (26 male, 14 female) were 10 to 13 years old. They wore a portable metabolic analyzer while playing 4 XBOX Kinect games for 15 minutes each (2 single-, 2 multiplayer). Repeated-measures ANOVA (with Bonferroni correction) was used to examine player mode differences, controlling for age group, sex, weight status, and game. There was a significant difference in energy expenditure between single player (mean = 15.4 ml/kg/min, SD = 4.5) and multiplayer mode (mean = 16.8 ml/kg/min, SD = 4.7). Overweight and obese participants (mean = 13.7 ml/kg/min, SD = 4.2) expended less energy than normal weight (mean = 17.8 ml/kg/min, SD = 4.5) during multiplayer mode (d = 0.93). Player mode, along with personal factors such as weight status, may be important to consider in energy expenditure during exergames.

  16. Kinetic study of solid waste pyrolysis using distributed activation energy model.

    PubMed

    Bhavanam, Anjireddy; Sastry, R C

    2015-02-01

    The pyrolysis characteristics of municipal solid waste, agricultural residues such as ground nut shell, cotton husk and their blends are investigated using non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with in a temperature range of 30-900 °C at different heating rates of 10 °C, 30 °C and 50 °C/min in inert atmosphere. From the thermograms obtained from TGA, it is observed that the maximum rate of degradation occurred in the second stage of the pyrolysis process for all the solid wastes. The distributed activation energy model (DAEM) is used to study the pyrolysis kinetics of the solid wastes. The kinetic parameters E (activation energy), k0 (frequency factor) are calculated from this model. It is found that the range of activation energies for agricultural residues are lower than the municipal solid waste. The activation energies for the municipal solid waste pyrolysis process drastically decreased with addition of agricultural residues. The proposed DAEM is successfully validated with TGA experimental data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Activities for Teaching Solar Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Jack Lee; Cantrell, Joseph S.

    1980-01-01

    Plans and activities are suggested for teaching elementary children about solar energy. Directions are included for constructing a flat plate collector and a solar oven. Activities for a solar field day are given. (SA)

  18. Contribution of regional brain melanocortin receptor subtypes to elevated activity energy expenditure in lean, active rats

    PubMed Central

    Shukla, Charu; Koch, Lauren G.; Britton, Steven L.; Cai, Minying; Hruby, Victor J.; Bednarek, Maria; Novak, Colleen M.

    2015-01-01

    Physical activity and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) are crucial factors accounting for individual differences in body weight, interacting with genetic predisposition. In the brain, a number of neuroendocrine intermediates regulate food intake and energy expenditure (EE); this includes the brain melanocortin (MC) system, consisting of melanocortin peptides as well as their receptors (MCR). MC3R and MC4R have emerged as critical modulators of EE and food intake. To determine how variance in MC signaling may underlie individual differences in physical activity levels, we examined behavioral response to MC receptor agonists and antagonists in rats that show high and low levels of physical activity and NEAT, that is, high- and low-capacity runners (HCR, LCR), developed by artificial selection for differential intrinsic aerobic running capacity. Focusing on the hypothalamus, we identified brain region-specific elevations in expression of MCR 3, 4, and also MC5R, in the highly active, lean HCR relative to the less active and obesity-prone LCR. Further, the differences in activity and associated EE as a result of MCR activation or suppression using specific agonists and antagonists were similarly region-specific and directly corresponded to the differential MCR expression patterns. The agonists and antagonists investigated here did not significantly impact food intake at the doses used, suggesting that the differential pattern of receptor expression may by more meaningful to physical activity than to other aspects of energy balance regulation. Thus, MCR-mediated physical activity may be a key neural mechanism in distinguishing the lean phenotype and a target for enhancing physical activity and NEAT. PMID:26404873

  19. High energy expenditure masks low physical activity in obesity.

    PubMed

    DeLany, J P; Kelley, D E; Hames, K C; Jakicic, J M; Goodpaster, B H

    2013-07-01

    To investigate energy expenditure in lean and obese individuals, focusing particularly on physical activity and severely obese individuals. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was assessed using doubly labeled water, resting metabolic rate (RMR) by indirect calorimetry, activity energy expenditure (AEE) by difference and time spent in physical activity by multisensor activity monitors. In all, 177 lean, Class I and severely obese individuals (age 31-56 years, body mass index 20-64 kg m(-2)) were analyzed. All components of energy expenditure were elevated in obese individuals. For example, TDEE was 2404±95 kcal per day in lean and 3244±48 kcal per day in Class III obese individuals. After appropriate adjustment, RMR was similar in all groups. Analysis of AEE by body weight and obesity class indicated a lower AEE in obese individuals. Confirming lower physical activity, obese individuals spent less time engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (2.7±1.3, 1.8±0.6, 2.0±1.4 and 1.2±1.0 h per day in lean, Class I, Class II and Class III individuals) and more time in sedentary behaviors. There was no indication of metabolic efficiency in even the severely obese, as adjusted RMR was similar across all groups. The higher AEE observed in the obese is consistent with a higher cost of activities due to higher body weight. However, the magnitude of the higher AEE (20-25% higher in obese individuals) is lower than expected (weight approximately 100% higher in Class III individuals). Confirming a lower volume of physical activity in the obese, the total time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and average daily metabolic equivalent of task level were lower with increasing obesity. These findings demonstrate that high body weight in obese individuals leads to a high TDEE and AEE, which masks the fact that they are less physically active, which can be influenced by duration or intensity of activity, than in lean individuals.

  20. Assessment of Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure: An Overview of Objective Measures

    PubMed Central

    Hills, Andrew P.; Mokhtar, Najat; Byrne, Nuala M.

    2014-01-01

    The ability to assess energy expenditure (EE) and estimate physical activity (PA) in free-living individuals is extremely important in the global context of non-communicable diseases including malnutrition, overnutrition (obesity), and diabetes. It is also important to appreciate that PA and EE are different constructs with PA defined as any bodily movement that results in EE and accordingly, energy is expended as a result of PA. However, total energy expenditure, best assessed using the criterion doubly labeled water (DLW) technique, includes components in addition to physical activity energy expenditure, namely resting energy expenditure and the thermic effect of food. Given the large number of assessment techniques currently used to estimate PA in humans, it is imperative to understand the relative merits of each. The goal of this review is to provide information on the utility and limitations of a range of objective measures of PA and their relationship with EE. The measures discussed include those based on EE or oxygen uptake including DLW, activity energy expenditure, physical activity level, and metabolic equivalent; those based on heart rate monitoring and motion sensors; and because of their widespread use, selected subjective measures. PMID:25988109

  1. Energy Cost of Active and Sedentary Music Video Games: Drum and Handheld Gaming vs. Walking and Sitting

    PubMed Central

    MIRANDA, EDWIN; OVERSTREET, BRITTANY S.; FOUNTAIN, WILLIAM A.; GUTIERREZ, VINCENT; KOLANKOWSKI, MICHAEL; OVERSTREET, MATTHEW L.; SAPP, RYAN M.; WOLFF, CHRISTOPHER A.; MAZZETTI, SCOTT A.

    2017-01-01

    To compare energy expenditure during and after active and handheld video game drumming compared to walking and sitting. Ten experienced, college-aged men performed four protocols (one per week): no-exercise seated control (CTRL), virtual drumming on a handheld gaming device (HANDHELD), active drumming on drum pads (DRUM), and walking on a treadmill at ~30% of VO2max (WALK). Protocols were performed after an overnight fast, and expired air was collected continuously during (30min) and after (30min) exercise. DRUM and HANDHELD song lists, day of the week, and time of day were identical for each participant. Significant differences (p < 0.05) among the average rates of energy expenditure (kcal·min−1) during activity included WALK > DRUM > HANDHELD. No significant differences in the rates of energy expenditure among groups during recovery were observed. Total energy expenditure was significantly greater (p < 0.05) during WALK (149.5 ± 30.6 kcal) compared to DRUM (118.7 ± 18.8 kcal) and HANDHELD (44.9±11.6 kcal), and greater during DRUM compared to HANDHELD. Total energy expenditure was not significantly different between HANDHELD (44.9 ± 11.6 kcal) and CTRL (38.2 ± 6.0 kcal). Active video game drumming at expert-level significantly increased energy expenditure compared to handheld, but it hardly met moderate-intensity activity standards, and energy expenditure was greatest during walking. Energy expenditure with handheld video game drumming was not different from no-exercise control. Thus, traditional aerobic exercise remains at the forefront for achieving the minimum amount and intensity of physical activity for health, individuals desiring to use video games for achieving weekly physical activity recommendations should choose games that require significant involvement of lower-body musculature, and time spent playing sedentary games should be a limited part of an active lifestyle. PMID:29170705

  2. Energy Cost of Active and Sedentary Music Video Games: Drum and Handheld Gaming vs. Walking and Sitting.

    PubMed

    Miranda, Edwin; Overstreet, Brittany S; Fountain, William A; Gutierrez, Vincent; Kolankowski, Michael; Overstreet, Matthew L; Sapp, Ryan M; Wolff, Christopher A; Mazzetti, Scott A

    2017-01-01

    To compare energy expenditure during and after active and handheld video game drumming compared to walking and sitting. Ten experienced, college-aged men performed four protocols (one per week): no-exercise seated control (CTRL), virtual drumming on a handheld gaming device (HANDHELD), active drumming on drum pads (DRUM), and walking on a treadmill at ~30% of VO 2max (WALK). Protocols were performed after an overnight fast, and expired air was collected continuously during (30min) and after (30min) exercise. DRUM and HANDHELD song lists, day of the week, and time of day were identical for each participant. Significant differences (p < 0.05) among the average rates of energy expenditure (kcal·min -1 ) during activity included WALK > DRUM > HANDHELD. No significant differences in the rates of energy expenditure among groups during recovery were observed. Total energy expenditure was significantly greater (p < 0.05) during WALK (149.5 ± 30.6 kcal) compared to DRUM (118.7 ± 18.8 kcal) and HANDHELD (44.9±11.6 kcal), and greater during DRUM compared to HANDHELD. Total energy expenditure was not significantly different between HANDHELD (44.9 ± 11.6 kcal) and CTRL (38.2 ± 6.0 kcal). Active video game drumming at expert-level significantly increased energy expenditure compared to handheld, but it hardly met moderate-intensity activity standards, and energy expenditure was greatest during walking. Energy expenditure with handheld video game drumming was not different from no-exercise control. Thus, traditional aerobic exercise remains at the forefront for achieving the minimum amount and intensity of physical activity for health, individuals desiring to use video games for achieving weekly physical activity recommendations should choose games that require significant involvement of lower-body musculature, and time spent playing sedentary games should be a limited part of an active lifestyle.

  3. The Diet Quality of Competitive Adolescent Male Rugby Union Players with Energy Balance Estimated Using Different Physical Activity Coefficients

    PubMed Central

    Burrows, Tracy; Harries, Simon K.; Williams, Rebecca L.; Lum, Cheryl; Callister, Robin

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The aims of the current study were to comprehensively assess the dietary intakes and diet quality of a sample of Australian competitive adolescent rugby union players and compare these intakes with National and Sports Dietitians Association (SDA) Recommendations for adolescent athletes. A secondary aim investigated applying different physical activity level (PAL) coefficients to determine total energy expenditure (TEE) in order to more effectively evaluate the adequacy of energy intakes. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Anthropometrics and dietary intakes were assessed in 25 competitive adolescent male rugby union players (14 to 18 years old). Diet was assessed using the validated Australian Eating Survey (AES) food frequency questionnaire and diet quality was assessed through the Australian Recommended Food Score. Results: The median dietary intakes of participants met national recommendations for percent energy (% E) from carbohydrate, protein and total fat, but not carbohydrate intake when evaluated as g/day as proposed in SDA guidelines. Median intakes of fibre and micronutrients including calcium and iron also met national recommendations. Overall diet quality was classified as ‘good’ with a median diet quality score of 34 (out of a possible 73); however, there was a lack of variety within key food groups including carbohydrates and proteins. Non-core food consumption exceeded recommended levels at 38% of the daily total energy intake, with substantial contributions from takeaway foods and sweetened beverages. A PAL coefficient of 1.2–1.4 was found to best balance the energy intakes of these players in their pre-season. Conclusions: Adolescent rugby players met the percent energy recommendations for macronutrients and attained an overall ‘good’ diet quality score. However, it was identified that when compared to specific recommendations for athletes, carbohydrate intakes were below recommendations and these players in their pre

  4. The Diet Quality of Competitive Adolescent Male Rugby Union Players with Energy Balance Estimated Using Different Physical Activity Coefficients.

    PubMed

    Burrows, Tracy; Harries, Simon K; Williams, Rebecca L; Lum, Cheryl; Callister, Robin

    2016-09-07

    The aims of the current study were to comprehensively assess the dietary intakes and diet quality of a sample of Australian competitive adolescent rugby union players and compare these intakes with National and Sports Dietitians Association (SDA) Recommendations for adolescent athletes. A secondary aim investigated applying different physical activity level (PAL) coefficients to determine total energy expenditure (TEE) in order to more effectively evaluate the adequacy of energy intakes. Cross-sectional. Anthropometrics and dietary intakes were assessed in 25 competitive adolescent male rugby union players (14 to 18 years old). Diet was assessed using the validated Australian Eating Survey (AES) food frequency questionnaire and diet quality was assessed through the Australian Recommended Food Score. The median dietary intakes of participants met national recommendations for percent energy (% E) from carbohydrate, protein and total fat, but not carbohydrate intake when evaluated as g/day as proposed in SDA guidelines. Median intakes of fibre and micronutrients including calcium and iron also met national recommendations. Overall diet quality was classified as 'good' with a median diet quality score of 34 (out of a possible 73); however, there was a lack of variety within key food groups including carbohydrates and proteins. Non-core food consumption exceeded recommended levels at 38% of the daily total energy intake, with substantial contributions from takeaway foods and sweetened beverages. A PAL coefficient of 1.2-1.4 was found to best balance the energy intakes of these players in their pre-season. Adolescent rugby players met the percent energy recommendations for macronutrients and attained an overall 'good' diet quality score. However, it was identified that when compared to specific recommendations for athletes, carbohydrate intakes were below recommendations and these players in their pre-season reported high consumption of non-core foods, particularly sugar

  5. Distributed activation energy model parameters of some Turkish coals

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

    Gunes, M.; Gunes, S.K.

    2008-07-01

    A multi-reaction model based on distributed activation energy has been applied to some Turkish coals. The kinetic parameters of distributed activation energy model were calculated via computer program developed for this purpose. It was observed that the values of mean of activation energy distribution vary between 218 and 248 kJ/mol, and the values of standard deviation of activation energy distribution vary between 32 and 70 kJ/mol. The correlations between kinetic parameters of the distributed activation energy model and certain properties of coal have been investigated.

  6. Energy and Man's Environment Activity Guide: An Interdisciplinary Teacher's Guide to Energy and Environmental Activities, Section One - Sources of Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, John, Ed.

    This publication presents the activities pertaining to the first goal of this activity guide series. The activities in this publication focus primarily on the availability of resources, forms of energy, natural laws, and socioeconomic considerations. These materials are appropriate for middle school and junior high school students. These…

  7. Changes in Temperature Sensitivity and Activation Energy of Soil Organic Matter Decomposition in Different Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Grasslands.

    PubMed

    Li, Jie; He, Nianpeng; Wei, Xuehong; Gao, Yang; Zuo, Yao

    2015-01-01

    Qinghai-Tibet Plateau grasslands are unique geographical regions and store substantial soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil surface, which make them very sensitive to global climate change. Here, we focused on three main grassland types (alpine meadow, steppe, and desert) and conducted a soil incubation experiment at five different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) to investigate SOM decomposition rates (R), temperature sensitivity (Q10), and activation energy (Ea). The results showed that grassland type and incubation temperature had significant impact on R (P < 0.001), and the values of R were exponential correlated with incubation temperature in three alpine grasslands. At the same temperature, R was in the following order: alpine meadow > alpinesteppe > alpine desert. The Q10 values differed significantly among different grasslands, and the overall trends were as follows: alpine meadow (1.56 ± 0.09) < alpine steppe (1.88 ± 0.23) < alpine desert (2.39 ± 0.32). Moreover, the Ea values differed significantly across different grassland types (P < 0.001) and increased with increasing incubation time. The exponential negative correlations between Ea and R at 20°C across all grassland types (all Ps < 0.001) indicated that the substrate-quality temperature hypothesis is applicable to the alpine grasslands. Our findings provide new insights for understanding the responses of SOM decomposition and storage to warming scenarios in this Plateau.

  8. Polyelectrolyte-coated carbons used in the generation of blue energy from salinity differences.

    PubMed

    Ahualli, S; Jiménez, M L; Fernández, M M; Iglesias, G; Brogioli, D; Delgado, A V

    2014-12-14

    In this work we present a method for the production of clean, renewable electrical energy from the exchange of solutions with different salinities. Activated carbon films are coated with negatively or positively charged polyelectrolytes using well-established adsorption methods. When two oppositely charged coated films are placed in contact with an ionic solution, the potential difference between them will be equal to the difference between their Donnan potentials, and hence, energy can be extracted by building an electrochemical cell with such electrodes. A model is elaborated on the operation of the cell, based on the electrokinetic theory of soft particles. All the features of the model are experimentally reproduced, although a small quantitative difference concerning the maximum open-circuit voltage is found, suggesting that the coating is the key point to improve the efficiency. In the experimental conditions used, we obtain a power of 12.1 mW m(-2). Overall, the method proves to be a fruitful and simple approach to salinity-gradient energy production.

  9. 78 FR 64414 - Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Part 810 RIN 1994-AA02 Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities... Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities since 1986. The NOPR reflected a need to make the regulations... concerning Assistance to Foreign Atomic Energy Activities since 1986. (76 FR 55278) The NOPR reflected a need...

  10. ERP Energy and Cognitive Activity Correlates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schillaci, Michael Jay; Vendemia, Jennifer M. C.

    2014-03-01

    We propose a novel analysis approach for high-density event related scalp potential (ERP) data where the integrated channel-power is used to attain an energy density functional state for channel-clusters of neurophysiological significance. The method is applied to data recorded during a two-stimulus, directed lie paradigm and shows that deceptive responses emit between 8% and 10% less power. A time course analysis of these cognitive activity measures over posterior and anterior regions of the cortex suggests that neocortical interactions, reflecting the differing workload demands during executive and semantic processes, take about 50% longer for the case of deception. These results suggest that the proposed method may provide a useful tool for the analysis of ERP correlates of high-order cognitive functioning. We also report on a possible equivalence between the energy functional distribution and near-infrared signatures that have been measured with other modalities.

  11. Active interrogation using low-energy nuclear reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antolak, Arlyn; Doyle, Barney; Leung, Ka-Ngo; Morse, Daniel; Provencio, Paula

    2005-09-01

    High-energy photons and neutrons can be used to interrogate for heavily shielded fissile materials inside sealed cargo containers by detecting their prompt and/or delayed fission signatures. The FIND (Fissmat Inspection for Nuclear Detection) active interrogation system is based on a dual neutron+gamma source that uses low-energy (< 500 keV) proton- or deuteron-induced nuclear reactions to produce high intensities of mono-energetic gamma rays and/or neutrons. The source can be operated in either pulsed (e.g., to detect delayed photofission neutrons and gammas) or continuous (e.g., detecting prompt fission signatures) modes. For the gamma-rays, the source target can be segmented to incorporate different (p,γ) isotopes for producing gamma-rays at selective energies, thereby improving the probability of detection. The design parameters for the FIND system are discussed and preliminary accelerator-based measurements of gamma and neutron yields, background levels, and fission signals for several target materials under consideration are presented.

  12. Accuracy of a novel multi-sensor board for measuring physical activity and energy expenditure

    PubMed Central

    Lester, Jonathan; Migotsky, Sean; Goh, Jorming; Higgins, Lisa; Borriello, Gaetano

    2011-01-01

    The ability to relate physical activity to health depends on accurate measurement. Yet, none of the available methods are fully satisfactory due to several factors. This study examined the accuracy of a multi-sensor board (MSB) that infers activity types (sitting, standing, walking, stair climbing, and running) and estimates energy expenditure in 57 adults (32 females) 39.2 ± 13.5 years. In the laboratory, subjects walked and ran on a treadmill over a select range of speeds and grades for 3 min each (six stages in random order) while connected to a stationary calorimeter, preceded and followed by brief sitting and standing. On a different day, subjects completed scripted activities in the field connected to a portable calorimeter. The MSB was attached to a strap at the right hip. Subjects repeated one condition (randomly selected) on the third day. Accuracy of inferred activities compared with recorded activities (correctly identified activities/total activities × 100) was 97 and 84% in the laboratory and field, respectively. Absolute accuracy of energy expenditure [100 – absolute value (kilocalories MSB – kilocalories calorimeter/kilocalories calorimeter) × 100] was 89 and 76% in the laboratory and field, the later being different (P < 0.05) from the calorimeter. Test–retest reliability for energy expenditure was significant in both settings (P < 0.0001; r = 0.97). In general, the MSB provides accurate measures of activity type in laboratory and field settings and energy expenditure during treadmill walking and running although the device underestimates energy expenditure in the field. PMID:21249383

  13. Energy Adventure Center. Activity Book. Revised [and Expanded] Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wichita Unified School District 259, KS.

    A variety of energy activities are provided, including instructions for and questions related to energy films. The activities are organized into five sections. Section 1 (work) includes an activity focusing on movement and change. Section 2 (forms of energy) includes activities related to mechanical (movement), radiant (light), chemical (burning),…

  14. Energy Expenditure and Intensity of Active Video Games in Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Canabrava, Karina L R; Faria, Fernanda R; Lima, Jorge R P de; Guedes, Dartagnan P; Amorim, Paulo R S

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to compare the energy expenditure and intensity of active video games to that of treadmill walking in children and adolescents. Seventy-two boys and girls (aged 8-13 years) were recruited from local public schools. Energy expenditure and heart rate were measured during rest, during 3-km/hr, 4-km/hr, and 5-km/hr walks, and during active games (Adventure, Boxing I, Boxing II, and Dance). During walking and active games, we also assessed physical activity using an accelerometer. The energy expenditure of the active games Adventure, Boxing I, Boxing II, and Dance was similar to that of treadmill walking at 5 km/hr in boys and girls. Heart rate was significantly higher for the game Adventure compared with walking at 3 km/hr, 4 km/hr, and 5 km/hr and the game Dance in both genders. The heart rate of girls during the games Adventure and Dance was significantly higher compared with boys. There was a statistically significant difference (p < .05, with an effect size ranging from 0.40 to 3.54) in the counts·min -1 , measured through accelerometry, between activities. XBOX 360 Kinect games provide energy expenditure and physical activity of moderate intensity for both genders. The use of active video games can be an interesting alternative to increase physical activity levels.

  15. Nonadiabatic coupling reduces the activation energy in thermally activated delayed fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Gibson, J; Penfold, T J

    2017-03-22

    The temperature dependent rate of a thermally activated process is given by the Arrhenius equation. The exponential decrease in the rate with activation energy, which this imposes, strongly promotes processes with small activation barriers. This criterion is one of the most challenging during the design of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters used in organic light emitting diodes. The small activation energy is usually achieved with donor-acceptor charge transfer complexes. However, this sacrifices the radiative rate and is therefore incommensurate with the high luminescence quantum yields required for applications. Herein we demonstrate that the spin-vibronic mechanism, operative for efficient TADF, overcomes this limitation. Nonadiabatic coupling between the lowest two triplet states give rise to a strong enhancement of the rate of reserve intersystem crossing via a second order mechanism and promotes population transfer between the T 1 to T 2 states. Consequently the rISC mechanism is actually operative between initial and final state exhibiting an energy gap that is smaller than between the T 1 and S 1 states. This contributes to the small activation energies for molecules exhibiting a large optical gap, identifies limitations of the present design procedures and provides a basis from which to construct TADF molecules with simultaneous high radiative and rISC rates.

  16. Surface Energy Exchanges during Pre-monsoon Thunderstorm Activity over a Tropical Station Kharagpur

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyagi, Bhishma; Satyanarayana, A. N. V.; Rajvanshi, R. K.; Mandal, M.

    2014-07-01

    In the present study an attempt has been made to understand the variation of surface energy fluxes such as net radiation, sensible, latent and soil heat during different epochs of thunderstorm activity at Kharagpur. The study also focuses in delineating the difference in the surface energy budget from the days of thunderstorm activity to fair weather days in the pre-monsoon months (April and May) which is locally known as thunderstorm season. For this purpose, experimental data obtained from the Severe Thunderstorms- Observations and Regional Modeling (STORM) programme during pre-monsoon months of 2007, 2009 and 2010 at Kharagpur (22°30'N, 87°20'E), West Bengal, India are used. The present study reveals quick response, in the order of a few days, in the variations of transport of energy fluxes at soil-atmosphere interface to the upper atmosphere vis-à-vis to the occurrence of thunderstorm activity. Rise of surface sensible heat flux to the level of surface latent heat flux a day or two before the occurrence of a thunderstorm has been identified as a precursor signal for the thunderstorm occurrence over Kharagpur. Distinguishable differences are found in the partitioning of the surface energy fluxes to that of net radiation between thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm days. The present study reveals more Bowen's ratio during thunderstorm days to that of nonthunderstorm days. These results are useful in validating mesoscale model simulations of thunderstorm activity.

  17. The Differential Gibbs Free Energy of Activation and its Implications in the Transition-State of Enzymatic Reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maggi, F.; Riley, W. J.

    2016-12-01

    We propose a mathematical framework to introduce the concept of differential free energy of activation in enzymatically catalyzed reactions, and apply it to N uptake by microalgae and bacteria. This framework extends the thermodynamic capabilities of the classical transition-state theory in and harmonizes the consolidated definitions of kinetic parameters with their thermodynamic and physical meaning. Here, the activation energy is assumed to be a necessary energetic level for equilibrium complexation between reactants and activated complex; however, an additional energy contribution is required for the equilibrium activated complex to release reaction products. We call this "differential free energy of activation"; it can be described by a Boltzmann distribution, and corresponds to a free energy level different from that of complexation. Whether this level is above or below the free energy of activation depends on the reaction, and defines energy domains that correspond to "superactivated", "activated", and "subactivated" complexes. The activated complex reaching one of those states will eventually release the products from an energy level different than that of activation. The concept of differential free energy of activation was tested on 57 independent experiments of NH­4+ and NO3- uptake by various microalgae and bacteria at temperatures ranging between 1 and 45oC. Results showed that the complexation equilibrium always favored the activated complex, but the differential energy of activation led to an apparent energy barrier consistent with observations. Temperature affected all energy levels within this framework but did not alter substantially these thermodynamic features. Overall the approach: (1) provides a thermodynamic and mathematical link between Michaelis-Menten and rate constants; (2) shows that both kinetic parameters can be described or approximated by Arrhenius' like equations; (3) describes the likelihood of formation of sub-, super-, and

  18. Self-powered suspension criterion and energy regeneration implementation scheme of motor-driven active suspension

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Shuai; Sun, Weichao

    2017-09-01

    Active suspension systems have advantages on mitigating the effects of vehicle vibration caused by road roughness, which are one of the most important component parts in influencing the performances of vehicles. However, high amount of energy consumption restricts the application of active suspension systems. From the point of energy saving, this paper presents a self-powered criterion of the active suspension system to judge whether a motor-driven suspension can be self-powered or not, and then a motor parameter condition is developed as a reference to design a self-powered suspension. An energy regeneration implementation scheme is subsequently proposed to make the active suspension which has the potential to be self-powered achieve energy-saving target in the real application. In this implementation scheme, operating electric circuits are designed based on different working status of the actuator and power source and it is realizable to accumulate energy from road vibration and supply energy to the actuator by switching corresponding electric circuits. To apply the self-powered suspension criterion and energy regeneration implementation scheme, an active suspension system is designed with a constrained H∞ controller and calculation results indicate that it has the capability to be self-powered. Simulation results show that the performances of the self-powered active suspension are nearly the same as those of the active suspension with an external energy source and can achieve energy regeneration at the same time.

  19. The Limit of Magnetic-Shear Energy in Solar Active Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Ronald; Falconer, David; Sterling, Alphonse

    2012-01-01

    It has been found previously, by measuring from active-region magnetograms a proxy of the free energy in the active region's magnetic field, (1) that there is a sharp upper limit to the free energy the field can hold that increases with the amount of magnetic field in the active region, the active region's magnetic flux content, and (2) that most active regions are near this limit when their field explodes in a coronal mass ejection/flare eruption. That is, explosive active regions are concentrated in a main-sequence path bordering the free-energy-limit line in (flux content, free-energy proxy) phase space. Here, we present evidence that specifies the underlying magnetic condition that gives rise to the free-energy limit and the accompanying main sequence of explosive active regions. Using a suitable free-energy proxy measured from vector magnetograms of 44 active regions, we find evidence that (1) in active regions at and near their free-energy limit, the ratio of magnetic-shear free energy to the non-free magnetic energy the potential field would have is of the order of one in the core field, the field rooted along the neutral line, and (2) this ratio is progressively less in active regions progressively farther below their free-energy limit. Evidently, most active regions in which this core-field energy ratio is much less than one cannot be triggered to explode; as this ratio approaches one, most active regions become capable of exploding; and when this ratio is one, most active regions are compelled to explode.

  20. The Limit of Magnetic-Shear Energy in Solar Active Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, David A.; Sterling, Alphonse C.

    2013-01-01

    It has been found previously, by measuring from active ]region magnetograms a proxy of the free energy in the active region fs magnetic field, (1) that there is a sharp upper limit to the free energy the field can hold that increases with the amount of magnetic field in the active region, the active region fs magnetic flux content, and (2) that most active regions are near this limit when their field explodes in a CME/flare eruption. That is, explosive active regions are concentrated in a main ]sequence path bordering the free ]energy ]limit line in (flux content, free ]energy proxy) phase space. Here we present evidence that specifies the underlying magnetic condition that gives rise to the free ]energy limit and the accompanying main sequence of explosive active regions. Using a suitable free energy proxy measured from vector magnetograms of 44 active regions, we find evidence that (1) in active regions at and near their free ]energy limit, the ratio of magnetic ]shear free energy to the non ]free magnetic energy the potential field would have is of order 1 in the core field, the field rooted along the neutral line, and (2) this ratio is progressively less in active regions progressively farther below their free ]energy limit. Evidently, most active regions in which this core ]field energy ratio is much less than 1 cannot be triggered to explode; as this ratio approaches 1, most active regions become capable of exploding; and when this ratio is 1, most active regions are compelled to explode.

  1. Smart approaches for assessing free-living energy expenditure following identification of types of physical activity.

    PubMed

    Plasqui, G

    2017-02-01

    Accurate assessment of physical activity and energy expenditure has been a research focus for many decades. A variety of wearable sensors have been developed to objectively capture physical activity patterns in daily life. These sensors have evolved from simple pedometers to tri-axial accelerometers, and multi sensor devices measuring different physiological constructs. The current review focuses on how activity recognition may help to improve daily life energy expenditure assessment. A brief overview is given about how different sensors have evolved over time to pave the way for recognition of different activity types. Once the activity is recognized together with the intensity of the activity, an energetic value can be attributed. This concept can then be tested in daily life using the independent reference technique doubly labeled water. So far, many studies have been performed to accurately identify activity types, and some of those studies have also successfully translated this into energy expenditure estimates. Most of these studies have been performed under standardized conditions, and the true applicability in daily life has rarely been addressed. The results so far however are highly promising, and technological advancements together with newly developed algorithms based on physiological constructs will further expand this field of research. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

  2. Changes in Temperature Sensitivity and Activation Energy of Soil Organic Matter Decomposition in Different Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Grasslands

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jie; He, Nianpeng; Wei, Xuehong; Gao, Yang; Zuo, Yao

    2015-01-01

    Qinghai-Tibet Plateau grasslands are unique geographical regions and store substantial soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil surface, which make them very sensitive to global climate change. Here, we focused on three main grassland types (alpine meadow, steppe, and desert) and conducted a soil incubation experiment at five different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) to investigate SOM decomposition rates (R), temperature sensitivity (Q 10), and activation energy (E a). The results showed that grassland type and incubation temperature had significant impact on R (P < 0.001), and the values of R were exponential correlated with incubation temperature in three alpine grasslands. At the same temperature, R was in the following order: alpine meadow > alpinesteppe > alpine desert. The Q 10 values differed significantly among different grasslands, and the overall trends were as follows: alpine meadow (1.56 ± 0.09) < alpine steppe (1.88 ± 0.23) < alpine desert (2.39 ± 0.32). Moreover, the E a values differed significantly across different grassland types (P < 0.001) and increased with increasing incubation time. The exponential negative correlations between E a and R at 20°C across all grassland types (all Ps < 0.001) indicated that the substrate-quality temperature hypothesis is applicable to the alpine grasslands. Our findings provide new insights for understanding the responses of SOM decomposition and storage to warming scenarios in this Plateau. PMID:26176705

  3. Activity promoting games and increased energy expenditure

    PubMed Central

    Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Foster, Randal C.; McCrady, Shelly K.; Jensen, Teresa B.; Mitre, Naim; Levine, James A.

    2009-01-01

    Objectives Children and adults spend large portions of their days in front of screens. Our hypothesis was that both children and adults would expend more calories and move more while playing activity-promoting video games compared to sedentary video games. Study Design In this single-group study, twenty-two healthy children (12 ± 2 years, 11 M, 11 F) and 20 adults (34 ± 11 years, 10 M, 10 F) were recruited. Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were resting, standing, watching television seated, sitting and playing a traditional sedentary video game, and while playing an activity-promoting video game (Nintendo® Wii™ Boxing). Physical activity was measured using accelerometers and energy expenditure was measured using an indirect calorimeter. Results Energy expenditure increased significantly above all activities when children or adults played Nintendo® Wii™ (mean increase over resting, 189 ± 63 kcal/hr, p < 0.001, and 148 ± 71 kcal/hr, p < 0.001, respectively). Upon examination of movement using accelerometry, children moved significantly more than adults (55 ± 5 AAU and 23 ± 2 AAU, respectively, p < 0.001) while playing Nintendo® Wii™. Conclusions Activity-promoting video games have the potential to increase movement and energy expenditure in children and adults. PMID:19324368

  4. Thermodynamic Derivation of the Activation Energy for Ice Nucleation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barahona, D.

    2015-01-01

    Cirrus clouds play a key role in the radiative and hydrological balance of the upper troposphere. Their correct representation in atmospheric models requires an understanding of the microscopic processes leading to ice nucleation. A key parameter in the theoretical description of ice nucleation is the activation energy, which controls the flux of water molecules from the bulk of the liquid to the solid during the early stages of ice formation. In most studies it is estimated by direct association with the bulk properties of water, typically viscosity and self-diffusivity. As the environment in the ice-liquid interface may differ from that of the bulk, this approach may introduce bias in calculated nucleation rates. In this work a theoretical model is proposed to describe the transfer of water molecules across the ice-liquid interface. Within this framework the activation energy naturally emerges from the combination of the energy required to break hydrogen bonds in the liquid, i.e., the bulk diffusion process, and the work dissipated from the molecular rearrangement of water molecules within the ice-liquid interface. The new expression is introduced into a generalized form of classical nucleation theory. Even though no nucleation rate measurements are used to fit any of the parameters of the theory the predicted nucleation rate is in good agreement with experimental results, even at temperature as low as 190 K, where it tends to be underestimated by most models. It is shown that the activation energy has a strong dependency on temperature and a weak dependency on water activity. Such dependencies are masked by thermodynamic effects at temperatures typical of homogeneous freezing of cloud droplets; however, they may affect the formation of ice in haze aerosol particles. The new model provides an independent estimation of the activation energy and the homogeneous ice nucleation rate, and it may help to improve the interpretation of experimental results and the

  5. Cellular Links between Neuronal Activity and Energy Homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Shetty, Pavan K; Galeffi, Francesca; Turner, Dennis A

    2012-01-01

    Neuronal activity, astrocytic responses to this activity, and energy homeostasis are linked together during baseline, conscious conditions, and short-term rapid activation (as occurs with sensory or motor function). Nervous system energy homeostasis also varies during long-term physiological conditions (i.e., development and aging) and with adaptation to pathological conditions, such as ischemia or low glucose. Neuronal activation requires increased metabolism (i.e., ATP generation) which leads initially to substrate depletion, induction of a variety of signals for enhanced astrocytic function, and increased local blood flow and substrate delivery. Energy generation (particularly in mitochondria) and use during ATP hydrolysis also lead to considerable heat generation. The local increases in blood flow noted following neuronal activation can both enhance local substrate delivery but also provides a heat sink to help cool the brain and removal of waste by-products. In this review we highlight the interactions between short-term neuronal activity and energy metabolism with an emphasis on signals and factors regulating astrocyte function and substrate supply.

  6. Gender differences in lower extremity kinematics, kinetics and energy absorption during landing.

    PubMed

    Decker, Michael J; Torry, Michael R; Wyland, Douglas J; Sterett, William I; Richard Steadman, J

    2003-08-01

    To determine whether gender differences exist in lower extremity joint motions and energy absorption landing strategies between age and skill matched recreational athletes. Mixed factor, repeated measures design. Compared to males, females execute high demand activities in a more erect posture potentially predisposing the anterior cruciate ligament to greater loads and injury. The preferred energy absorption strategy may provide insight for this performance difference. Inverse dynamic solutions estimated lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics and energetic profiles for twelve males and nine females performing a 60 cm drop landing. Females demonstrated a more erect landing posture and utilized greater hip and ankle joint range of motions and maximum joint angular velocities compared to males. Females also exhibited greater energy absorption and peak powers from the knee extensors and ankle plantar-flexors compared to the males. Examinations of the energy absorption contributions revealed that the knee was the primary shock absorber for both genders, whereas the ankle plantar-flexors muscles was the second largest contributor to energy absorption for the females and the hip extensors muscles for the males. Females may choose to land in a more erect posture to maximize the energy absorption from the joints most proximal to ground contact. Females may be at a greater risk to anterior cruciate ligament injury during landing due to their energy absorption strategy.

  7. Low-Force Muscle Activity Regulates Energy Expenditure after Spinal Cord Injury.

    PubMed

    Woelfel, Jessica R; Kimball, Amy L; Yen, Chu-Ling; Shields, Richard K

    2017-05-01

    Reduced physical activity is a primary risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. People with spinal cord injury (SCI) have reduced activity for a lifetime, as they cannot volitionally activate affected skeletal muscles. We explored whether low-force and low-frequency stimulation is a viable strategy to enhance systemic energy expenditure in people with SCI. This study aimed to determine the effects of low stimulation frequency (1 and 3 Hz) and stimulation intensity (50 and 100 mA) on energy expenditure in people with SCI. We also examined the relationship between body mass index and visceral adipose tissue on energy expenditure during low-frequency stimulation. Ten individuals with complete SCI underwent oxygen consumption monitoring during electrical activation of the quadriceps and hamstrings at 1 and 3 Hz and at 50 and 100 mA. We calculated the difference in energy expenditure between stimulation and rest and estimated the number of days that would be necessary to burn 1 lb of body fat (3500 kcal) for each stimulation protocol (1 vs 3 Hz). Both training frequencies induced a significant increase in oxygen consumption above a resting baseline level (P < 0.05). Energy expenditure positively correlated with stimulus intensity (muscle recruitment) and negatively correlated with adiposity (reflecting the insulating properties of adipose tissue). We estimated that 1 lb of body fat could be burned more quickly with 1 Hz training (58 d) as compared with 3 Hz training (87 d) if an identical number of pulses were delivered. Low-frequency stimulation increased energy expenditure per pulse and may be a feasible option to subsidize physical activity to improve metabolic status after SCI.

  8. Energy allocation in juvenile roach and burbot under different temperature and feeding regimes.

    PubMed

    Binner, Maaike; Kloas, Werner; Hardewig, Iris

    2008-06-01

    Cold-active burbot (Lota lota (L.)) display reduced food intake during the summer. The impact of temperature on their energy budget was investigated in starved fish in a laboratory setting, simulating summer (20 degrees C) and winter (4 degrees C) conditions, to elucidate the impact of high temperature on burbot metabolism. Metabolic effects in burbot were compared to roach (Rutilus rutilus (L.)), which typically fast in winter. During warm acclimation, starvation (four weeks) resulted in a metabolic depression of oxygen consumption in both species. In roach, metabolic rate decreased by 55% after two weeks of starvation. Burbot, in contrast, displayed an immediate depression of metabolic rate by 50%. In both species, no reductions were observed in the cold. The temperature-induced differences between the metabolic rates at 20 degrees C and 4 degrees C showed a lower thermal sensitivity in burbot (Q (10) = 1.9) compared to roach (Q (10) = 2.7). Notably, for each species, energy consumption during starvation was highest under experimental conditions simulating their natural active periods, respectively. Warm acclimated roach relied mainly on muscle reserves, whereas in cold acclimated burbot, liver metabolic stores made a major contribution to the energy turnover. In cold acclimated roach and warm acclimated burbot, however, starvation apparently reduced swimming activity, resulting in considerable savings of energy reserves. These lower energy expenditures in roach and burbot corresponded to their natural inactive periods. Thus, starvation in burbot caused a lower energy turnover when exposed to high temperatures. These season-dependent adaptations of metabolism represent an advantageous strategy in burbot to manage winter temperature and withstand metabolism-activating summer temperatures, whereas roach metabolism correlates with the seasonal temperature cycle.

  9. Developmental programming of energy balance regulation: is physical activity more 'programmable' than food intake?

    PubMed

    Zhu, Shaoyu; Eclarinal, Jesse; Baker, Maria S; Li, Ge; Waterland, Robert A

    2016-02-01

    Extensive human and animal model data show that environmental influences during critical periods of prenatal and early postnatal development can cause persistent alterations in energy balance regulation. Although a potentially important factor in the worldwide obesity epidemic, the fundamental mechanisms underlying such developmental programming of energy balance are poorly understood, limiting our ability to intervene. Most studies of developmental programming of energy balance have focused on persistent alterations in the regulation of energy intake; energy expenditure has been relatively underemphasised. In particular, very few studies have evaluated developmental programming of physical activity. The aim of this review is to summarise recent evidence that early environment may have a profound impact on establishment of individual propensity for physical activity. Recently, we characterised two different mouse models of developmental programming of obesity; one models fetal growth restriction followed by catch-up growth, and the other models early postnatal overnutrition. In both studies, we observed alterations in body-weight regulation that persisted to adulthood, but no group differences in food intake. Rather, in both cases, programming of energy balance appeared to be due to persistent alterations in energy expenditure and spontaneous physical activity (SPA). These effects were stronger in female offspring. We are currently exploring the hypothesis that developmental programming of SPA occurs via induced sex-specific alterations in epigenetic regulation in the hypothalamus and other regions of the central nervous system. We will summarise the current progress towards testing this hypothesis. Early environmental influences on establishment of physical activity are likely an important factor in developmental programming of energy balance. Understanding the fundamental underlying mechanisms in appropriate animal models will help determine whether early life

  10. Conflating Time and Energy: Views From Older Adults in Lower Socioeconomic Status Areas on Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Devereux-Fitzgerald, Angela; Powell, Rachael; French, David P

    2018-05-24

    Perceptions of time and energy and their role in physical activity engagement were examined in older adults living in lower socioeconomic status areas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 participants aged 67-94 years. A thematic framework analysis identified four themes: Time is Energy (older adults conflate time and energy in relation to physical activity), Reduced Day (engaging in activities outside a certain time frame is deemed unacceptable), Being Given Enough Time (need for time to socialize and go at own pace), and Seasonal Impact (seasonal differences affecting access). Enjoyment appears to mitigate the perceived energy drain and increase the capacity for physical activities for many. Conflation of time and energy may explain observed discrepancies between older adults' actual and perceived available time. Having locally based physical activities means less time/energy is required to attend, leaving more resources for physical activity itself. A limited availability of resources in lower socioeconomic status areas is therefore problematic.

  11. Energy Conservation Activities for the Classroom K-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kentucky Dept. of Energy, Frankfort.

    After a brief introduction entitled "Where Does the Energy We Use Come From," this unit presents 86 activities. Each activity gives the title, concept, objectives, subject area, level, time involved, materials needed, procedures, and related career activities. Topics cover everything from housing insulation to alternate sources of energy to energy…

  12. Activity Related Energy Expenditure, Appetite and Energy Intake: Potential Implications for Weight Management

    PubMed Central

    Harrington, D.M.; Martin, C.K.; Ravussin, E.; Katzmarzyk, P.T.

    2013-01-01

    The aim was to investigate relationships between activity related energy expenditure (AREE), appetite ratings and energy intake (EI) in a sample of 40 male (26.4 years; BMI 23.5 kg/m2) and 42 female (26.9 years; BMI 22.4 kg/m2) participants. AREE was expressed as the residual value of the regression between total daily EE (by doubly labeled water) and resting EE (by indirect calorimetry). EI was measured using an ad libitum buffet meal and visual analogue scales measured subjective appetite ratings before and after the meal. AREE was divided into low, middle and high sex-specific tertiles. General linear models were used to investigate differences in appetite ratings and EI across AREE tertiles. Before the meal, males in the high AREE tertile had significantly lower desire to eat and lower prospective food consumption and higher feelings of fullness compared to those in the low tertile. Males in the middle tertile had significantly higher satiety quotients after the meal and lower EI compared to the other tertiles. No significant differences across tertiles were found in females. Sex differences in relationships between AREE, appetite ratings and EI may lead to differing patterns of EI and subsequent weight maintenance. PMID:23523668

  13. Activity related energy expenditure, appetite and energy intake: potential implications for weight management.

    PubMed

    Harrington, D M; Martin, C K; Ravussin, E; Katzmarzyk, P T

    2013-08-01

    The aim was to investigate relationships between activity related energy expenditure (AREE), appetite ratings and energy intake (EI) in a sample of 40 male (26.4years; BMI 23.5kg/m(2)) and 42 female (26.9years; BMI 22.4kg/m(2)) participants. AREE was expressed as the residual value of the regression between total daily EE (by doubly labeled water) and resting EE (by indirect calorimetry). EI was measured using an ad libitum buffet meal and visual analogue scales measured subjective appetite ratings before and after the meal. AREE was divided into low, middle and high sex-specific tertiles. General linear models were used to investigate differences in appetite ratings and EI across AREE tertiles. Before the meal, males in the high AREE tertile had significantly lower desire to eat and lower prospective food consumption and higher feelings of fullness compared to those in the low tertile. Males in the middle tertile had significantly higher satiety quotients after the meal and lower EI compared to the other tertiles. No significant differences across tertiles were found in females. Sex differences in relationships between AREE, appetite ratings and EI may lead to differing patterns of EI and subsequent weight maintenance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A reduced energy supply strategy in active vibration control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ichchou, M. N.; Loukil, T.; Bareille, O.; Chamberland, G.; Qiu, J.

    2011-12-01

    In this paper, a control strategy is presented and numerically tested. This strategy aims to achieve the potential performance of fully active systems with a reduced energy supply. These energy needs are expected to be comparable to the power demands of semi-active systems, while system performance is intended to be comparable to that of a fully active configuration. The underlying strategy is called 'global semi-active control'. This control approach results from an energy investigation based on management of the optimal control process. Energy management encompasses storage and convenient restitution. The proposed strategy monitors a given active law without any external energy supply by considering purely dissipative and energy-demanding phases. Such a control law is offered here along with an analysis of its properties. A suboptimal form, well adapted for practical implementation steps, is also given. Moreover, a number of numerical experiments are proposed in order to validate test findings.

  15. Physical activity recommendations: an alternative approach using energy expenditure.

    PubMed

    Mudd, Lanay M; Rafferty, Ann P; Reeves, Mathew J; Pivarnik, James M

    2008-10-01

    Most adults do not meet the American College of Sports Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACSM/CDC) physical activity recommendations. Even fewer meet the more extreme Institute of Medicine (IOM) physical activity recommendations. Compliance with either recommendation has been conventionally assessed by combining frequencies and durations of self-reported activities. Leisure-time energy expenditure is a cumulative measure of activity that offers an alternative method of defining compliance. To calculate the leisure-time energy expenditure of adults complying with the ACSM/CDC or the IOM physical activity recommendations determined by conventional measures and to reexamine compliance with the IOM recommendation using energy expenditure criteria. National, cross-sectional data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System determined the mode, frequency, and duration of up to two leisure-time activities performed by adults. Four mutually exclusive activity groups (Non-, Low-, ACSM/CDC-, and IOM-Active) were defined on the basis of frequencies and durations of reported activities. Leisure-time energy expenditure (kcal x kg(-1) x wk(-1)) was calculated per respondent. The energy expenditure threshold for meeting the IOM recommendation was calculated as 21 kcal x kg(-1) x wk(-1). Of the 162,669 respondents included in the analyses, 29.9% were Nonactive, whereas 42.3%, 23.3%, and 4.5% were Low-, ACSM/CDC-, and IOM-Active, respectively. Median leisure-time energy expenditure values were 9.0, 27.4, and 63.0 kcal x kg(-1) x wk(-1) for Low-, ACSM/CDC-, and IOM-Active groups, respectively. When using energy expenditure criteria, compliance with the IOM recommendation rose to 27.7% of respondents. Compliance with the IOM physical activity recommendation dramatically increased when assessed by energy expenditure compared with conventional criteria, thereby highlighting the potential bias of conventional methods. A significant proportion of adults

  16. Energy expenditure and physical activity in Prader-Willi syndrome: comparison with obese subjects.

    PubMed

    Butler, Merlin G; Theodoro, Mariana F; Bittel, Douglas C; Donnelly, Joseph E

    2007-03-01

    Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hypotonia, suck and feeding difficulties, hypogonadism, small hands and feet, developmental delay, hyperphagia and early childhood obesity and a particular facial appearance. The obesity associated with PWS is the result of a chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure (EE) due to hyperphagia, decreased physical activity, reduced metabolic rate and an inability to vomit. EE is affected by body composition as well as exercise. Individuals with PWS have a lower lean body mass (LBM) compared with controls which may contribute to reduced basal level EE. To determine the relationship among body composition, activity levels and metabolic rates, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and a whole-room respiration chamber were used to measure body composition, total EE (TEE), resting EE (REE), physical activity, and mechanical work (MW) during an 8 hr monitoring period. The chamber consisted of a live-in whole-room indirect calorimeter equipped with a force platform floor to allow simultaneous measurement of EE, physical activity, and work efficiency during spontaneous activities and standardized exercise. Participants with PWS (27 with 15q11-q13 deletion and 21 with maternal disomy 15 with an average age of 23 years) had significantly decreased TEE by 20% and reduced LBM compared to 24 obese subjects. Similarly, REE was significantly reduced by 16% in the individuals with PWS relative to the comparison subjects. Total MW performed during the 8 hr monitoring period was significantly reduced by 35% in the PWS group. The energy cost of physical activity is related to the duration, intensity and type of activity and the metabolic efficiency of the individual. After adjusting group differences in LBM by analysis of variance, TEE and REE were no longer different between the two groups. Our data indicate that there is a significant reduction of EE in individuals with PWS

  17. Activation energy-activation volume master plots for ion transport behavior in polymer electrolytes and supercooled molten salts.

    PubMed

    Ingram, Malcolm D; Imrie, Corrie T; Stoeva, Zlatka; Pas, Steven J; Funke, Klaus; Chandler, Howard W

    2005-09-08

    We demonstrate the use of activation energy versus activation volume "master plots" to explore ion transport in typical fragile glass forming systems exhibiting non-Arrhenius behavior. These systems include solvent-free salt complexes in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and low molecular weight poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and molten 2Ca(NO3)2.3KNO3 (CKN). Plots showing variations in apparent activation energy EA versus apparent activation volume VA are straight lines with slopes given by M = DeltaEA/DeltaVA. A simple ion transport mechanism is described where the rate determining step involves a dilatation (expressed as VA) around microscopic cavities and a corresponding work of expansion (EA). The slopes of the master plots M are equated to internal elastic moduli, which vary from 1.1 GPa for liquid PPO to 5.0 GPa for molten CKN on account of differing intermolecular forces in these materials.

  18. Cytosolic Calcium Coordinates Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism with Presynaptic Activity

    PubMed Central

    Chouhan, Amit K.; Ivannikov, Maxim V.; Lu, Zhongmin; Sugimori, Mutsuyuki; Llinas, Rodolfo R.; Macleod, Gregory T.

    2012-01-01

    Most neurons fire in bursts, imposing episodic energy demands, but how these demands are coordinated with oxidative phosphorylation is still unknown. Here, using fluorescence imaging techniques on presynaptic termini of Drosophila motor neurons (MNs), we show that mitochondrial matrix pH (pHm), inner membrane potential (Δψm), and NAD(P)H levels ([NAD(P)H]m) increase within seconds of nerve stimulation. The elevations of pHm, Δψm, and [NAD(P)H]m indicate an increased capacity for ATP production. Elevations in pHm were blocked by manipulations which blocked mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, including replacement of extracellular Ca2+ with Sr2+, and application of either tetraphenylphosphonium chloride or KB-R7943, indicating that it is Ca2+ that stimulates presynaptic mitochondrial energy metabolism. To place this phenomenon within the context of endogenous neuronal activity, the firing rates of a number of individually identified MNs were determined during fictive locomotion. Surprisingly, although endogenous firing rates are significantly different, there was little difference in presynaptic cytosolic Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]c) between MNs when each fires at its endogenous rate. The average [Ca2+]c level (329±11nM) was slightly above the average Ca2+ affinity of the mitochondria (281±13nM). In summary, we show that when MNs fire at endogenous rates [Ca2+]c is driven into a range where mitochondria rapidly acquire Ca2+. As we also show that Ca2+ stimulates presynaptic mitochondrial energy metabolism, we conclude that [Ca2+]c levels play an integral role in coordinating mitochondrial energy metabolism with presynaptic activity in Drosophila MNs. PMID:22279208

  19. Redox-Active Hydrogel Polymer Electrolytes with Different pH Values for Enhancing the Energy Density of the Hybrid Solid-State Supercapacitor.

    PubMed

    Tang, Xiaohui; Lui, Yu Hui; Merhi, Abdul Rahman; Chen, Bolin; Ding, Shaowei; Zhang, Bowei; Hu, Shan

    2017-12-27

    To enhance the energy density of solid-state supercapacitors, a novel solid-state cell, made of redox-active poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel electrolytes and functionalized carbon nanotube-coated cellulose paper electrodes, was investigated in this work. Briefly, acidic PVA-[BMIM]Cl-lactic acid-LiBr and neutral PVA-[BMIM]Cl-sodium acetate-LiBr hydrogel polymer electrolytes are used as catholyte and anolyte, respectively. The acidic condition of the catholyte contributes to suppression of the undesired irreversible reaction of Br - and extension of the oxygen evolution reaction potential to a higher value than that of the redox potential of Br - /Br 3 - reaction. The observed Br - /Br 3 - redox activity at the cathode contributes to enhance the cathode capacitance. The neutral condition of the anolyte helps extend the operating voltage window of the supercapacitor by introducing hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential to the anode. The electrosorption of nascent H on the negative electrode also increases the anode capacitance. As a result, the prepared solid-state hybrid supercapacitor shows a broad voltage window of 1.6 V, with a high Coulombic efficiency of 97.6% and the highest energy density of 16.3 Wh/kg with power density of 932.6 W/kg at 2 A/g obtained. After 10 000 cycles of galvanostatic charge and discharge tests at the current density of 10 A/g, it exhibits great cyclic stability with 93.4% retention of the initial capacitance. In addition, a robust capacitive performance can also be observed from the solid-state supercapacitor at different bending angles, indicating its great potential as a flexible energy storage device.

  20. Predicting Activity Energy Expenditure Using the Actical[R] Activity Monitor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heil, Daniel P.

    2006-01-01

    This study developed algorithms for predicting activity energy expenditure (AEE) in children (n = 24) and adults (n = 24) from the Actical[R] activity monitor. Each participant performed 10 activities (supine resting, three sitting, three house cleaning, and three locomotion) while wearing monitors on the ankle, hip, and wrist; AEE was computed…

  1. Analysis of temperature difference on the total of energy expenditure during static bicycle exercise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugiono

    2016-04-01

    How to manage energy expenditure for cyclist is very crucial part to achieve a good performance. As the tropical situation, the differences of temperature level might be contributed in energy expenditure and durability. The aim of the paper is to estimate and to analysis the configuration of energy expenditure for static cycling activity based on heart rate value in room with air conditioning (AC)/no AC treatment. The research is started with study literatures of climate factors, temperature impact on human body, and definition of energy expenditure. The next step is design the experiment for 5 participants in 2 difference models for 26.80C - 74% relative humidity (room no AC) and 23,80C - 54.8% relative humidity (room with AC). The participants’ heart rate and blood pressure are measured in rest condition and in cycling condition to know the impact of difference temperature in energy expenditure profile. According to the experiment results, the reducing of the temperature has significantly impact on the decreasing of energy expenditure at average 0.3 Kcal/minute for all 5 performers. Finally, the research shows that climate condition (temperature and relative humidity) are very important factors to manage and to reach a higher performance of cycling sport.

  2. Physical activity, energy intake, and obesity prevalence among urban and rural schoolchildren aged 11-12 years in Japan.

    PubMed

    Itoi, Aya; Yamada, Yosuke; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Kimura, Misaka

    2012-12-01

    The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has been shown to differ among regions, including rural-urban regional differences within nations. This study obtained simultaneous accelerometry-derived physical activity, 24 h activity, and food records to clarify the potential contributing factors to rural-urban differences in childhood overweight and obesity in Japan. Sixth-grade children (n = 227, 11-12 years old) from two urban elementary schools in Kyoto and four rural elementary schools in Tohoku participated in the study. The children were instructed to wear a pedometer that included a uniaxial accelerometer and, assisted by their parents, keep minute-by-minute 24 h activity and food records. For 12 children, the total energy expenditure was measured by the doubly labeled water method that was used to correct the Lifecorder-predicted activity energy expenditure and physical activity level. The overweight and obesity prevalence was significantly higher in rural than in urban children. The number of steps per day, activity energy expenditure, physical activity level, and duration of walking to school were significantly lower in rural than in urban children. In contrast, the reported energy intake did not differ significantly between the regions. The physical activity and duration of the walk to school were significantly correlated with body mass index. Rural children had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity, and this may be at least partly caused by lower physical activity, especially less time spent walking to school, than urban children.

  3. Energy homeostasis and running wheel activity during pregnancy in the mouse.

    PubMed

    Ladyman, S R; Carter, K M; Grattan, D R

    2018-05-05

    Pregnancy and lactation are metabolically challenging states, where the mother must supply all the energy requirements for the developing fetus and growing pups respectively. The aim of the current study was to characterize many aspects of energy homeostasis before and during pregnancy in the mouse, and to examine the role of voluntary activity on changes in energy expenditure during pregnancy. In a secondary aim, we evaluate measures of energy homeostasis during pregnancy in mice that successfully reared their litter or in mice that went on to abandon their litter, to determine if an impairment in pregnancy-induced adaptation of energy homeostasis might underlie the abandonment of pups soon after birth. During pregnancy, food intake was increased, characterized by increased meal size and duration but not number of meals per day. The duration of time spent inactive, predicted to indicate sleep behaviour, was increased both early and late in pregnancy compared to pre-pregnancy levels. Increased x + y beam breaks, as a measure of activity increased during pregnancy and this reflected an increase in ambulatory behaviour in mid pregnancy and an increase in non-ambulatory movement in late pregnancy. Energy expenditure, as measured by indirect calorimetry, increased across pregnancy, likely due to the growth and development of fetal tissue. There was also a dramatic reduction in voluntary wheel running as soon as the mice became pregnant. Compared with successful pregnancies and lactations, pregnancies where pups were abandoned soon after birth were associated with reduced body weight gain and an increase in running wheel activity at the end of pregnancy, but no difference in food intake or energy expenditure. Overall, during pregnancy there are multiple adaptations to change energy homeostasis, resulting in partitioning of provisions of energy to the developing fetus and storing energy for future metabolic demands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Direct computation of general chemical energy differences: Application to ionization potentials, excitation, and bond energies.

    PubMed

    Beste, A; Harrison, R J; Yanai, T

    2006-08-21

    Chemists are mainly interested in energy differences. In contrast, most quantum chemical methods yield the total energy which is a large number compared to the difference and has therefore to be computed to a higher relative precision than would be necessary for the difference alone. Hence, it is desirable to compute energy differences directly, thereby avoiding the precision problem. Whenever it is possible to find a parameter which transforms smoothly from an initial to a final state, the energy difference can be obtained by integrating the energy derivative with respect to that parameter (cf. thermodynamic integration or adiabatic connection methods). If the dependence on the parameter is predominantly linear, accurate results can be obtained by single-point integration. In density functional theory and Hartree-Fock, we applied the formalism to ionization potentials, excitation energies, and chemical bond breaking. Example calculations for ionization potentials and excitation energies showed that accurate results could be obtained with a linear estimate. For breaking bonds, we introduce a nongeometrical parameter which gradually turns the interaction between two fragments of a molecule on. The interaction changes the potentials used to determine the orbitals as well as the constraint on the orbitals to be orthogonal.

  5. Solar Energy Educational Material, Activities and Science Projects

    Science.gov Websites

    ;The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the solar radiation that reaches Energy - Energy from the Sun DOE Documents with Activities/Projects: Web Pages Solar Energy Education , Part I. Energy, Society, and the Sun Solar Energy Education. Reader, Part II. Sun Story. [Includes

  6. Occupational energy expenditure and leisure-time physical activity.

    PubMed

    Kaleta, Dorota; Jegier, Anna

    2005-01-01

    In the majority of countries around the world, a decrease in the leisure-time physical activity is observed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between occupational energy expenditure and leisure-time physical activity. Moreover, the correlation between other factors and leisure-time physical activity was assessed. The study was performed in a randomly selected group of full-time employees (272 men and 236 women) living in the city of Lódź. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals as well as to control the effects of occupational workload and leisure-time physical activity limitations. Physical activity was determined by the Seven Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR). Leisure-time physical activity was strongly associated with energy expenditure on occupational physical activity in men and women. Among men who expended 4000 kcal/week or more on occupational physical activity, the risk of inactivity at leisure was 1.5 times higher than in men whose weekly energy expenditure on occupational activity did not exceed 4000 kcal (adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.06-2.34). Among women who expended 3500 kcal/week or more on occupational physical activity, the risk of not taking up leisure-time physical activity was also higher as compared to those whose weekly energy expenditure on occupational activity was lower than 3500 kcal (adjusted OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.09-3.40). Prophylactic schedules associated with the improvement of leisure-time physical activity should be addressed to all adults, particularly to blue-collar workers. Future programs aimed at increasing physical activity in adults should consider work-related factors.

  7. Density Functional Theory Calculations of Activation Energies for Carrier Capture by Defects in Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Modine, Normand; Wright, Alan; Lee, Stephen

    2015-03-01

    Carrier recombination due to defects can have a major impact on device performance. The rate of defect-induced recombination is determined by both defect levels and carrier capture cross-sections. Density functional theory (DFT) has been widely and successfully used to predict defect levels, but only recently has work begun to focus on using DFT to determine carrier capture cross-sections. Lang and Henry worked out the fundamental theory of carrier-capture by multiphonon emission in the 1970s and showed that, above the Debye temperature, carrier-capture cross-sections differ between defects primarily due to differences in their carrier capture activation energies. We present an approach to using DFT to calculate carrier capture activation energies that does not depend on an assumed configuration coordinate and that fully accounts for anharmonic effects, which can substantially modify carrier activation energies. We demonstrate our approach for the -3/-2 level of the Ga vacancy in wurtzite GaN. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  8. Density Functional Theory Calculations of Activation Energies for Carrier Capture by Defects in Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Modine, N. A.; Wright, A. F.; Lee, S. R.

    The rate of defect-induced carrier recombination is determined by both defect levels and carrier capture cross-sections. Density functional theory (DFT) has been widely and successfully used to predict defect levels, but only recently has work begun to focus on using DFT to determine carrier capture cross-sections. Lang and Henry developed the theory of carrier-capture by multiphonon emission in the 1970s and showed that carrier-capture cross-sections differ between defects primarily due to differences in their carrier capture activation energies. We present an approach to using DFT to calculate carrier capture activation energies that does not depend on an assumed configuration coordinate and that fully accounts for anharmonic effects, which can substantially modify carrier activation energies. We demonstrate our approach for intrinisic defects in GaAs and GaN and discuss how our results depend on the choice of exchange-correlation functional and the treatment of spin polarization. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  9. The association between different types of exercise and energy expenditure in young nonoverweight and overweight adults

    PubMed Central

    Drenowatz, Clemens; Hand, Gregory A.; Shook, Robin P.; Jakicic, John M.; Hebert, James R.; Burgess, Stephanie; Blair, Steven N.

    2015-01-01

    With decades of trends for decreasing activity during work and travel, exercise becomes an important contributor to total physical activity (PA) and energy expenditure. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of different types of exercise to the variability in energy expenditure and time spent at different PA intensities in young adults. Four hundred and seventeen adults (49.9% male; 46.2 overweight/obese) between 21 and 36 years of age provided valid objective PA and energy expenditure data, assessed via the SenseWear Armband (BodyMedia Inc.). Frequency and duration of participation in various exercise types was self-reported. Weight status was based on body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) with body weight and height being measured according to standard procedures. Eighty-four percent of the participants reported regular exercise engagement with no difference in participation rate by sex or BMI category. Exercise time along with sex and ethnicity explained roughly 60% of the variability in total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) while the association between exercise and time spent in moderate to vigorous PA or being sedentary was low or nonsignificant. Engagement in endurance exercise and sports contributed predominantly to the variability in energy expenditure and PA in nonoverweight participants. In overweight/obese participants engagement in resistance exercise and swimming contributed significantly to variability in TDEE. Current exercise recommendations focus primarily on aerobic exercise, but results of the present study suggest that nonweight-bearing exercises, such as resistance exercise and swimming, contribute significantly to the variability in TDEE in overweight/obese adults, which would make these types of activities viable options for exercise interventions. PMID:25647557

  10. Energy and power limits for microbial activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaRowe, D.; Amend, J.

    2014-12-01

    The goal of this presentation is to describe a quantitative framework for determining how energy limits microbial activity, biomass and, ultimately, biogeochemical processes. Although this model can be applied to any environment, its utility is demonstrated in marine sediments, which are an attractive test habitat because they encompass a broad spectrum of energy levels, varying amounts of biomass and are ubiquitous. The potential number of active microbial cells in Arkonas Basin (Baltic Sea) sediments are estimated as a function of depth by quantifying the amount of energy that is available to them and the rate at which it is supplied: power. The amount of power supplied per cubic centimeter of sediment is determined by calculating the Gibbs energy of fermentation and sulfate reduction in combination with the rate of particulate organic carbon, POC, degradation. The Reactive Continuum Model (Boudreau and Ruddick, 1991), RCM, is used to determine the rate at which POC is made available for microbial consumption. The RCM represents POC as containing a range of different types of organic compounds whose ability to be consumed by microorganisms varies as a function of the age of the sediment and on the distribution of compound types that were initially deposited. The sediment age model and RCM parameters determined by (Mogollon et al., 2012) are used. The power available for fermentation and sulfate reduction coupled to H2 and acetate oxidation varies from 10-8 W cm-3 at the sediment water interface to between 10-11 - 10-12 W cm-3 at 3.5 meters below the seafloor, mbsf. Using values of maintenance powers for each of these catabolic activities taken from the literature, the total number of active cells in these sediments similarly decreases from just less than 108 cell cm-3 at the SWI to 4.6 x 104 cells cm-3 at 3.5 mbsf. The number of moles of POC decreases from 2.6 x 10-5 to 9.5 x 10-6, also becoming more recalcitrant with depth. Boudreau, B. P. and Ruddick, B. R

  11. Energy Cost of Free-Play Activities in 10- to 11-Year-Old Children.

    PubMed

    Mackintosh, Kelly Alexandra; Ridley, Kate; Stratton, Gareth; Ridgers, Nicola D

    2016-06-01

    This study sought to ascertain the energy expenditure (EE) associated with different sedentary and physically active free-play activities in primary school-aged children. Twenty-eight children (13 boys; 11.4 ± 0.3 years; 1.45 ± 0.09 m; 20.0 ± 4.7 kg∙m-2) from 1 primary school in Northwest England engaged in 6 activities representative of children's play for 10 minutes (drawing, watching a DVD, playground games and free-choice) and 5 minutes (self-paced walking and jogging), with 5 minutes rest between each activity. Gas exchange variables were measured throughout. Resting energy expenditure was measured during 15 minutes of supine rest. Child (Schofield-predicted) MET values for watching a DVD, self-paced jogging and playing reaction ball were significantly higher for girls (P < .05). Utilizing a field-based protocol to examine children's free-living behaviors, these data contribute to the scarcity of information concerning children's EE during play to update the Compendium of Energy Expenditures for Youth.

  12. Low energy physical activity recognition system on smartphones.

    PubMed

    Soria Morillo, Luis Miguel; Gonzalez-Abril, Luis; Ortega Ramirez, Juan Antonio; de la Concepcion, Miguel Angel Alvarez

    2015-03-03

    An innovative approach to physical activity recognition based on the use of discrete variables obtained from accelerometer sensors is presented. The system first performs a discretization process for each variable, which allows efficient recognition of activities performed by users using as little energy as possible. To this end, an innovative discretization and classification technique is presented based on the χ2 distribution. Furthermore, the entire recognition process is executed on the smartphone, which determines not only the activity performed, but also the frequency at which it is carried out. These techniques and the new classification system presented reduce energy consumption caused by the activity monitoring system. The energy saved increases smartphone usage time to more than 27 h without recharging while maintaining accuracy.

  13. [Heart rate and energy expenditure during extravehicular activity in different time of day].

    PubMed

    Stepanova, S I; Katuntsev, V P; Osipov, Iu Iu; Galichiĭ, V A

    2013-01-01

    The article discusses the comparative heart rate (HR) characteristics associated with day and night extravehicular activities (EVA). HR was commonly higher in the night but not in the daytime. Presumably, the reason is psychological and physiological challenges of the night work on the background of natural performance decrement. These circumstances could lead to elevation of psychic tension and, consequently, increase of heartbeats to a greater extent as compared with daytime EVA. According to the correlation analysis data, the pattern of HR relation to physical loads evaluated by energy expenditure in the daytime was other than at night, i.e. it was positive unlike the nighttime correlation. We cannot exclude it that in the daytime increase in cardiac output (CO) in response to physical work was largely due to increase in HR, whereas it was stroke volume that dominated during night work; at least, it could support CO fully in the periods of low loading.

  14. Sample Energy Conservation Education Activities for Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Rodney F., Ed.; LaHart, David E., Ed.

    The booklet contains learning activities for introducing energy and conservation concepts into the existing elementary school curriculum. The activities were developed by Palm Beach County teachers during a one-week workshop. A framework of ideas is divided into three functional categories: universe of energy, living systems and energy, and social…

  15. Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviors among schoolchildren across Europe: the ENERGY-project.

    PubMed

    Brug, Johannes; van Stralen, Maartje M; Te Velde, Saskia J; Chinapaw, Mai J M; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Lien, Nanna; Bere, Elling; Maskini, Victoria; Singh, Amika S; Maes, Lea; Moreno, Luis; Jan, Nataša; Kovacs, Eva; Lobstein, Tim; Manios, Yannis

    2012-01-01

    Current data on the prevalence of overweight and energy-balance behaviors among European children is necessary to inform overweight prevention interventions. A school-based survey among 10-12 year old children was conducted in seven European countries using a standardized protocol. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured; Engagement in physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviors, and sleep duration were self-reported. Descriptive analyses were conducted, looking at differences according to country, gender, and parental education. 7234 children (52%girls; 11.6 ± 0.7 years) participated. 25.8% and 5.4% of boys, and 21.8% and 4.1% of girls were overweight (including obese) and obese (according to International Obesity Task Force criteria), respectively. Higher prevalence of overweight/obesity was observed in Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain than in Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Large differences between countries were found in intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, breakfast, active transport, TV and computer time. More favorable overweight status and behavior patterns were found in girls than boys and in children of higher educated parents than in children of lower educated parents. High levels and striking differences in overweight status and potential risk behaviors were found among schoolchildren across Europe.

  16. The difference between energy consumption and energy cost: Modelling energy tariff structures for water resource recovery facilities.

    PubMed

    Aymerich, I; Rieger, L; Sobhani, R; Rosso, D; Corominas, Ll

    2015-09-15

    The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of incorporating more realistic energy cost models (based on current energy tariff structures) into existing water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) process models when evaluating technologies and cost-saving control strategies. In this paper, we first introduce a systematic framework to model energy usage at WRRFs and a generalized structure to describe energy tariffs including the most common billing terms. Secondly, this paper introduces a detailed energy cost model based on a Spanish energy tariff structure coupled with a WRRF process model to evaluate several control strategies and provide insights into the selection of the contracted power structure. The results for a 1-year evaluation on a 115,000 population-equivalent WRRF showed monthly cost differences ranging from 7 to 30% when comparing the detailed energy cost model to an average energy price. The evaluation of different aeration control strategies also showed that using average energy prices and neglecting energy tariff structures may lead to biased conclusions when selecting operating strategies or comparing technologies or equipment. The proposed framework demonstrated that for cost minimization, control strategies should be paired with a specific optimal contracted power. Hence, the design of operational and control strategies must take into account the local energy tariff. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Home Economics. Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler, 6-12. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iowa State Dept. of Education, Des Moines. Div. of Instructional Services.

    The revised Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS) was compiled using the original IDEAS program and the Energy Conservation Activity Packets (ECAPS). This document was developed to provide home economics teachers with background information on energy, and activities that can be used/adapted with a minimum of preparation time. The…

  18. Effects of activation energy and activation volume on the temperature-dependent viscosity of water.

    PubMed

    Kwang-Hua, Chu Rainer

    2016-08-01

    Water transport in a leaf is vulnerable to viscosity-induced changes. Recent research has suggested that these changes may be partially due to variation at the molecular scale, e.g., regulations via aquaporins, that induce reductions in leaf hydraulic conductance. What are the quantitative as well as qualitative changes in temperature-dependent viscosity due to the role of aquaporins in tuning activation energy and activation volume? Using the transition-state approach as well as the boundary perturbation method, we investigate temperature-dependent viscosity tuned by activation energy and activation volume. To validate our approach, we compare our numerical results with previous temperature-dependent viscosity measurements. The rather good fit between our calculations and measurements confirms our present approach. We have obtained critical parameters for the temperature-dependent (shear) viscosity of water that might be relevant to the increasing and reducing of leaf hydraulic conductance. These parameters are sensitive to temperature, activation energy, and activation volume. Once the activation energy increases, the (shear) viscosity of water increases. Our results also show that as the activation volume increases (say, 10^{-23}m^{3}), the (shear) viscosity of water decreases significantly and the latter induces the enhancing of leaf hydraulic conductance. Within the room-temperature regime, a small increase in the activation energy will increase the water viscosity or reduce the leaf hydraulic conductance. Our approach and results can be applied to diverse plant or leaf attributes.

  19. MAGNETIC ENERGY SPECTRA IN SOLAR ACTIVE REGIONS

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

    Abramenko, Valentyna; Yurchyshyn, Vasyl

    Line-of-sight magnetograms for 217 active regions (ARs) with different flare rates observed at the solar disk center from 1997 January until 2006 December are utilized to study the turbulence regime and its relationship to flare productivity. Data from the SOHO/MDI instrument recorded in the high-resolution mode and data from the BBSO magnetograph were used. The turbulence regime was probed via magnetic energy spectra and magnetic dissipation spectra. We found steeper energy spectra for ARs with higher flare productivity. We also report that both the power index, {alpha}, of the energy spectrum, E(k) {approx} k{sup -}{alpha}, and the total spectral energy,more » W = {integral}E(k)dk, are comparably correlated with the flare index, A, of an AR. The correlations are found to be stronger than those found between the flare index and the total unsigned flux. The flare index for an AR can be estimated based on measurements of {alpha} and W as A = 10{sup b}({alpha}W){sup c}, with b = -7.92 {+-} 0.58 and c = 1.85 {+-} 0.13. We found that the regime of the fully developed turbulence occurs in decaying ARs and in emerging ARs (at the very early stage of emergence). Well-developed ARs display underdeveloped turbulence with strong magnetic dissipation at all scales.« less

  20. A Novel Energy-Efficient Approach for Human Activity Recognition

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Lingxiang; Wu, Dihong; Ruan, Xiaoyang; Weng, Shaolin; Tang, Biyu; Lu, Hai; Shi, Haibin

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a novel energy-efficient approach for mobile activity recognition system (ARS) to detect human activities. The proposed energy-efficient ARS, using low sampling rates, can achieve high recognition accuracy and low energy consumption. A novel classifier that integrates hierarchical support vector machine and context-based classification (HSVMCC) is presented to achieve a high accuracy of activity recognition when the sampling rate is less than the activity frequency, i.e., the Nyquist sampling theorem is not satisfied. We tested the proposed energy-efficient approach with the data collected from 20 volunteers (14 males and six females) and the average recognition accuracy of around 96.0% was achieved. Results show that using a low sampling rate of 1Hz can save 17.3% and 59.6% of energy compared with the sampling rates of 5 Hz and 50 Hz. The proposed low sampling rate approach can greatly reduce the power consumption while maintaining high activity recognition accuracy. The composition of power consumption in online ARS is also investigated in this paper. PMID:28885560

  1. A Novel Energy-Efficient Approach for Human Activity Recognition.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Lingxiang; Wu, Dihong; Ruan, Xiaoyang; Weng, Shaolin; Peng, Ao; Tang, Biyu; Lu, Hai; Shi, Haibin; Zheng, Huiru

    2017-09-08

    In this paper, we propose a novel energy-efficient approach for mobile activity recognition system (ARS) to detect human activities. The proposed energy-efficient ARS, using low sampling rates, can achieve high recognition accuracy and low energy consumption. A novel classifier that integrates hierarchical support vector machine and context-based classification (HSVMCC) is presented to achieve a high accuracy of activity recognition when the sampling rate is less than the activity frequency, i.e., the Nyquist sampling theorem is not satisfied. We tested the proposed energy-efficient approach with the data collected from 20 volunteers (14 males and six females) and the average recognition accuracy of around 96.0% was achieved. Results show that using a low sampling rate of 1Hz can save 17.3% and 59.6% of energy compared with the sampling rates of 5 Hz and 50 Hz. The proposed low sampling rate approach can greatly reduce the power consumption while maintaining high activity recognition accuracy. The composition of power consumption in online ARS is also investigated in this paper.

  2. Energy expenditure and activity among Hadza hunter-gatherers.

    PubMed

    Pontzer, Herman; Raichlen, David A; Wood, Brian M; Emery Thompson, Melissa; Racette, Susan B; Mabulla, Audax Z P; Marlowe, Frank W

    2015-01-01

    Studies of total energy expenditure, (TEE; kcal/day) among traditional populations have challenged current models relating habitual physical activity to daily energy requirements. Here, we examine the relationship between physical activity and TEE among traditional Hadza hunter-gatherers living in northern Tanzania. Hadza adults were studied at two camps, with minimal intervention so as to monitor energy expenditure and activity during normal daily life. We measured daily walking distance and walking speed using wearable GPS units for 41 adults. For a subset of 30 adults, we measured TEE using doubly labeled water, three indices of work load (foraging return rate, maternal status, and number of dependent children), and urinary biomarkers of metabolic activity and stress (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, cortisol, and testosterone). Fat-free mass was the single strongest predictor of TEE among Hadza adults (r(2)  = 0.66, P < 0.001). Hadza men used greater daily walking distances and faster walking speeds compared with that of Hadza women, but neither sex nor any measure of physical activity or work load were correlated with TEE in analyses controlling for fat-free mass. Compared with developed, industrial populations, Hadza adults had similar TEE but elevated levels of metabolic stress as measured by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. Our results indicate that daily physical activity may not predict TEE within traditional hunter-gatherer populations like the Hadza. Instead, adults with high levels of habitual physical activity may adapt by reducing energy allocation to other physiological activity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. A Different View of Solar Spectral Irradiance Variations: Modeling Total Energy over Six-Month Intervals.

    PubMed

    Woods, Thomas N; Snow, Martin; Harder, Jerald; Chapman, Gary; Cookson, Angela

    A different approach to studying solar spectral irradiance (SSI) variations, without the need for long-term (multi-year) instrument degradation corrections, is examining the total energy of the irradiance variation during 6-month periods. This duration is selected because a solar active region typically appears suddenly and then takes 5 to 7 months to decay and disperse back into the quiet-Sun network. The solar outburst energy, which is defined as the irradiance integrated over the 6-month period and thus includes the energy from all phases of active region evolution, could be considered the primary cause for the irradiance variations. Because solar cycle variation is the consequence of multiple active region outbursts, understanding the energy spectral variation may provide a reasonable estimate of the variations for the 11-year solar activity cycle. The moderate-term (6-month) variations from the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) instruments can be decomposed into positive (in-phase with solar cycle) and negative (out-of-phase) contributions by modeling the variations using the San Fernando Observatory (SFO) facular excess and sunspot deficit proxies, respectively. These excess and deficit variations are fit over 6-month intervals every 2 months over the mission, and these fitted variations are then integrated over time for the 6-month energy. The dominant component indicates which wavelengths are in-phase and which are out-of-phase with solar activity. The results from this study indicate out-of-phase variations for the 1400 - 1600 nm range, with all other wavelengths having in-phase variations.

  4. Reasoning about Energy. An Activity Booklet for Middle and High School Science and Social Studies Students... and Their Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Rodney F., Ed.

    This booklet is a collection of energy activities to be infused into existing science and social studies courses at the seventh and ninth grade levels. The activities were written for students at different levels of problem solving ability, emphasizing the learning and use of knowledge about energy. By using energy knowledge in these…

  5. Coulomb energy differences in isobaric multiplets

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

    Lenzi, S. M.; Farnea, E.; Bazzacco, D.

    2007-02-12

    By comparing the excitation energies of analogue states in isobaric multiplets, several nuclear structure properties can be studied as a function of the angular momentum up to high spin states. In particular, the mirror nuclei 35Ar and 35Cl show large differences between the excitation energies of analogue negative-parity states at high spin, confirming the important contribution of the relativistic electromagnetic spin-orbit interaction to the Coulomb energy. The single-particle character of the configuration of these states is reproduced with very good accuracy by shell model calculations in the sd and pf shells valence space. In addition, evidence of isospin mixing ismore » deduced from the El transitions linking positive and negative parity states.« less

  6. Protein retention and liver aminotransferase activities in Atlantic salmon fed diets containing different energy sources

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fynn-Aikins, K.; Hughes, S.G.; Vandenberg, G.W.

    1995-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fingerlings (14.4 g) were fed diets containing either glucose, dextrin, raw corn starch and lipid, or a high protein U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service open-formula diet (ASD2-30) for 12 weeks. Significant differences in weight gain and feed: gain ratio were not observed among salmon fed the diets containing glucose, dextrin or ASD2-30. Diets containing dextrin and glucose supported greater protein retention and reduction in alanine aminotransferase activity than the other diets. Activity of aspartate aminotransferase was not affected by the dietary treatment. Protein retention correlated highly with alanine aminotransferase activity.

  7. Effectiveness, active energy produced by molecular motors, and nonlinear capacitance of the cochlear outer hair cell.

    PubMed

    Spector, Alexander A

    2005-06-01

    Cochlear outer hair cells are crucial for active hearing. These cells have a unique form of motility, named electromotility, whose main features are the cell's length changes, active force production, and nonlinear capacitance. The molecular motor, prestin, that drives outer hair cell electromotility has recently been identified. We reveal relationships between the active energy produced by the outer hair cell molecular motors, motor effectiveness, and the capacitive properties of the cell membrane. We quantitatively characterize these relationships by introducing three characteristics: effective capacitance, zero-strain capacitance, and zero-resultant capacitance. We show that zero-strain capacitance is smaller than zero-resultant capacitance, and that the effective capacitance is between the two. It was also found that the differences between the introduced capacitive characteristics can be expressed in terms of the active energy produced by the cell's molecular motors. The effectiveness of the cell and its molecular motors is introduced as the ratio of the motors'active energy to the energy of the externally applied electric field. It is shown that the effectiveness is proportional to the difference between zero-strain and zero-resultant capacitance. We analyze the cell and motor's effectiveness within a broad range of cellular parameters and estimate it to be within a range of 12%-30%.

  8. A Comparison of Energy Expenditure Estimation of Several Physical Activity Monitors

    PubMed Central

    Dannecker, Kathryn L.; Sazonova, Nadezhda A.; Melanson, Edward L.; Sazonov, Edward S.; Browning, Raymond C.

    2013-01-01

    Accurately and precisely estimating free-living energy expenditure (EE) is important for monitoring energy balance and quantifying physical activity. Recently, single and multi-sensor devices have been developed that can classify physical activities, potentially resulting in improved estimates of EE. PURPOSE To determine the validity of EE estimation of a footwear-based physical activity monitor and to compare this validity against a variety of research and consumer physical activity monitors. METHODS Nineteen healthy young adults (10 male, 9 female), completed a four-hour stay in a room calorimeter. Participants wore a footwear-based physical activity monitor, as well as Actical, Actigraph, IDEEA, DirectLife and Fitbit devices. Each individual performed a series of postures/activities. We developed models to estimate EE from the footwear-based device, and we used the manufacturer's software to estimate EE for all other devices. RESULTS Estimated EE using the shoe-based device was not significantly different than measured EE (476(20) vs. 478(18) kcal) (Mean (SE)), respectively, and had a root mean square error (RMSE) of (29.6 kcal (6.2%)). The IDEEA and DirectLlife estimates of EE were not significantly different than the measured EE but the Actigraph and Fitbit devices significantly underestimated EE. Root mean square errors were 93.5 (19%), 62.1 kcal (14%), 88.2 kcal (18%), 136.6 kcal (27%), 130.1 kcal (26%), and 143.2 kcal (28%) for Actical, DirectLife, IDEEA, Actigraph and Fitbit respectively. CONCLUSIONS The shoe based physical activity monitor provides a valid estimate of EE while the other physical activity monitors tested have a wide range of validity when estimating EE. Our results also demonstrate that estimating EE based on classification of physical activities can be more accurate and precise than estimating EE based on total physical activity. PMID:23669877

  9. A comparison of energy expenditure estimation of several physical activity monitors.

    PubMed

    Dannecker, Kathryn L; Sazonova, Nadezhda A; Melanson, Edward L; Sazonov, Edward S; Browning, Raymond C

    2013-11-01

    Accurately and precisely estimating free-living energy expenditure (EE) is important for monitoring energy balance and quantifying physical activity. Recently, single and multisensor devices have been developed that can classify physical activities, potentially resulting in improved estimates of EE. This study aimed to determine the validity of EE estimation of a footwear-based physical activity monitor and to compare this validity against a variety of research and consumer physical activity monitors. Nineteen healthy young adults (10 men, 9 women) completed a 4-h stay in a room calorimeter. Participants wore a footwear-based physical activity monitor as well as Actical, ActiGraph, IDEEA, DirectLife, and Fitbit devices. Each individual performed a series of postures/activities. We developed models to estimate EE from the footwear-based device, and we used the manufacturer's software to estimate EE for all other devices. Estimated EE using the shoe-based device was not significantly different than measured EE (mean ± SE; 476 ± 20 vs 478 ± 18 kcal, respectively) and had a root-mean-square error of 29.6 kcal (6.2%). The IDEEA and the DirectLlife estimates of EE were not significantly different than the measured EE, but the ActiGraph and the Fitbit devices significantly underestimated EE. Root-mean-square errors were 93.5 (19%), 62.1 kcal (14%), 88.2 kcal (18%), 136.6 kcal (27%), 130.1 kcal (26%), and 143.2 kcal (28%) for Actical, DirectLife, IDEEA, ActiGraph, and Fitbit, respectively. The shoe-based physical activity monitor provides a valid estimate of EE, whereas the other physical activity monitors tested have a wide range of validity when estimating EE. Our results also demonstrate that estimating EE based on classification of physical activities can be more accurate and precise than estimating EE based on total physical activity.

  10. Hybrid energy storage systems utilizing redox active organic compounds

    DOEpatents

    Wang, Wei; Xu, Wu; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo

    2015-09-08

    Redox flow batteries (RFB) have attracted considerable interest due to their ability to store large amounts of power and energy. Non-aqueous energy storage systems that utilize at least some aspects of RFB systems are attractive because they can offer an expansion of the operating potential window, which can improve on the system energy and power densities. One example of such systems has a separator separating first and second electrodes. The first electrode includes a first current collector and volume containing a first active material. The second electrode includes a second current collector and volume containing a second active material. During operation, the first source provides a flow of first active material to the first volume. The first active material includes a redox active organic compound dissolved in a non-aqueous, liquid electrolyte and the second active material includes a redox active metal.

  11. Influence of several metal ions on the gelation activation energy of silicon tetraethoxide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bansal, Narottam P.

    1988-01-01

    The effects of nine metal cations (Li(+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+), Cu(2+), Al(3+), La(3+), and Y(3+) on silica gel formation has been investigated by studying the hydrolysis and polycondensation of silicon tetraethoxide (TEOS) in the presence of metal nitrates. The influence of water: TEOS mole ratio, metal ion concentration, and the reaction temperature has been investigated. The overall activation energy for gel formation has been determined from the temperature dependence of the time of gelation for each system. The activation energy for -Si-O-Si- network formation is found to be 54.5 kJ/mol. The gel formation time as well as the activation energy sharply increase in the presence of Cu(2+), Al(3+), La(3+) and Y(3+). In contrast, the presence of Li(+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), or, Sr(2+) lowers the gelation time, but has no appreciable effect on the activation energy. This difference may be attributed to the participation or nonparticipation of the metal ions in the formation of the three-dimensional polymeric network during the polycondensation step. The concentration of metal ion (Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Y(3+) or the water: TEOS mole ratio had no appreciable effect on the gelation activation energy. A simple test has been proposed to determine whether a metal ion would act as a network intermediate or modifier in silica and other glassy networks.

  12. The energy cost of playing active video games in children with obesity and children of a healthy weight.

    PubMed

    O'Donovan, C; Roche, E F; Hussey, J

    2014-08-01

    Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour form a large part of the treatment of paediatric obesity. However, many children today spend prolonged periods of time playing sedentary video games. Active video games (AVGs) represent a novel and child friendly form of physical activity. To measure the energy cost of playing two AVGs in children with obesity and healthy age- and gender-matched children. The energy cost of gaming and heart rates achieved during gaming conditions were compared between groups. AVG play can result in light-to-moderate intensity physical activity (2.7-5.4 metabolic equivalents). When corrected for fat-free mass those with obesity expended significantly less energy than healthy weight peers playing Nintendo Wii Fit Free Jogging (P = 0.017). No significant difference was seen between groups in the energy cost of playing Boxing. Certain AVGs, particularly those that require lower limb movement, could be used to increase total energy expenditure, replace more sedentary activities, or achieve moderate intensity physical activity among children with obesity. There seems to be some differences in how children with obesity and children of a healthy weight play AVGs. This could result in those with obesity expending less energy than their lean peers during AVG play. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  13. Playing active video games increases energy expenditure in children.

    PubMed

    Graf, Diana L; Pratt, Lauren V; Hester, Casey N; Short, Kevin R

    2009-08-01

    To compare energy expenditure rates in children playing the physically active video games, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and Nintendo's Wii Sports in relation to treadmill walking. Energy expenditure, heart rate, step rate, and perceived exertion were measured in 14 boys and 9 girls (ages 10-13 years; BMI at 3-98th percentile for age and gender) while watching television at rest, playing DDR at 2 skill levels, playing Wii bowling and boxing, and walking at 2.6, 4.2, and 5.7 km/h. Arterial elasticity was measured at rest and immediately after gaming. Compared with watching television, energy expenditure while gaming or walking increased 2- to 3-fold. Similarly, high rates of energy expenditure, heart rate, and perceived exertion were elicited from playing Wii boxing, DDR level 2, or walking at 5.7 km/h. This occurred despite variations in step rate among activities, reflecting greater use of upper body during Wii play (lowest step rate) than during walking (highest step rate) or DDR play. Wii bowling and beginner level DDR elicited a 2-fold increase in energy expenditure compared to television watching. Large-artery elasticity declined immediately after both DDR and Wii. The change was inversely related to the increment in energy expenditure above rest achieved during the activity. Energy expenditure during active video game play is comparable to moderate-intensity walking. Thus, for children who spend considerable time playing electronic screen games for entertainment, physically active games seem to be a safe, fun, and valuable means of promoting energy expenditure.

  14. [Hydrogen production and enzyme activity of acidophilic strain X-29 at different C/N ratio].

    PubMed

    Li, Qiu-bo; Xing, De-feng; Ren, Nan-qi; Zhao, Li-hua; Song, Ye-ying

    2006-04-01

    Some fermentative bacteria can produce hydrogen by utilizing carbohydrate and other kinds of organic compounds as substrates. Hydrogen production was also determined by both the limiting of growth and related enzyme activity in energy metabolism. Carbon and nitrogen are needed for the growth and metabolism of microorganisms. In addition, the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio can influence the material metabolized and the energy produced. In order to improve the hydrogen production efficiency of the bacteria, we analyzed the effect of different C/N ratios on hydrogen production and the related enzyme activities in the acidophilic strain X-29 using batch test. The results indicate that the differences in the metabolism level and enzyme activity are obvious at different C/N ratios. Although the difference in liquid fermentative products produced per unit of biomass is not obvious, hydrogen production is enhanced at a specifically determined ratio. At a C/N ratio of 14 the accumulative hydrogen yield of strain X-29 reaches the maximum, 2210.9 mL/g. At different C/N ratios, the expression of hydrogenase activity vary; the activity of hydrogenase decrease quickly after reaching a maximum along with the fermentation process, but the time of expression is short. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) tend to stabilize after reaching a peak along with the fermentation process, the difference in expression activity is little, and the expression period is long at different C/N ratios. At a C/N ratio of 14 hydrogenase and ADH reach the maximum 2.88 micromol x (min x mg)(-1) and 33.2 micromol x (min x mg)(-1), respectively. It is shown that the C/N ratio has an important effect on enhancing hydrogen production and enzyme activity.

  15. Compensatory mechanisms activated with intermittent energy restriction: A randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Coutinho, Sílvia Ribeiro; Halset, Eline Holli; Gåsbakk, Sigrid; Rehfeld, Jens F; Kulseng, Bård; Truby, Helen; Martins, Cátia

    2018-06-01

    Strong compensatory responses, with reduced resting metabolic rate (RMR), increased exercise efficiency (ExEff) and appetite, are activated when weight loss (WL) is achieved with continuous energy restriction (CER), which try to restore energy balance. Intermittent energy restriction (IER), where short spells of energy restriction are interspaced by periods of habitual energy intake, may offer some protection in minimizing those responses. We aimed to compare the effect of IER versus CER on body composition and the compensatory responses induced by WL. 35 adults (age: 39 ± 9 y) with obesity (BMI: 36 ± 4 kg/m 2 ) were randomized to lose a similar weight with an IER (N = 18) or a CER (N = 17) diet over a 12 week period. Macronutrient composition and overall energy restriction (33% reduction) were similar between groups. Body weight/composition, RMR, fasting respiratory quotient (RQ), ExEff (10, 25, and 50 W), subjective appetite ratings (hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective food consumption (PFC)), and appetite-regulating hormones (active ghrelin (AG), cholecystokinin (CCK), total peptide YY (PYY), active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and insulin) were measured before and after WL. Changes in body weight (≈12.5% WL) and composition were similar in both groups. Fasting RQ and ExEff at 10 W increased in both groups. Losing weight, either by IER or CER dieting, did not induce significant changes in subjective appetite ratings. RMR decreased and ExEff at 25 and 50 W increased (P < 0.001 for all) in IER group only. Basal and postprandial AG increased (P < 0.05) in IER group, whereas basal active GLP-1 decreased (P = 0.033) in CER group only. Postprandial CCK decreased in both groups (P = 0.0012 and P = 0.009 for IER and CER groups, respectively). No between group differences were apparent for any of the outcomes. The technique used to achieve energy restriction, whether it is continuous or intermittent, does not appear to modulate

  16. Clarifications regarding the use of model-fitting methods of kinetic analysis for determining the activation energy from a single non-isothermal curve.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Jiménez, Pedro E; Pérez-Maqueda, Luis A; Perejón, Antonio; Criado, José M

    2013-02-05

    This paper provides some clarifications regarding the use of model-fitting methods of kinetic analysis for estimating the activation energy of a process, in response to some results recently published in Chemistry Central journal. The model fitting methods of Arrhenius and Savata are used to determine the activation energy of a single simulated curve. It is shown that most kinetic models correctly fit the data, each providing a different value for the activation energy. Therefore it is not really possible to determine the correct activation energy from a single non-isothermal curve. On the other hand, when a set of curves are recorded under different heating schedules are used, the correct kinetic parameters can be clearly discerned. Here, it is shown that the activation energy and the kinetic model cannot be unambiguously determined from a single experimental curve recorded under non isothermal conditions. Thus, the use of a set of curves recorded under different heating schedules is mandatory if model-fitting methods are employed.

  17. NREL: International Activities - Fourth Renewable Energy Industries Forum

    Science.gov Websites

    Speakers and Presentations International Activities Printable Version Fourth Renewable Energy Industries Forum Speakers and Presentations The Fourth Renewable Energy Industries Forum (REIF) speakers and practices, opportunities and challenges of utility and distributed projects, renewable energy integration

  18. Channeling Children's Energy through Vocabulary Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schindler, Andrea

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author shares vocabulary development activities for young learners. These activities channel students' energy and make learning more effective and fun. The author stresses the importance of giving young learners a good language-learning experience, and the challenges of teaching young learners who are not literate in their L1.…

  19. Activity-related energy expenditure during lower limb cast immobilization in children.

    PubMed

    Maggio, Albane B; Martin, Xavier E; Ceroni, Dimitri

    2017-05-01

    Physical inactivity, which may result from immobilization, is recognized as a risk factor for the development of obesity. We aimed to quantify the decrease in activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) because of lower limb cast immobilization. We carried out a longitudinal matched case-control study: 34 adolescents with a first episode of lower limb fracture and 34 healthy cases. Physical activity was assessed during cast immobilization by an accelerometer from which we calculated the decrease in AEE. AEE in adolescents with lower limb fractures was estimated to be 16.0% lower than healthy controls. When converted into kcal per mean participants' weight, the difference in AEE amounted to 125 kcal/day, which corresponds to 5.2 h of slow walking. A significant reduction of AEE in adolescents with lower limb fractures may lead to a significantly positive energy balance as there is usually no compensatory reduction of energy intake. An increase of walking seems unrealistic in this situation and patients should be advised at the emergency unit to reduce their energy intake during the immobilization period. Level III, prospective case-control study.

  20. Differences in energy expenditure for conventional and femtosecond-assisted cataract surgery using 2 different phacoemulsification systems.

    PubMed

    Yesilirmak, Nilufer; Diakonis, Vasilios F; Sise, Adam; Waren, Daniel P; Yoo, Sonia H; Donaldson, Kendall E

    2017-01-01

    To compare the mean cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) in patients having femtosecond laser-assisted or conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery using 2 different phacoemulsification platforms. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida, USA. Prospective comparative nonrandomized clinical study. Consecutive patients were scheduled to have femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with the Lensx laser or conventional phacoemulsification using an active-fluidics torsional platform (Centurion) or torsional platform (Infiniti). The mean CDE and cataract grade were recorded. The study comprised 570 eyes (570 patients). There was no statistically significant difference in mean age (P = .41, femtosecond group; P = .33, conventional group) or cataract grade (P = .78 and P = .45, respectively) between the active-fluidics and gravity-fluidics platforms. In femtosecond cases (145 eyes), the mean CDE (percent-seconds) was 5.18 ± 4.58 (SD) with active fluidics and 7.00 ± 6.85 with gravity fluidics; in conventional cases (425 eyes), the mean CDE was 7.77 ± 6.97 and 11.43 ± 9.12, respectively. In both femtosecond cases and conventional cases, the CDE was lower with the active-fluidics platform than with the gravity-fluidics platform (P = .029, femtosecond group; P < .001 conventional group). With both fluidics platforms, the mean CDE was significantly lower in the femtosecond group than in the conventional group (both P < .001). The active-fluidics phacoemulsification platform achieved lower CDE values than the gravity-fluidics platform for conventional cataract extraction. Femtosecond laser pretreatment with the active-fluidics platform further reduced CDE. Copyright © 2017 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Stress versus temperature dependent activation energies in creep

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Freed, A. D.; Raj, S. V.; Walker, K. P.

    1990-01-01

    The activation energy for creep at low stresses and elevated temperatures is lattice diffusion, where the rate controlling mechanism for deformation is dislocation climb. At higher stresses and intermediate temperatures, the rate controlling mechanism changes from that of dislocation climb to one of obstacle-controlled dislocation glide. Along with this change, there occurs a change in the activation energy. It is shown that a temperature-dependent Gibbs free energy does a good job of correlating steady-state creep data, while a stress-dependent Gibbs free energy does a less desirable job of correlating the same data. Applications are made to copper and a LiF-22 mol. percent CaF2 hypereutectic salt.

  2. Activation energy of light induced isomerization of resveratrol.

    PubMed

    Figueiras, Teresa Sofia; Neves-Petersen, Maria Teresa; Petersen, Steffen B

    2011-09-01

    Isomerization of trans-stilbenes is known to be induced by light. The two isomers have distinct absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra. Resveratrol, 3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene, is a member of the stilbene family. The interest of the scientific community in resveratrol has increased over the last years due to its biomedical properties. Whereas there is a growing confidence that trans-resveratrol is non-toxic, very little is known about the pharmacology of cis-resveratrol. Of this very reason there is considerable interest in knowing the energetics of the trans-cis conversion. Cis-resveratrol is characterized by a large fluorescence quantum yield when compared to trans-resveratrol. In the present paper we report a detailed analysis of the spectral changes induced in trans-resveratrol upon 260 nm excitation for different time periods. Spectral changes have been monitored with UV-visible absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy at pH 4 at 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 °C. Continuous 260 nm excitation induces a blue shift in the absorption and fluorescence excitation spectra of resveratrol and a 14 nm blue shift in its fluorescence emission. The photoisomerization yield is reported as a function of 260 nm excitation time. 330 min continuous excitation led to ~60% isomerization yield. The kinetics of trans-cis isomerization has been monitored following the increase in fluorescence quantum yield upon continuous 260 nm excitation of trans-resveratrol. The study was carried out at the above mentioned temperatures in order to obtain the Arrhenius activation energy of photoisomerization. Activation energy and pre-exponential factor were 3.7 ± 0.3 kcal.mol(-1) and 10.6 ± 1.6 s(-1), respectively. The activation energy is comparable with previously reported values for the photoisomerization of other stilbenes.

  3. Differences in Weight Status and Energy-Balance Related Behaviors among Schoolchildren across Europe: The ENERGY-Project

    PubMed Central

    Brug, Johannes; van Stralen, Maartje M.; te Velde, Saskia J.; Chinapaw, Mai J. M.; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Lien, Nanna; Bere, Elling; Maskini, Victoria; Singh, Amika S.; Maes, Lea; Moreno, Luis; Jan, Nataša; Kovacs, Eva; Lobstein, Tim; Manios, Yannis

    2012-01-01

    Background Current data on the prevalence of overweight and energy-balance behaviors among European children is necessary to inform overweight prevention interventions. Methodology/Principal Findings A school-based survey among 10–12 year old children was conducted in seven European countries using a standardized protocol. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured; Engagement in physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviors, and sleep duration were self-reported. Descriptive analyses were conducted, looking at differences according to country, gender, and parental education. 7234 children (52%girls; 11.6±0.7 years) participated. 25.8% and 5.4% of boys, and 21.8% and 4.1% of girls were overweight (including obese) and obese (according to International Obesity Task Force criteria), respectively. Higher prevalence of overweight/obesity was observed in Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain than in Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Large differences between countries were found in intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, breakfast, active transport, TV and computer time. More favorable overweight status and behavior patterns were found in girls than boys and in children of higher educated parents than in children of lower educated parents. Conclusions/Significance High levels and striking differences in overweight status and potential risk behaviors were found among schoolchildren across Europe. PMID:22558098

  4. Negative influence of pKa on activation energy barrier: A case study for double proton transfer reaction in inorganic acid dimers.

    PubMed

    Parida, Rakesh; Giri, Santanab

    2018-06-15

    Strength of acid can be determined by means of pK a value. Attempts have been made to find a relationship between pK a and activation energy barrier for a double proton transfer (DPT) reaction in inorganic acid dimers. Negative influence of pK a is observed on activation energy (E a ) which is contrary to the general convention of pK a . Four different levels of theories with two different basis sets have been used to calculate the activation energy barrier of the DPT reaction in inorganic acid dimers. A model based on first and second order polynomial has been created to find the relationship between activation energy for DPT reaction. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Energy balance, physical activity, and cancer risk.

    PubMed

    Fair, Alecia Malin; Montgomery, Kara

    2009-01-01

    This chapter posits that cancer is a complex and multifactorial process as demonstrated by the expression and production of key endocrine and steroid hormones that intermesh with lifestyle factors (physical activity, body size, and diet) in combination to heighten cancer risk. Excess weight has been associated with increased mortality from all cancers combined and for cancers of several specific sites. The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic levels in many parts of the world; more than 1 billion adults are overweight with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 25. Overweight and obesity are clinically defined indicators of a disease process characterized by the accumulation of body fat due to an excess of energy intake (nutritional intake) relative to energy expenditure (physical activity). When energy intake exceeds energy expenditure over a prolonged period of time, the result is a positive energy balance (PEB), which leads to the development of obesity. This physical state is ideal for intervention and can be modulated by changes in energy intake, expenditure, or both. Nutritional intake is a modifiable factor in the energy balance-cancer linkage primarily tested by caloric restriction studies in animals and the effect of energy availability. Restriction of calories by 10 to 40% has been shown to decrease cell proliferation, increasing apoptosis through anti-angiogenic processes. The potent anticancer effect of caloric restriction is clear, but caloric restriction alone is not generally considered to be a feasible strategy for cancer prevention in humans. Identification and development of preventive strategies that "mimic" the anticancer effects of low energy intake are desirable. The independent effect of energy intake on cancer risk has been difficult to estimate because body size and physical activity are strong determinants of total energy expenditure. The mechanisms that account for the inhibitory effects of physical activity on the carcinogenic process

  6. Direct observation of a photochemical activation energy: a case study of acetone photodissociation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koch, Markus; Heim, Pascal; Thaler, Bernhard; Kitzler, Markus; Ernst, Wolfgang E.

    2017-06-01

    The ability to observe and quantify the conversion of electronic potential energy to vibrational kinetic energy in a molecule after photoexcitation is essential to understand and control the outcome of photoinduced molecular fragmentation. We exploit the high selectivity of photoelectron-photoion coincidence detection to distinguish different relaxation channels and observe the fragmentation behavior of each channel. We demonstrate the concept by investigating the fragmentation of gas-phase acetone molecules initiated by three-photon excitation to high lying Rydberg states between 9.0 and 9.5 eV above the ground state. By applying variations of the photon energy, pulse duration (100-200 fs) and pulse energy, we are able to fully characterize the fragmentation process. Rydberg states between 5s and 8s are populated, which undergo ultrafast internal conversion to lower states. The corresponding non-adiabatic dynamics in the neutral molecule cause the conversion of electronic to vibrational energy, leading to fragmentation. Our scheme allows us to directly measure the activation energy for fragmentation of acetone to an acetyl ion and a methyl radical, which we determine to be (0.79 ± 0.04) eV. Longer laser pulses result in an increased fragment-to-parent ratio, representing a higher probability for relaxation because the relaxation time constants are comparable to the pulse duration. Upon excitation to Rydberg states at 9.5 eV we surprisingly observe reduced fragmentation, although ˜2 eV are coupled into vibrational energy, indicating that different relaxation pathways become active, which results in a change of the redistribution of vibrational energy within the molecule. Fragmentation due to subsequent excitation of the cation is found to play a minor role.

  7. Gender differences in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and their relation to body composition in active Brazilian adolescents.

    PubMed

    Nogueira, Julia Aparecida Devide; Macedo da Costa, Teresa Helena

    2009-01-01

    Body weight and composition are determined by genotype, environment, and energy balance. Physical activity or sedentary behavior have different associations with body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass, a relationship that is not clear in adolescents. The aim of this study was to test the associations between gender, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body composition in physically active adolescents. Weight, height, and skinfold thickness were measured in 326 physically active boys and girls age 11 to 15 years. All subjects answered a questionnaire assessing their usual daily activities for the last month. Time spent on each activity was used to estimate the physical activity level (PAL). PAL was associated with body composition after adjustment for age and maturation, with differences between genders. For boys, PAL was positively and significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) and fat-free mass index (beta=0.14 and 0.15, respectively). For girls, PAL was negatively and significantly associated with BMI and fat mass index (beta=-0.11 and -0.75, respectively). Sedentary behavior, expressed by hours of TV, videogame, and computer use, was not associated with any body-composition outcome for either gender. The accumulated amount of physical activity, but not of sedentary behavior, was related to body composition in active adolescents.

  8. Constrained Total Energy Expenditure and Metabolic Adaptation to Physical Activity in Adult Humans.

    PubMed

    Pontzer, Herman; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon; Dugas, Lara R; Plange-Rhule, Jacob; Bovet, Pascal; Forrester, Terrence E; Lambert, Estelle V; Cooper, Richard S; Schoeller, Dale A; Luke, Amy

    2016-02-08

    Current obesity prevention strategies recommend increasing daily physical activity, assuming that increased activity will lead to corresponding increases in total energy expenditure and prevent or reverse energy imbalance and weight gain [1-3]. Such Additive total energy expenditure models are supported by exercise intervention and accelerometry studies reporting positive correlations between physical activity and total energy expenditure [4] but are challenged by ecological studies in humans and other species showing that more active populations do not have higher total energy expenditure [5-8]. Here we tested a Constrained total energy expenditure model, in which total energy expenditure increases with physical activity at low activity levels but plateaus at higher activity levels as the body adapts to maintain total energy expenditure within a narrow range. We compared total energy expenditure, measured using doubly labeled water, against physical activity, measured using accelerometry, for a large (n = 332) sample of adults living in five populations [9]. After adjusting for body size and composition, total energy expenditure was positively correlated with physical activity, but the relationship was markedly stronger over the lower range of physical activity. For subjects in the upper range of physical activity, total energy expenditure plateaued, supporting a Constrained total energy expenditure model. Body fat percentage and activity intensity appear to modulate the metabolic response to physical activity. Models of energy balance employed in public health [1-3] should be revised to better reflect the constrained nature of total energy expenditure and the complex effects of physical activity on metabolic physiology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The relationship between physical activity, appetite and energy intake in older adults: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Clegg, M E; Godfrey, A

    2018-06-07

    Ageing often causes a reduction in appetite and energy intake in older adults which can result in malnutrition. Current guidelines for older adults suggest increasing physical activity to enhance appetite. However, it is unclear if there is evidence to support this advice. This aim of this review is to assess if appetite and energy intake is changed in older adults that undertake acute or regular physical activity (measured from cross sectional and intervention studies). Databases SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, MEDLINE were searched for studies between 1970 and 2017 using search terms related to ageing, physical activity (including exercise), energy and appetite. Studies included contained adults over 60 years, including acute, cross-sectional and intervention (longitudinal) studies. Of 34 full-text articles assessed, 8 were included. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used for assessing risk of bias. No acute studies were found. Of the cross-sectional studies, one study suggested that individuals who undertake habitual physical activity had an increased energy intake and none of the studies found differences in appetite ratings. Energy intakes increased in the intervention studies, though not always sufficiently to maintain energy balance. One study showed that ability to correctly compensate for previous energy intake was better in those that undertake habitual physical activity. The limited number of studies, wide range of data collection methodologies, time-scales and interventions mean that definitive outcomes are difficult to identify. At this stage advice to increase acute or habitual physical activity as a mean to increase appetite is not supported by sufficient evidence. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Microbial catabolic activities are naturally selected by metabolic energy harvest rate.

    PubMed

    González-Cabaleiro, Rebeca; Ofiţeru, Irina D; Lema, Juan M; Rodríguez, Jorge

    2015-12-01

    The fundamental trade-off between yield and rate of energy harvest per unit of substrate has been largely discussed as a main characteristic for microbial established cooperation or competition. In this study, this point is addressed by developing a generalized model that simulates competition between existing and not experimentally reported microbial catabolic activities defined only based on well-known biochemical pathways. No specific microbial physiological adaptations are considered, growth yield is calculated coupled to catabolism energetics and a common maximum biomass-specific catabolism rate (expressed as electron transfer rate) is assumed for all microbial groups. Under this approach, successful microbial metabolisms are predicted in line with experimental observations under the hypothesis of maximum energy harvest rate. Two microbial ecosystems, typically found in wastewater treatment plants, are simulated, namely: (i) the anaerobic fermentation of glucose and (ii) the oxidation and reduction of nitrogen under aerobic autotrophic (nitrification) and anoxic heterotrophic and autotrophic (denitrification) conditions. The experimentally observed cross feeding in glucose fermentation, through multiple intermediate fermentation pathways, towards ultimately methane and carbon dioxide is predicted. Analogously, two-stage nitrification (by ammonium and nitrite oxidizers) is predicted as prevailing over nitrification in one stage. Conversely, denitrification is predicted in one stage (by denitrifiers) as well as anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation). The model results suggest that these observations are a direct consequence of the different energy yields per electron transferred at the different steps of the pathways. Overall, our results theoretically support the hypothesis that successful microbial catabolic activities are selected by an overall maximum energy harvest rate.

  11. Surface tension, surface energy, and chemical potential due to their difference.

    PubMed

    Hui, C-Y; Jagota, A

    2013-09-10

    It is well-known that surface tension and surface energy are distinct quantities for solids. Each can be regarded as a thermodynamic property related first by Shuttleworth. Mullins and others have suggested that the difference between surface tension and surface energy cannot be sustained and that the two will approach each other over time. In this work we show that in a single-component system where changes in elastic energy can be neglected, the chemical potential difference between the surface and bulk is proportional to the difference between surface tension and surface energy. By further assuming that mass transfer is driven by this chemical potential difference, we establish a model for the kinetics by which mass transfer removes the difference between surface tension and surface energy.

  12. Antidepressant Use is Associated with Increased Energy Intake and Similar Levels of Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Jensen-Otsu, Elsbeth; Austin, Gregory L

    2015-11-20

    Antidepressants have been associated with weight gain, but the causes are unclear. The aims of this study were to assess the association of antidepressant use with energy intake, macronutrient diet composition, and physical activity. We used data on medication use, energy intake, diet composition, and physical activity for 3073 eligible adults from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Potential confounding variables, including depression symptoms, were included in the models assessing energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Antidepressant users reported consuming an additional (mean ± S.E.) 215 ± 73 kcal/day compared to non-users (p = 0.01). There were no differences in percent calories from sugar, fat, or alcohol between the two groups. Antidepressant users had similar frequencies of walking or biking, engaging in muscle-strengthening activities, and engaging in moderate or vigorous physical activity. Antidepressant users were more likely to use a computer for ≥2 h/day (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.09-2.90), but TV watching was similar between the two groups. These results suggest increased energy intake and sedentary behavior may contribute to weight gain associated with antidepressant use. Focusing on limiting food intake and sedentary behaviors may be important in mitigating the weight gain associated with antidepressant use.

  13. Antidepressant Use is Associated with Increased Energy Intake and Similar Levels of Physical Activity

    PubMed Central

    Jensen-Otsu, Elsbeth; Austin, Gregory L.

    2015-01-01

    Antidepressants have been associated with weight gain, but the causes are unclear. The aims of this study were to assess the association of antidepressant use with energy intake, macronutrient diet composition, and physical activity. We used data on medication use, energy intake, diet composition, and physical activity for 3073 eligible adults from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Potential confounding variables, including depression symptoms, were included in the models assessing energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Antidepressant users reported consuming an additional (mean ± S.E.) 215 ± 73 kcal/day compared to non-users (p = 0.01). There were no differences in percent calories from sugar, fat, or alcohol between the two groups. Antidepressant users had similar frequencies of walking or biking, engaging in muscle-strengthening activities, and engaging in moderate or vigorous physical activity. Antidepressant users were more likely to use a computer for ≥2 h/day (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.09–2.90), but TV watching was similar between the two groups. These results suggest increased energy intake and sedentary behavior may contribute to weight gain associated with antidepressant use. Focusing on limiting food intake and sedentary behaviors may be important in mitigating the weight gain associated with antidepressant use. PMID:26610562

  14. Variations of seismic parameters during different activity levels of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, T.; Neuberg, J.

    2003-04-01

    The low-frequency seismic events on Montserrat are linked to conduit resonance and the pressurisation of the volcanic system. Analysis of these events tell us more about the behaviour of the volcanic system and provide a monitoring and interpretation tool. We have written an Automated Event Classification Algorithm Program (AECAP), which finds and classifies seismic events and calculates seismic parameters such as energy, intermittency, peak frequency and event duration. Comparison of low-frequency energy with the tilt cycles in 1997 allows us to link pressurisation of the volcano with seismic behaviour. An empirical relationship provides us with an estimate of pressurisation through released seismic energy. During 1997, the activity of the volcano varied considerably. We compare seismic parameters from quiet periods to those from active periods and investigate how the relationships between these parameters change. These changes are then used to constrain models of magmatic processes during different stages of volcanic activity.

  15. Homogeneous near surface activity distribution by double energy activation for TLA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takács, S.; Ditrói, F.; Tárkányi, F.

    2007-10-01

    Thin layer activation (TLA) is a versatile tool for activating thin surface layers in order to study real-time the surface loss by wear, corrosion or erosion processes of the activated parts, without disassembling or stopping running mechanical structures or equipment. The research problem is the determination of the irradiation parameters to produce point-like or large area optimal activity-depth distribution in the sample. Different activity-depth profiles can be produced depending on the type of the investigated material and the nuclear reaction used. To produce activity that is independent of the depth up to a certain depth is desirable when the material removed from the surface by wear, corrosion or erosion can be collected completely. By applying dual energy irradiation the thickness of this quasi-constant activity layer can be increased or the deviation of the activity distribution from a constant value can be minimized. In the main, parts made of metals and alloys are suitable for direct activation, but by using secondary particle implantation the wear of other materials can also be studied in a surface range a few micrometers thick. In most practical cases activation of a point-like spot (several mm2) is enough to monitor the wear, corrosion or erosion, but for special problems relatively large surfaces areas of complicated spatial geometry need to be activated uniformly. Two ways are available for fulfilling this task, (1) production of large area beam spot or scanning the beam over the surface in question from the accelerator side, or (2) a programmed 3D movement of the sample from the target side. Taking into account the large variability of tasks occurring in practice, the latter method was chosen as the routine solution in our cyclotron laboratory.

  16. Active surface model improvement by energy function optimization for 3D segmentation.

    PubMed

    Azimifar, Zohreh; Mohaddesi, Mahsa

    2015-04-01

    This paper proposes an optimized and efficient active surface model by improving the energy functions, searching method, neighborhood definition and resampling criterion. Extracting an accurate surface of the desired object from a number of 3D images using active surface and deformable models plays an important role in computer vision especially medical image processing. Different powerful segmentation algorithms have been suggested to address the limitations associated with the model initialization, poor convergence to surface concavities and slow convergence rate. This paper proposes a method to improve one of the strongest and recent segmentation algorithms, namely the Decoupled Active Surface (DAS) method. We consider a gradient of wavelet edge extracted image and local phase coherence as external energy to extract more information from images and we use curvature integral as internal energy to focus on high curvature region extraction. Similarly, we use resampling of points and a line search for point selection to improve the accuracy of the algorithm. We further employ an estimation of the desired object as an initialization for the active surface model. A number of tests and experiments have been done and the results show the improvements with regards to the extracted surface accuracy and computational time of the presented algorithm compared with the best and recent active surface models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Modelling energy costs for different operational strategies of a large water resource recovery facility.

    PubMed

    Póvoa, P; Oehmen, A; Inocêncio, P; Matos, J S; Frazão, A

    2017-05-01

    The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of applying dynamic modelling and real energy prices on a full scale water resource recovery facility (WRRF) for the evaluation of control strategies in terms of energy costs with aeration. The Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) was coupled with real energy pricing and a power consumption model and applied as a dynamic simulation case study. The model calibration is based on the STOWA protocol. The case study investigates the importance of providing real energy pricing comparing (i) real energy pricing, (ii) weighted arithmetic mean energy pricing and (iii) arithmetic mean energy pricing. The operational strategies evaluated were (i) old versus new air diffusers, (ii) different DO set-points and (iii) implementation of a carbon removal controller based on nitrate sensor readings. The application in a full scale WRRF of the ASM1 model coupled with real energy costs was successful. Dynamic modelling with real energy pricing instead of constant energy pricing enables the wastewater utility to optimize energy consumption according to the real energy price structure. Specific energy cost allows the identification of time periods with potential for linking WRRF with the electric grid to optimize the treatment costs, satisfying operational goals.

  18. The Promoting Role of Different Carbon Allotropes Cocatalysts for Semiconductors in Photocatalytic Energy Generation and Pollutants Degradation

    PubMed Central

    Han, Weiwei; Li, Zhen; Li, Yang; Fan, Xiaobin; Zhang, Fengbao; Zhang, Guoliang; Peng, Wenchao

    2017-01-01

    Semiconductor based photocatalytic process is of great potential for solving the fossil fuels depletion and environmental pollution. Loading cocatalysts for the modification of semiconductors could increase the separation efficiency of the photogenerated hole-electron pairs, enhance the light absorption ability of semiconductors, and thus obtain new composite photocatalysts with high activities. Kinds of carbon allotropes, such as activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon quantum dots have been used as effective cocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic activities of semiconductors, making them widely used for photocatalytic energy generation, and pollutants degradation. This review focuses on the loading of different carbon allotropes as cocatalysts in photocatalysis, and summarizes the recent progress of carbon materials based photocatalysts, including their synthesis methods, the typical applications, and the activity enhancement mechanism. Moreover, the cocatalytic effect among these carbon cocatalysts is also compared for different applications. We believe that our work can provide enriched information to harvest the excellent special properties of carbon materials as a platform to develop more efficient photocatalysts for solar energy utilization. PMID:29164101

  19. The Promoting Role of Different Carbon Allotropes Cocatalysts for Semiconductors in Photocatalytic Energy Generation and Pollutants Degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Weiwei; Li, Zhen; Li, Yang; Fan, Xiaobin; Zhang, Fengbao; Zhang, Guoliang; Peng, Wenchao

    2017-10-01

    Semiconductor based photocatalytic process is of great potential for solving the fossil fuels depletion and environmental pollution. Loading cocatalysts for the modification of semiconductors could increase the separation efficiency of the photogenerated hole-electron pairs, enhance the light absorption ability of semiconductors, and thus obtain new composite photocatalysts with high activities. Kinds of carbon allotropes, such as activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon quantum dots have been used as effective cocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic activities of semiconductors, making them widely used for photocatalytic energy generation and pollutants degradation. This review focuses on the loading of different carbon allotropes as cocatalysts in photocatalysis, and summarizes the recent progress of carbon materials based photocatalysts, including their synthesis methods, the typical applications and the activity enhancement mechanism. Moreover, the cocatalytic effect among these carbon cocatalysts is also compared for different applications. We believe that our work can provide enriched information to harvest the excellent special properties of carbon materials as a platform to develop more efficient photocatalysts for solar energy utilization.

  20. Energy expenditure and activity of transfemoral amputees using mechanical and microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees.

    PubMed

    Kaufman, Kenton R; Levine, James A; Brey, Robert H; McCrady, Shelly K; Padgett, Denny J; Joyner, Michael J

    2008-07-01

    To quantify the energy efficiency of locomotion and free-living physical activity energy expenditure of transfemoral amputees using a mechanical and microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. Repeated-measures design to evaluate comparative functional outcomes. Exercise physiology laboratory and community free-living environment. Subjects (N=15; 12 men, 3 women; age, 42+/-9 y; range, 26-57 y) with transfemoral amputation. Research participants were long-term users of a mechanical prosthesis (20+/-10 y as an amputee; range, 3-36 y). They were fitted with a microprocessor-controlled knee prosthesis and allowed to acclimate (mean time, 18+/-8 wk) before being retested. Objective measurements of energy efficiency and total daily energy expenditure were obtained. The Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire was used to gather subjective feedback from the participants. Subjects demonstrated significantly increased physical activity-related energy expenditure levels in the participant's free-living environment (P=.04) after wearing the microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint. There was no significant difference in the energy efficiency of walking (P=.34). When using the microprocessor-controlled knee, the subjects expressed increased satisfaction in their daily lives (P=.02). People ambulating with a microprocessor-controlled knee significantly increased their physical activity during daily life, outside the laboratory setting, and expressed an increased quality of life.

  1. Darcy-Forchheimer flow of Maxwell nanofluid flow with nonlinear thermal radiation and activation energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sajid, T.; Sagheer, M.; Hussain, S.; Bilal, M.

    2018-03-01

    The present article is about the study of Darcy-Forchheimer flow of Maxwell nanofluid over a linear stretching surface. Effects like variable thermal conductivity, activation energy, nonlinear thermal radiation is also incorporated for the analysis of heat and mass transfer. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) with convective boundary conditions are first converted into the nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with the help of similarity transformation, and then the resulting nonlinear ODEs are solved with the help of shooting method and MATLAB built-in bvp4c solver. The impact of different physical parameters like Brownian motion, thermophoresis parameter, Reynolds number, magnetic parameter, nonlinear radiative heat flux, Prandtl number, Lewis number, reaction rate constant, activation energy and Biot number on Nusselt number, velocity, temperature and concentration profile has been discussed. It is viewed that both thermophoresis parameter and activation energy parameter has ascending effect on the concentration profile.

  2. Differences in energy expenditure during high-speed versus standard-speed yoga: A randomized sequence crossover trial.

    PubMed

    Potiaumpai, Melanie; Martins, Maria Carolina Massoni; Rodriguez, Roberto; Mooney, Kiersten; Signorile, Joseph F

    2016-12-01

    To compare energy expenditure and volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during a high-speed yoga and a standard-speed yoga program. Randomized repeated measures controlled trial. A laboratory of neuromuscular research and active aging. Sun-Salutation B was performed, for eight minutes, at a high speed versus and a standard-speed separately while oxygen consumption was recorded. Caloric expenditure was calculated using volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. Difference in energy expenditure (kcal) of HSY and SSY. Significant differences were observed in energy expenditure between yoga speeds with high-speed yoga producing significantly higher energy expenditure than standard-speed yoga (MD=18.55, SE=1.86, p<0.01). Significant differences were also seen between high-speed and standard-speed yoga for volume of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide produced. High-speed yoga results in a significantly greater caloric expenditure than standard-speed yoga. High-speed yoga may be an effective alternative program for those targeting cardiometabolic markers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Engagement, enjoyment, and energy expenditure during active video game play

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Elizabeth J.; Tate, Deborah F.; Ward, Dianne S.; Ribisl, Kurt M.; Bowling, J. Michael; Kalyanaraman, Sriram

    2014-01-01

    Objective Playing active video games can produce moderate levels of physical activity, but little is known about how these games motivate players to be active. Several psychological predictors, such as perceptions of competence, control, and engagement, may be associated with enjoyment of a game, which has in turn been hypothesized to predict energy expended during play. However, these relationships have yet to be tested in active video games. Methods Young adults aged 18–35 (N = 97, 50 female) < 300 pounds played a Dance Dance Revolution game for 13 minutes while energy expenditure was measured using indirect calorimetry. Self-reported measures of engagement, perceived competence, perceived control, and enjoyment were taken immediately afterwards. Mediation was analyzed using path analysis. Results A path model in which enjoyment mediated the effects of engagement, perceived competence, and perceived control on energy expenditure and BMI directly affected energy expenditure was an adequate fit to the data, χ2(1, N = 97) = .199, p = .655; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA < .001; 90% CI = .000 - .206; p = .692. Enjoyment mediated the relationship between engagement and energy expenditure (indirect effect = .138, p = .028), but other mediated effects were not significant. Conclusion Engagement, enjoyment, and BMI affect energy expended during active video game play. Games that are more enjoyable and engaging may produce greater intensity activity. Developers, practitioners, and researchers should consider characteristics that influence these predictors when creating or recommending active video games. PMID:23527520

  4. Activation energy measurements of cheese

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Temperature sweeps of cheeses using small amplitude oscillatory shear tests produced values for activation energy of flow (Ea) between 30 and 44 deg C. Soft goat cheese and Queso Fresco, which are high-moisture cheeses and do not flow when heated, exhibited Ea values between 30 and 60 kJ/mol. The ...

  5. Determination of Wetting Behavior, Spread Activation Energy, and Quench Severity of Bioquenchants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prabhu, K. Narayan; Fernandes, Peter

    2007-08-01

    An investigation was conducted to study the suitability of vegetable oils such as sunflower, coconut, groundnut, castor, cashewnut shell (CNS), and palm oils as quench media (bioquenchants) for industrial heat treatment by assessing their wetting behavior and severity of quenching. The relaxation of contact angle was sharp during the initial stages, and it became gradual as the system approached equilibrium. The equilibrium contact angle decreased with increase in the temperature of the substrate and decrease in the viscosity of the quench medium. A comparison of the relaxation of the contact angle at various temperatures indicated the significant difference in spreading of oils having varying viscosity. The spread activation energy was determined using the Arrhenius type of equation. Oils with higher viscosity resulted in lower cooling rates. The quench severity of various oil media was determined by estimating heat-transfer coefficients using the lumped capacitance method. Activation energy for spreading determined using the wetting behavior of oils at various temperatures was in good agreement with the severity of quenching assessed by cooling curve analysis. A high quench severity is associated with oils having low spread activation energy.

  6. Physical Modeling of Activation Energy in Organic Semiconductor Devices based on Energy and Momentum Conservations

    PubMed Central

    Mao, Ling-Feng; Ning, H.; Hu, Changjun; Lu, Zhaolin; Wang, Gaofeng

    2016-01-01

    Field effect mobility in an organic device is determined by the activation energy. A new physical model of the activation energy is proposed by virtue of the energy and momentum conservation equations. The dependencies of the activation energy on the gate voltage and the drain voltage, which were observed in the experiments in the previous independent literature, can be well explained using the proposed model. Moreover, the expression in the proposed model, which has clear physical meanings in all parameters, can have the same mathematical form as the well-known Meyer-Neldel relation, which lacks of clear physical meanings in some of its parameters since it is a phenomenological model. Thus it not only describes a physical mechanism but also offers a possibility to design the next generation of high-performance optoelectronics and integrated flexible circuits by optimizing device physical parameter. PMID:27103586

  7. NREL Open House Features Energy Activities, Tours

    Science.gov Websites

    Open House Features Energy Activities, Tours For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will open its doors 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 24 for tours of its research facilities and interactive exhibits at the Visitors Center. The Open House

  8. A time to search: finding the meaning of variable activation energy.

    PubMed

    Vyazovkin, Sergey

    2016-07-28

    This review deals with the phenomenon of variable activation energy frequently observed when studying the kinetics in the liquid or solid phase. This phenomenon commonly manifests itself through nonlinear Arrhenius plots or dependencies of the activation energy on conversion computed by isoconversional methods. Variable activation energy signifies a multi-step process and has a meaning of a collective parameter linked to the activation energies of individual steps. It is demonstrated that by using appropriate models of the processes, the link can be established in algebraic form. This allows one to analyze experimentally observed dependencies of the activation energy in a quantitative fashion and, as a result, to obtain activation energies of individual steps, to evaluate and predict other important parameters of the process, and generally to gain deeper kinetic and mechanistic insights. This review provides multiple examples of such analysis as applied to the processes of crosslinking polymerization, crystallization and melting of polymers, gelation, and solid-solid morphological and glass transitions. The use of appropriate computational techniques is discussed as well.

  9. Ventromedial hypothalamic melanocortin receptor activation: regulation of activity energy expenditure and skeletal muscle thermogenesis.

    PubMed

    Gavini, Chaitanya K; Jones, William C; Novak, Colleen M

    2016-09-15

    The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and the central melanocortin system both play vital roles in regulating energy balance by modulating energy intake and utilization. Recent evidence suggests that activation of the VMH alters skeletal muscle metabolism. We show that intra-VMH melanocortin receptor activation increases energy expenditure and physical activity, switches fuel utilization to fats, and lowers work efficiency such that excess calories are dissipated by skeletal muscle as heat. We also show that intra-VMH melanocortin receptor activation increases sympathetic nervous system outflow to skeletal muscle. Intra-VMH melanocortin receptor activation also induced significant changes in the expression of mediators of energy expenditure in muscle. These results support the role of melanocortin receptors in the VMH in the modulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and the brain melanocortin system both play vital roles in increasing energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity, decreasing appetite and modulating sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow. Because of recent evidence showing that VMH activation modulates skeletal muscle metabolism, we propose the existence of an axis between the VMH and skeletal muscle, modulated by brain melanocortins, modelled on the brain control of brown adipose tissue. Activation of melanocortin receptors in the VMH of rats using a non-specific agonist melanotan II (MTII), compared to vehicle, increased oxygen consumption and EE and decreased the respiratory exchange ratio. Intra-VMH MTII enhanced activity-related EE even when activity levels were held constant. MTII treatment increased gastrocnemius muscle heat dissipation during controlled activity, as well as in the home cage. Compared to vehicle-treated rats, rats with intra-VMH melanocortin receptor activation had higher skeletal muscle norepinephrine turnover, indicating an increased SNS drive to muscle. Lastly, intra-VMH MTII induced m

  10. The Magnetic Free Energy in Active Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Metcalf, Thomas R.; Mickey, Donald L.; LaBonte, Barry J.

    2001-01-01

    The magnetic field permeating the solar atmosphere governs much of the structure, morphology, brightness, and dynamics observed on the Sun. The magnetic field, especially in active regions, is thought to provide the power for energetic events in the solar corona, such as solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and is believed to energize the hot coronal plasma seen in extreme ultraviolet or X-rays. The question remains what specific aspect of the magnetic flux governs the observed variability. To directly understand the role of the magnetic field in energizing the solar corona, it is necessary to measure the free magnetic energy available in active regions. The grant now expiring has demonstrated a new and valuable technique for observing the magnetic free energy in active regions as a function of time.

  11. Effects of activity and energy budget balancing algorithm on laboratory performance of a fish bioenergetics model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; David, Solomon R.; Pothoven, Steven A.

    2012-01-01

    We evaluated the performance of the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush that were fed ad libitum in laboratory tanks under regimes of low activity and high activity. In addition, we compared model performance under two different model algorithms: (1) balancing the lake trout energy budget on day t based on lake trout energy density on day t and (2) balancing the lake trout energy budget on day t based on lake trout energy density on day t + 1. Results indicated that the model significantly underestimated consumption for both inactive and active lake trout when algorithm 1 was used and that the degree of underestimation was similar for the two activity levels. In contrast, model performance substantially improved when using algorithm 2, as no detectable bias was found in model predictions of consumption for inactive fish and only a slight degree of overestimation was detected for active fish. The energy budget was accurately balanced by using algorithm 2 but not by using algorithm 1. Based on the results of this study, we recommend the use of algorithm 2 to estimate food consumption by fish in the field. Our study results highlight the importance of accurately accounting for changes in fish energy density when balancing the energy budget; furthermore, these results have implications for the science of evaluating fish bioenergetics model performance and for more accurate estimation of food consumption by fish in the field when fish energy density undergoes relatively rapid changes.

  12. Strain energy storage and dissipation rate in active cell mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agosti, A.; Ambrosi, D.; Turzi, S.

    2018-05-01

    When living cells are observed at rest on a flat substrate, they can typically exhibit a rounded (symmetric) or an elongated (polarized) shape. Although the cells are apparently at rest, the active stress generated by the molecular motors continuously stretches and drifts the actin network, the cytoskeleton of the cell. In this paper we theoretically compare the energy stored and dissipated in this active system in two geometric configurations of interest: symmetric and polarized. We find that the stored energy is larger for a radially symmetric cell at low activation regime, while the polar configuration has larger strain energy when the active stress is beyond a critical threshold. Conversely, the dissipation of energy in a symmetric cell is always larger than that of a nonsymmetric one. By a combination of symmetry arguments and competition between surface and bulk stress, we argue that radial symmetry is an energetically expensive metastable state that provides access to an infinite number of lower-energy states, the polarized configurations.

  13. Strain energy storage and dissipation rate in active cell mechanics.

    PubMed

    Agosti, A; Ambrosi, D; Turzi, S

    2018-05-01

    When living cells are observed at rest on a flat substrate, they can typically exhibit a rounded (symmetric) or an elongated (polarized) shape. Although the cells are apparently at rest, the active stress generated by the molecular motors continuously stretches and drifts the actin network, the cytoskeleton of the cell. In this paper we theoretically compare the energy stored and dissipated in this active system in two geometric configurations of interest: symmetric and polarized. We find that the stored energy is larger for a radially symmetric cell at low activation regime, while the polar configuration has larger strain energy when the active stress is beyond a critical threshold. Conversely, the dissipation of energy in a symmetric cell is always larger than that of a nonsymmetric one. By a combination of symmetry arguments and competition between surface and bulk stress, we argue that radial symmetry is an energetically expensive metastable state that provides access to an infinite number of lower-energy states, the polarized configurations.

  14. [Energy power in mountains: difference in metabolism pattern results in different adaption traits in Tibetans].

    PubMed

    Bai, Zhen-Zhong; Jin, Guo-En; Wu-Ren, Tana; Ga, Qin; Ge, Ri-Li

    2012-11-01

    Energy metabolism plays an important role in life survival for species living in high altitude hypoxia condition. Air-breathing organisms require oxygen to create energy. Tibetans are the well-adapted highlanders in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It was thought that different metabolic approaches could lead to different adaptation traits to high altitude hypoxia. Recently identified hypoxia inducible factors pathway regulators, endothelial PAS domain protein1 (EPAS1)/HIF-2a and PPARA, were involved in decreasing hemoglobin concentrations in Tibetans. Because EPAS1 and PPARA also modulated the energy metabolism during hypoxia, we hypothesized that positive selected EPAS1 and PPARA genes were also involved in unique energy metabolisms in Tibetans. In this brief review, we take a look into genetic determinations to energy metabolisms for hypoxia adaptations traits in Tibetans and mal-adaptive conditions such as high altitude diseases.

  15. Biomass I. Science Activities in Energy [and] Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Designed for science students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the activities in this unit illustrate principles and problems related to biomass as a form of energy. (The word biomass is used to describe all solid material of animal or vegetable origin from which energy may be extracted.) Twelve student activities using art, economics,…

  16. Stress versus temperature dependence of activation energies for creep

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Freed, A. D.; Raj, S. V.; Walker, K. P.

    1992-01-01

    The activation energy for creep at low stresses and elevated temperatures is associated with lattice diffusion, where the rate controlling mechanism for deformation is dislocation climb. At higher stresses and intermediate temperatures, the rate controlling mechanism changes from dislocation climb to obstacle-controlled dislocation glide. Along with this change in deformation mechanism occurs a change in the activation energy. When the rate controlling mechanism for deformation is obstacle-controlled dislocation glide, it is shown that a temperature-dependent Gibbs free energy does better than a stress-dependent Gibbs free energy in correlating steady-state creep data for both copper and LiF-22mol percent CaF2 hypereutectic salt.

  17. Energy Efficiency of Biogas Produced from Different Biomass Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Begum, Shahida; Nazri, A. H.

    2013-06-01

    Malaysia has different sources of biomass like palm oil waste, agricultural waste, cow dung, sewage waste and landfill sites, which can be used to produce biogas and as a source of energy. Depending on the type of biomass, the biogas produced can have different calorific value. At the same time the energy, being used to produce biogas is dependent on transportation distance, means of transportation, conversion techniques and for handling of raw materials and digested residues. An energy systems analysis approach based on literature is applied to calculate the energy efficiency of biogas produced from biomass. Basically, the methodology is comprised of collecting data, proposing locations and estimating the energy input needed to produce biogas and output obtained from the generated biogas. The study showed that palm oil and municipal solid waste is two potential sources of biomass. The energy efficiency of biogas produced from palm oil residues and municipal solid wastes is 1.70 and 3.33 respectively. Municipal solid wastes have the higher energy efficiency due to less transportation distance and electricity consumption. Despite the inherent uncertainties in the calculations, it can be concluded that the energy potential to use biomass for biogas production is a promising alternative.

  18. Solar Energy Education. Humanities: activities and teacher's guide. Field test edition

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

    Not Available

    1982-01-01

    Activities are outlined to introduce students to information on solar energy while performing ordinary classroom work. In this teaching manual solar energy is integrated with the humanities. The activities include such things as stories, newspapers, writing assignments, and art and musical presentations all filled with energy related terms. An energy glossary is provided. (BCS)

  19. Enzyme activation through the utilization of intrinsic dianion binding energy.

    PubMed

    Amyes, T L; Malabanan, M M; Zhai, X; Reyes, A C; Richard, J P

    2017-03-01

    We consider 'the proposition that the intrinsic binding energy that results from the noncovalent interaction of a specific substrate with the active site of the enzyme is considerably larger than is generally believed. An important part of this binding energy may be utilized to provide the driving force for catalysis, so that the observed binding energy represents only what is left over after this utilization' [Jencks,W.P. (1975) Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas. Mol. Biol. , , 219-410]. The large ~12 kcal/mol intrinsic substrate phosphodianion binding energy for reactions catalyzed by triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is divided into 4-6 kcal/mol binding energy that is expressed on the formation of the Michaelis complex in anchoring substrates to the respective enzyme, and 6-8 kcal/mol binding energy that is specifically expressed at the transition state in activating the respective enzymes for catalysis. A structure-based mechanism is described where the dianion binding energy drives a conformational change that activates these enzymes for catalysis. Phosphite dianion plays the active role of holding TIM in a high-energy closed active form, but acts as passive spectator in showing no effect on transition-state structure. The result of studies on mutant enzymes is presented, which support the proposal that the dianion-driven enzyme conformational change plays a role in enhancing the basicity of side chain of E167, the catalytic base, by clamping the base between a pair of hydrophobic side chains. The insight these results provide into the architecture of enzyme active sites and the development of strategies for the de novo design of protein catalysts is discussed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  20. Design and experiment study of a semi-active energy-regenerative suspension system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Dehua; Chen, Long; Wang, Ruochen; Jiang, Haobin; Shen, Yujie

    2015-01-01

    A new kind of semi-active energy-regenerative suspension system is proposed to recover suspension vibration energy, as well as to reduce the suspension cost and demands for the motor-rated capacity. The system consists of an energy-regenerative damper and a DC-DC converter-based energy-regenerative circuit. The energy-regenerative damper is composed of an electromagnetic linear motor and an adjustable shock absorber with three regulating levels. The linear motor just works as the generator to harvest the suspension vibration energy. The circuit can be used to improve the system’s energy-regenerative performance and to continuously regulate the motor’s electromagnetic damping force. Therefore, although the motor works as a generator and damps the isolation without an external power source, the motor damping force is controllable. The damping characteristics of the system are studied based on a two degrees of freedom vehicle vibration model. By further analyzing the circuit operation characteristics under different working modes, the double-loop controller is designed to track the desired damping force. The external-loop is a fuzzy controller that offers the desired equivalent damping. The inner-loop controller, on one hand, is used to generate the pulse number and the frequency to control the angle and the rotational speed of the step motor; on the other hand, the inner-loop is used to offer the duty cycle of the energy-regenerative circuit. Simulations and experiments are conducted to validate such a new suspension system. The results show that the semi-active energy-regenerative suspension can improve vehicle ride comfort with the controllable damping characteristics of the linear motor. Meanwhile, it also ensures energy regeneration.

  1. Influence of energy density of different light sources on Knoop hardness of a dual-cured resin cement.

    PubMed

    Piva, Evandro; Correr-Sobrinho, Lourenço; Sinhoreti, Mario Alexandre Coelho; Consani, Simonides; Demarco, Flávio Fernando; Powers, John Michael

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Knoop hardness of a dual-cured resin-based luting cement irradiated with different light sources as well energy density through a ceramic sample. Three light-curing unit (LCUs) were tested: tungsten halogen light (HAL), light-emitting diode (LED) and xenon plasma-arc (PAC) lamp. Disc-shaped specimens were fabricated from a resin-based cement (Enforce). Three energy doses were used by modifying the irradiance (I) of each LCU and the irradiation time (T): 24 Jcm(-2) (I/2x2T), 24 Jcm(-2) (IxT) and 48 Jcm(-2) (Ix2T). Energy doses were applied through a 2.0-mm-thick ceramic sample (Duceram Plus). Three groups underwent direct irradiation over the resin cement with the different LCUs and a chemically-activated group served as a control. Thirteen groups were tested (n=10). Knoop hardness number (KHN) means were obtained from cross-sectional areas. Two-way ANOVA and the Holm-Sidak method were used for statistical comparisons of activation mode and energy doses (alpha=5%). Application of 48 J.cm(-2) energy dose through the ceramic using LED (50.5+/-2.8) and HAL (50.9+/-3.7) produced significantly higher KHN means (p<0.05) than the control (44.7+/-3.8). LED showed statistically similar performance to HAL. Only HAL showed a relationship between the increase of LCU energy dose and hardness increase.

  2. Safe Active Scanning for Energy Delivery Systems Final Report

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

    Helms, J.; Salazar, B.; Scheibel, P.

    The Department of Energy’s Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems Program has funded Safe(r) Active Scanning for Energy Delivery Systems, led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to investigate and analyze the impacts of active scanning in the operational environment of energy delivery systems. In collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory, active scans across three testbeds including 38 devices were performed. This report gives a summary of the initial literature survey performed on the SASEDS project as well as industry partner interview summaries and main findings from Phase 1 of the project. Additionally, the report goes into themore » details of scanning techniques, methodologies for testing, testbed descriptions, and scanning results, with appendices to elaborate on the specific scans that were performed. As a result of testing, a single device out of 38 exhibited problems when actively scanned, and a reboot was required to fix it. This single failure indicates that active scanning is not likely to have a detrimental effect on the safety and resilience of energy delivery systems. We provide a path forward for future research that could enable wide adoption of active scanning and lead utilities to incorporate active scanning as part of their default network security plans to discover and rectify rogue devices, adversaries, and services that may be on the network. This increased network visibility will allow operational technology cybersecurity practitioners to improve their situational awareness of networks and their vulnerabilities.« less

  3. Sex differences in brain cholinergic activity in MSG-obese rats submitted to exercise.

    PubMed

    Sagae, Sara Cristina; Grassiolli, Sabrina; Raineki, Charlis; Balbo, Sandra Lucinei; Marques da Silva, Ana Carla

    2011-11-01

    Obesity is an epidemic disease most commonly caused by a combination of increased energy intake and lack of physical activity. The cholinergic system has been shown to be involved in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Moreover, physical exercise promotes a reduction of fat pads and body mass by increasing energy expenditure, but also influences the cholinergic system. The aim of this study is to evaluate the interaction between physical exercise (swimming) and central cholinergic activity in rats treated with monosodium glutamate (MSG, a model for obesity) during infancy. Our results show that MSG treatment is able to induce obesity in male and female rats. Specifically, MSG-treated rats presented a reduced body mass and nasoanal length, and increased perigonadal and retroperitoneal fat pads in relation to the body mass. Physical exercise was able to reduce body mass in both male and female rats, but did not change the fat pads in MSG-treated rats. Increased food intake was only seen in MSG-treated females submitted to exercise. Cholinergic activity was increased in the cortex of MSG-treated females and physical exercise was able to reduce this activity. Thalamic cholinergic activity was higher in sedentary MSG-treated females and exercised MSG-treated males. Hypothalamic cholinergic activity was higher in male and female MSG-treated rats, and was not reduced by exercise in the 2 sexes. Taken together, these results show that MSG treatment and physical exercise have different effects in the cholinergic activity of males and females.

  4. Possibility of cellulose-based electro-active paper energy scavenging transducer.

    PubMed

    Abas, Zafar; Kim, Heung Soo; Zhai, Lindong; Kim, Jaehwan; Kim, Joo Hyung

    2014-10-01

    In this paper, a cellulose-based Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) energy scavenging transducer is presented. Cellulose is proven as a smart material, and exhibits piezoelectric effect. Specimens were prepared by coating gold electrodes on both sides of cellulose film. The fabricated specimens were tested by a base excited aluminum cantilever beam at resonant frequency. Different tests were performed with single and multiple parallel connected electrodes coated on the cellulose film. A maximum of 131 mV output voltage was measured, when three electrodes were connected in parallel. It was observed that voltage output increases significantly with the area of electrodes. From these results, it can be concluded that the piezoelectricity of cellulose-based EAPap can be used in energy transduction application.

  5. Remote Determination of Auroral Energy Characteristics During Substorm Activity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Germany, G. A.; Parks, G. K.; Brittnacher, M. J.; Cumnock, J.; Lummerzheim, D.; Spann, J. F., Jr.

    1997-01-01

    Ultraviolet auroral images from the Ultraviolet Imager onboard the POLAR satellite can be used as quantitative remote diagnostics of the auroral regions, yielding estimates of incident energy characteristics, compositional changes, and other higher order data products. In particular, images of long and short wavelength N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) emissions can be modeled to obtain functions of energy flux and average energy that are basically insensitive to changes in seasonal and solar activity changes. This technique is used in this study to estimate incident electron energy flux and average energy during substorm activity occurring on May 19, 1996. This event was simultaneously observed by WIND, GEOTAIL, INTERBALL, DMSP and NOAA spacecraft as well as by POLAR. Here incident energy estimates derived from Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) are compared with in situ measurements of the same parameters from an overflight by the DMSP F12 satellite coincident with the UVI image times.

  6. Physical activity, sleep pattern and energy expenditure in double-handed offshore sailing.

    PubMed

    Galvani, C; Ardigò, L P; Alberti, M; Daniele, F; Capelli, C

    2015-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to quantify total energy expenditure, activity energy expenditure and time spent at three levels of physical activity (low, moderate, high intensity) in four two-person crews during a 500-mile double-handed sailing regatta. Physical activity intensity and energy expenditure were assessed during a 500-nautical-mile double-handed offshore competition in eight male sailors (46.3±3.4 years; 180±13 cm; 85.4±12.5 kg). During the whole regatta, they wore an activity monitor that estimated energy expenditure and minutes spent at each level of intensity (sedentary, <1.5 METs; light physical activity, 1.5-2.9 METs; moderate physical activity, 3.0-6.0 METs; vigorous physical activity, >6.0 METs). The sailors spent longer periods (P<0.0001) of time in sedentary (823±193 min/day) and light physical activities (516±177 min/day) than in moderate (95±34 min/day) or vigorous (6±4 min/day) physical activities. They slept 5 times per day (±1.4) for 36 min (±9) in each sleeping period. The total energy expenditure was 14.26±1.89 MJ/day and the activity energy expenditure was 5.06±1.42 MJ/day. Activity energy expenditure was significantly correlated with total sleep time, boat speed, and distance covered each day (P<0.05). CONCLUSION;:The high total energy expenditure was more likely a consequence of the short and rare periods of sleep during the competition rather than of the bouts of moderate and vigorous physical activities.

  7. Emotions in overweight and normal-weight women immediately after eating foods differing in energy.

    PubMed

    Macht, Michael; Gerer, Jutta; Ellgring, Heiner

    2003-11-01

    Immediate effects of low-, medium-, and high-energy foods on the emotional state of normal-weight and overweight women were studied experimentally. Nineteen normal-weight (body mass index [BMI]: 19-25 kg/m2) and 19 overweight women (BMI: 26-40 kg/m2) aged 18-40 years received samples of food that differed in energy content (low vs. medium vs. high energy) and rated their emotional state immediately after eating. Perceived characteristics of the foods and associations elicited by the foods were also obtained. Negative emotions (anger, fear, shame, and sadness) and sleepiness increased, while happiness decreased with energy of foods. Emotionally negative associations were more frequent, while positive emotions were less frequent the higher the energy content of the foods. Sadness, shame, fear, and sleepiness after eating high-energy food tended to be more intense in overweight women. Additional analyses demonstrated influences of eating habits, e.g., disinhibition. The higher the energy content of a food stimulus, the more it was viewed as "unhealthy" and "dangerous." It is suggested that immediate food-induced changes of emotions can be explained by activation of associative emotion networks.

  8. Influences of different dietary energy level on sheep testicular development associated with AMPK/ULK1/autophagy pathway.

    PubMed

    Pang, Jing; Li, Fengzhe; Feng, Xu; Yang, Hua; Han, Le; Fan, Yixuan; Nie, Haitao; Wang, Zhen; Wang, Feng; Zhang, Yanli

    2018-03-01

    Energy balance is an important feature for spermatozoa production in the testis. The 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cell energy, has been implicated as a mediator between gonadal function and energy balance. Herein, we intended to determine the physiological effects of AMPK on testicular development in feed energy restricted and compensated pre-pubertal rams. Lambs had restricted feeding for 2 months and then provided compensatory feeding for another 3 months. Feed levels were 100%(control), 15% and 30% of energy restriction (ER) diets, respectively. The results showed that lambs fed the 30% ER diet had significantly lower testicular weight (P < .05) and spermatids number in the seminiferous tubules, but there were no differences between control and 15% ER groups. Meanwhile, 15% ER and 30% ER diets induced testis autophagy and apoptosis through activating AMPK-ULK1(ULK1, Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase) signal pathway with characterization of increased Beclin-1 and Light chain 3-Ⅱ/Light chain 3-Ⅰ (LC3-II/LC3-I) ratio, up-regulated the ratio of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), as well as activated AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK) and ULK1. Furthermore, a compensation of these parameters occurred when the lambs were re-fed with normal energy requirement after restriction. Taken together, dietary energy levels influence testicular development through autophagy and apoptosis interplay mediated by AMPK-ULK1 signal pathway, which also indicates the important role of the actions of AMPK in the testis homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Redox-active Hybrid Materials for Pseudocapacitive Energy Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boota, Muhammad

    Organic-inorganic hybrid materials show a great promise for the purpose of manufacturing high performance electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage systems and beyond. Molecular level combination of two best suited components in a hybrid material leads to new or sometimes exceptional sets of physical, chemical, mechanical and electrochemical properties that makes them attractive for broad ranges of applications. Recently, there has been growing interest in producing redox-active hybrid nanomaterials for energy storage applications where generally the organic component provides high redox capacitance and the inorganic component offers high conductivity and robust support. While organic-inorganic hybrid materials offer tremendous opportunities for electrochemical energy storage applications, the task of matching the right organic material out of hundreds of natural and nearly unlimited synthetic organic molecules to appropriate nanostructured inorganic support hampers their electrochemical energy storage applications. We aim to present the recent development of redox-active hybrid materials for pseudocapacitive energy storage. We will show the impact of combination of suitable organic materials with distinct carbon nanostructures and/or highly conductive metal carbides (MXenes) on conductivity, charge storage performance, and cyclability. Combined experimental and molecular simulation results will be discussed to shed light on the interfacial organic-inorganic interactions, pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanisms, and likely orientations of organic molecules on conductive supports. Later, the concept of all-pseudocapacitive organic-inorganic asymmetric supercapacitors will be highlighted which open up new avenues for developing inexpensive, sustainable, and high energy density aqueous supercapacitors. Lastly, future challenges and opportunities to further tailor the redox-active hybrids will be highlighted.

  10. Assessment of physical activity, energy expenditure and energy intakes of young men practicing aerobic sports.

    PubMed

    Wierniuk, Alicja; Włodarek, Dariusz

    2014-01-01

    Adequate nutrition and energy intake play key rule during the training period and recovery time. The assessment of athlete's energetic needs should be calculated individually, based on personal energy expenditure and Sense Wear PRO3 Armband (SWA) mobile monitor is a useful tool to achieve this goal. However, there is still few studies conducted with use of this monitor. To assess individual energy needs of athletes by use of SWA and to determine whether their energy intake fulfils the body's energy expenditure. Subjects were 15 male students attending Military University of Technology in Warsaw, aged 19-24 years, practicing aerobic. The average body mass was 80.7 ± 7.7 kg and average height was 186.9 ± 5.2 cm, (BMI 23.09 ± 1.85 kg/m2). Assessment of physical activity and energy expenditure (TEE) was established using SWA, which was placed on the back side of dominant hand and worn continuously for 48 hours (during the training and non-training day). The presented results are the average values of these 2 days. Assessment of athletes' physical activity level was established by use of metabolic equivalent of task (MET) and number of steps (NS). Estimation of energy intake was based on three-day dietary recalls (two weekdays and one day of the weekend), evaluated using the Polish Software 'Energia' package. The average TEE of examined athletes was 3877 ± 508 kcal/day and almost half of this energy was spend on physical activity (1898 ± 634 kcal/day). The number of steps was on average 19498 ± 5407 and average MET was 2.05 ± 2.09. The average daily energy intake was 2727 ± 576 kcal. Athletes consumed inadequate amount of energy in comparison to their energy expenditure. Examined group did not have an adequate knowledge about their energy requirement, which shows the need of nutritional consulting and education among these athletes. athletes, aerobic sports, energy expenditure, energy intake.

  11. Assessment of Uncertainty in the Determination of Activation Energy for Polymeric Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Darby, Stephania P.; Landrum, D. Brian; Coleman, Hugh W.

    1998-01-01

    An assessment of the experimental uncertainty in obtaining the kinetic activation energy from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data is presented. A neat phenolic resin, Borden SC1O08, was heated at three heating rates to obtain weight loss vs temperature data. Activation energy was calculated by two methods: the traditional Flynn and Wall method based on the slope of log(q) versus 1/T, and a modification of this method where the ordinate and abscissa are reversed in the linear regression. The modified method produced a more accurate curve fit of the data, was more sensitive to data nonlinearity, and gave a value of activation energy 75 percent greater than the original method. An uncertainty analysis using the modified method yielded a 60 percent uncertainty in the average activation energy. Based on this result, the activation energy for a carbon-phenolic material was doubled and used to calculate the ablation rate In a typical solid rocket environment. Doubling the activation energy increased surface recession by 3 percent. Current TGA data reduction techniques that use the traditional Flynn and Wall approach to calculate activation energy should be changed to the modified method.

  12. Activation energy associated with the electromigration of oligosaccharides through viscosity modifier and polymeric additive containing background electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Kerékgyártó, Márta; Járvás, Gábor; Novák, Levente; Guttman, András

    2016-02-01

    The activation energy related to the electromigration of oligosaccharides can be determined from their measured electrophoretic mobilities at different temperatures. The effects of a viscosity modifier (ethylene glycol) and a polymeric additive (linear polyacrylamide) on the electrophoretic mobility of linear sugar oligomers with α1-4 linked glucose units (maltooligosaccharides) were studied in CE using the activation energy concept. The electrophoretic separations of 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate-labeled maltooligosaccharides were monitored by LIF detection in the temperature range of 20-50°C, using either 0-60% ethylene glycol (viscosity modifier) or 0-3% linear polyacrylamide (polymeric additive) containing BGEs. Activation energy curves were constructed based on the slopes of the Arrhenius plots. With the use of linear polyacrylamide additive, solute size-dependent activation energy variations were found for the maltooligosaccharides with polymerization degrees below and above maltoheptaose (DP 7), probably due to molecular conformation changes and possible matrix interaction effects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. The Effects of Acid Etching on the Nanomorphological Surface Characteristics and Activation Energy of Titanium Medical Materials.

    PubMed

    Hung, Kuo-Yung; Lin, Yi-Chih; Feng, Hui-Ping

    2017-10-11

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the etching mechanism, namely, the etching rate and the activation energy, of a titanium dental implant in concentrated acid and to construct the relation between the activation energy and the nanoscale surface topographies. A commercially-pure titanium (CP Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V ELI surface were tested by shot blasting (pressure, grain size, blasting distance, blasting angle, and time) and acid etching to study its topographical, weight loss, surface roughness, and activation energy. An Arrhenius equation was applied to derive the activation energy for the dissolution of CP Ti/Ti-6Al-4V ELI in sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) at different temperatures. In addition, white-light interferometry was applied to measure the surface nanomorphology of the implant to obtain 2D or 3D roughness parameters (Sa, Sq, and St). The nanopore size that formed after etching was approximately 100-500 nm. The surface roughness of CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V ELI decreased as the activation energy decreased but weight loss increased. Ti-6Al-4V ELI has a higher level of activation energy than Ti in HCl, which results in lower surface roughness after acid etching. This study also indicates that etching using a concentrated hydrochloric acid provided superior surface modification effects in titanium compared with H₂SO₄.

  14. Removing the barrier to the calculation of activation energies

    DOE PAGES

    Mesele, Oluwaseun O.; Thompson, Ward H.

    2016-10-06

    Approaches for directly calculating the activation energy for a chemical reaction from a simulation at a single temperature are explored with applications to both classical and quantum systems. The activation energy is obtained from a time correlation function that can be evaluated from the same molecular dynamics trajectories or quantum dynamics used to evaluate the rate constant itself and thus requires essentially no extra computational work.

  15. Energy cost of activities in preschool-aged children

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The absolute energy cost of activities in children increase with age due to greater muscle mass and physical capability associated with growth and developmental maturation; however, there is a paucity of data in preschool-aged children. Study aims were 1) to describe absolute and relative energy cos...

  16. Association of Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Use with Energy Intake, Physical Activity, and Weight Gain

    PubMed Central

    Czwornog, Jennifer L.; Austin, Gregory L.

    2015-01-01

    Studies suggest proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use impacts body weight regulation, though the effect of PPIs on energy intake, energy extraction, and energy expenditure is unknown. We used data on 3073 eligible adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Medication use, energy intake, diet composition, and physical activity were extracted from NHANES. Multivariate regression models included confounding variables. Daily energy intake was similar between PPI users and non-users (p = 0.41). Diet composition was similar between the two groups, except that PPI users consumed a slightly greater proportion of calories from fat (34.5% vs. 33.2%; p = 0.02). PPI users rated themselves as being as physically active as their age/gender-matched peers and reported similar frequencies of walking or biking. However, PPI users were less likely to have participated in muscle-strengthening activities (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.30–0.95). PPI users reported similar sedentary behaviors to non-users. Male PPI users had an increase in weight (of 1.52 ± 0.59 kg; p = 0.021) over the previous year compared to non-users, while female PPI users had a non-significant increase in weight. The potential mechanisms for PPI-associated weight gain are unclear as we did not find evidence for significant differences in energy intake or markers of energy expenditure. PMID:26492268

  17. Simultaneous determination of interfacial energy and growth activation energy from induction time measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiau, Lie-Ding; Wang, Hsu-Pei

    2016-05-01

    A model is developed in this work to calculate the interfacial energy and growth activation energy of a crystallized substance from induction time data without the knowledge of the actual growth rate. Induction time data for αL-glutamic acid measured with a turbidity probe for various supersaturations at temperatures from 293 to 313 K are employed to verify the developed model. In the model a simple empirical growth rate with growth order 2 is assumed because experiments are conducted at low supersaturation. The results indicate for αL-glutamic acid that the growth activation energy is 39 kJ/mol, which suggests that the growth rate of small nuclei in the agitated induction time experiments is integration controlled. The interfacial energy obtained from the current model is in the range of 5.2-7.4 mJ/m2, which is slightly greater than that obtained from the traditional method (ti-1∝J) for which the value is in the range 4.1-5.7 mJ/m2.

  18. Detection of focal adhesion kinase activation at membrane microdomains by fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    PubMed

    Seong, Jihye; Ouyang, Mingxing; Kim, Taejin; Sun, Jie; Wen, Po-Chao; Lu, Shaoying; Zhuo, Yue; Llewellyn, Nicholas M; Schlaepfer, David D; Guan, Jun-Lin; Chien, Shu; Wang, Yingxiao

    2011-07-26

    Proper subcellular localization of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is crucial for many cellular processes. It remains, however, unclear how FAK activity is regulated at subcellular compartments. To visualize the FAK activity at different membrane microdomains, we develop a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based FAK biosensor, and target it into or outside of detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) regions at the plasma membrane. Here we show that, on cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins or stimulation by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), the FRET responses of DRM-targeting FAK biosensor are stronger than that at non-DRM regions, suggesting that FAK activation can occur at DRM microdomains. Further experiments reveal that the PDGF-induced FAK activation is mediated and maintained by Src activity, whereas FAK activation on cell adhesion is independent of, and in fact essential for the Src activation. Therefore, FAK is activated at membrane microdomains with distinct activation mechanisms in response to different physiological stimuli. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  19. Selected Energy Education Activities for Pennsylvania Middle School Grades. Draft.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hack, Nancy; And Others

    These activities are intended to help increase awareness and understanding of the energy situation and to encourage students to become energy conservationists. The document is divided into sections according to discipline area. A final section is devoted to interdisciplinary activities involving several discipline areas integrated with the energy…

  20. Fabric-based integrated energy devices for wearable activity monitors.

    PubMed

    Jung, Sungmook; Lee, Jongsu; Hyeon, Taeghwan; Lee, Minbaek; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

    2014-09-01

    A wearable fabric-based integrated power-supply system that generates energy triboelectrically using human activity and stores the generated energy in an integrated supercapacitor is developed. This system can be utilized as either a self-powered activity monitor or as a power supply for external wearable sensors. These demonstrations give new insights for the research of wearable electronics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Extracting renewable energy from a salinity difference using a capacitor.

    PubMed

    Brogioli, Doriano

    2009-07-31

    Completely renewable energy can be produced by using water solutions of different salinity, like river water and sea water. Many different methods are already known, but development is still at prototype stage. Here I report a novel method, based on electric double-layer capacitor technology. Two porous electrodes, immersed in the salt solution, constitute a capacitor. It is first charged, then the salt solution is brought into contact with fresh water. The electrostatic energy increases as the salt concentration of the solution is reduced due to diffusion. This device can be used to turn sources of salinity difference into completely renewable sources of energy. An experimental demonstration is given, and performances and possible improvements are discussed.

  2. Energy monitoring system based on human activity in the workplace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mustafa, Nur Hanim; Husain, Mohd Nor; Aziz, Mohamad Zoinol Abidin Abdul; Othman, Mohd Azlishah; Malek, Fareq

    2015-05-01

    Human behaviors always related to day routine activities in a smart house directly give the significant factor to manage energy usage in human life. An Addition that, the factor will contribute to the best efficiency of the system. This paper will focus on the monitoring efficiency based on duration time in office hours around 8am until 5pm which depend on human behavior at working place. Besides that, the correlation coefficient method is used to show the relation between energy consumption and energy saving based on the total hours of time energy spent. In future, the percentages of energy monitoring system usage will be increase to manage energy saving based on human behaviors. This scenario will help to see the human activity in the workplace in order to get the energy saving and support world green environment.

  3. The Maximum Free Magnetic Energy Allowed in a Solar Active Region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Ronald L.; Falconer, David A.

    2009-01-01

    Two whole-active-region magnetic quantities that can be measured from a line-of-sight magnetogram are (sup L) WL(sub SG), a gauge of the total free energy in an active region's magnetic field, and sup L(sub theta), a measure of the active region's total magnetic flux. From these two quantities measured from 1865 SOHO/MDI magnetograms that tracked 44 sunspot active regions across the 0.5 R(sub Sun) central disk, together with each active region's observed production of CMEs, X flares, and M flares, Falconer et al (2009, ApJ, submitted) found that (1) active regions have a maximum attainable free magnetic energy that increases with the magnetic size (sup L) (sub theta) of the active region, (2) in (Log (sup L)WL(sub SG), Log(sup L) theta) space, CME/flare-productive active regions are concentrated in a straight-line main sequence along which the free magnetic energy is near its upper limit, and (3) X and M flares are restricted to large active regions. Here, from (a) these results, (b) the observation that even the greatest X flares produce at most only subtle changes in active region magnetograms, and (c) measurements from MSFC vector magnetograms and from MDI line-of-sight magnetograms showing that practically all sunspot active regions have nearly the same area-averaged magnetic field strength: =- theta/A approximately equal to 300 G, where theta is the active region's total photospheric flux of field stronger than 100 G and A is the area of that flux, we infer that (1) the maximum allowed ratio of an active region's free magnetic energy to its potential-field energy is 1, and (2) any one CME/flare eruption releases no more than a small fraction (less than 10%) of the active region's free magnetic energy. This work was funded by NASA's Heliophysics Division and NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences.

  4. NREL to Host Range of Activities for Energy Awareness Month

    Science.gov Websites

    Host Range of Activities for Energy Awareness Month Events devoted to energy savings Golden, Colo., Sept. 20, 2000 - Visitors will get an inside look at advanced energy technologies and learn tips for cutting utility bills when the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy

  5. Highlands County Energy Education Activities--High School Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Rodney F., Ed.

    Presented are five instructional units, developed by the Tri-County Teacher Education Center, for the purpose of educating secondary school students on Florida's unique energy problems. Unit one provides a series of value clarification and awareness activities as an introduction to energy. Unit two uses mathematics exercises to examine energy…

  6. On the possibility of negative activation energies in bimolecular reactions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jaffe, R. L.

    1978-01-01

    The temperature dependence of the rate constants for model reacting systems was studied to understand some recent experimental measurements which imply the existence of negative activation energies. A collision theory model and classical trajectory calculations are used to demonstrate that the reaction probability can vary inversely with collision energy for bimolecular reactions occurring on attractive potential energy surfaces. However, this is not a sufficient condition to ensure that the rate constant has a negative temperature dependence. On the basis of these calculations, it seems unlikely that a true bimolecular reaction between neutral molecules will have a negative activation energy.

  7. Comparison of five different defibrillators using recommended energy protocols.

    PubMed

    Zelinka, M; Buić, D; Zelinka, I

    2007-09-01

    Biphasic defibrillators represent a great step ahead in defibrillation. The manufacturers claim that biphasic defibrillators are able to compensate for differences in transthoracic impedance. That should mean that all patients should be defibrillated with approximately the same amount of current, regardless of their transthoracic impedance. We assessed one monophasic and four biphasic defibrillators. The defibrillators were discharged into resistive loads of 50, 90 and 130 Omega, simulating transthoracic impedance. For each waveform we used energy protocols recommended by the manufacturers and guidelines 2005. Waveforms were observed with on a digitising oscilloscope on a current sensing resistor. We compared the electrical properties of different waveforms and two defibrillators with the same type of waveform. The influence of different impedance on shape, duration and amplitude of current flow were also observed for each waveform. Measurements showed a significant difference in current flow at different impedance loads. At low impedance the mean current is well above expectations for all the defibrillators studied and at high impedance load we observed a big reduction of current amplitude. We can conclude that the compensating mechanisms of biphasic defibrillators are, from electrical point of view, negligible. From the laws of physics it is practically impossible to keep same level of current at given time with same energy at higher impedance. That is why we should reconsider the use of different energy equivalents between patients with different transthoracic impedance and not between different defibrillation impulses.

  8. Energy Conservation Education for New York State. Interdisciplinary Learning Activities. Grades 7-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany.

    Provided in this document are 18 energy conservation activities designed to supplement regular classroom learning activities. A matrix correlating activity number with grade level and subject areas is included. Titles of activities are: puzzles; energy quiz; energy-related careers; reading a meter; trading calories for kilo-watts; conserving home…

  9. Impact behaviour of Napier/polyester composites under different energy levels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fahmi, I.; Majid, M. S. Abdul; Afendi, M.; Haslan, M.; Helmi E., A.; M. Haameem J., A.

    2016-07-01

    The effects of different energy levels on the impact behaviour of Napier fibre/polyester reinforced composites were investigated. Napier fibre was extracted using traditional water retting process to be utilized as reinforcing materials in polyester composite laminates. 25% fibre loading composite laminates were prepared and impacted at three different energy levels; 2.5,5 and 7.5 J using an instrumented drop weight impact testing machine (IMATEK IM10). The outcomes show that peak force and contact time increase with increased impact load. The energy absorption was then calculated from the force displacement curve. The results indicated that the energy absorption decreases with increasing energy levels of the impact. Impacted specimens were observed visually for fragmentation fracture using an optical camera to identify the failure mechanisms. Fracture fragmentation pattern from permanent dent to perforation with radial and circumferential was observed.

  10. Solar optics-based active panel for solar energy storage and disinfection of greywater.

    PubMed

    Lee, W; Song, J; Son, J H; Gutierrez, M P; Kang, T; Kim, D; Lee, L P

    2016-09-01

    Smart city and innovative building strategies are becoming increasingly more necessary because advancing a sustainable building system is regarded as a promising solution to overcome the depleting water and energy. However, current sustainable building systems mainly focus on energy saving and miss a holistic integration of water regeneration and energy generation. Here, we present a theoretical study of a solar optics-based active panel (SOAP) that enables both solar energy storage and photothermal disinfection of greywater simultaneously. Solar collector efficiency of energy storage and disinfection rate of greywater have been investigated. Due to the light focusing by microlens, the solar collector efficiency is enhanced from 25% to 65%, compared to that without the microlens. The simulation of greywater sterilization shows that 100% disinfection can be accomplished by our SOAP for different types of bacteria including Escherichia coli . Numerical simulation reveals that our SOAP as a lab-on-a-wall system can resolve the water and energy problem in future sustainable building systems.

  11. Solar optics-based active panel for solar energy storage and disinfection of greywater

    PubMed Central

    Lee, W.; Song, J.; Son, J. H.; Gutierrez, M. P.; Kang, T.; Kim, D.; Lee, L. P.

    2016-01-01

    Smart city and innovative building strategies are becoming increasingly more necessary because advancing a sustainable building system is regarded as a promising solution to overcome the depleting water and energy. However, current sustainable building systems mainly focus on energy saving and miss a holistic integration of water regeneration and energy generation. Here, we present a theoretical study of a solar optics-based active panel (SOAP) that enables both solar energy storage and photothermal disinfection of greywater simultaneously. Solar collector efficiency of energy storage and disinfection rate of greywater have been investigated. Due to the light focusing by microlens, the solar collector efficiency is enhanced from 25% to 65%, compared to that without the microlens. The simulation of greywater sterilization shows that 100% disinfection can be accomplished by our SOAP for different types of bacteria including Escherichia coli. Numerical simulation reveals that our SOAP as a lab-on-a-wall system can resolve the water and energy problem in future sustainable building systems. PMID:27822328

  12. The Effects of Acid Etching on the Nanomorphological Surface Characteristics and Activation Energy of Titanium Medical Materials

    PubMed Central

    Hung, Kuo-Yung; Lin, Yi-Chih; Feng, Hui-Ping

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the etching mechanism, namely, the etching rate and the activation energy, of a titanium dental implant in concentrated acid and to construct the relation between the activation energy and the nanoscale surface topographies. A commercially-pure titanium (CP Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V ELI surface were tested by shot blasting (pressure, grain size, blasting distance, blasting angle, and time) and acid etching to study its topographical, weight loss, surface roughness, and activation energy. An Arrhenius equation was applied to derive the activation energy for the dissolution of CP Ti/Ti-6Al-4V ELI in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) at different temperatures. In addition, white-light interferometry was applied to measure the surface nanomorphology of the implant to obtain 2D or 3D roughness parameters (Sa, Sq, and St). The nanopore size that formed after etching was approximately 100–500 nm. The surface roughness of CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V ELI decreased as the activation energy decreased but weight loss increased. Ti-6Al-4V ELI has a higher level of activation energy than Ti in HCl, which results in lower surface roughness after acid etching. This study also indicates that etching using a concentrated hydrochloric acid provided superior surface modification effects in titanium compared with H2SO4. PMID:29019926

  13. Effects of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on mitochondrial energy metabolism in rats of different age-groups.

    PubMed

    Feichtinger, René G; Pétervári, Erika; Zopf, Michaela; Vidali, Silvia; Aminzadeh-Gohari, Sepideh; Mayr, Johannes A; Kofler, Barbara; Balaskó, Márta

    2017-08-01

    Hypothalamic alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a key catabolic mediator of energy homeostasis. Its anorexigenic and hypermetabolic effects show characteristic age-related alterations that may be part of the mechanism of middle-aged obesity and geriatric anorexia/cachexia seen in humans and other mammals. We aimed to investigate the role of α-MSH in mitochondrial energy metabolism during the course of aging in a rodent model. To determine the role of α-MSH in mitochondrial energy metabolism in muscle, we administered intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusions of α-MSH for 7-days to different age-groups of male Wistar rats. The activities of oxidative phosphorylation complexes I to V and citrate synthase were determined and compared to those of age-matched controls. We also quantified mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and measured the expression of the master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The peptide reduced weight gain in juvenile rats to one fifth of that of controls and increased the weight loss in older animals by about five fold. Mitochondrial DNA copy number inversely correlated with changes in body weight in controls, but not in α-MSH-treated animals. The strong increase in body weight in young rats was associated with a low mtDNA copy number and high PPARγ mRNA levels in controls. Expression of PGC-1α and PPARγ declined with age, whereas OXPHOS and citrate synthase enzyme activities were unchanged. In contrast, α-MSH treatment suppressed OXPHOS enzyme and citrate synthase activity. In conclusion, our results showed age-related differences in the metabolic effects of α-MSH. In addition, administration of α-MSH suppressed citrate synthase and OXPHOS activities independent of age. These findings suggest that α-MSH exposure may inhibit mitochondrial biogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

  14. Energy: Economic activity and energy demand; link to energy flow. Example: France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1980-10-01

    The data derived from the EXPLOR and EPOM, Energy Flow Optimization Model are described. The core of the EXPLOR model is a circular system of relations involving consumer's demand, producer's outputs, and market prices. The solution of this system of relations is obtained by successive iterations; the final output is a coherent system of economic accounts. The computer program for this transition is described. The work conducted by comparing different energy demand models is summarized. The procedure is illustrated by a numerical projection to 1980 and 1985 using the existing version of the EXPLOR France model.

  15. Novel Approaches to Obesity Prevention: Effects of Game Enjoyment and Game Type on Energy Expenditure in Active Video Games

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Elizabeth J.; Tate, Deborah F.; Komoski, Stephanie E.; Carr, Philip M.; Ward, Dianne S.

    2012-01-01

    Background Some active video games have been found to promote physical activity adherence because of enjoyment. However, many active games are exercise themed, which may interfere with the distracting properties that make game-based exercise more enjoyable than traditional exercise. This study compared exercise-themed and game-themed active games to investigate differences in energy expenditure and enjoyment. Method Young adults (N = 100, 50 female, 55 overweight, aged 18–35 years) played two of four Wii Fit games (one aerobic game and one balance game per person) for 10 min each. Of the two aerobic games, one was exercise themed (jogging) and the other was game themed (hula hooping). Both balance games were game themed. Energy expenditure and enjoyment were measured. Results After adjustment for gender and weight, aerobic games produced 2.70 kcal/kg-1/h-1 (95% confidence interval 2.41, 3.00) greater energy expenditure than balance games (p < .001), but balance games were more enjoyable (p < .001). In aerobic games, jogging produced greater energy expenditure than hula hooping in normal-weight and male participants (p < .001); in overweight and female participants, no differences were found (p > .17). Hula hooping was enjoyed more than jogging (p = .008). Enjoyment predicted energy expenditure in aerobic games (B = 0.767, p = .010). Conclusions Aerobic games produced greater energy expenditure but lower enjoyment than balance games, and a game-themed aerobic game was found more enjoyable than an exercise-themed aerobic game. Integrating more strenuous activity into entertaining games instead of games that simply simulate exercise may be a fruitful avenue for active game development. PMID:22920810

  16. Novel approaches to obesity prevention: effects of game enjoyment and game type on energy expenditure in active video games.

    PubMed

    Lyons, Elizabeth J; Tate, Deborah F; Komoski, Stephanie E; Carr, Philip M; Ward, Dianne S

    2012-07-01

    Some active video games have been found to promote physical activity adherence because of enjoyment. However, many active games are exercise themed, which may interfere with the distracting properties that make game-based exercise more enjoyable than traditional exercise. This study compared exercise-themed and game-themed active games to investigate differences in energy expenditure and enjoyment. Young adults (N = 100, 50 female, 55 overweight, aged 18-35 years) played two of four Wii Fit games (one aerobic game and one balance game per person) for 10 min each. Of the two aerobic games, one was exercise themed (jogging) and the other was game themed (hula hooping). Both balance games were game themed. Energy expenditure and enjoyment were measured. After adjustment for gender and weight, aerobic games produced 2.70 kcal/kg(-1)/h(-1) (95% confidence interval 2.41, 3.00) greater energy expenditure than balance games (p < .001), but balance games were more enjoyable (p < .001). In aerobic games, jogging produced greater energy expenditure than hula hooping in normal-weight and male participants (p < .001); in overweight and female participants, no differences were found (p > .17). Hula hooping was enjoyed more than jogging (p = .008). Enjoyment predicted energy expenditure in aerobic games (B = 0.767, p = .010). Aerobic games produced greater energy expenditure but lower enjoyment than balance games, and a game-themed aerobic game was found more enjoyable than an exercise-themed aerobic game. Integrating more strenuous activity into entertaining games instead of games that simply simulate exercise may be a fruitful avenue for active game development. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

  17. Thermal Comfort and Energy Consumption Using Different Radiant Heating/Cooling Systems in a Modern Office Building

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nemethova, Ema; Stutterecker, Werner; Schoberer, Thomas

    2017-06-01

    The aim of the study is to evaluate the potential of enhancing thermal comfort and energy consumption created by three different radiant systems in the newly-built Energetikum office building. A representative office, Simulation room 1/1, was selected from 6 areas equipped with portable sensor groups for the indoor environment monitoring. The presented data obtained from 3 reference weeks; the heating, transition and cooling periods indicate overheating, particularly during the heating and transition period. The values of the indoor air temperature during the heating and transition period could not meet the normative criteria according to standard EN 15251:2007 (cat. II.) for 15-30% of the time intervals evaluated. Consequently, a simulation model of the selected office was created and points to the possibilities of improving the control system, which can lead to an elimination of the problem with overheating. Three different radiant systems - floor heating/ cooling, a thermally active ceiling, and a near-surface thermally active ceiling were implemented in the model. A comparison of their effects on thermal comfort and energy consumption is presented in the paper.

  18. TROSY-based z-exchange spectroscopy: application to the determination of the activation energy for intermolecular protein translocation between specific sites on different DNA molecules.

    PubMed

    Sahu, Debashish; Clore, G Marius; Iwahara, Junji

    2007-10-31

    A two-dimensional TROSY-based z-exchange 1H-15N correlation experiment for the quantitative analysis of kinetic processes in the slow exchange regime is presented. The pulse scheme converts the product operator terms Nz into 2NzHz and 2NzHz into -Nz in the middle of the z-mixing period, thereby suppressing the buildup of spurious semi-TROSY peaks arising from the different relaxation rates for the Nz and 2NzHz terms and simplifying the behavior of longitudinal magnetization for an exchanging system during the mixing period. Theoretical considerations and experimental data demonstrate that the TROSY-based z-exchange experiment permits quantitative determination of rate constants using the same procedure as that for the conventional non-TROSY 15Nz-exchange experiment. Line narrowing as a consequence of the use of the TROSY principle makes the method particularly suitable for kinetic studies at low temperature, thereby permitting activation energies to be extracted from data acquired over a wider temperature range. We applied this method to the investigation of the process whereby the HoxD9 homeodomain translocates between specific target sites on different DNA molecules via a direct transfer mechanism without going through the intermediary of free protein. The activation enthalpy for intermolecular translocation was determined to be 17 kcal/mol.

  19. Assessing Understanding of the Energy Concept in Different Science Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Mihwa; Liu, Xiufeng

    2016-01-01

    Energy is one of the most central and richly connected ideas across all science disciplines. The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement instrument for assessing students' understanding of the energy concept within and across different science disciplines. To achieve this goal, the Inter-Disciplinary Energy concept Assessment (IDEA) was…

  20. Active Control by Conservation of Energy Concept

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maestrello, Lucio

    2000-01-01

    Three unrelated experiments are discussed; each was extremely sensitive to initial conditions. The initial conditions are the beginnings of the origins of the information that nonlinearity displays. Initial conditions make the phenomenon unstable and unpredictable. With the knowledge of the initial conditions, active control requires far less power than that present in the system response. The first experiment is on the control of shocks from an axisymmetric supersonic jet; the second, control of a nonlinear panel response forced by turbulent boundary layer and sound; the third, control of subharmonic and harmonics of a panel forced by sound. In all three experiments, control is achieved by redistribution of periodic energy response such that the energy is nearly preserved from a previous uncontrolled state. This type of active control improves the performance of the system being controlled.

  1. The effects of Ramadan fasting on activity and energy expenditure.

    PubMed

    Lessan, Nader; Saadane, Ilham; Alkaf, Budour; Hambly, Catherine; Buckley, Adam J; Finer, Nick; Speakman, John R; Barakat, Maha T

    2018-01-01

    Fasting during the month of Ramadan entails abstinence from eating and drinking between dawn and sunset and a major shift in meal times and patterns with associated changes in several hormones and circadian rhythms; whether there are accompanying changes in energy metabolism is unclear. We have investigated the impact of Ramadan fasting on resting metabolic rate (RMR), activity, and total energy expenditure (TEE). Healthy nonobese volunteers (n = 29; 16 women) fasting during Ramadan were recruited. RMR was measured with the use of indirect calorimetry. In subgroups of participants, activity (n = 11; 5 women) and TEE (n = 10; 5 women) in free-living conditions were measured with the use of accelerometers and the doubly labeled water technique, respectively. Body composition was measured with the use of bioelectrical impedance. Measurements were repeated after a wash-out period of between 1 and 2 mo after Ramadan. Nonparametric tests were used for comparative statistics. Ramadan fasting did not result in any change in RMR (mean ± SD: 1365.7 ± 230.2 compared with 1362.9 ± 273.6 kcal/d for Ramadan and post-Ramadan respectively, P = 0.713, n = 29). However, controlling for the effects of age, sex, and body weight, RMR was higher in the first week of Ramadan than in subsequent weeks. During Ramadan, the total number of steps walked were significantly lower (n = 11, P = 0.001), while overall sleeping time was reduced and different sleeping patterns were seen. TEE did not differ significantly between Ramadan and post-Ramadan (mean ± SD: 2224.1 ± 433.7 compared with 2121.0 ± 718.5 kcal/d for Ramadan and post-Ramadan, P = 0.7695, n = 10). Ramadan fasting is associated with reduced activity and sleeping time, but no significant change in RMR or TEE. Reported weight changes with Ramadan in other studies are more likely to be due to differences in food intake. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02696421. © 2018 American Society for Nutrition. All rights

  2. Converging Light, Energy and Hormonal Signaling Control Meristem Activity, Leaf Initiation, and Growth1[CC-BY

    PubMed Central

    Mohammed, Binish; Bilooei, Sara Farahi; Grove, Elliot; Railo, Saana; Palme, Klaus

    2018-01-01

    The development of leaf primordia is subject to light control of meristematic activity. Light regulates the expression of thousands of genes with roles in cell proliferation, organ development, and differentiation of photosynthetic cells. Previous work has highlighted roles for hormone homeostasis and the energy-dependent Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase in meristematic activity, yet a picture of how these two regulatory mechanisms depend on light perception and interact with each other has yet to emerge. Their relevance beyond leaf initiation also is unclear. Here, we report the discovery that the dark-arrested meristematic region of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) experiences a local energy deprivation state and confirm previous findings that the PIN1 auxin transporter is diffusely localized in the dark. Light triggers a rapid removal of the starvation state and the establishment of PIN1 polar membrane localization consistent with auxin export, both preceding the induction of cell cycle- and cytoplasmic growth-associated genes. We demonstrate that shoot meristematic activity can occur in the dark through the manipulation of auxin and cytokinin activity as well as through the activation of energy signaling, both targets of photomorphogenesis action, but the organ developmental outcomes differ: while TOR-dependent energy signals alone stimulate cell proliferation, the development of a normal leaf lamina requires photomorphogenesis-like hormonal responses. We further show that energy signaling adjusts the extent of cell cycle activity and growth of young leaves non-cellautonomously to available photosynthates and leads to organs constituted of a greater number of cells developing under higher irradiance. This makes energy signaling perhaps the most important biomass growth determinant under natural, unstressed conditions. PMID:29284741

  3. The aircraft energy efficiency active controls technology program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hood, R. V., Jr.

    1977-01-01

    Broad outlines of the NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency Program for expediting the application of active controls technology to civil transport aircraft are presented. Advances in propulsion and airframe technology to cut down on fuel consumption and fuel costs, a program for an energy-efficient transport, and integrated analysis and design technology in aerodynamics, structures, and active controls are envisaged. Fault-tolerant computer systems and fault-tolerant flight control system architectures are under study. Contracts with leading manufacturers for research and development work on wing-tip extensions and winglets for the B-747, a wing load alleviation system, elastic mode suppression, maneuver-load control, and gust alleviation are mentioned.

  4. Energy Efficiency in Gait, Activity, Participation, and Health Status in Children with Cerebral Palsy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerr, Claire; Parkes, Jackie; Stevenson, Mike; Cosgrove, Aidan P.; McDowell, Brona C.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of the study was to establish if a relationship exists between the energy efficiency of gait, and measures of activity limitation, participation restriction, and health status in a representative sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Secondary aims were to investigate potential differences between clinical subtypes and gross motor…

  5. Adipocyte cannabinoid receptor CB1 regulates energy homeostasis and alternatively activated macrophages

    PubMed Central

    Mancini, Giacomo; Rey, Alejandro Aparisi; Cardinal, Pierre; Tedesco, Laura; Zingaretti, Cristina Maria; Sassmann, Antonia; Quarta, Carmelo; Schwitter, Claudia; Conrad, Andrea; Wettschureck, Nina; Vemuri, V. Kiran; Makriyannis, Alexandros; Hartwig, Jens; Mendez-Lago, Maria; Monory, Krisztina; Giordano, Antonio; Cinti, Saverio; Marsicano, Giovanni; Offermanns, Stefan; Pagotto, Uberto; Cota, Daniela

    2017-01-01

    Dysregulated adipocyte physiology leads to imbalanced energy storage, obesity, and associated diseases, imposing a costly burden on current health care. Cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1) plays a crucial role in controlling energy metabolism through central and peripheral mechanisms. In this work, adipocyte-specific inducible deletion of the CB1 gene (Ati-CB1–KO) was sufficient to protect adult mice from diet-induced obesity and associated metabolic alterations and to reverse the phenotype in already obese mice. Compared with controls, Ati-CB1–KO mice showed decreased body weight, reduced total adiposity, improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced energy expenditure, and fat depot–specific cellular remodeling toward lowered energy storage capacity and browning of white adipocytes. These changes were associated with an increase in alternatively activated macrophages concomitant with enhanced sympathetic tone in adipose tissue. Remarkably, these alterations preceded the appearance of differences in body weight, highlighting the causal relation between the loss of CB1 and the triggering of metabolic reprogramming in adipose tissues. Finally, the lean phenotype of Ati-CB1–KO mice and the increase in alternatively activated macrophages in adipose tissue were also present at thermoneutral conditions. Our data provide compelling evidence for a crosstalk among adipocytes, immune cells, and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), wherein CB1 plays a key regulatory role. PMID:29035280

  6. Measurements of Generated Energy/Electrical Quantities from Locomotion Activities Using Piezoelectric Wearable Sensors for Body Motion Energy Harvesting

    PubMed Central

    Proto, Antonino; Penhaker, Marek; Bibbo, Daniele; Vala, David; Conforto, Silvia; Schmid, Maurizio

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, two different piezoelectric transducers—a ceramic piezoelectric, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and a polymeric piezoelectric, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)—were compared in terms of energy that could be harvested during locomotion activities. The transducers were placed into a tight suit in proximity of the main body joints. Initial testing was performed by placing the transducers on the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle; then, five locomotion activities—walking, walking up and down stairs, jogging and running—were chosen for the tests. The values of the power output measured during the five activities were in the range 6 µW–74 µW using both transducers for each joint. PMID:27077867

  7. Improving Photocatalytic Activity through Electrostatic Self-Assembly: Polyelectrolytes as Tool for Solar Energy Conversion?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groehn, Franziska

    2015-03-01

    With regard to the world's decreasing energy resources, developing strategies to exploit solar energy become more and more important. One approach is to take advantage of photocatalysis. Inspired by natural systems such as assemblies performing photosynthesis, it is highly promising to self-assemble synthetic functional species to form more effective or tailored supramolecular units. In this contribution, a new type of photocatalytically active self-assembled nanostructures in aqueous solution will be presented: supramolecular nano-objects obtained through self-assembly of macroions and multivalent organic or inorganic counterions. Polyelectrolyte-porphyrin nanoscale assemblies exhibit up to 10-fold higher photocatalytic activity than the corresponding porphyrins without polymeric template. Other self-assembled catalysts based on polyelectrolytes can exhibit expressed selectivity in a photocatalytic model reaction or even allow catalytic reactions in solution that are not possible with the building blocks only. Further, current results on combining different functional units at the polyelectrolyte template represent a next step towards more complex supramolecular structures for solar energy conversion.

  8. Solvent dependence of the activation energy of attachment determined by single molecule observations of surfactant adsorption.

    PubMed

    Honciuc, Andrei; Baptiste, Denver Jn; Campbell, Ian P; Schwartz, Daniel K

    2009-07-07

    Single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was used to obtain real-time images of fluorescently labeled hexadecanoic (palmitic) acid molecules as they adsorbed at the interface between fused silica and three different solvents: hexadecane (HD), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and water. These solvents were chosen to explore the effect of solvent polarity on the activation energy associated with the attachment rate, i.e., the rate at which molecules were transferred to the surface from the near-surface layer. Direct counting of single-molecule events, made under steady-state conditions at extremely low coverage, provided direct, model-independent measurements of this attachment rate, in contrast with conventional ensemble-averaged methods, which are influenced by bulk transport and competing detachment processes. We found that the attachment rate increased with increasing temperature for all solvents. Arrhenius analyses gave activation energies of 5+/-2 kJ/mol for adsorption from HD, 10+/-2 kJ/mol for adsorption from THF, and 19+/-2 kJ/mol for adsorption from water. These energies increased systematically with the solvent polarity and, therefore, with the expected strength of the solvent-substrate interaction. We hypothesize that the adsorption of amphiphilic solute molecules from solution can be regarded as a competitive exchange between solute molecules and surface-bound solvent. In this scenario, adsorption is an activated process, and the activation energy for attachment is associated with the solvent-substrate interaction energy.

  9. Energy response corrections for profile measurements using a combination of different detector types.

    PubMed

    Wegener, Sonja; Sauer, Otto A

    2018-02-01

    Different detector properties will heavily affect the results of off-axis measurements outside of radiation fields, where a different energy spectrum is encountered. While a diode detector would show a high spatial resolution, it contains high atomic number elements, which lead to perturbations and energy-dependent response. An ionization chamber, on the other hand, has a much smaller energy dependence, but shows dose averaging over its larger active volume. We suggest a way to obtain spatial energy response corrections of a detector independent of its volume effect for profiles of arbitrary fields by using a combination of two detectors. Measurements were performed at an Elekta Versa HD accelerator equipped with an Agility MLC. Dose profiles of fields between 10 × 4 cm² and 0.6 × 0.6 cm² were recorded several times, first with different small-field detectors (unshielded diode 60012 and stereotactic field detector SFD, microDiamond, EDGE, and PinPoint 31006) and then with a larger volume ionization chamber Semiflex 31010 for different photon beam qualities of 6, 10, and 18 MV. Correction factors for the small-field detectors were obtained from the readings of the respective detector and the ionization chamber using a convolution method. Selected profiles were also recorded on film to enable a comparison. After applying the correction factors to the profiles measured with different detectors, agreement between the detectors and with profiles measured on EBT3 film was improved considerably. Differences in the full width half maximum obtained with the detectors and the film typically decreased by a factor of two. Off-axis correction factors outside of a 10 × 1 cm² field ranged from about 1.3 for the EDGE diode about 10 mm from the field edge to 0.7 for the PinPoint 31006 25 mm from the field edge. The microDiamond required corrections comparable in size to the Si-diodes and even exceeded the values in the tail region of the field. The SFD was found

  10. Accurate calculation of conformational free energy differences in explicit water: the confinement-solvation free energy approach.

    PubMed

    Esque, Jeremy; Cecchini, Marco

    2015-04-23

    The calculation of the free energy of conformation is key to understanding the function of biomolecules and has attracted significant interest in recent years. Here, we present an improvement of the confinement method that was designed for use in the context of explicit solvent MD simulations. The development involves an additional step in which the solvation free energy of the harmonically restrained conformers is accurately determined by multistage free energy perturbation simulations. As a test-case application, the newly introduced confinement/solvation free energy (CSF) approach was used to compute differences in free energy between conformers of the alanine dipeptide in explicit water. The results are in excellent agreement with reference calculations based on both converged molecular dynamics and umbrella sampling. To illustrate the general applicability of the method, conformational equilibria of met-enkephalin (5 aa) and deca-alanine (10 aa) in solution were also analyzed. In both cases, smoothly converged free-energy results were obtained in agreement with equilibrium sampling or literature calculations. These results demonstrate that the CSF method may provide conformational free-energy differences of biomolecules with small statistical errors (below 0.5 kcal/mol) and at a moderate computational cost even with a full representation of the solvent.

  11. The use of a running wheel to measure activity in rodents: relationship to energy balance, general activity, and reward.

    PubMed

    Novak, Colleen M; Burghardt, Paul R; Levine, James A

    2012-03-01

    Running wheels are commonly employed to measure rodent physical activity in a variety of contexts, including studies of energy balance and obesity. There is no consensus on the nature of wheel-running activity or its underlying causes, however. Here, we will begin by systematically reviewing how running wheel availability affects physical activity and other aspects of energy balance in laboratory rodents. While wheel running and physical activity in the absence of a wheel commonly correlate in a general sense, in many specific aspects the two do not correspond. In fact, the presence of running wheels alters several aspects of energy balance, including body weight and composition, food intake, and energy expenditure of activity. We contend that wheel-running activity should be considered a behavior in and of itself, reflecting several underlying behavioral processes in addition to a rodent's general, spontaneous activity. These behavioral processes include defensive behavior, predatory aggression, and depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. As it relates to energy balance, wheel running engages several brain systems-including those related to the stress response, mood, and reward, and those responsive to growth factors-that influence energy balance indirectly. We contend that wheel-running behavior represents factors in addition to rodents' tendency to be physically active, engaging additional neural and physiological mechanisms which can then independently alter energy balance and behavior. Given the impact of wheel-running behavior on numerous overlapping systems that influence behavior and physiology, this review outlines the need for careful design and interpretation of studies that utilize running wheels as a means for exercise or as a measurement of general physical activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The use of a running wheel to measure activity in rodents: Relationship to energy balance, general activity, and reward

    PubMed Central

    Levine, James A.

    2015-01-01

    Running wheels are commonly employed to measure rodent physical activity in a variety of contexts, including studies of energy balance and obesity. There is no consensus on the nature of wheel-running activity or its underlying causes, however. Here, we will begin by systematically reviewing how running wheel availability affects physical activity and other aspects of energy balance in laboratory rodents. While wheel running and physical activity in the absence of a wheel commonly correlate in a general sense, in many specific aspects the two do not correspond. In fact, the presence of running wheels alters several aspects of energy balance, including body weight and composition, food intake, and energy expenditure of activity. We contend that wheel-running activity should be considered a behavior in and of itself, reflecting several underlying behavioral processes in addition to a rodent's general, spontaneous activity. These behavioral processes include defensive behavior, predatory aggression, and depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. As it relates to energy balance, wheel running engages several brain systems—including those related to the stress response, mood, and reward, and those responsive to growth factors—that influence energy balance indirectly. We contend that wheel-running behavior represents factors in addition to rodents' tendency to be physically active, engaging additional neural and physiological mechanisms which can then independently alter energy balance and behavior. Given the impact of wheel-running behavior on numerous overlapping systems that influence behavior and physiology, this review outlines the need for careful design and interpretation of studies that utilize running wheels as a means for exercise or as a measurement of general physical activity. PMID:22230703

  13. The effect of a broad activation energy distribution on deuteron spin-lattice relaxation.

    PubMed

    Ylinen, E E; Punkkinen, M; Birczyński, A; Lalowicz, Z T

    2015-10-01

    Deuteron NMR spectra and spin-lattice relaxation were studied experimentally in zeolite NaY(2.4) samples containing 100% or 200% of CD3OH or CD3OD molecules of the total coverage of Na atoms in the temperature range 20-150K. The activation energies describing the methyl and hydroxyl motions show broad distributions. The relaxation data were interpreted by improving a recent model (Stoch et al., 2013 [16]) in which the nonexponential relaxation curves are at first described by a sum of three exponentials with adjustable relaxation rates and weights. Then a broad distribution of activation energies (the mean activation energy A0 and the width σ) was assumed for each essentially different methyl and hydroxyl position. The correlation times were calculated from the Arrhenius equation (containing the pre-exponential factor τ0), individual relaxation rates computed and classified into three classes, and finally initial relaxation rates and weights for each class formed. These were compared with experimental data, motional parameters changed slightly and new improved rates and weights for each class calculated, etc. This method was improved by deriving for the deuterons of the A and E species methyl groups relaxation rates, which depend explicitly on the tunnel frequency ωt. The temperature dependence of ωt and of the low-temperature correlation time were obtained by using the solutions of the Mathieu equation for a threefold potential. These dependencies were included in the simulations and as the result sets of A0, σ and τ0 obtained, which describe the methyl and hydroxyl motions in different positions in zeolite. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Comparison of two different physical activity monitors.

    PubMed

    Paul, David R; Kramer, Matthew; Moshfegh, Alanna J; Baer, David J; Rumpler, William V

    2007-06-25

    Understanding the relationships between physical activity (PA) and disease has become a major area of research interest. Activity monitors, devices that quantify free-living PA for prolonged periods of time (days or weeks), are increasingly being used to estimate PA. A range of different activity monitors brands are available for investigators to use, but little is known about how they respond to different levels of PA in the field, nor if data conversion between brands is possible. 56 women and men were fitted with two different activity monitors, the Actigraph (Actigraph LLC; AGR) and the Actical (Mini-Mitter Co.; MM) for 15 days. Both activity monitors were fixed to an elasticized belt worn over the hip, with the anterior and posterior position of the activity monitors randomized. Differences between activity monitors and the validity of brand inter-conversion were measured by t-tests, Pearson correlations, Bland-Altman plots, and coefficients of variation (CV). The AGR detected a significantly greater amount of daily PA (216.2 +/- 106.2 vs. 188.0 +/- 101.1 counts/min, P < 0.0001). The average difference between activity monitors expressed as a CV were 3.1 and 15.5% for log-transformed and raw data, respectively. When a conversion equation was applied to convert datasets from one brand to another, the differences were no longer significant, with CV's of 2.2 and 11.7%, log-transformed and raw data, respectively. Although activity monitors predict PA on the same scale (counts/min), the results between these two brands are not directly comparable. However, the data are comparable if a conversion equation is applied, with better results for log-transformed data.

  15. The Atomic Energy Commission's Annual Report to Congress for 1960. Major Activities in the Atomic Energy Programs, January - December 1960

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

    McCone, John A.

    1961-01-31

    The document covers activities for the period January - December 1960. The report consists of two parts: Part One, The Atomic Energy Industry in 1960 and Related Activities; and Part Two, Major Activities in Atomic Energy Programs. Twenty-one appendices are also included.

  16. Energy Expenditure and Activity of Transfemoral Amputees Using Mechanical and Microprocessor-Controlled Prosthetic Knees

    PubMed Central

    Kaufman, Kenton R.; Levine, James A.; Brey, Robert H.; McCrady, Shelly K.; Padgett, Denny J.; Joyner, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    Objective To quantify the energy efficiency of locomotion and free-living physical activity energy expenditure of transfemoral amputees using a mechanical and microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. Design Repeated-measures design to evaluate comparative functional outcomes. Setting Exercise physiology laboratory and community free-living environment. Participants Subjects (N=15; 12 men, 3 women; age, 42±9y; range, 26 –57y) with transfemoral amputation. Intervention Research participants were long-term users of a mechanical prosthesis (20±10y as an amputee; range, 3–36y). They were fitted with a microprocessor-controlled knee prosthesis and allowed to acclimate (mean time, 18±8wk) before being retested. Main Outcome Measures Objective measurements of energy efficiency and total daily energy expenditure were obtained. The Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire was used to gather subjective feedback from the participants. Results Subjects demonstrated significantly increased physical activity–related energy expenditure levels in the participant’s free-living environment (P=.04) after wearing the microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint. There was no significant difference in the energy efficiency of walking (P=.34). When using the microprocessor-controlled knee, the subjects expressed increased satisfaction in their daily lives (P=.02). Conclusions People ambulating with a microprocessor-controlled knee significantly increased their physical activity during daily life, outside the laboratory setting, and expressed an increased quality of life. PMID:18586142

  17. Identification of biological traits associated with differences in residual energy intake among lactating Holstein cows.

    PubMed

    Fischer, A; Delagarde, R; Faverdin, P

    2018-05-01

    Residual feed intake, which is usually used to estimate individual variation of feed efficiency, requires frequent and accurate measurements of individual feed intake to be carried out. Developing a breeding scheme based on residual feed intake in dairy cows is therefore complicated, especially because feed intake is not measurable for a large population. Another solution could be to focus on biological determinants of feed efficiency, which could potentially be directly and broadband measurable on farm. Several phenotypes have been identified in literature as being associated with differences in feed efficiency. The present study therefore aims to identify which biological mechanisms are associated with residual energy intake (REI) differences among dairy cows. Several candidate phenotypes were recorded frequently and simultaneously throughout the first 238 d in milk for 60 Holstein cows fed on a constant diet based on maize silage. A multiple linear regression of the 238 d in milk average of net energy intake was fitted on the 238 d in milk averages for milk energy output, metabolic body weight, the sum over the 238 d in milk of both, body condition score loss and gain, and the residuals were defined as REI. A partial least square regression was fitted over all biological traits to explain REI variability. Linear multiple regression explained 93.6% of net energy intake phenotypic variation, with 65.5% associated with lactation requirement, 23.2% with maintenance, and 4.9% with body reserves change; the 6.4% residuals represented REI. Overall, measured biological traits contributed to 58.9% of REI phenotypic variability, which were mainly explained by activity (26.5%) and feeding behavior (21.3%). However, apparent confounding was observed between behavior, activity, digestibility, and rumen-temperature variables. Drawing a conclusion on biological traits that explain feed efficiency differences among dairy cows was not possible due to this apparent confounding

  18. Energy Cost and Enjoyment of Active Videogames in Children and Teens: Xbox 360 Kinect.

    PubMed

    Clevenger, Kimberly A; Howe, Cheryl A

    2015-08-01

    New active videogames (AVGs) may provide youth an alternative to traditional play. The purpose of this study was to compare the physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE), intensity, and enjoyment of AVGs with those of seated videogames (SVGs). Youth (8-17 years old) volunteered to play a random selection of six (two SVGs, four AVGs) videogames for 6-10 minutes each. Prior to participation, height, weight, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) were measured. A portable metabolic analyzer was worn during the games to measure total energy expenditure, and PAEE was calculated as (total energy expenditure - measured RMR). An accelerometer was worn on the right hip to measure intensity in counts/minute and steps/minute. Youth were classified as child (8-12 years old) versus teen (13-17 years old), healthy weight (body mass index [BMI] <85th percentile) versus overweight (BMI ≥85th percentile), and male versus female. A three-way mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare differences in PAEE (metabolic equivalents [METs] and kcal/minute) with sex, weight status, and age group as main effects, including Bonferroni's adjustment. Most AVGs were moderate to vigorous intensity (4.6±0.1 METs; range, 2.8-6.6 METs), where steps/minute (lower-body movement) was positively related to PAEE (R(2)=0.68). All SVGs were classified as light intensity (1.7±0.0 METs). PAEE (kcal/minute) was significantly higher during AVGs and for teens, males, and overweight youth. There was no significant difference in enjoyment between AVGs and SVGs. AVGs elicited sufficient energy cost to be a suitable alternative for traditional play and may contribute to the recommended dose of physical activity, particularly in teens, males, and overweight youth.

  19. Quantum Tunneling Contribution for the Activation Energy in Microwave-Induced Reactions.

    PubMed

    Kuhnen, Carlos A; Dall'Oglio, Evandro L; de Sousa, Paulo T

    2017-08-03

    In this study, a quantum approach is presented to explain microwave-enhanced reaction rates by considering the tunneling effects in chemical reactions. In the Arrhenius equation, the part of the Hamiltonian relative to the interaction energy during tunneling, between the particle that tunnels and the electrical field defined in the medium, whose spatial component is specified by its rms value, is taken into account. An approximate evaluation of the interaction energy leads to a linear dependence of the effective activation energy on the applied field. The evaluation of the rms value of the field for pure liquids and reaction mixtures, through their known dielectric properties, leads to an appreciable reduction in the activation energies for the proton transfer process in these liquids. The results indicate the need to move toward the use of more refined methods of modern quantum chemistry to calculate more accurately field-induced reaction rates and effective activation energies.

  20. Effect of Discharge Rate on Positive Active Material of Lead Carbon Battery for Energy Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Kailun; Liu, Hao; Hu, Chen; Gao, Fei; Yang, Kai; Wang, Hao

    2017-10-01

    Lead carbon battery has been widespread concern with its excellent performance of charge and discharge under High Rate Part State of Charge (HRPSoC) as well as its cycle performance. In this paper, the cycling performance of lead carbon battery for energy storage was tested by different discharge rate. The effects of different discharge rate on the composition and morphology of positive active materials in the cycle was studied by XRD and SEM. The effect of different discharge rate on the ohmic impedance of lead carbon battery was studied by testing Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy with different capacity retention rates. The results show that with the increase of the discharge rate, the content of PbO2 in the positive active material increases, the active substance utilization and the particle size of PbO2 crystal declines, and the ohmic impedance of the battery decreases.

  1. [Can the local energy minimization refine the PDB structures of different resolution universally?].

    PubMed

    Godzi, M G; Gromova, A P; Oferkin, I V; Mironov, P V

    2009-01-01

    The local energy minimization was statistically validated as the refinement strategy for PDB structure pairs of different resolution. Thirteen pairs of structures with the only difference in resolution were extracted from PDB, and the structures of 11 identical proteins obtained by different X-ray diffraction techniques were represented. The distribution of RMSD value was calculated for these pairs before and after the local energy minimization of each structure. The MMFF94 field was used for energy calculations, and the quasi-Newton method was used for local energy minimization. By comparison of these two RMSD distributions, the local energy minimization was proved to statistically increase the structural differences in pairs so that it cannot be used for refinement purposes. To explore the prospects of complex refinement strategies based on energy minimization, randomized structures were obtained by moving the initial PDB structures as far as the minimized structures had been moved in a multidimensional space of atomic coordinates. For these randomized structures, the RMSD distribution was calculated and compared with that for minimized structures. The significant differences in their mean values proved the energy surface of the protein to have only few minima near the conformations of different resolution obtained by X-ray diffraction for PDB. Some other results obtained by exploring the energy surface near these conformations are also presented. These results are expected to be very useful for the development of new protein refinement strategies based on energy minimization.

  2. Impact behaviour of Napier/polyester composites under different energy levels

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

    Fahmi, I., E-mail: fahmi-unimap@yahoo.com; Majid, M. S. Abdul, E-mail: shukry@unimap.edu.my; Afendi, M., E-mail: afendirojan@unimap.edu.my

    2016-07-19

    The effects of different energy levels on the impact behaviour of Napier fibre/polyester reinforced composites were investigated. Napier fibre was extracted using traditional water retting process to be utilized as reinforcing materials in polyester composite laminates. 25% fibre loading composite laminates were prepared and impacted at three different energy levels; 2.5,5 and 7.5 J using an instrumented drop weight impact testing machine (IMATEK IM10). The outcomes show that peak force and contact time increase with increased impact load. The energy absorption was then calculated from the force displacement curve. The results indicated that the energy absorption decreases with increasing energymore » levels of the impact. Impacted specimens were observed visually for fragmentation fracture using an optical camera to identify the failure mechanisms. Fracture fragmentation pattern from permanent dent to perforation with radial and circumferential was observed.« less

  3. Differences in energy expenditure, amount of physical activity and physical exertion level during a Zumba fitness class among adult women who are normal weight, overweight and obese.

    PubMed

    Yáñez-Sepúlveda, Rodrigo; Barraza-Gómez, Fernando; Báez-San Martin, Eduardo; Araneda, Oscar F; Zavala, Juan P; Hecht, Gernot K; Tuesta, Marcelo

    2018-01-01

    One of the most popular expressions of massive group classes of aerobic physical activity is Zumba fitness. The aim of the study was to compare and relate the energy expenditure and the amount and intensity of physical effort during a Zumba fitness class in women with different Body Mass Index (BMI). Body displacements of 61 adult women who performed a one-hour Zumba session were evaluated with triaxial accelerometers. In order to observe the effect of BMI women were divided into normal weight (N.=26), overweight (N.=21) and obese groups (N.=14). The average number of steps was 4533.3±1351 and the percentage of total class time of moderate to vigorous intensity (% MVPA) was 53.8±14.4%. The metabolic intensity average was 3.64±1.1 MET, with an energy expenditure by total body mass of 3.9±1.6 kcal/kg. When analyzing groups, the normal weight group had a greater number of steps (5184.2±1561.1 steps/class) compared to overweight (4244.8±1049.3 steps/class) and obese women (3756.9±685.7 steps/class) with P<0.05. Also, the normal weight group spent a lower percentage of class time at the lower levels of intensity (sedentary and lifestyle activity levels) and more time at the highest levels (vigorous and very vigorous) compared to obese women (P<0.05). Participants with a normal weight obtained a higher % MVPA (62.1±15%) compared to overweight (50.1±9.4%) and obese (44.1±11.9%) groups with P<0.05. A metabolic intensity of 4.6±1.9 MET in the normal weight group was higher compared to 3.5±1.0 MET in the overweight (P<0.05) and 3.1±1.2 MET in the obese group (P<0.05), was observed. The subjective perception of effort was 7.84±0.9 (Borg CR 10), no differences between groups. Also we observed in all participants that at higher BMI values, there were lower energy expenditure values per kilo of weight (r=-0.40; P<0.001), metabolic intensity (r=-0.39; P<0.001), step counts (r=-0.43; P<0.001) and % MVPA (r=-0.50; P<0.001). These results show that a higher BMI is

  4. Differences in the daily activity of patients with diabetic foot ulcers compared to controls in their free-living environments.

    PubMed

    Sheahan, Helen; Canning, Kimberley; Refausse, Nishka; Kinnear, Ewan M; Jorgensen, Greg; Walsh, James R; Lazzarini, Peter A

    2017-12-01

    The aims of our study were to investigate multiple daily activity outcomes in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) compared to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and diabetes (DM) controls in their free-living environments. We examined daily activity outcomes of 30 patients with DFU, 23 DPN and 20 DM. All patients wore a validated multi-sensor device for > 5 days (>22 hours per day) to measure their daily activity outcomes: steps, energy expenditure (kJ), average metabolic equivalent tasks (METs), physical activity (>3·0 METs) duration and energy expenditure, lying duration, sleep duration and sleep quality. We found that DFU patients recorded fewer median (interquartile ranges, IQR) daily steps [2154 (1621-4324)] than DPN [3660 (2742-7705)] and DM [5102 (4011-7408)] controls (P < 0·05). In contrast, DFU patients recorded more mean ± SD daily energy expenditure (kJ) (13 006 ± 3559) than DPN (11 085 ± 1876) and DM (11 491 ± 1559) controls (P < 0·05). We found no other differences in daily activity outcomes (P > 0·1). We conclude that DFU patients typically take fewer steps but expend more energy during their normal daily activity than DPN and DM controls. We hypothesise that the increased energy expenditure for DFU patients may be due to wound healing or an inefficient gait strategy. Further investigations into this energy imbalance in DFU patients may improve healing in future. © 2017 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Mechanical energy and power flow analysis of wheelchair use with different camber settings.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yueh-Chu; Guo, Lan-Yuen; Tsai, Chung-Ying; Su, Fong-Chin

    2013-04-01

    It has been suggested that minimisation of energy cost is one of the primary determinants of wheelchair designs. Wheel camber is one important parameter related to wheelchair design and its angle may affect usability during manual propulsion. However, there is little available literature addressing the effect of wheel camber on the mechanical energy or power flow involved in manual wheelchair propulsion. Twelve normal subjects (mean age, 22.3 years; SD, 1.6 years) participated in this study. A video-tracking system and an instrumented wheel were used to collect 3D kinematic and kinetic data. Wheel camber of 0° and 15° was chosen to examine the difference between mechanical power and power flow of the upper extremity during manual wheelchair propulsion. The work calculated from power flow and the discrepancy between the mechanical work and power flow work of upper extremity had significantly greater values with increased camber. The upper arm had a larger active muscle power compared with that in the forearm and hand segments. While propelling the increased camber, the magnitude of both the proximal and distal joint power and proximal muscle power was increased in all three segments. While the propelling wheel with camber not only needs a greater energy cost but also there is greater energy loss.

  6. Batteries for efficient energy extraction from a water salinity difference.

    PubMed

    La Mantia, Fabio; Pasta, Mauro; Deshazer, Heather D; Logan, Bruce E; Cui, Yi

    2011-04-13

    The salinity difference between seawater and river water is a renewable source of enormous entropic energy, but extracting it efficiently as a form of useful energy remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate a device called "mixing entropy battery", which can extract and store it as useful electrochemical energy. The battery, containing a Na(2-x)Mn(5)O(10) nanorod electrode, was shown to extract energy from real seawater and river water and can be applied to a variety of salt waters. We demonstrated energy extraction efficiencies of up to 74%. Considering the flow rate of river water into oceans as the limiting factor, the renewable energy production could potentially reach 2 TW, or ∼13% of the current world energy consumption. The mixing entropy battery is simple to fabricate and could contribute significantly to renewable energy in the future.

  7. Kinetic compensation effect in logistic distributed activation energy model for lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis.

    PubMed

    Xu, Di; Chai, Meiyun; Dong, Zhujun; Rahman, Md Maksudur; Yu, Xi; Cai, Junmeng

    2018-06-04

    The kinetic compensation effect in the logistic distributed activation energy model (DAEM) for lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis was investigated. The sum of square error (SSE) surface tool was used to analyze two theoretically simulated logistic DAEM processes for cellulose and xylan pyrolysis. The logistic DAEM coupled with the pattern search method for parameter estimation was used to analyze the experimental data of cellulose pyrolysis. The results showed that many parameter sets of the logistic DAEM could fit the data at different heating rates very well for both simulated and experimental processes, and a perfect linear relationship between the logarithm of the frequency factor and the mean value of the activation energy distribution was found. The parameters of the logistic DAEM can be estimated by coupling the optimization method and isoconversional kinetic methods. The results would be helpful for chemical kinetic analysis using DAEM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Analysis of coals and biomass pyrolysis using the distributed activation energy model.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhengqi; Liu, Chunlong; Chen, Zhichao; Qian, Juan; Zhao, Wei; Zhu, Qunyi

    2009-01-01

    The thermal decomposition of coals and biomass was studied using thermogravimetric analysis with the distributed activation energy model. The integral method resulted in Datong bituminous coal conversions of 3-73% at activation energies of 100-486 kJ/mol. The corresponding frequency factors were e(19.5)-e(59.0)s(-1). Jindongnan lean coal conversions were 8-52% at activation energies of 100-462 kJ/mol. Their corresponding frequency factors were e(13.0)-e(55.8)s(-1). The conversion of corn-stalk skins were 1-84% at activation energies of 62-169 kJ/mol with frequency factors of e(10.8)-e(26.5)s(-1). Datong bituminous coal, Jindongnan lean coal and corn-stalk skins had approximate Gaussian distribution functions with linear ln k(0) to E relationships.

  9. A Pilot Study: Dietary Energy Density is Similar between Active Women with and without Exercise-Associated Menstrual Dysfunction

    PubMed Central

    Hand, Taryn M.; Howe, Stephanie; Cialdella-Kam, Lynn; Hoffman, Charlotte P. Guebels; Manore, Melinda

    2016-01-01

    Low energy availability (EA) (e.g., insufficient energy intake (EI) to match energy needs, including exercise energy expenditure) has been identified as a primary contributor to exercise-associated menstrual dysfunction (ExMD) in active women. For health reasons, active women may self-select diets lower in energy density (ED, kcal/g), which can inadvertently contribute to inadequate EI. Using data from two studies, we compared the ED of active women with ExMD (n = 9; 24 ± 6 years) to eumenorrheic (EU) active controls (EU: n = 18, 27 ± 6 years). ED was calculated from 6 to 7 days weighted food records using two methods: with/without beverages. ANOVA and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum were used to test group differences. ED was not different between groups, but there was a trend toward a lower median ED (10%) (p = 0.049 unadjusted; p = 0.098 adjusted) in the ExMD-group (Method 1—all beverages: ExMD = 1.01 kcal/g (range = 0.52–1.41), EU = 1.22 kcal/g (range = 0.72–1.72); Method 2—without beverages: ExMD = 1.51 kcal/g (range = 1.26–2.06), EU = 1.69 kcal/g (range = 1.42–2.54)). This lower ED represents a 9% decrease (~219 kcal/day) in EI (ExMD = 2237 ± 378 kcal/day; EU = 2456 ± 470 kcal/day; p > 0.05). EI and macro/micronutrient intakes were similar for groups. In the ExMD-group, low ED could contribute to lower EI and EA. Future research should examine the interaction of ED and exercise on appetite, EI, and EA in active women, especially those with ExMD. PMID:27104560

  10. Density functional calculation of activation energies for lattice and grain boundary diffusion in alumina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Yinkai; Gong, Yu; Duan, Zhiyao; Wang, Guofeng

    2013-06-01

    To acquire knowledge on the lattice and grain boundary diffusion processes in alumina, we have determined the activation energies of elementary O and Al diffusive jumps in the bulk crystal, Σ3(0001) grain boundaries, and Σ3(101¯0) grain boundaries of α-Al2O3 using the first-principles density functional theory method. Specifically, we calculated the activation energies for four elementary jumps of both O and Al lattice diffusion in alumina. It was predicted that the activation energy of O lattice diffusion varied from 3.58 to 5.03 eV, while the activation energy of Al lattice diffusion ranged from 1.80 to 3.17 eV. As compared with experimental measurements, the theoretical predictions of the activation energy for lattice diffusion were lower and thus implied that there might be other high-energy diffusive jumps in the experimental alumina samples. Moreover, our results suggested that the Al lattice diffusion was faster than the O lattice diffusion in alumina, in agreement with experiment observations. Furthermore, it was found from our calculations for α-Al2O3 that the activation energies of O and Al grain boundary diffusion in the high-energy Σ3(0001) grain boundaries were significantly lower than those of the lattice diffusion. In contrast, the activation energies of O and Al grain boundary diffusion in the low-energy Σ3(101¯0) grain boundaries could be even higher than those of the lattice diffusion.

  11. Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS), Grades 7-12: Industrial Arts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simonis, Doris G.

    Described is the Industrial Arts component of the Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS), a multidisciplinary energy education program designed for infusion into the curriculum of grades 7-12. Also included in the program are activity sets for Home Economics (SE 034 678), Language Arts (SE 034 680), Mathematics (SE 034 681), Science (SE…

  12. World Energy Projection System Plus (WEPS ): Global Activity Module

    EIA Publications

    2016-01-01

    The World Energy Projection System Plus (WEPS ) is a comprehensive, mid?term energy forecasting and policy analysis tool used by EIA. WEPS projects energy supply, demand, and prices by country or region, given assumptions about the state of various economies, international energy markets, and energy policies. The Global Activity Module (GLAM) provides projections of economic driver variables for use by the supply, demand, and conversion modules of WEPS . GLAM’s baseline economic projection contains the economic assumptions used in WEPS to help determine energy demand and supply. GLAM can also provide WEPS with alternative economic assumptions representing a range of uncertainty about economic growth. The resulting economic impacts of such assumptions are inputs to the remaining supply and demand modules of WEPS .

  13. Changes in energy metabolism in relation to physical activity due to fermentable carbohydrates in group-housed growing pigs.

    PubMed

    Schrama, J W; Bakker, G C

    1999-12-01

    Fermentable nonstarch polysaccharides (dietary fiber) affect energy retention in group-housed growing pigs by reducing physical activity. This study assessed the effects of fermentation and bulkiness of dietary carbohydrates on physical activity in relation to energy metabolism. Eight clusters of 14 pigs were fed one of four diets in a 2x2 factorial arrangement. Factors included 1) gastrointestinal fermentation and 2) dietary bulkiness. Contrasts in fermentation were created by exchanging gelatinized maize starch with raw potato starch on a volume basis. Bulkiness was altered by adding 15% milled wheat straw to the diets. Apart from these differences, amounts of other dietary ingredients fed to the pigs were similar. Pigs were housed in groups. Nitrogen and energy balances were measured per cluster during a 14-d period. Dietary bulkiness did not affect ME intake, heat production, or energy retention. Metabolizability decreased when maize starch was replaced with raw potato starch (P< .01), resulting in a lower energy retention on the potato starch diets (P<.01). However, the lower ME intake on the potato diets was partially compensated by a reduced energy expenditure on physical activity (P< .01), which was 17.6% lower than that of pigs fed the maize starch diets. Dietary bulkiness did not affect physical activity. The effect of fiber-rich diets (nonstarch polysaccharides) on activity in growing group-housed pigs seems to be related to fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, and not to bulkiness (volume).

  14. Behavioral study of ultradian activity periods of mice enclosed in experimental cages of different dimensions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guillot, A.

    1982-01-01

    Male mice are enclosed in cages of different dimensions (cage A - 23x8x8 cm., cage B - 36x27x17 cm.), in an alternating light/dark regimen, at an ambient temperature of 22 to 23 C. The successions of the behavioral sequences of ultradian activity periods are noticed by direct observation during 11 consecutive hours in light. The experimental situation modifies the mean duration time and the behavioral organization of each activity period. However, the comparison of the overall activity time lengths and the comparison of the overall behavioral frequencies suggest that the energy spent per mouse is constant.

  15. The Geography of Wind Energy: Problem Solving Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lahart, David E.; Allen, Rodney F.

    1985-01-01

    Today there are many attempts to use wind machines to confront the increasing costs of electricity. Described are activities to help secondary students understand wind energy, its distribution, applications, and limitations. (RM)

  16. Energy expended playing video console games: an opportunity to increase children's physical activity?

    PubMed

    Maddison, Ralph; Mhurchu, Cliona Ni; Jull, Andrew; Jiang, Yannan; Prapavessis, Harry; Rodgers, Anthony

    2007-08-01

    This study sought to quantify the energy expenditure and physical activity associated with playing the "new generation" active and nonactive console-based video games in 21 children ages 10-14 years. Energy expenditure (kcal) derived from oxygen consumption (VO2) was continuously assessed while children played nonactive and active console video games. Physical activity was assessed continuously using the Actigraph accelerometer. Significant (p < .001) increases from baseline were found for energy expenditure (129-400%), heart rate (43-84%), and activity counts (122-1288 versus 0-23) when playing the active console video games. Playing active console video games over short periods of time is similar in intensity to light to moderate traditional physical activities such as walking, skipping, and jogging.

  17. The Energy Expenditure of an Activity-Promoting Video Game compared to Sedentary Video Games and TV Watching

    PubMed Central

    Mitre, Naim; Foster, Randal C; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Levine, James A.

    2014-01-01

    Background Screen time continues to be a major contributing factor to sedentariness in children. There have been more creative approaches to increase physical over the last few years. One approach has been through the use of video games. In the present study we investigated the effect of television watching and the use of activity-promoting video games on energy expenditure and movement in lean and obese children. Our primary hypothesis was that energy expenditure and movement decreases while watching television, in lean and obese children. Our secondary hypothesis was that energy expenditure and movement increases when playing the same game with an activity-promoting video game console compared to a sedentary video game console, in lean and obese children. Methods Eleven boys (10 ± 1 year) and eight girls (9 ± 1 year) ranging in BMI from 14–29 kg/m2 (eleven lean and eight overweight or obese) were recruited. Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were watching television, playing a video game on a traditional sedentary video game console, and while playing the same video game on an activity-promoting video game (Nintendo Wii) console. Results Energy expenditure was significantly greater than television watching and playing video games on a sedentary video game console when children played the video game on the activity-promoting console(125.3 ± 38.2 Kcal/hr vs. 79.7 ± 20.1 and 79.4 ±15.7, P<0.0001, respectively). When examining movement with accelerometry, children moved significantly more when playing the video game on the Nintendo Wii console (p<0.0001). Conclusion The amount of movement and energy expenditure of television watching and playing video games on a sedentary video game console is not different. Activity-promoting video games have shown to increase movement, and be an important tool to raise energy expenditure by 50% when compared to sedentary activities of daily living. PMID:22145458

  18. Thermal activation energy for bidirectional movement of actin along bipolar tracks of myosin filaments.

    PubMed

    Okubo, Hiroyuki; Iwai, Masanori; Iwai, Sosuke; Chaen, Shigeru

    2010-05-28

    Previous in vitro motility assays using bipolar myosin thick filaments demonstrated that actin filaments were capable of moving in both directions along the myosin filament tracks. The movements; however, were slower in the direction leading away from the central bare zone than towards it. To understand the mechanism underlying these different direction-dependent motilities, we have examined the effects of temperature on the velocities of the bidirectional movements along reconstituted myosin filaments. Activation energies of the movements were determined by Arrhenius plots at high and low concentrations of ATP. As a result, the thermal activation energy of the movement away from the central bare zone was significantly higher than that of the movement toward the zone. Given that the backward movement away from the central bare zone would cause the myosin heads to be constrained and the stiffness of the cross-bridges to increase, these results suggest that elastic energy required for the cross-bridge transition is supplied by thermal fluctuations. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Energy Expenditure During Extravehicular Activity Through Apollo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paul, Heather L.

    2011-01-01

    Monitoring crew health during manned space missions has always been an important factor to ensure that the astronauts can complete the missions successfully and within safe physiological limits. The necessity of real-time metabolic rate monitoring during extravehicular activities (EVAs) came into question during the Gemini missions, when the energy expenditure required to complete EVA tasks exceeded the life support capabilities for cooling and humidity control and crewmembers (CMs) ended the EVAs fatigued and overworked. This paper discusses the importance of real-time monitoring of metabolic rate during EVA, and provides a historical look at energy expenditure during EVA through the Apollo program.

  20. Touch-Initiated Reaction of Nitrogen Triiodide as a Template for Activation Energy Classroom Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Short, Duncan

    2017-01-01

    Activation energies form an energy barrier to a chemical reaction taking place. Simple collision theory, i.e. that particles need to collide to react, would suggest that activation energy is the energy needed to overcome a coulombic barrier provided by the negatively charged electrons contained within energy shells surrounding an atomic nucleus.…

  1. Tracking Photospheric Energy Transport in Active Regions with SDO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Attié, R.; Thompson, B. J.

    2017-12-01

    The solar photosphere presents flow fields at all observable scales. Where energy-bearing magnetic active regions break through the photosphere these flows are particularly strong, as sheared and twisted magnetic fields come into equilibrium with their surroundings while transporting magnetic energy into the corona. A part of this magnetic energy - the so-called `free energy' stored in the magnetic field in the form of "twisted" and shear of the field - is released in flares and eruptions. We can quantify the energy arrival and build-up in the corona by tracking flow fields and magnetic features at the photosphere as magnetic flux emerges and evolves before and after a flare or eruption.To do this reliably requires two things: a long series of photospheric observations at high sensitivity, spatial and temporal resolution, and an efficient, reliable and robust framework that tracks the photospheric plasma flows and magnetic evolution in both the quiet sun and active regions. SDO/HMI provides the observations, and we present here an innovative high resolution tracking framework that involves the `Balltracking' and `Magnetic Balltracking' algorithms. We show the first results of a systematic, quantitative and comprehensive measurements of the flows and transport of magnetic energy into the solar atmosphere and investigate whether this dynamic view can improve predictions of flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).

  2. Energy Activities for Junior High Social Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minnesota State Energy Agency, St. Paul.

    The document contains seven learning activities for junior high students on the energy situation. Objectives are to help students gain understanding and knowledge about the relationships between humans and their social and physical environments; solve problems and clarify issues; examine personal beliefs and values; and recognize the relationships…

  3. Dynamic detection of caspase-3 activation during photosensitization by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yunxia; Xing, Da; Chen, Qun; Chen, Tongsheng; Tang, Yonghong; Wan, Qingling

    2005-04-01

    Apoptosis is one of the important modes in PDT-induced cell death. Activation of caspase-3 is considered to be the final step in many apoptosis pathways. In this study, we used SCAT3, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probe containing caspase-3 substrate, to study the dynamics of caspase-3 activation in living ASTC-a-1 cells expressing stably SCAT3. The FRET analysis results indicated that caspase-3 activation in response to tumor necrosis factor-α or PDT resulted in cleavage of the linker peptide and subsequent disruption of the FRET signal. The SCAT3 was cleaved immediately after PDT treatment, but that for TNF-a treatment was delayed two hours. Our experimental results suggested that the different apoptotic pathways induced by TNF-α or PDT caused different cleavage kinetics of SCAT3. This study shows that FRET technique based on GFPs could be used to study the mechanism of PDT-induced apoptosis in living cells.

  4. Determination of the Arrhenius Activation Energy Using a Temperature-Programmed Flow Reactor.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Kit-ha C.; Tse, R. S.

    1984-01-01

    Describes a novel method for the determination of the Arrhenius activation energy, without prejudging the validity of the Arrhenius equation or the concept of activation energy. The method involves use of a temperature-programed flow reactor connected to a concentration detector. (JN)

  5. Thermal oxidative degradation kinetics of agricultural residues using distributed activation energy model and global kinetic model.

    PubMed

    Ren, Xiu'e; Chen, Jianbiao; Li, Gang; Wang, Yanhong; Lang, Xuemei; Fan, Shuanshi

    2018-08-01

    The study concerned the thermal oxidative degradation kinetics of agricultural residues, peanut shell (PS) and sunflower shell (SS). The thermal behaviors were evaluated via thermogravimetric analysis and the kinetic parameters were determined by using distributed activation energy model (DAEM) and global kinetic model (GKM). Results showed that thermal oxidative decomposition of two samples processed in three zones; the ignition, burnout, and comprehensive combustibility between two agricultural residues were of great difference; and the combustion performance could be improved by boosting heating rate. The activation energy ranges calculated by the DAEM for the thermal oxidative degradation of PS and SS were 88.94-145.30 kJ mol -1 and 94.86-169.18 kJ mol -1 , respectively. The activation energy obtained by the GKM for the oxidative decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose was obviously lower than that for the lignin oxidation at identical heating rate. To some degree, the determined kinetic parameters could acceptably simulate experimental data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Energy and Safety: Science Activities for Elementary Students, Level III (Grades (5-6).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westcott, Dale; And Others

    Thirteen activities are presented that focus on a common phenomenon of a child's world: energy. These activities relate energy, how it occurs, how it is used, and how to use it safely. Each activity includes the purpose, introduction, background, procedure, materials, estimated time for the activity, typical results, safety notes, and more ideas.…

  7. Changes in metabolite, energy metabolism related enzyme activities and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) populations in beef heifers with two differing liveweight change profiles in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Mori, A; Kenyon, P R; Mori, N; Yamamoto, I; Tanaka, Y; Suzuki, N; Tazaki, H; Ozawa, T; Hayashi, T; Hickson, R E; Morris, S T; Blair, H; Arai, T

    2008-02-01

    Metabolite and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations, energy metabolism related enzymes activities and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) populations were measured in blood of pregnant Angus heifers with differing liveweight change profiles (gaining or losing), in New Zealand to investigate the meanings of those parameters in the restricted feeding beef heifers. Beef heifers losing liveweight (-412 g/day) showed significantly lower concentrations of plasma IRI, and higher concentrations of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) than heifers gaining liveweight (483 g/day). The cytosolic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activities and MDH/lactate dehydrogenase (M/L) ratio in leukocytes of the liveweight losing heifers were significantly higher than those the liveweight gaining heifers. Percentages of cluster of differentiation (CD) 3 positive cells and natural killer (NK) cells in PBMC decreased significantly in the liveweight losing heifers compared to those in the liveweight gaining heifers. Plasma IRI and FFA concentrations, leukocyte cytosolic and mitochondrial MDH activities and CD3 positive and NK cell populations may be useful markers to evaluate metabolic conditions and immunity in the restricted feeding beef heifers.

  8. Resting sympathetic activity is associated with the sympathetically mediated component of energy expenditure following a meal.

    PubMed

    Limberg, Jacqueline K; Malterer, Katherine R; Matzek, Luke J; Levine, James A; Charkoudian, Nisha; Miles, John M; Joyner, Michael J; Curry, Timothy B

    2017-08-01

    Individuals with high plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels at rest have a smaller reduction in resting energy expenditure (REE) following β -adrenergic blockade. If this finding extends to the response to a meal, it could have important implications for the role of the sympathetic nervous system in energy balance and weight gain. We hypothesized high muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) would be associated with a low sympathetically mediated component of energy expenditure following a meal. Fourteen young, healthy adults completed two visits randomized to continuous saline (control) or intravenous propranolol to achieve systemic β -adrenergic blockade. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity and REE were measured (indirect calorimetry) followed by a liquid mixed meal (Ensure). Measures of energy expenditure continued every 30 min for 5 h after the meal and are reported as an area under the curve (AUC). Sympathetic support of energy expenditure was calculated as the difference between the AUC during saline and β -blockade (AUC P ropranolol -AUC S aline , β -REE) and as a percent (%) of control (AUC P ropranolol ÷AUC S aline  × 100). β -REE was associated with baseline sympathetic activity, such that individuals with high resting MSNA (bursts/100 heart beats) and plasma NE had the greatest sympathetically mediated component of energy expenditure following a meal (MSNA: β -REE R  =   -0.58, P =  0.03; %REE R  = -0.56, P =  0.04; NE: β -REE R  = -0.55, P  = 0.0535; %REE R  = -0.54, P  = 0.0552). Contrary to our hypothesis, high resting sympathetic activity is associated with a greater sympathetically mediated component of energy expenditure following a liquid meal. These findings may have implications for weight maintenance in individuals with varying resting sympathetic activity. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

  9. Flowable Conducting Particle Networks in Redox-Active Electrolytes for Grid Energy Storage

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

    Hatzell, K. B.; Boota, M.; Kumbur, E. C.

    2015-01-01

    This study reports a new hybrid approach toward achieving high volumetric energy and power densities in an electrochemical flow capacitor for grid energy storage. The electrochemical flow capacitor suffers from high self-discharge and low energy density because charge storage is limited to the available surface area (electric double layer charge storage). Here, we examine two carbon materials as conducting particles in a flow battery electrolyte containing the VO2+/VO2+ redox couple. Highly porous activated carbon spheres (CSs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are investigated as conducting particle networks that facilitate both faradaic and electric double layer charge storage. Charge storage contributionsmore » (electric double layer and faradaic) are distinguished for flow-electrodes composed of MWCNTs and activated CSs. A MWCNT flow-electrode based in a redox-active electrolyte containing the VO2+/VO2+ redox couple demonstrates 18% less self-discharge, 10 X more energy density, and 20 X greater power densities (at 20 mV s-1) than one based on a non-redox active electrolyte. Furthermore, a MWCNT redox-active flow electrode demonstrates 80% capacitance retention, and >95% coulombic efficiency over 100 cycles, indicating the feasibility of utilizing conducting networks with redox chemistries for grid energy storage.« less

  10. Flowable conducting particle networks in redox-active electrolytes for grid energy storage

    DOE PAGES

    Hatzell, K. B.; Boota, M.; Kumbur, E. C.; ...

    2015-01-09

    This paper reports a new hybrid approach toward achieving high volumetric energy and power densities in an electrochemical flow capacitor for grid energy storage. The electrochemical flow capacitor suffers from high self-discharge and low energy density because charge storage is limited to the available surface area (electric double layer charge storage). Here, we examine two carbon materials as conducting particles in a flow battery electrolyte containing the VO 2+/VO 2 + redox couple. Highly porous activated carbon spheres (CSs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are investigated as conducting particle networks that facilitate both faradaic and electric double layer charge storage.more » Charge storage contributions (electric double layer and faradaic) are distinguished for flow-electrodes composed of MWCNTs and activated CSs. A MWCNT flow-electrode based in a redox-active electrolyte containing the VO 2+/VO 2 + redox couple demonstrates 18% less self-discharge, 10 X more energy density, and 20 X greater power densities (at 20 mV s -1) than one based on a non-redox active electrolyte. Additionally, a MWCNT redox-active flow electrode demonstrates 80% capacitance retention, and >95% coulombic efficiency over 100 cycles, indicating the feasibility of utilizing conducting networks with redox chemistries for grid energy storage.« less

  11. Comparative evaluation of features and techniques for identifying activity type and estimating energy cost from accelerometer data

    PubMed Central

    Kate, Rohit J.; Swartz, Ann M.; Welch, Whitney A.; Strath, Scott J.

    2016-01-01

    Wearable accelerometers can be used to objectively assess physical activity. However, the accuracy of this assessment depends on the underlying method used to process the time series data obtained from accelerometers. Several methods have been proposed that use this data to identify the type of physical activity and estimate its energy cost. Most of the newer methods employ some machine learning technique along with suitable features to represent the time series data. This paper experimentally compares several of these techniques and features on a large dataset of 146 subjects doing eight different physical activities wearing an accelerometer on the hip. Besides features based on statistics, distance based features and simple discrete features straight from the time series were also evaluated. On the physical activity type identification task, the results show that using more features significantly improve results. Choice of machine learning technique was also found to be important. However, on the energy cost estimation task, choice of features and machine learning technique were found to be less influential. On that task, separate energy cost estimation models trained specifically for each type of physical activity were found to be more accurate than a single model trained for all types of physical activities. PMID:26862679

  12. Muscle activation history at different vertical jumps and its influence on vertical velocity.

    PubMed

    Kopper, Bence; Csende, Zsolt; Sáfár, Sándor; Hortobágyi, Tibor; Tihanyi, József

    2013-02-01

    In the present study we investigated displacement, time, velocity and acceleration history of center of mass (COM) and electrical activity of knee extensors to estimate the dominance of the factors influencing the vertical velocity in squat jumps (SJs), countermovement jumps (CMJs) and drop jumps (DJs) performed with small (40°) and large (80°) range of joint motion (SROM and LROM). The maximum vertical velocity (v4) was 23.4% (CMJ) and 7.8% (DJ) greater when the jumps were performed with LROM compared with SROM (p < 0.05). These differences are considerably less than it could be expected from the greater COM and knee angular displacement and duration of active state. This small difference can be attributed to the greater deceleration during eccentric phase (CMJ:32.1%, DJ:91.5%) in SROM than that in LROM. v4 was greater for SJ in LROM than for SJ in SROM indicating the significance of the longer active state and greater activation level (p < 0.001). The difference in v4 was greater between SJ and CMJ in SROM (38.6%) than in LROM (9.0%), suggesting that elastic energy storage and re-use can be a dominant factor in the enhancement of vertical velocity of CMJ and DJ compared with SJ performed with SROM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Energy Expenditure During Extravehicular Activity Through Apollo

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paul, Heather L.

    2012-01-01

    Monitoring crew health during manned space missions has always been an important factor to ensure that the astronauts can complete the missions successfully and within safe physiological limits. The necessity of real-time metabolic rate monitoring during extravehicular activities (EVAs) came into question during the Gemini missions, when the energy expenditure required to complete EVA tasks exceeded the life support capabilities for cooling and humidity control and, as a result, crew members ended the EVAs fatigued and overworked. This paper discusses the importance of real-time monitoring of metabolic rate during EVAs, and provides a historical look at energy expenditure during EVAs through the Apollo Program.

  14. Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS), Grades 7-12: Social Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simonis, Doris G.

    Described is the Social Studies component of the Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS), a multidisciplinary energy education program designed for infusion into the curriculum of grades seven through twelve. Aspects of the energy situation addressed in these lessons include resource finiteness, exponential growth, standard of living,…

  15. Accuracy of Consumer Monitors for Estimating Energy Expenditure and Activity Type.

    PubMed

    Woodman, James A; Crouter, Scott E; Bassett, David R; Fitzhugh, Eugene C; Boyer, William R

    2017-02-01

    Increasing use of consumer-based physical activity (PA) monitors necessitates that they are validated against criterion measures. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of three consumer-based PA monitors for estimating energy expenditure (EE) and PA type during simulated free-living activities. Twenty-eight participants (mean ± SD: age, 25.5 ± 3.7 yr; body mass index, 24.9 ± 2.6 kg·m) completed 11 activities ranging from sedentary behaviors to vigorous intensities. Simultaneous measurements were made with an Oxycon portable calorimeter (criterion), a Basis Peak and Garmin Vivofit on the nondominant wrist, and three Withings Pulse devices (right hip, shirt collar, dominant wrist). Repeated-measures ANOVA were used to examine differences between measured and predicted EE. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to determine reliability of EE predictions between Withings placements. Paired samples t tests were used to determine mean differences between observed minutes and Basis Peak predictions during walking, running, and cycling. On average, the Basis Peak was within 8% of measured EE for the entire PA routine (P > 0.05); however, there were large individual errors (95% prediction interval, -290.4 to +233.1 kcal). All other devices were significantly different from measured EE for the entire PA routine (P < 0.05). For activity types, Basis Peak correctly identified ≥92% of actual minutes spent walking and running (P > 0.05), and 40.4% and 0% of overground and stationary cycling minutes, respectively (P < 0.001). The Basis Peak was the only device that did not significantly differ from measured EE; however, it also had the largest individual errors. Additionally, the Basis Peak accurately predicted minutes spent walking and running, but not cycling.

  16. Age Differences in Daily Social Activities

    PubMed Central

    Marcum, Christopher Steven

    2014-01-01

    The extent to which older and younger people do different activities when they are with others and when they are alone is examined in this article. I leverage interpersonal data in combination with information on activities from the American Time Use Survey to shed light on the long held finding that older people have less social contact than younger people. The results show that, net of intervening factors, age is associated with declines in time spent with others for virtually all types of time use. However, the variety of activities that older and younger people do also differs. Using leisure activities to probe this finding reveals that, when older people spend time with others it tends to be during activities that are sui generis social activities—such as attending parties—but that this is not necessarily the case for younger people. The literature on time use and aging is discussed in light of these findings and a new hypothesis on agency in the life course is proposed. PMID:25190898

  17. Energy Around Us. A Fall Activity Packet for Fourth Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson Community Coll., MI. Dahlem Environmental Education Center.

    This instructional packet is one of 14 school environmental education programs developed for use in the classroom and at the Dahlem Environmental Education Center (DEEC) of the Jackson Community College (Michigan). Provided in the packet are pre-trip activities, field trip activities, and post-trip activities which focus on energy uses, energy…

  18. The effect of equalizing landing task demands on sex differences in lower extremity energy absorption.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Melissa M; Shultz, Sandra J; Schmitz, Randy J

    2014-08-01

    Less lean mass and strength may result in greater relative task demands on females compared to males when landing from a standardized height and could explain sex differences in energy absorption strategies. We compared the magnitude of sex differences in energy absorption when task demands were equalized relative to the amount of lower extremity lean mass available to dissipate kinetic energy upon landing. Male-female pairs (n=35) were assessed for lower extremity lean mass with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Relative task demands were calculated when landing from a standardized height. Based on the difference in lower extremity lean mass within each pair, task demands were equalized by increasing the drop height for males. Joint energetics were measured while landing from the two heights. Multivariate repeated measures ANOVAs compared the magnitude of sex differences in joint energetics between conditions. The multivariate test for absolute energy absorption was significant (P<0.01). The magnitude of sex difference in energy absorption was greater at the hip and knee (both P<0.01), but not the ankle (P=0.43) during the equalized condition compared to the standardized and exaggerated conditions (all P<0.01). There was no difference in the magnitude of sex differences between equalized, standardized and exaggerated conditions for relative energy absorption (P=0.18). Equalizing task demands increased the difference in absolute hip and knee energy absorption between sexes, but had no effect on relative joint contributions to total energy absorption. Sex differences in energy absorption are likely influenced by factors other than differences in relative task demands. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Activation energy measurements in rheological analysis of cheese

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Activation energy of flow (Ea) was calculated from temperature sweeps of cheeses with contrasting characteristics to determine its usefulness in predicting rheological behavior upon heating. Cheddar, Colby, whole milk Mozzarella, low moisture part skim Mozzarella, Parmesan, soft goat, and Queso Fre...

  20. ACTIVITY ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND INCIDENT COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN OLDER ADULTS

    PubMed Central

    Middleton, Laura E.; Manini, Todd M.; Simonsick, Eleanor M.; Harris, Tamara B.; Barnes, Deborah E.; Tylavsky, Frances; Brach, Jennifer S.; Everhart, James E.; Yaffe, Kristine

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Studies suggest that physically active people have reduced risk of incident cognitive impairment in late life. However, these studies are limited by reliance on subjective self-reports of physical activity, which only moderately correlate to objective measures and often exclude activity not readily quantifiable by frequency and duration. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between activity energy expenditure (AEE), an objective measure of total activity, and incidence of cognitive impairment. Methods We calculated AEE as 90% of total energy expenditure (assessed over two weeks using doubly-labeled water) minus resting metabolic rate (measured using indirect calorimetry) in 197 men and women (mean 74.8 years) who were free of mobility and cognitive impairments at study baseline (1998–2000). Cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 2 or 5 years later using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS). Cognitive impairment was defined as a decline of >1.0 SD (9 points) between baseline and follow-up. Results After adjustment for baseline 3MS, demographics, fat free mass, sleep duration, self-reported health, and diabetes, older adults in the highest sex-specific tertile of AEE had lower odds of incident cognitive impairment than those in the lowest tertile (OR, 95% CI 0.09, 0.01–0.79). There was also a significant dose response between AEE and incidence of cognitive impairment (p-for-trend over tertiles=0.05). Conclusions These findings indicate that greater activity energy expenditure may be protective against cognitive impairment in a dose-response manner. The significance of overall activity in contrast to vigorous or light activity should be determined. PMID:21771893

  1. Physical activity assessment: biomarkers and self-report of activity-related energy expenditure in the WHI.

    PubMed

    Neuhouser, Marian L; Di, Chongzhi; Tinker, Lesley F; Thomson, Cynthia; Sternfeld, Barbara; Mossavar-Rahmani, Yasmin; Stefanick, Marcia L; Sims, Stacy; Curb, J David; Lamonte, Michael; Seguin, Rebecca; Johnson, Karen C; Prentice, Ross L

    2013-03-15

    We used a biomarker of activity-related energy expenditure (AREE) to assess measurement properties of self-reported physical activity and to determine the usefulness of AREE regression calibration equations in the Women's Health Initiative. Biomarker AREE, calculated as the total energy expenditure from doubly labeled water minus the resting energy expenditure from indirect calorimetry, was assessed in 450 Women's Health Initiative participants (2007-2009). Self-reported AREE was obtained from the Arizona Activity Frequency Questionnaire (AAFQ), the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall (PAR), and the Women's Health Initiative Personal Habits Questionnaire (PHQ). Eighty-eight participants repeated the protocol 6 months later. Reporting error, measured as log(self-report AREE) minus log(biomarker AREE), was regressed on participant characteristics for each instrument. Body mass index was associated with underreporting on the AAFQ and PHQ but overreporting on PAR. Blacks and Hispanics underreported physical activity levels on the AAFQ and PAR, respectively. Underreporting decreased with age for the PAR and PHQ. Regressing logbiomarker AREE on logself-reported AREE revealed that self-report alone explained minimal biomarker variance (R(2) = 7.6, 4.8, and 3.4 for AAFQ, PAR, and PHQ, respectively). R(2) increased to 25.2, 21.5, and 21.8, respectively, when participant characteristics were included. Six-month repeatability data adjusted for temporal biomarker variation, improving R(2) to 79.4, 67.8, and 68.7 for AAFQ, PAR, and PHQ, respectively. Calibration equations "recover" substantial variation in average AREE and valuably enhance AREE self-assessment.

  2. A thermal extrapolation method for the effective temperatures and internal energies of activated ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meot-Ner (Mautner), Michael; Somogyi, Árpád

    2007-11-01

    The internal energies of dissociating ions, activated chemically or collisionally, can be estimated using the kinetics of thermal dissociation. The thermal Arrhenius parameters can be combined with the observed dissociation rate of the activated ions using kdiss = Athermalexp(-Ea,thermal/RTeff). This Arrhenius-type relation yields the effective temperature, Teff, at which the ions would dissociate thermally at the same rate, or yield the same product distributions, as the activated ions. In turn, Teff is used to calculate the internal energy of the ions and the energy deposited by the activation process. The method yields an energy deposition efficiency of 10% for a chemical ionization proton transfer reaction and 8-26% for the surface collisions of various peptide ions. Internal energies of ions activated by chemical ionization or by gas phase collisions, and of ions produced by desorption methods such as fast atom bombardment, can be also evaluated. Thermal extrapolation is especially useful for ion-molecule reaction products and for biological ions, where other methods to evaluate internal energies are laborious or unavailable.

  3. Disturbance observer based active and adaptive synchronization of energy resource chaotic system.

    PubMed

    Wei, Wei; Wang, Meng; Li, Donghai; Zuo, Min; Wang, Xiaoyi

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, synchronization of a three-dimensional energy resource chaotic system is considered. For the sake of achieving the synchronization between the drive and response systems, two different nonlinear control approaches, i.e. active control with known parameters and adaptive control with unknown parameters, have been designed. In order to guarantee the transient performance, finite-time boundedness (FTB) and finite-time stability (FTS) are introduced in the design of active control and adaptive control, respectively. Simultaneously, in view of the existence of disturbances, a new disturbance observer is proposed to estimate the disturbance. The conditions of the asymptotic stability for the closed-loop system are obtained. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the proposed approaches. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Temperature-Dependent Energy Gap Shift and Thermally Activated Transition in Multilayer CdTe/ZnTe Quantum Dots.

    PubMed

    Man, Minh Tan; Lee, Hong Seok

    2015-10-01

    We investigated the influence of growth conditions on carrier dynamics in multilayer CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) by monitoring the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence emission energy. The results were analyzed using the empirical Varshni and O'Donnell relations for temperature variation of the energy gap shift. Best fit values showed that the thermally activated transition between two different states occurs due to band low-temperature quenching with values separated by 5.0-6.5 meV. The addition of stack periods in multilayer CdTe/ZnTe QDs plays an important role in the energy gap shift, where the exciton binding energy is enhanced, and, conversely, the exciton-phonon coupling strength is suppressed with an average energy of 19.3-19.8 meV.

  5. Energy reserve modification in different age groups of Daphnia schoedleri (Anomopoda: Daphniidae) exposed to hexavalent chromium.

    PubMed

    Arzate-Cárdenas, Mario Alberto; Martínez-Jerónimo, Fernando

    2012-07-01

    Caloric content is a reliable biomaker of effect since it is modified by exposure to toxicants that can alter basal metabolism. Since organisms' age modifies how energy resources are allocated and modifies the activity of antioxidant enzymes, the response to toxic agents could be altered with age. Seven age groups of Daphnia schoedleri (0, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28-day-old) were exposed for 24h to two sublethal concentrations of Cr(VI): 1/25 and 1/5 of the 48 h EC(50) of each age group, to determine the age at which susceptibility to Cr(VI) is highest. To evaluate energy content, carbohydrate, protein and lipid reserves were quantified and antioxidant enzymes activity was assessed (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR). Furthermore, an integrative approach was applied to evaluate both sets of responses and interpret them as a whole in a simply visual way, achieved by the integrated biomarker response approach. Results indicate that Cr(VI) induced significant differences in all age groups. Seven and 14-day-old organisms were exposed to the highest concentrations (based on their EC50) and showed greater tolerance to this metal. Susceptibility to the toxicant was highest in younger specimens in which energy requirements are greater due to high growth rates (basal metabolism), as a result of which more energy reserves are expended to satisfy demands in terms of growth and response to toxicants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Physical Activity Energy Expenditure in Dutch Adolescents: Contribution of Active Transport to School, Physical Education, and Leisure Time Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slingerland, Menno; Borghouts, Lars B.; Hesselink, Matthijs K. C.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Detailed knowledge about physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) can guide the development of school interventions aimed at reducing overweight in adolescents. However, relevant components of PAEE have never been objectively quantified in this population. This study investigated the contribution of active transport to and from…

  7. Magnetic Energy and Helicity in Two Emerging Active Regions in the Sun

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Y.; Schuck, P. W.

    2012-01-01

    The magnetic energy and relative magnetic helicity in two emerging solar active regions, AR 11072 and AR 11158,are studied. They are computed by integrating over time the energy and relative helicity fluxes across the photosphere. The fluxes consist of two components: one from photospheric tangential flows that shear and braid field lines (shear term), the other from normal flows that advect magnetic flux into the corona (emergence term). For these active regions: (1) relative magnetic helicity in the active-region corona is mainly contributed by the shear term,(2) helicity fluxes from the emergence and the shear terms have the same sign, (3) magnetic energy in the corona (including both potential energy and free energy) is mainly contributed by the emergence term, and(4) energy fluxes from the emergence term and the shear term evolved consistently in phase during the entire flux emergence course.We also examine the apparent tangential velocity derived by tracking field-line footpoints using a simple tracking method. It is found that this velocity is more consistent with tangential plasma velocity than with the flux transport velocity, which agrees with the conclusion by Schuck.

  8. Transitional behavior of different energy protons based on Van Allen Probes observations

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

    Yue, Chao; Bortnik, Jacob; Chen, Lunjin

    Understanding the dynamical behavior of ~1 eV to 50 keV ions and identifying the energies at which the morphologies transit are important in that they involve the relative intensities and distributions of the large-scale electric and magnetic fields, the outflow, and recombination rates. However, there have been only few direct observational investigations of the transition in drift behaviors of different energy ions before the Van Allen Probes era. In this paper, we statistically analyze ~1 eV to 50 keV hydrogen (H +) differential flux distributions near geomagnetic equator by using Van Allen Probes observations to investigate the H + dynamicsmore » under the regulation of large-scale electric and magnetic fields. Our survey clearly indicates three types of H + behaviors within different energy ranges, which is consistent with previous theory predictions. Finally, using simple electric and magnetic field models in UBK coordinates, we have further constrained the source regions of different energy ions and their drift directions.« less

  9. Transitional behavior of different energy protons based on Van Allen Probes observations

    DOE PAGES

    Yue, Chao; Bortnik, Jacob; Chen, Lunjin; ...

    2016-12-09

    Understanding the dynamical behavior of ~1 eV to 50 keV ions and identifying the energies at which the morphologies transit are important in that they involve the relative intensities and distributions of the large-scale electric and magnetic fields, the outflow, and recombination rates. However, there have been only few direct observational investigations of the transition in drift behaviors of different energy ions before the Van Allen Probes era. In this paper, we statistically analyze ~1 eV to 50 keV hydrogen (H +) differential flux distributions near geomagnetic equator by using Van Allen Probes observations to investigate the H + dynamicsmore » under the regulation of large-scale electric and magnetic fields. Our survey clearly indicates three types of H + behaviors within different energy ranges, which is consistent with previous theory predictions. Finally, using simple electric and magnetic field models in UBK coordinates, we have further constrained the source regions of different energy ions and their drift directions.« less

  10. Energy expenditure while playing active and inactive video games.

    PubMed

    Leatherdale, Scott T; Woodruff, Sarah J; Manske, Stephen R

    2010-01-01

    To examine energy expenditure (EE) when playing active and inactive videogames (VG). Predicted EE was measured among 51 undergraduate students while playing active and inactive VG (Ontario, Canada). Predicted EE was significantly higher playing the active VG compared to the inactive VG according to heart rate monitor (97.4 kcal vs 64.7 kcal) and SenseWear armband (192.4 kcal vs 42.3 kcal) estimates. Active VG may be a viable intervention tool for increasing EE among students who would otherwise be spending time in sedentary screen-based behaviors.

  11. Effects of Consuming Preloads with Different Energy Density and Taste Quality on Energy Intake and Postprandial Blood Glucose

    PubMed Central

    Tey, Siew Ling; Salleh, Nurhazwani; Forde, Ciaran G.

    2018-01-01

    Consumption of reduced energy dense foods and drink has the potential to reduce energy intake and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. In addition, the taste quality of a meal (e.g., sweet or savoury) may play a role in satiation and food intake. The objective of this randomised crossover study was to examine whether energy density and taste quality has an impact on energy intake and postprandial blood glucose response. Using a preload design, participants were asked to consume a sweet (“Cheng Teng”) or a savoury (broth) preload soup in high energy density (HED; around 0.50 kcal/g; 250 kcal) or low energy density (LED; around 0.12 kcal/g; 50 kcal) in mid-morning and an ad libitum lunch was provided an hour after the preload. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day after they left the study site. Energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response were measured in 32 healthy lean males (mean age = 28.9 years, mean BMI = 22.1 kg/m2). There was a significant difference in ad libitum lunch intake between treatments (p = 0.012), with higher intake in sweet LED and savoury LED compared to sweet HED and savoury HED. Energy intake at subsequent meals and total daily energy intake did not differ between the four treatments (both p ≥ 0.214). Consumption of HED preloads resulted in a larger spike in postprandial blood glucose response compared with LED preloads, irrespective of taste quality (p < 0.001). Energy density rather than taste quality plays an important role in energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response. This suggests that regular consumption of low energy-dense foods has the potential to reduce overall energy intake and to improve glycemic control. PMID:29385055

  12. Effects of Consuming Preloads with Different Energy Density and Taste Quality on Energy Intake and Postprandial Blood Glucose.

    PubMed

    Tey, Siew Ling; Salleh, Nurhazwani; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar; Forde, Ciaran G

    2018-01-31

    Consumption of reduced energy dense foods and drink has the potential to reduce energy intake and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. In addition, the taste quality of a meal (e.g., sweet or savoury) may play a role in satiation and food intake. The objective of this randomised crossover study was to examine whether energy density and taste quality has an impact on energy intake and postprandial blood glucose response. Using a preload design, participants were asked to consume a sweet ("Cheng Teng") or a savoury (broth) preload soup in high energy density (HED; around 0.50 kcal/g; 250 kcal) or low energy density (LED; around 0.12 kcal/g; 50 kcal) in mid-morning and an ad libitum lunch was provided an hour after the preload. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day after they left the study site. Energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response were measured in 32 healthy lean males (mean age = 28.9 years, mean BMI = 22.1 kg/m²). There was a significant difference in ad libitum lunch intake between treatments ( p = 0.012), with higher intake in sweet LED and savoury LED compared to sweet HED and savoury HED. Energy intake at subsequent meals and total daily energy intake did not differ between the four treatments (both p ≥ 0.214). Consumption of HED preloads resulted in a larger spike in postprandial blood glucose response compared with LED preloads, irrespective of taste quality ( p < 0.001). Energy density rather than taste quality plays an important role in energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response. This suggests that regular consumption of low energy-dense foods has the potential to reduce overall energy intake and to improve glycemic control.

  13. Daily energy expenditure, physical activity, and weight loss in Parkinson's disease patients

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly exhibit weight loss (WL) which investigators attribute to various factors, including elevated energy expenditure. We tested the hypothesis that daily energy expenditure (DEE) and its components, resting energy expenditure (REE) and physical activity (P...

  14. Determination of reaction rates and activation energy in aerobic composting processes for yard waste.

    PubMed

    Uma, R N; Manjula, G; Meenambal, T

    2007-04-01

    The reaction rates and activation energy in aerobic composting processes for yard waste were determined using specifically designed reactors. Different mixture ratios were fixed before the commencement of the process. The C/N ratio was found to be optimum for a mixture ratio of 1:6 containing one part of coir pith to six parts of other waste which included yard waste, yeast sludge, poultry yard waste and decomposing culture (Pleurotosis). The path of stabilization of the wastes was continuously monitored by observing various parameters such as temperature, pH, Electrical Conductivity, C.O.D, VS at regular time intervals. Kinetic analysis was done to determine the reaction rates and activation energy for the optimum mixture ratio under forced aeration condition. The results of the analysis clearly indicated that the temperature dependence of the reaction rates followed the Arrhenius equation. The temperature coefficients were also determined. The degradation of the organic fraction of the yard waste could be predicted using first order reaction model.

  15. Determining photon energy absorption parameters for different soil samples

    PubMed Central

    Kucuk, Nil; Tumsavas, Zeynal; Cakir, Merve

    2013-01-01

    The mass attenuation coefficients (μs) for five different soil samples were measured at 661.6, 1173.2 and 1332.5 keV photon energies. The soil samples were separately irradiated with 137Cs and 60Co (370 kBq) radioactive point gamma sources. The measurements were made by performing transmission experiments with a 2″ × 2″ NaI(Tl) scintillation detector, which had an energy resolution of 7% at 0.662 MeV for the gamma-rays from the decay of 137Cs. The effective atomic numbers (Zeff) and the effective electron densities (Neff) were determined experimentally and theoretically using the obtained μs values for the soil samples. Furthermore, the Zeff and Neff values of the soil samples were computed for the total photon interaction cross-sections using theoretical data over a wide energy region ranging from 1 keV to 15 MeV. The experimental values of the soils were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical values. Sandy loam and sandy clay loam soils demonstrated poor photon energy absorption characteristics. However, clay loam and clay soils had good photon energy absorption characteristics. PMID:23179375

  16. Graded activation and free energy landscapes of a muscarinic G-protein-coupled receptor.

    PubMed

    Miao, Yinglong; McCammon, J Andrew

    2016-10-25

    G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recognize ligands of widely different efficacies, from inverse to partial and full agonists, which transduce cellular signals at differentiated levels. However, the mechanism of such graded activation remains unclear. Using the Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) method that enables both unconstrained enhanced sampling and free energy calculation, we have performed extensive GaMD simulations (∼19 μs in total) to investigate structural dynamics of the M 2 muscarinic GPCR that is bound by the full agonist iperoxo (IXO), the partial agonist arecoline (ARC), and the inverse agonist 3-quinuclidinyl-benzilate (QNB), in the presence or absence of the G-protein mimetic nanobody. In the receptor-nanobody complex, IXO binding leads to higher fluctuations in the protein-coupling interface than ARC, especially in the receptor transmembrane helix 5 (TM5), TM6, and TM7 intracellular domains that are essential elements for GPCR activation, but less flexibility in the receptor extracellular region due to stronger binding compared with ARC. Two different binding poses are revealed for ARC in the orthosteric pocket. Removal of the nanobody leads to GPCR deactivation that is characterized by inward movement of the TM6 intracellular end. Distinct low-energy intermediate conformational states are identified for the IXO- and ARC-bound M 2 receptor. Both dissociation and binding of an orthosteric ligand are observed in a single all-atom GPCR simulation in the case of partial agonist ARC binding to the M 2 receptor. This study demonstrates the applicability of GaMD for exploring free energy landscapes of large biomolecules and the simulations provide important insights into the GPCR functional mechanism.

  17. Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Saeidifard, Farzane; Medina-Inojosa, Jose R; Supervia, Marta; Olson, Thomas P; Somers, Virend K; Erwin, Patricia J; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco

    2018-03-01

    Background Replacing sitting with standing is one of several recommendations to decrease sedentary time and increase the daily energy expenditure, but the difference in energy expenditure between standing versus sitting has been controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine this difference. Designs and methods We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for observational and experimental studies that compared the energy expenditure of standing versus sitting. We calculated mean differences and 95% confidence intervals using a random effects model. We conducted different predefined subgroup analyses based on characteristics of participants and study design. Results We identified 658 studies and included 46 studies with 1184 participants for the final analysis. The mean difference in energy expenditure between sitting and standing was 0.15 kcal/min (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12-0.17). The difference among women was 0.1 kcal/min (95% CI 0.0-0.21), and was 0.19 kcal/min (95% CI 0.05-0.33) in men. Observational studies had a lower difference in energy expenditure (0.11 kcal/min, 95% CI 0.08-0.14) compared to randomised trials (0.2 kcal/min, 95% CI 0.12-0.28). By substituting sitting with standing for 6 hours/day, a 65 kg person will expend an additional 54 kcal/day. Assuming no increase in energy intake, this difference in energy expenditure would be translated into the energy content of about 2.5 kg of body fat mass in 1 year. Conclusions The substitution of sitting with standing could be a potential solution for a sedentary lifestyle to prevent weight gain in the long term. Future studies should aim to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of this strategy.

  18. Analysis of activation energy in Couette-Poiseuille flow of nanofluid in the presence of chemical reaction and convective boundary conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeeshan, A.; Shehzad, N.; Ellahi, R.

    2018-03-01

    The motivation of the current article is to explore the energy activation in MHD radiative Couette-Poiseuille flow nanofluid in horizontal channel with convective boundary conditions. The mathematical model of Buongiorno [1] effectively describes the current flow analysis. Additionally, the impact of chemical reaction is also taken in account. The governing flow equations are simplified with the help of boundary layer approximations. Non-linear coupled equations for momentum, energy and mass transfer are tackled with analytical (HAM) technique. The influence of dimensionless convergence parameter like Brownian motion parameter, radiation parameter, buoyancy ratio parameter, dimensionless activation energy, thermophoresis parameter, temperature difference parameter, dimensionless reaction rate, Schmidt number, Brinkman number, Biot number and convection diffusion parameter on velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are discussed graphically and in tabular form. From the results, it is elaborate that the nanoparticle concentration is directly proportional to the chemical reaction with activation energy and the performance of Brownian motion on nanoparticle concentration gives reverse pattern to that of thermophoresis parameter.

  19. Deletion of Gpr55 Results in Subtle Effects on Energy Metabolism, Motor Activity and Thermal Pain Sensation.

    PubMed

    Bjursell, Mikael; Ryberg, Erik; Wu, Tingting; Greasley, Peter J; Bohlooly-Y, Mohammad; Hjorth, Stephan

    2016-01-01

    The G-protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) is activated by cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid molecules and has been speculated to play a modulatory role in a large variety of physiological and pathological processes, including in metabolically perturbed states. We therefore generated male mice deficient in the gene coding for the cannabinoid/lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) receptor Gpr55 and characterized them under normal dietary conditions as well as during high energy dense diet feeding followed by challenge with the CB1 receptor antagonist/GPR55 agonist rimonabant. Gpr55 deficient male mice (Gpr55 KO) were phenotypically indistinguishable from their wild type (WT) siblings for the most part. However, Gpr55 KO animals displayed an intriguing nocturnal pattern of motor activity and energy expenditure (EE). During the initial 6 hours of the night, motor activity was significantly elevated without any significant effect observed in EE. Interestingly, during the last 6 hours of the night motor activity was similar but EE was significantly decreased in the Gpr55 KO mice. No significant difference in motor activity was detected during daytime, but EE was lower in the Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. The aforementioned patterns were not associated with alterations in energy intake, daytime core body temperature, body weight (BW) or composition, although a non-significant tendency to increased adiposity was seen in Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. Detailed analyses of daytime activity in the Open Field paradigm unveiled lower horizontal activity and rearing time for the Gpr55 KO mice. Moreover, the Gpr55 KO mice displayed significantly faster reaction time in the tail flick test, indicative of thermal hyperalgesia. The BW-decreasing effect of rimonabant in mice on long-term cafeteria diet did not differ between Gpr55 KO and WT mice. In conclusion, Gpr55 deficiency is associated with subtle effects on diurnal/nocturnal EE and motor activity behaviours but does not appear per se

  20. Deletion of Gpr55 Results in Subtle Effects on Energy Metabolism, Motor Activity and Thermal Pain Sensation

    PubMed Central

    Ryberg, Erik; Wu, Tingting; Greasley, Peter J.; Bohlooly-Y, Mohammad; Hjorth, Stephan

    2016-01-01

    The G-protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) is activated by cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid molecules and has been speculated to play a modulatory role in a large variety of physiological and pathological processes, including in metabolically perturbed states. We therefore generated male mice deficient in the gene coding for the cannabinoid/lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) receptor Gpr55 and characterized them under normal dietary conditions as well as during high energy dense diet feeding followed by challenge with the CB1 receptor antagonist/GPR55 agonist rimonabant. Gpr55 deficient male mice (Gpr55 KO) were phenotypically indistinguishable from their wild type (WT) siblings for the most part. However, Gpr55 KO animals displayed an intriguing nocturnal pattern of motor activity and energy expenditure (EE). During the initial 6 hours of the night, motor activity was significantly elevated without any significant effect observed in EE. Interestingly, during the last 6 hours of the night motor activity was similar but EE was significantly decreased in the Gpr55 KO mice. No significant difference in motor activity was detected during daytime, but EE was lower in the Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. The aforementioned patterns were not associated with alterations in energy intake, daytime core body temperature, body weight (BW) or composition, although a non-significant tendency to increased adiposity was seen in Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. Detailed analyses of daytime activity in the Open Field paradigm unveiled lower horizontal activity and rearing time for the Gpr55 KO mice. Moreover, the Gpr55 KO mice displayed significantly faster reaction time in the tail flick test, indicative of thermal hyperalgesia. The BW-decreasing effect of rimonabant in mice on long-term cafeteria diet did not differ between Gpr55 KO and WT mice. In conclusion, Gpr55 deficiency is associated with subtle effects on diurnal/nocturnal EE and motor activity behaviours but does not appear per se

  1. Physical Activity Energy Expenditure and Sarcopenia in Black South African Urban Women.

    PubMed

    Kruger, Herculina S; Havemann-Nel, Lize; Ravyse, Chrisna; Moss, Sarah J; Tieland, Michael

    2016-03-01

    Black women are believed to be genetically less predisposed to age-related sarcopenia. The objective of this study was to investigate lifestyle factors associated with sarcopenia in black South African (SA) urban women. In a cross-sectional study, 247 women (mean age 57 y) were randomly selected. Anthropometric and sociodemographic variables, dietary intakes, and physical activity were measured. Activity was also measured by combined accelerometery/heart rate monitoring (ActiHeart), and HIV status was tested. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to measure appendicular skeletal mass (ASM). Sarcopenia was defined according to a recently derived SA cutpoint of ASM index (ASM/height squared) < 4.94 kg/m(2). In total, 8.9% of the women were sarcopenic, decreasing to 8.1% after exclusion of participants who were HIV positive. In multiple regressions with ASM index, grip strength, and gait speed, respectively, as dependent variables, only activity energy expenditure (β = .27) was significantly associated with ASM index. Age (β = -.50) and activity energy expenditure (β = .17) were significantly associated with gait speed. Age (β = -.11) and lean mass (β = .21) were significantly associated with handgrip strength. Sarcopenia was prevalent among these SA women and was associated with low physical activity energy expenditure.

  2. Kinetic energy budgets during the life cycle of intense convective activity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fuelberg, H. E.; Scoggins, J. R.

    1978-01-01

    Synoptic-scale data at three- and six-hour intervals are employed to study the relationship between changing kinetic energy variables and the life cycles of two severe squall lines. The kinetic energy budgets indicate a high degree of kinetic energy generation, especially pronounced near the jet-stream level. Energy losses in the storm environment are due to the transfer of kinetic energy from grid to subgrid scales of motion; large-scale upward vertical motion carries aloft the kinetic energy generated by storm activity at lower levels. In general, the time of maximum storm intensity is also the time of maximum energy conversion and transport.

  3. Energy consumption analysis for various memristive networks under different learning strategies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Lei; Wang, Dong; Zhang, Ziyang; Tang, Pei; Li, Guoqi; Pei, Jing

    2016-02-01

    Recently, various memristive systems emerge to emulate the efficient computing paradigm of the brain cortex; whereas, how to make them energy efficient still remains unclear, especially from an overall perspective. Here, a systematical and bottom-up energy consumption analysis is demonstrated, including the memristor device level and the network learning level. We propose an energy estimating methodology when modulating the memristive synapses, which is simulated in three typical neural networks with different synaptic structures and learning strategies for both offline and online learning. These results provide an in-depth insight to create energy efficient brain-inspired neuromorphic devices in the future.

  4. Differences in energy capacities between tennis players and runners.

    PubMed

    Novak, Dario; Vucetić, Vlatko; Zugaj, Sanja

    2013-05-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to determine differences between elite athletes and tennis players in order to provide a clearer picture regarding the energy demands in modern tennis. Forty-eight (48) athletes and 24 tennis players from Croatian national leagues were compared in morphological and physiological parameters of an all-out incremental treadmill test with gas exchange measurements. Tennis players' HRmax (192.96+/-7.75 bpm) shows values that are most different to 400-meters sprinters (200.13+/-6.95 bpm). Maximum running speed of tennis players on the treadmill (vmax) is no different with the speed achieved by sprinters, while there are significant differences among other athletes. Values in running speed at anaerobic threshold (vAnT) show no statistically significant difference with the values for athlete sprinters and 400-m sprinters. Values of RvO2max for tennis players indicate significant similarities with athlete sprinters and 400-m sprinters while the values of RvO2AnT are nearly identical with the values for sprinters and show no statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The results indicate that values achieved by tennis players approximate most different those of the middle and long distance runners. This singles out the possible importance of the anaerobic capacity and the high level of sprint endurance in tennis players. Knowing these characteristics is the basis for planning and implementing training systems that will enable the increase and optimal usage of energy capacities of tennis players in possibly improving sports results.

  5. Estimating Physical Activity Energy Expenditure with the Kinect Sensor in an Exergaming Environment

    PubMed Central

    Nathan, David; Huynh, Du Q.; Rubenson, Jonas; Rosenberg, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Active video games that require physical exertion during game play have been shown to confer health benefits. Typically, energy expended during game play is measured using devices attached to players, such as accelerometers, or portable gas analyzers. Since 2010, active video gaming technology incorporates marker-less motion capture devices to simulate human movement into game play. Using the Kinect Sensor and Microsoft SDK this research aimed to estimate the mechanical work performed by the human body and estimate subsequent metabolic energy using predictive algorithmic models. Nineteen University students participated in a repeated measures experiment performing four fundamental movements (arm swings, standing jumps, body-weight squats, and jumping jacks). Metabolic energy was captured using a Cortex Metamax 3B automated gas analysis system with mechanical movement captured by the combined motion data from two Kinect cameras. Estimations of the body segment properties, such as segment mass, length, centre of mass position, and radius of gyration, were calculated from the Zatsiorsky-Seluyanov's equations of de Leva, with adjustment made for posture cost. GPML toolbox implementation of the Gaussian Process Regression, a locally weighted k-Nearest Neighbour Regression, and a linear regression technique were evaluated for their performance on predicting the metabolic cost from new feature vectors. The experimental results show that Gaussian Process Regression outperformed the other two techniques by a small margin. This study demonstrated that physical activity energy expenditure during exercise, using the Kinect camera as a motion capture system, can be estimated from segmental mechanical work. Estimates for high-energy activities, such as standing jumps and jumping jacks, can be made accurately, but for low-energy activities, such as squatting, the posture of static poses should be considered as a contributing factor. When translated into the active video gaming

  6. 25 CFR 224.80 - Under what authority will a tribe perform activities for energy resource development?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... energy resource development? 224.80 Section 224.80 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENERGY AND MINERALS TRIBAL ENERGY RESOURCE AGREEMENTS UNDER THE INDIAN TRIBAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT... development? A tribe will perform activities for energy resource development activities undertaken under a...

  7. Brain activation during the spot the differences game.

    PubMed

    Fukuba, Eiji; Kitagaki, Hajime; Wada, Akihiko; Uchida, Kouji; Hara, Shinji; Hayashi, Takafumi; Oda, Kazushige; Uchida, Nobue

    2009-01-01

    Spot the Differences is a simple and popular game in which an observer compares a pair of similar pictures to detect the differences between them. Functional activation of the brain while playing this game has not been investigated. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the main cortical regions involved in playing this game and compared the sites of cortical activation between a session of playing the game and a session of viewing 2 identical pictures. The right posterior parietal cortex showed more activation during game playing, and cortical activation volume correlated with game-playing accuracy. This cortical region may play an important role in awareness of differences between 2 similar pictures.

  8. Apparent Activation Energies Associated with Protein Dynamics on Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Surfaces

    PubMed Central

    Langdon, Blake B.; Kastantin, Mark; Schwartz, Daniel K.

    2012-01-01

    With the use of single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), the dynamics of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human fibrinogen (Fg) at low concentrations were observed at the solid-aqueous interface as a function of temperature on hydrophobic trimethylsilane (TMS) and hydrophilic fused silica (FS) surfaces. Multiple dynamic modes and populations were observed and characterized by their surface residence times and squared-displacement distributions (surface diffusion). Characteristic desorption and diffusion rates for each population/mode were generally found to increase with temperature, and apparent activation energies were determined from Arrhenius analyses. The apparent activation energies of desorption and diffusion were typically higher on FS than on TMS surfaces, suggesting that protein desorption and mobility were hindered on hydrophilic surfaces due to favorable protein-surface and solvent-surface interactions. The diffusion of BSA on TMS appeared to be activationless for several populations, whereas diffusion on FS always exhibited an apparent activation energy. All activation energies were small in absolute terms (generally only a few kBT), suggesting that most adsorbed protein molecules are weakly bound and move and desorb readily under ambient conditions. PMID:22713578

  9. Energy Expenditure and Intensity of Physical Activity in Soccer Referees During Match-Play

    PubMed Central

    da Silva, Alberto Inácio; Fernandes, Luiz Cláudio; Fernandez, Ricardo

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the caloric expenditure and the intensity of physical activities performed by official soccer referees during a match expressed in Metabolic Equivalent (METs). The physical activity of referees accredited by CBF (Brazilian Confederation of Soccer) was video-recorded during twenty-nine official games of Paraná Championship (Brasil), Series A and B of the 2005/2006. Computerized video analysis was used to determine the time spent in 6 locomotor activities (standing still, walking, jogging, backwards running, running and sprint). The frequency and duration of each activity were recorded and these data were utilized to calculate the distance covered by the referee. Energy expenditure values were estimated, utilizing specific equations, from the time players spent in each motor activity. The referees observed in this study had a mean age of 38.9 ± 3.8 years, body mass of 86.1 ± 7.1 kg, stature of 1.80 ± 0.07 m and a body mass index of 26.5 ± 0.6 kg·m-2. During match-play, referees covered an average distance of 9155.4 ± 70.3 meters (8411 - 9765), with a mean energy expenditure of 734.7 ± 65 kcal. This energy expenditure was significantly reduced in the second half: 359.9 ± 6.3 vs 374.7 ± 6.6 kcal (p = 0.006), and averaged to be moderate energy intensity (5 METs) with predominant utilization of the aerobic energy system. In total, during 67% of match-play the intensity was equal or lower than 3.8 METs and in 33% it was higher than 9.8 METs. The pattern of movement observed in the present study confirms that soccer refereeing may be considered as a highly intermittent exercise mode. The high to low-intensity activity ratio may be defined as 1:7.1. In conclusion, referees officiating in professional soccer matches in Brazil should perform a physical conditioning regime that provides the stamina required at this level and consume appropriate and adequate nutrition to meet the energetic demands for match-play. Key points

  10. Energy expenditure and intensity of physical activity in soccer referees during match-play.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Alberto Inácio; Fernandes, Luiz Cláudio; Fernandez, Ricardo

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the caloric expenditure and the intensity of physical activities performed by official soccer referees during a match expressed in Metabolic Equivalent (METs). The physical activity of referees accredited by CBF (Brazilian Confederation of Soccer) was video-recorded during twenty-nine official games of Paraná Championship (Brasil), Series A and B of the 2005/2006. Computerized video analysis was used to determine the time spent in 6 locomotor activities (standing still, walking, jogging, backwards running, running and sprint). The frequency and duration of each activity were recorded and these data were utilized to calculate the distance covered by the referee. Energy expenditure values were estimated, utilizing specific equations, from the time players spent in each motor activity. The referees observed in this study had a mean age of 38.9 ± 3.8 years, body mass of 86.1 ± 7.1 kg, stature of 1.80 ± 0.07 m and a body mass index of 26.5 ± 0.6 kg·m(-2). During match-play, referees covered an average distance of 9155.4 ± 70.3 meters (8411 - 9765), with a mean energy expenditure of 734.7 ± 65 kcal. This energy expenditure was significantly reduced in the second half: 359.9 ± 6.3 vs 374.7 ± 6.6 kcal (p = 0.006), and averaged to be moderate energy intensity (5 METs) with predominant utilization of the aerobic energy system. In total, during 67% of match-play the intensity was equal or lower than 3.8 METs and in 33% it was higher than 9.8 METs. The pattern of movement observed in the present study confirms that soccer refereeing may be considered as a highly intermittent exercise mode. The high to low-intensity activity ratio may be defined as 1:7.1. In conclusion, referees officiating in professional soccer matches in Brazil should perform a physical conditioning regime that provides the stamina required at this level and consume appropriate and adequate nutrition to meet the energetic demands for match-play. Key points

  11. [Optimal energy supply in different age groups of critically ill children on mechanical ventilation].

    PubMed

    Li, X H; Ji, J; Qian, S Y

    2018-01-02

    Objective: To analyze the resting energy expenditure and optimal energy supply in different age groups of critically ill children on mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Patients on mechanical ventilation hospitalized in PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital from March 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled prospectively. Resting energy expenditure of patients was calculated by US Med Graphic company critical care management (CCM) energy metabolism test system after mechanical ventilation. Patients were divided into three groups:<3 years, 3-10 years, and >10 years. The relationship between the measured and predictive resting energy expenditure was analyzed with correlation analysis; while the metabolism status and the optimal energy supply in different age groups were analyzed with chi square test and variance analysis. Results: A total of 102 patients were enrolled, the measured resting energy expenditure all correlated with predictive resting energy expenditure in different age groups (<3 years ( r= 0.3, P= 0.0) ; 3~10 years ( r= 0.6, P= 0.0) ;>10 years ( r= 0.5, P= 0.0) ) . A total of 40 cases in < 3 years group, including: 14 cases of low metabolism (35%), 14 cases of normal metabolism (35%), and 12 cases of high metabolism (30%); 45 cases in 3-10 years group, including: 22 cases of low metabolism (49%), 19 cases of normal metabolism (42%), 4 cases of high metabolism (9%); 17 cases in > 10 years group, including: 12 cases of low metabolism (71%), 4 cases of normal metabolism (23%), 1 case of high metabolism (6%). Metabolism status showed significant differences between different age groups ( χ (2)=11.30, P <0.01, r= -0.01). Infants had higher metabolic status, which lessened with aging. The total average actual energy requirement was (210±84) kJ/ (kg⋅d) . There were significant differences in actual energy requirement between age groups ( F= 46.57, P< 0.001), with (277±77) kJ/ (kg⋅d) in < 3 years group, (184±53) kJ/ (kg

  12. Leanness and heightened nonresting energy expenditure: role of skeletal muscle activity thermogenesis

    PubMed Central

    Mukherjee, Sromona; Shukla, Charu; Britton, Steven L.; Koch, Lauren G.; Shi, Haifei; Novak, Colleen M.

    2014-01-01

    A high-calorie diet accompanied by low levels of physical activity (PA) accounts for the widespread prevalence of obesity today, and yet some people remain lean even in this obesogenic environment. Here, we investigate the cause for this exception. A key trait that predicts high PA in both humans and laboratory rodents is intrinsic aerobic capacity. Rats artificially selected as high-capacity runners (HCR) are lean and consistently more physically active than their low-capacity runner (LCR) counterparts; this applies to both males and females. Here, we demonstrate that HCR show heightened total energy expenditure (TEE) and hypothesize that this is due to higher nonresting energy expenditure (NREE; includes activity EE). After matching for body weight and lean mass, female HCR consistently had heightened nonresting EE, but not resting EE, compared with female LCR. Because of the dominant role of skeletal muscle in nonresting EE, we examined muscle energy use. We found that lean female HCR had higher muscle heat dissipation during activity, explaining their low economy of activity and high activity EE. This may be due to the amplified skeletal muscle expression levels of proteins involved in EE and reduced expression levels of proteins involved in energy conservation in HCR relative to LCR. This is also associated with an increased sympathetic drive to skeletal muscle in HCR compared with LCR. We find little support for the hypothesis that resting metabolic rate is correlated with maximal aerobic capacity if body size and composition are fully considered; rather, the critical factor appears to be activity thermogenesis. PMID:24398400

  13. Conservation II. Science Activities in Energy. [Student's and] Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Designed for science students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the activities in this unit illustrate principles and problems related to the conservation of energy. Eleven student activities using art, economics, arithmetic, and other skills and disciplines help teachers directly involve students in exploring scientific questions and making…

  14. Effects of Experimental Sleep Restriction on Caloric Intake and Activity Energy Expenditure

    PubMed Central

    Calvin, Andrew D.; Carter, Rickey E.; Adachi, Taro; G. Macedo, Paula; Albuquerque, Felipe N.; van der Walt, Christelle; Bukartyk, Jan; Davison, Diane E.; Levine, James A.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Epidemiologic studies link short sleep duration to obesity and weight gain. Insufficient sleep appears to alter circulating levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which may promote appetite, although the effects of sleep restriction on caloric intake and energy expenditure are unclear. We sought to determine the effect of 8 days/8 nights of sleep restriction on caloric intake, activity energy expenditure, and circulating levels of leptin and ghrelin. Methods: We conducted a randomized study of usual sleep vs a sleep restriction of two-thirds of normal sleep time for 8 days/8 nights in a hospital-based clinical research unit. The main outcomes were caloric intake, activity energy expenditure, and circulating levels of leptin and ghrelin. Results: Caloric intake in the sleep-restricted group increased by +559 kcal/d (SD, 706 kcal/d, P = .006) and decreased in the control group by −118 kcal/d (SD, 386 kcal/d, P = .51) for a net change of +677 kcal/d (95% CI, 148-1,206 kcal/d; P = .014). Sleep restriction was not associated with changes in activity energy expenditure (P = .62). No change was seen in levels of leptin (P = .27) or ghrelin (P = .21). Conclusions: Sleep restriction was associated with an increase in caloric consumption with no change in activity energy expenditure or leptin and ghrelin concentrations. Increased caloric intake without any accompanying increase in energy expenditure may contribute to obesity in people who are exposed to long-term sleep restriction. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01334788; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov PMID:23392199

  15. Analysis of electron transfer processes across liquid/liquid interfaces: estimation of free energy of activation using diffuse boundary model.

    PubMed

    Harinipriya, S; Sangaranarayanan, M V

    2006-01-31

    The evaluation of the free energy of activation pertaining to the electron-transfer reactions occurring at liquid/liquid interfaces is carried out employing a diffuse boundary model. The interfacial solvation numbers are estimated using a lattice gas model under the quasichemical approximation. The standard reduction potentials of the redox couples, appropriate inner potential differences, dielectric permittivities, as well as the width of the interface are included in the analysis. The methodology is applied to the reaction between [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) and [Lu(biphthalocyanine)](3+/4+) at water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. The rate-determining step is inferred from the estimated free energy of activation for the constituent processes. The results indicate that the solvent shielding effect and the desolvation of the reactants at the interface play a central role in dictating the free energy of activation. The heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant is evaluated from the molar reaction volume and the frequency factor.

  16. Posture and activity recognition and energy expenditure estimation in a wearable platform.

    PubMed

    Sazonov, Edward; Hegde, Nagaraj; Browning, Raymond C; Melanson, Edward L; Sazonova, Nadezhda A

    2015-07-01

    The use of wearable sensors coupled with the processing power of mobile phones may be an attractive way to provide real-time feedback about physical activity and energy expenditure (EE). Here, we describe the use of a shoe-based wearable sensor system (SmartShoe) with a mobile phone for real-time recognition of various postures/physical activities and the resulting EE. To deal with processing power and memory limitations of the phone, we compare the use of support vector machines (SVM), multinomial logistic discrimination (MLD), and multilayer perceptrons (MLP) for posture and activity classification followed by activity-branched EE estimation. The algorithms were validated using data from 15 subjects who performed up to 15 different activities of daily living during a 4-h stay in a room calorimeter. MLD and MLP demonstrated activity classification accuracy virtually identical to SVM (∼ 95%) while reducing the running time and the memory requirements by a factor of >10 3. Comparison of per-minute EE estimation using activity-branched models resulted in accurate EE prediction (RMSE = 0.78 kcal/min for SVM and MLD activity classification, 0.77 kcal/min for MLP versus RMSE of 0.75 kcal/min for manual annotation). These results suggest that low-power computational algorithms can be successfully used for real-time physical activity monitoring and EE estimation on a wearable platform.

  17. Dietary energy sources affect the partition of body lipids and the hierarchy of energy metabolic pathways in growing pigs differing in feed efficiency.

    PubMed

    Gondret, F; Louveau, I; Mourot, J; Duclos, M J; Lagarrigue, S; Gilbert, H; van Milgen, J

    2014-11-01

    The use and partition of feed energy are key elements in productive efficiency of pigs. This study aimed to determine whether dietary energy sources affect the partition of body lipids and tissue biochemical pathways of energy use between pigs differing in feed efficiency. Forty-eight barrows (pure Large White) from two divergent lines selected for residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency, were compared. From 74 d to 132 ± 0.5 d of age, pigs (n = 12 by line and by diet) were offered diets with equal protein and ME contents. A low fat, low fiber diet (LF) based on cereals and a high fat, high fiber diet (HF) where vegetal oils and wheat straw were used to partially substitute cereals, were compared. Irrespective of diet, gain to feed was 10% better (P < 0.001), and carcass yield was greater (+2.3%; P < 0.001) in the low RFI compared with the high RFI line; the most-efficient line was also leaner (+3.2% for loin proportion in the carcass, P < 0.001). In both lines, ADFI and ADG were lower when pigs were fed the HF diet (-12.3% and -15%, respectively, relatively to LF diet; P < 0.001). Feeding the HF diet reduced the perirenal fat weight and backfat proportion in the carcass to the same extent in both lines (-27% on average; P < 0.05). Lipid contents in backfat and LM also declined (-5% and -19%, respectively; P < 0.05) in pigs offered the HF diet. The proportion of saturated fatty acids (FA) was lower, but the percentage of PUFA, especially the EFA C18:2 and C18:3, was greater (P < 0.001) in backfat of HF-fed pigs. In both lines, these changes were associated with a marked decrease (P < 0.001) in the activities of two lipogenic enzymes, the fatty acid synthase (FASN) and the malic enzyme, in backfat. For the high RFI line, the hepatic lipid content was greater (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the HF diet than in pigs fed the LF diet, despite a reduced FASN activity (-32%; P < 0.001). In both lines, the HF diet also led to lower glycogen content (-70%) and

  18. Activity-Based Approach for Teaching Aqueous Solubility, Energy, and Entropy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisen, Laura; Marano, Nadia; Glazier, Samantha

    2014-01-01

    We describe an activity-based approach for teaching aqueous solubility to introductory chemistry students that provides a more balanced presentation of the roles of energy and entropy in dissolution than is found in most general chemistry textbooks. In the first few activities, students observe that polar substances dissolve in water, whereas…

  19. Economy, Movement Dynamics, and Muscle Activity of Human Walking at Different Speeds.

    PubMed

    Raffalt, P C; Guul, M K; Nielsen, A N; Puthusserypady, S; Alkjær, T

    2017-03-08

    The complex behaviour of human walking with respect to movement variability, economy and muscle activity is speed dependent. It is well known that a U-shaped relationship between walking speed and economy exists. However, it is an open question if the movement dynamics of joint angles and centre of mass and muscle activation strategy also exhibit a U-shaped relationship with walking speed. We investigated the dynamics of joint angle trajectories and the centre of mass accelerations at five different speeds ranging from 20 to 180% of the predicted preferred speed (based on Froude speed) in twelve healthy males. The muscle activation strategy and walking economy were also assessed. The movement dynamics was investigated using a combination of the largest Lyapunov exponent and correlation dimension. We observed an intermediate stage of the movement dynamics of the knee joint angle and the anterior-posterior and mediolateral centre of mass accelerations which coincided with the most energy-efficient walking speed. Furthermore, the dynamics of the joint angle trajectories and the muscle activation strategy was closely linked to the functional role and biomechanical constraints of the joints.

  20. Emergy-based comparative analysis of energy intensity in different industrial systems.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhe; Geng, Yong; Wang, Hui; Sun, Lu; Ma, Zhixiao; Tian, Xu; Yu, Xiaoman

    2015-12-01

    With the rapid economic development, energy consumption of China has been the second place in the world next to the USA. Usually, measuring energy consumption intensity or efficiency applies heat unit which is joule per gross domestic production (GDP) or coal equivalent per GDP. However, this measuring approach is only oriented by the conversion coefficient of heat combustion which does not match the real value of the materials during their formation in the ecological system. This study applied emergy analysis to evaluate the energy consumption intensity to fill this gap. Emergy analysis is considered as a bridge between ecological system and economic system, which can evaluate the contribution of ecological products and services as well as the load placed on environmental systems. In this study, emergy indicator for performing energy consumption intensity of primary energy was proposed. Industrial production is assumed as the main contributor of energy consumption compared to primary and tertiary industries. Therefore, this study validated this method by investigating the two industrial case studies which were Dalian Economic Development Area (DEDA) and Fuzhou economic and technological area (FETA), to comparatively study on their energy consumption intensity between the different kinds of industrial systems and investigate the reasons behind the differences. The results show that primary energy consumption (PEC) of DEDA was much higher than that of FETA during 2006 to 2010 and its primary energy consumption ratio (PECR) to total emergy involvement had a dramatically decline from year 2006 to 2010. In the same time, nonrenewable energy of PEC in DEDA was also much higher than that in FETA. The reason was that industrial structure of DEDA was mainly formed by heavy industries like petro-chemistry industry, manufacturing industries, and high energy-intensive industries. However, FETA was formed by electronic business, food industry, and light industries. Although

  1. Free-energy landscape of ion-channel voltage-sensor–domain activation

    PubMed Central

    Delemotte, Lucie; Kasimova, Marina A.; Klein, Michael L.; Tarek, Mounir; Carnevale, Vincenzo

    2015-01-01

    Voltage sensor domains (VSDs) are membrane-bound protein modules that confer voltage sensitivity to membrane proteins. VSDs sense changes in the transmembrane voltage and convert the electrical signal into a conformational change called activation. Activation involves a reorganization of the membrane protein charges that is detected experimentally as transient currents. These so-called gating currents have been investigated extensively within the theoretical framework of so-called discrete-state Markov models (DMMs), whereby activation is conceptualized as a series of transitions across a discrete set of states. Historically, the interpretation of DMM transition rates in terms of transition state theory has been instrumental in shaping our view of the activation process, whose free-energy profile is currently envisioned as composed of a few local minima separated by steep barriers. Here we use atomistic level modeling and well-tempered metadynamics to calculate the configurational free energy along a single transition from first principles. We show that this transition is intrinsically multidimensional and described by a rough free-energy landscape. Remarkably, a coarse-grained description of the system, based on the use of the gating charge as reaction coordinate, reveals a smooth profile with a single barrier, consistent with phenomenological models. Our results bridge the gap between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of activation dynamics and show that choosing the gating charge as reaction coordinate masks the topological complexity of the network of microstates participating in the transition. Importantly, full characterization of the latter is a prerequisite to rationalize modulation of this process by lipids, toxins, drugs, and genetic mutations. PMID:25535341

  2. Free-energy landscape of ion-channel voltage-sensor-domain activation.

    PubMed

    Delemotte, Lucie; Kasimova, Marina A; Klein, Michael L; Tarek, Mounir; Carnevale, Vincenzo

    2015-01-06

    Voltage sensor domains (VSDs) are membrane-bound protein modules that confer voltage sensitivity to membrane proteins. VSDs sense changes in the transmembrane voltage and convert the electrical signal into a conformational change called activation. Activation involves a reorganization of the membrane protein charges that is detected experimentally as transient currents. These so-called gating currents have been investigated extensively within the theoretical framework of so-called discrete-state Markov models (DMMs), whereby activation is conceptualized as a series of transitions across a discrete set of states. Historically, the interpretation of DMM transition rates in terms of transition state theory has been instrumental in shaping our view of the activation process, whose free-energy profile is currently envisioned as composed of a few local minima separated by steep barriers. Here we use atomistic level modeling and well-tempered metadynamics to calculate the configurational free energy along a single transition from first principles. We show that this transition is intrinsically multidimensional and described by a rough free-energy landscape. Remarkably, a coarse-grained description of the system, based on the use of the gating charge as reaction coordinate, reveals a smooth profile with a single barrier, consistent with phenomenological models. Our results bridge the gap between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of activation dynamics and show that choosing the gating charge as reaction coordinate masks the topological complexity of the network of microstates participating in the transition. Importantly, full characterization of the latter is a prerequisite to rationalize modulation of this process by lipids, toxins, drugs, and genetic mutations.

  3. Thermogravimetric study and kinetic analysis of fungal pretreated corn stover using the distributed activation energy model.

    PubMed

    Ma, Fuying; Zeng, Yelin; Wang, Jinjin; Yang, Yang; Yang, Xuewei; Zhang, Xiaoyu

    2013-01-01

    Non-isothermal thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) measurements are used to determine pyrolytic characteristics and kinetics of lignocellulose. TG/DTG experiments at different heating rates with corn stover pretreated with monocultures of Irpex lacteus CD2 and Auricularia polytricha AP and their cocultures were conducted. Heating rates had little effect on the pyrolysis process, but the peak of weight loss rate in the DTG curves shifted towards higher temperature with heating rate. The maximum weight loss of biopretreated samples was 1.25-fold higher than that of the control at the three heating rates, and the maximum weight loss rate of the co-culture pretreated samples was intermediate between that of the two mono-cultures. The activation energies of the co-culture pretreated samples were 16-72 kJ mol(-1) lower than that of the mono-culture at the conversion rate range from 10% to 60%. This suggests that co-culture pretreatment can decrease activation energy and accelerate pyrolysis reaction thus reducing energy consumption. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. No Differences in Energy Cost of a Predetermined Exercise among Young Overweight/Obese and Undernourished Individuals

    PubMed Central

    Muralidhara, DV; Mat Nor, Mohd Nasir; Zubaidi, Ahmad L

    2018-01-01

    Background: Physical activity is an integral part of one's daily life. Obese (Ob) and undernourished (UN) persons are known to underperform physically as compared to normal weight (N) individuals. In this study, we have measured the energy spent to perform a prefixed exercise on treadmill walking and basal heart rate and blood pressure. Body mass index (BMI) and body fat of participating individuals were assessed. Fasting blood sugar and lipid profile were also evaluated. Materials and Methods: Eighty-three young individuals (male: 41; female: 42) of medical faculty, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, who volunteered for the study, were recruited. The mean age of the individuals was 19.8 ± 0 years (P < 1.08). The individuals were grouped as N, UN/underweight, and overweight (Ow)/Ob based on BMI. Results: The results of the study revealed that there were no differences in the energy spent on performing the predetermined treadmill walking of 20 min duration among the three groups (a mean of 78 and 70 calories in all male and female subgroups, respectively). The distance covered by the males was 1.6 km while the females covered 1.4 km on treadmill walking in 20 min time. Basal blood pressure and heart rate and fasting blood sugar did not reveal any significant difference among the groups. However, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were marginally higher in the Ow/Ob groups of male and female individuals as compared to other groups. Conclusion: Since the study individuals were very young and competitive by nature and possibly had no major metabolic disturbances, the differences in physical activity performances were not obvious. Possibly, such differences would become apparent only at later stages of life as age advances or when the intensity and duration of exercise are set at higher levels. PMID:29755224

  5. Differences in Energy Balance-Related Behaviours in European Preschool Children: The ToyBox-Study

    PubMed Central

    De Craemer, Marieke; Lateva, Mina; Iotova, Violeta; De Decker, Ellen; Verloigne, Maïté; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Androutsos, Odysseas; Socha, Piotr; Kulaga, Zbigniew; Moreno, Luis; Koletzko, Berthold; Manios, Yannis; Cardon, Greet

    2015-01-01

    Background The aim of the current study was to compare levels of energy balance-related behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and dietary behaviours (more specifically water consumption, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and unhealthy snacking)) in four- to six-year-old preschoolers from six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland, and Spain) within the ToyBox cross-sectional study. Methods A sample of 4,045 preschoolers (4.77 ± 0.43 years; 52.2% boys) had valid physical activity data (steps per day), parents of 8,117 preschoolers (4.78 ± 0.46 years; 53.0% boys) completed a parental questionnaire with questions on sedentary behaviours (television viewing, computer use, and quiet play), and parents of 7,244 preschoolers (4.77 ± 0.44 years; 52.0% boys) completed a food frequency questionnaire with questions on water consumption, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and unhealthy snacking. Results The highest levels of physical activity were found in Spain (12,669 steps/day on weekdays), while the lowest levels were found in Bulgaria and Greece (9,777 and 9,656 steps/day on weekdays, respectively). German preschoolers spent the least amount of time in television viewing (43.3 min/day on weekdays), while Greek preschoolers spent the most time in television viewing (88.5 min/day on weekdays). A considerable amount of time was spent in quiet play in all countries, with the highest levels in Poland (104.9 min/day on weekdays), and the lowest levels in Spain (60.4 min/day on weekdays). Belgian, German, and Polish preschoolers had the lowest intakes of water and the highest intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages. The intake of snacks was the highest in Belgian preschoolers (73.1 g/day) and the lowest in Greek preschoolers (53.3 g/day). Conclusions Across six European countries, differences in preschoolers’ energy balance-related behaviours were found. Future interventions should target European preschoolers’ energy balance

  6. Comparing the Chromospheric Response to Different Flare Energy Transport Mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerr, G. S.; Reep, J. W.; Allred, J. C.; Russell, A. J. B.; Leake, J. E.; Tarr, L.

    2017-12-01

    The chromosphere is the origin of the bulk of the enhanced radiative output during solar flares, and so the mechanism(s) by which energy is transported from the release site to the chromosphere is a crucial ingredient in our understanding of flare physics. In the standard model of solar flares, non-thermal particle beams (typically electrons) transport energy from the corona to the chromosphere. While this model has been supported by flare observations, and while flare simulations employing this model have been successful in reproducing the observational characteristics of flares, there have been suggestions that electron beams are not the sole energy transport mechanism at play. Originally proposed by Emslie and Sturrock (1982), and revisited by Fletcher and Hudson (2008) the dissipation of downward propagating Alfvénic waves have been posited as an additional, or alternative, energy transport mechanism. Reep & Russell (2016) and Kerr et al (2016) used the WKB approximation to simulate flares in which energy was transported via Alfven waves. This model has been further developed to more realistically model wave energy transport by including the wave travel time (Reep et al, in prep). We present the radiative response of the solar chromosphere to energy input using both the standard electron beam mechanism, and using the updated Alfven wave mechanism, simulated using the radiation hydrodynamics code RADYN. We will show the formation properties of the Mg II and C II resonance lines, and the Mg II subordinate lines, all of which can be observed by the IRIS spacecraft, and the Ca II 8542 line which can be routinely observed from ground based observatories, commenting on any key differences in the formation of these lines in the different simulations that may be present. Finally we discuss other, less observed, chromospheric spectral lines such as Ly-alpha and He II 304 and their potential as tools to discriminate between the models, in order to determine what future

  7. Hemisphere Rule in Active Regions with Different Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Y.; Xiong, X.

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic twist in solar active regions has been found to have a hemispheric preferencein sign (hemisphere rule): negative in the northern hemisphere and positive in the southern.The strength of the preference reported in previous studies ranges greatly, from 58% to 82%.In this presentation, we will show an investigation that examines this hemispheric preference bystudying active regions in Solar Cycle 24 using the vector magnetic field data taken by the Helioseismicand Magnetic Imager (HMI). While in general the strength of the hemisphere preference is wellwithin the range reported by the previous studies, it differs substantially in different groupsof active regions that possess different properties in magnetic helicity: the group with theopposite signs of magnetic twist and writhe has a much stronger preference strength than thegroup with the same signs. This difference becomes even more significant in emerging activeregions. We place here a discussion on possible links between origin of magnetic twist, hemispherepreference, and emergence and evolution of active regions.

  8. Carbon Nanotube Thin Films for Active Noise Cancellation, Solar Energy Harvesting, and Energy Storage in Building Windows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Shan

    This research explores the application of carbon nanotube (CNT) films for active noise cancellation, solar energy harvesting and energy storage in building windows. The CNT-based components developed herein can be integrated into a solar-powered active noise control system for a building window. First, the use of a transparent acoustic transducer as both an invisible speaker for auxiliary audio playback and for active noise cancellation is accomplished in this work. Several challenges related to active noise cancellation in the window are addressed. These include secondary path estimation and directional cancellation of noise so as to preserve auxiliary audio and internal sounds while preventing transmission of external noise into the building. Solar energy can be harvested at a low rate of power over long durations while acoustic sound cancellation requires short durations of high power. A supercapacitor based energy storage system is therefore considered for the window. Using CNTs as electrode materials, two generations of flexible, thin, and fully solid-state supercapacitors are developed that can be integrated into the window frame. Both generations consist of carbon nanotube films coated on supporting substrates as electrodes and a solid-state polymer gel layer for the electrolyte. The first generation is a single-cell parallel-plate supercapacitor with a working voltage of 3 Volts. Its energy density is competitive with commercially available supercapacitors (which use liquid electrolyte). For many applications that will require higher working voltage, the second-generation multi-cell supercapacitor is developed. A six-cell device with a working voltage as high as 12 Volts is demonstrated here. Unlike the first generation's 3D structure, the second generation has a novel planar (2D) architecture, which makes it easy to integrate multiple cells into a thin and flexible supercapacitor. The multi-cell planar supercapacitor has energy density exceeding that of

  9. Pleasantness, activation, and sex differences in advertising.

    PubMed

    Whissell, C; McCall, L

    1997-10-01

    Advertisements in men's, women's, girls', and boys' magazines (n = 38,195 words) were scored objectively in terms of 15 measures of linguistic style, e.g., use of common words, use of long words, use of specific words and emotional tone (pleasantness and activation, as measured by the Dictionary of Affect). There were several sex- and age-related differences among advertisements from different sources. Advertisements from boys' magazines were extremely active, those from women's and girls' magazines were shorter and unusually pleasant. In two follow-up studies (N = 122 volunteers), objective emotional measures of advertising text proved to be related to ratings of persuasion and of success of appeal for individual advertisements. The most preferred advertisement for women was pleasant and active, that for men unpleasant and active. When men and women created advertisements, women's were shorter and more pleasant.

  10. Posture and activity recognition and energy expenditure prediction in a wearable platform.

    PubMed

    Sazonova, Nadezhda; Browning, Raymond; Melanson, Edward; Sazonov, Edward

    2014-01-01

    The use of wearable sensors coupled with the processing power of mobile phones may be an attractive way to provide real-time feedback about physical activity and energy expenditure (EE). Here we describe use of a shoe-based wearable sensor system (SmartShoe) with a mobile phone for real-time prediction and display of time spent in various postures/physical activities and the resulting EE. To deal with processing power and memory limitations of the phone, we introduce new algorithms that require substantially less computational power. The algorithms were validated using data from 15 subjects who performed up to 15 different activities of daily living during a four-hour stay in a room calorimeter. Use of Multinomial Logistic Discrimination (MLD) for posture and activity classification resulted in an accuracy comparable to that of Support Vector Machines (SVM) (90% vs. 95%-98%) while reducing the running time by a factor of 190 and reducing the memory requirement by a factor of 104. Per minute EE estimation using activity-specific models resulted in an accurate EE prediction (RMSE of 0.53 METs vs. RMSE of 0.69 METs using previously reported SVM-branched models). These results demonstrate successful implementation of real-time physical activity monitoring and EE prediction system on a wearable platform.

  11. Exploring metrics to express energy expenditure of physical activity in youth

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Several approaches have been used to express energy expenditure in youth, but no consensus exists as to which best normalizes data for the wide range of ages and body sizes across a range of physical activities. This study examined several common metrics for expressing energy expenditure to determin...

  12. Associations between neuromuscular function and levels of physical activity differ for boys and girls during puberty.

    PubMed

    Rudroff, Thorsten; Kelsey, Megan M; Melanson, Edward L; McQueen, Matthew B; Enoka, Roger M

    2013-08-01

    To compare the associations between neuromuscular performance and anthropometric characteristics with habitual levels of physical activity in boys and girls during the initial stages of puberty. In a cross-sectional study of 72 healthy children (39 boys and 33 girls) ranging in age from 8 to 14 years, sex differences in anthropometric and motor performance characteristics were compared at 3 Tanner stages (T1-T3). Outcome variables included dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements of body composition, assessments of neuromuscular function, and levels of physical activity (steps/day) measured by accelerometry. Physical activity was lower in girls than boys at T2 and T3, but there was no sex difference at T1. Physical activity increased with Tanner stage for boys but did not differ between Tanner stages in girls. Physical activity at each Tanner stage was strongly associated (R(2) > 0.85) with neuromuscular characteristics for both boys and girls, but percentage of body fat also was associated with physical activity for T3 girls. The attenuated gains in neuromuscular function experienced by girls in early stages of puberty were strongly associated with lower levels of physical activity, whereas the increase in physical activity exhibited by boys was mostly related to increases in the strength and endurance of leg muscles. Because sedentary activity is a known contributor to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth, this study helps to identify possible contributors to decreases in physical activity in young girls and provides potential targets for early intervention. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Differences in the utilisation of active power in squat and countermovement jumps.

    PubMed

    Ferraro, Damián; Fábrica, Gabriel

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this article was to understand how active power is used in squat and countermovement jumps. A simple empirical model comprising a mass, a spring, an active element and a damper, together with an optimisation principle, was used to identify the mechanical factors that maximise performance of jumps without countermovement (squat jumps, SJ) and with countermovement (CMJ). Twelve amateur volleyball players performed SJ from two initial positions and CMJ with two degrees of counterbalancing, while kinematic data were collected (jump height, push-off duration and position of the centre of mass). The model adjusted well to real data of SJ through all the impulse phase, and slightly less adequately at the end of this phase for CMJ. Nevertheless, it provides a satisfactory explanation for the generation and utilisation of active power for both type of jumps. On average, the estimated power of the active elements, the spring, and the damper were greater in the SJ. Based upon the result obtained with this model, we suggest that active power is best evaluated with SJ. The reason for this is that, during this kind of jump, the elements associated with the damper consume much of the energy produced by the active elements. The participation of the elements that consume the energy generated by the active elements is less in CMJ than in SJ, allowing for a better utilisation of this energy. In this way it is possible to achieve a better performance in CMJ with less active power.

  14. A Health Probe in College Students Living in Los Angeles and in Taiwan: Dietary Pattern, Physical Activity and Energy Balance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Li Hui; Yang, Hsin Ling; Chen, Yin Chang; Davis, Rebecca; Schwartz, Miriam E.; Tam, Chick F.

    2008-01-01

    The objective was to examine differences of dietary pattern, physical activity and energy balance in 240 college students with 137 of them enrolled in California State University, Los Angeles (LA) and the other 93 enrolled in China Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan (TW). A three-day dietary record and a 24-hour physical activity journal were…

  15. Activation energy of tantalum-tungsten oxide thermite reactions

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

    Cervantes, Octavio G.; Munir, Zuhair A.; Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, CA

    2011-01-15

    The activation energy of a sol-gel (SG) derived tantalum-tungsten oxide thermite composite was determined using the Kissinger isoconversion method. The SG derived powder was consolidated using the high-pressure spark plasma sintering (HPSPS) technique at 300 and 400 C. The ignition temperatures were investigated under high heating rates (500-2000 C min{sup -1}). Such heating rates were required in order to ignite the thermite composite. Samples consolidated at 300 C exhibit an abrupt change in temperature response prior to the main ignition temperature. This change in temperature response is attributed to the crystallization of the amorphous WO{sub 3} in the SG derivedmore » Ta-WO{sub 3} thermite composite and not to a pre-ignition reaction between the constituents. Ignition temperatures for the Ta-WO{sub 3} thermite ranged from approximately 465 to 670 C. The activation energies of the SG derived Ta-WO{sub 3} thermite composite consolidated at 300 and 400 C were determined to be 38{+-} 2 kJ mol{sup -1} and 57 {+-} 2 kJ mol{sup -1}, respectively. (author)« less

  16. Redox Active Colloids as Discrete Energy Storage Carriers.

    PubMed

    Montoto, Elena C; Nagarjuna, Gavvalapalli; Hui, Jingshu; Burgess, Mark; Sekerak, Nina M; Hernández-Burgos, Kenneth; Wei, Teng-Sing; Kneer, Marissa; Grolman, Joshua; Cheng, Kevin J; Lewis, Jennifer A; Moore, Jeffrey S; Rodríguez-López, Joaquín

    2016-10-12

    Versatile and readily available battery materials compatible with a range of electrode configurations and cell designs are desirable for renewable energy storage. Here we report a promising class of materials based on redox active colloids (RACs) that are inherently modular in their design and overcome challenges faced by small-molecule organic materials for battery applications, such as crossover and chemical/morphological stability. RACs are cross-linked polymer spheres, synthesized with uniform diameters between 80 and 800 nm, and exhibit reversible redox activity as single particles, as monolayer films, and in the form of flowable dispersions. Viologen-based RACs display reversible cycling, accessing up to 99% of their capacity and 99 ± 1% Coulombic efficiency over 50 cycles by bulk electrolysis owing to efficient, long-distance intraparticle charge transfer. Ferrocene-based RACs paired with viologen-based RACs cycled efficiently in a nonaqueous redox flow battery employing a simple size-selective separator, thus demonstrating a possible application that benefits from their colloidal dimensions. The unprecedented versatility in RAC synthetic and electrochemical design opens new avenues for energy storage.

  17. Young Scientists Explore an Encyclopedia of Energy Activities. Book 8--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeBruin, Jerry

    Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of energy. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for each student. A…

  18. Reduced Nonexercise Activity Attenuates Negative Energy Balance in Mice Engaged in Voluntary Exercise.

    PubMed

    Lark, Daniel S; Kwan, Jamie R; McClatchey, P Mason; James, Merrygay N; James, Freyja D; Lighton, John R B; Lantier, Louise; Wasserman, David H

    2018-05-01

    Exercise alone is often ineffective for treating obesity despite the associated increase in metabolic requirements. Decreased nonexercise physical activity has been implicated in this resistance to weight loss, but the mechanisms responsible are unclear. We quantified the metabolic cost of nonexercise activity, or "off-wheel" activity (OWA), and voluntary wheel running (VWR) and examined whether changes in OWA during VWR altered energy balance in chow-fed C57BL/6J mice ( n = 12). Energy expenditure (EE), energy intake, and behavior (VWR and OWA) were continuously monitored for 4 days with locked running wheels followed by 9 days with unlocked running wheels. Unlocking the running wheels increased EE as a function of VWR distance. The metabolic cost of exercise (kcal/m traveled) decreased with increasing VWR speed. Unlocking the wheel led to a negative energy balance but also decreased OWA, which was predicted to mitigate the expected change in energy balance by ∼45%. A novel behavioral circuit involved repeated bouts of VWR, and roaming was discovered and represented novel predictors of VWR behavior. The integrated analysis described here reveals that the weight loss effects of voluntary exercise can be countered by a reduction in nonexercise activity. © 2018 by the American Diabetes Association.

  19. Arrhenius activation energy of damage to catalase during spray-drying.

    PubMed

    Schaefer, Joachim; Lee, Geoffrey

    2015-07-15

    The inactivation of catalase during spray-drying over a range of outlet gas temperatures could be closely represented by the Arrhenius equation. From this an activation energy for damage to the catalase could be calculated. The close fit to Arrhenius suggests that the thermally-induced part of inactivation of the catalase during the complex drying and particle-formation processes takes place at constant temperature. These processes are rapid compared with the residence time of the powder in the collecting vessel of the cyclone where dried catalase is exposed to a constant temperature equal to approximately the drying gas outlet temperature. A lower activation energy after spray drying with the ultrasonic nozzle was found than with the 2-fluid nozzle under otherwise identical spray drying conditions. It is feasible that the ultrasonic nozzle when mounted in the lid of the spray dryer heats up toward the drying gas inlet temperature much more that the air-cooled 2-fluid nozzle. Calculation of the Arrhenius activation energy also showed how the stabilizing efficacy of trehalose and mannitol on the catalase varies in strength across the range of drying gas inlet and outlet temperatures examined. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Prediction of energy expenditure and physical activity in preschoolers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Accurate, nonintrusive, and feasible methods are needed to predict energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity (PA) levels in preschoolers. Herein, we validated cross-sectional time series (CSTS) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) models based on accelerometry and heart rate (HR) ...

  1. Sex differences in neural activation following different routes of oxytocin administration in awake adult rats.

    PubMed

    Dumais, Kelly M; Kulkarni, Praveen P; Ferris, Craig F; Veenema, Alexa H

    2017-07-01

    The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) regulates social behavior in sex-specific ways across species. OT has promising effects on alleviating social deficits in sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders. However little is known about potential sexually dimorphic effects of OT on brain function. Using the rat as a model organism, we determined whether OT administered centrally or peripherally induces sex differences in brain activation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensity changes in the brains of awake rats during the 20min following intracerebroventricular (ICV; 1μg/5μl) or intraperitoneal (IP; 0.1mg/kg) OT administration as compared to baseline. ICV OT induced sex differences in BOLD activation in 26 out of 172 brain regions analyzed, with 20 regions showing a greater volume of activation in males (most notably the nucleus accumbens and insular cortex), and 6 regions showing a greater volume of activation in females (including the lateral and central amygdala). IP OT also elicited sex differences in BOLD activation with a greater volume of activation in males, but this activation was found in different and fewer (10) brain regions compared to ICV OT. In conclusion, exogenous OT modulates neural activation differently in male versus female rats with the pattern and magnitude, but not the direction, of sex differences depending on the route of administration. These findings highlight the need to include both sexes in basic and clinical studies to fully understand the role of OT on brain function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The association of birth weight and infant growth with childhood autonomic nervous system activity and its mediating effects on energy-balance-related behaviours-the ABCD study.

    PubMed

    van Deutekom, Arend W; Chinapaw, Mai Jm; Gademan, Maaike Gj; Twisk, Jos Wr; Gemke, Reinoud Jbj; Vrijkotte, Tanja Gm

    2016-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the association of birth weight and infant growth with childhood autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and to assess whether ANS activity mediates the associations of birth weight and infant growth with energy-balance-related behaviours, including energy intake, satiety response, physical activity and screen time. In 2089 children, we prospectively collected birth weight, infant growth defined as conditional weight and height gain between birth and 12 months and-at 5 years-indices of cardiac ANS activity and parent-reported energy-balance-related behaviours. A mediation analysis was conducted, based on MacKinnon's multivariate extension of the product-of-coefficients strategy. Birth weight and infant height gain were inversely associated with sympathetic, but not parasympathetic, activity at age 5. Infant weight gain was not associated with childhood ANS activity. Infant weight gain was predictive of increased childhood screen time and infant height gain of diminished childhood energy intake, but sympathetic activity did not mediate these associations. Low-birth-weight children have higher sympathetic activity, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Height gain in infancy seems to be beneficial for childhood sympathetic activity. However, sympathetic activity was no mediator of the associations of infant growth with childhood energy-balance-related behaviours. As individual differences in ANS activity predict increased risk of cardiovascular disease, these differences may offer insight into the early-life origins of chronic diseases and provide further basis for public health strategies to optimize birth weight and infant growth. © The Author 2016; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

  3. Environmental influences on food choice, physical activity and energy balance.

    PubMed

    Popkin, Barry M; Duffey, Kiyah; Gordon-Larsen, Penny

    2005-12-15

    In this paper, the environment is defined as the macro- and community-level factors, including physical, legal and policy factors, that influence household and individual decisions. Thus, environment is conceived as the external context in which household and individual decisions are made. This paper reviews the literature on the ways the environment affects diet, physical activity, and obesity. Other key environmental factors discussed include economic, legal, and policy factors. Behind the major changes in diet and physical activity in the US and globally lie large shifts in food production, processing, and distribution systems as well as food shopping and eating options, resulting in the increase in availability of energy-dense foods. Similarly, the ways we move at home, work, leisure, and travel have shifted markedly, resulting in substantial reductions in energy expenditure. Many small area studies have linked environmental shifts with diet and activity changes. This paper begins with a review of environmental influences on diet and physical activity, and includes the discussion of two case studies on environmental influences on physical activity in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. The case studies illustrate the important role of physical activity resources and the inequitable distribution of such activity-related facilities and resources, with high minority, low educated populations at strong disadvantage. Further, the research shows a significant association of such facilities with individual-level health behavior. The inequity in environmental supports for physical activity may underlie health disparities in the US population.

  4. Computation of Hemagglutinin Free Energy Difference by the Confinement Method

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Hemagglutinin (HA) mediates membrane fusion, a crucial step during influenza virus cell entry. How many HAs are needed for this process is still subject to debate. To aid in this discussion, the confinement free energy method was used to calculate the conformational free energy difference between the extended intermediate and postfusion state of HA. Special care was taken to comply with the general guidelines for free energy calculations, thereby obtaining convergence and demonstrating reliability of the results. The energy that one HA trimer contributes to fusion was found to be 34.2 ± 3.4kBT, similar to the known contributions from other fusion proteins. Although computationally expensive, the technique used is a promising tool for the further energetic characterization of fusion protein mechanisms. Knowledge of the energetic contributions per protein, and of conserved residues that are crucial for fusion, aids in the development of fusion inhibitors for antiviral drugs. PMID:29151344

  5. Time tracking and interaction of energy-eddies at different scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cardesa, Jose I.; Vela-Martin, Alberto; Jimenez, Javier

    2016-11-01

    We study the energy cascade through coherent structures obtained in time-resolved simulations of incompressible, statistically steady isotropic turbulence. The structures are defined as geometrically connected regions of the flow with high kinetic energy. We compute the latter by band-pass filtering the velocity field around a scale r. We analyse the dynamics of structures extracted with different r, which are a proxy for eddies containing energy at those r. We find that the size of these "energy-eddies" scales with r, while their lifetime scales with the local eddy-turnover r 2 / 3ɛ - 1 / 3 , where ɛ is the energy dissipation averaged over all space and time. Furthermore, a statistical analysis over the lives of the eddies shows a slight predominance of the splitting over the merging process. When we isolate the eddies which do not interact with other eddies of the same scale, we observe a parent-child dependence by which, on average, structures are born at scale r during the decaying part of the life of a structure at scale r' > r . The energy-eddy at r' lives in the same region of space as that at r. Finally, we investigate how interactions between eddies at the same scale are echoed across other scales. Funded by the ERC project Coturb.

  6. Hours spent and energy expended in physical activity domains: Results from The Tomorrow Project cohort in Alberta, Canada

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Knowledge of adult activity patterns across domains of physical activity is essential for the planning of population-based strategies that will increase overall energy expenditure and reduce the risk of obesity and related chronic diseases. We describe domain-specific hours of activity and energy expended among participants in a prospective cohort in Alberta, Canada. Methods The Past Year Total Physical Activity Questionnaire was completed by 15,591 Tomorrow Project® participants, between 2001 and 2005 detailing physical activity type, duration, frequency and intensity. Domain-specific hours of activity and activity-related energy expenditure, expressed as a percent of total energy expenditure (TEE) (Mean (SD); Median (IQR)) are reported across inactive (<1.4), low active (1.4 to 1.59), active (1.6 to 1.89) and very active (≥ 1.9) Physical Activity Level (PAL = TEE:REE) categories. Results In very active women and amongst all men except those classified as inactive, activity-related energy expenditure comprised primarily occupational activity. Amongst inactive men and women in active, low active and inactive groups, activity-related energy expenditure from household activity was comparable to, or exceeded that for occupational activity. Leisure-time activity-related energy expenditure decreased with decreasing PAL categories; however, even amongst the most active men and women it accounted for less than 10 percent of TEE. When stratified by employment status, leisure-time activity-related energy expenditure was greatest for retired men [mean (SD): 10.8 (8.5) percent of TEE], compared with those who were fully employed, employed part-time or not employed. Transportation-related activity was negligible across all categories of PAL and employment status. Conclusion For the inactive portion of this population, active non-leisure activities, specifically in the transportation and occupational domains, need to be considered for inclusion in daily routines

  7. Hours spent and energy expended in physical activity domains: results from the Tomorrow Project cohort in Alberta, Canada.

    PubMed

    Csizmadi, Ilona; Lo Siou, Geraldine; Friedenreich, Christine M; Owen, Neville; Robson, Paula J

    2011-10-10

    Knowledge of adult activity patterns across domains of physical activity is essential for the planning of population-based strategies that will increase overall energy expenditure and reduce the risk of obesity and related chronic diseases. We describe domain-specific hours of activity and energy expended among participants in a prospective cohort in Alberta, Canada. The Past Year Total Physical Activity Questionnaire was completed by 15,591 Tomorrow Project® participants, between 2001 and 2005 detailing physical activity type, duration, frequency and intensity. Domain-specific hours of activity and activity-related energy expenditure, expressed as a percent of total energy expenditure (TEE) (Mean (SD); Median (IQR)) are reported across inactive (<1.4), low active (1.4 to 1.59), active (1.6 to 1.89) and very active (≥ 1.9) Physical Activity Level (PAL = TEE:REE) categories. In very active women and amongst all men except those classified as inactive, activity-related energy expenditure comprised primarily occupational activity. Amongst inactive men and women in active, low active and inactive groups, activity-related energy expenditure from household activity was comparable to, or exceeded that for occupational activity. Leisure-time activity-related energy expenditure decreased with decreasing PAL categories; however, even amongst the most active men and women it accounted for less than 10 percent of TEE. When stratified by employment status, leisure-time activity-related energy expenditure was greatest for retired men [mean (SD): 10.8 (8.5) percent of TEE], compared with those who were fully employed, employed part-time or not employed. Transportation-related activity was negligible across all categories of PAL and employment status. For the inactive portion of this population, active non-leisure activities, specifically in the transportation and occupational domains, need to be considered for inclusion in daily routines as a means of increasing population

  8. Physical Activity during Pregnancy: Impact of Applying Different Physical Activity Guidelines

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Katie M.; Campbell, Christina G.

    2013-01-01

    Multiple guidelines and definitions of physical activity (PA) have been used to study the benefits of activity during pregnancy. The different guidelines lead to a wide range of prevalence estimates and this has led to conflicting reports about activity patterns during pregnancy. A longitudinal study was conducted to assess PA using a pattern-recognition monitor for a 7-day period at week 18 (n = 55) and week 35 (n = 66) of pregnancy. The amount of activity performed and the number of women meeting six different PA guidelines were evaluated. Adherence to PA guidelines ranged from 5 to 100% and 9 to 100% at weeks 18 and 35, respectively. All women achieved the 500 MET-minute guideline and nearly all women accumulated ≥150 minutes of weekly moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at both time points. Only 22% and 26% participated in ≥3 sessions of MVPA lasting ≥30 minutes at both time points and this further declined to 5% and 9% when the guideline was increased to ≥5 sessions of 30 minutes. The amount of PA during pregnancy varied drastically depending on which guideline was used. Further research is warranted to clearly identify the patterns of activity that are associated with healthy pregnancy outcomes. PMID:23476778

  9. Physical activity during pregnancy: impact of applying different physical activity guidelines.

    PubMed

    Smith, Katie M; Campbell, Christina G

    2013-01-01

    Multiple guidelines and definitions of physical activity (PA) have been used to study the benefits of activity during pregnancy. The different guidelines lead to a wide range of prevalence estimates and this has led to conflicting reports about activity patterns during pregnancy. A longitudinal study was conducted to assess PA using a pattern-recognition monitor for a 7-day period at week 18 (n = 55) and week 35 (n = 66) of pregnancy. The amount of activity performed and the number of women meeting six different PA guidelines were evaluated. Adherence to PA guidelines ranged from 5 to 100% and 9 to 100% at weeks 18 and 35, respectively. All women achieved the 500 MET-minute guideline and nearly all women accumulated ≥150 minutes of weekly moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at both time points. Only 22% and 26% participated in ≥3 sessions of MVPA lasting ≥30 minutes at both time points and this further declined to 5% and 9% when the guideline was increased to ≥5 sessions of 30 minutes. The amount of PA during pregnancy varied drastically depending on which guideline was used. Further research is warranted to clearly identify the patterns of activity that are associated with healthy pregnancy outcomes.

  10. Energy intake adaptations to acute isoenergetic active video games and exercise are similar in obese adolescents.

    PubMed

    Chaput, J P; Schwartz, C; Boirie, Y; Duclos, M; Tremblay, A; Thivel, D

    2015-11-01

    Although the impact of passive video games (PVGs) on energy intake has been previously explored in lean adolescents, data are missing on the nutritional adaptations to passive and active video games (AVGs) in obese adolescents. It is also unknown whether isoenergetic AVGs and exercise (EX) differently affect food consumption in youth. Nineteen obese adolescent boys (12-15 years old) had to complete four 1-hour sessions in a crossover manner: control (CON; sitting on a chair), PVG (boxing game on Xbox 360), AVG (boxing game on Xbox Kinect 360) and EX (cycling). The EX was calibrated to generate the same energy expenditure as the AVG session. Energy expenditure was measured using a K4b2 portable indirect calorimeter. Ad libitum food intake (buffet-style meal) and appetite sensations (visual analogue scales) were assessed after the sessions. As expected, mean energy expenditure was similar between AVG (370±4 kcal) and EX (358±3 kcal), both of which were significantly higher than PVG (125±7 kcal) and CON (98±5 kcal) (P<0.001). However, ad libitum food intake after the sessions was not significantly different between CON (1174±282 kcal), PVG (1124±281 kcal), AVG (1098±265 kcal) and EX (1091±290 kcal). Likewise, the energy derived from fat, carbohydrate and protein was not significantly different between sessions, and appetite sensations were not affected. Energy intake and food preferences after an hour of AVG or PVG playing remain unchanged, and isoenergetic sessions of AVG and EX at moderate intensity induce similar nutritional responses in obese adolescent boys.

  11. Different parameter and technique affecting the rate of evaporation on active solar still -a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    A, Muthu Manokar; D, Prince Winston; A. E, Kabeel; Sathyamurthy, Ravishankar; T, Arunkumar

    2018-03-01

    Water is one of the essential sources for the endurance of human on the earth. As earth having only a small amount of water resources for consumption purpose people in rural and urban areas are getting affected by consuming dirty water that leads to water-borne diseases. Even though ground water is available in small quantity, it has to be treated properly before its use for internal consumption. Brackish water contains dissolve and undissolved contents, and hence it is not suitable for the household purpose. Nowadays, distillation process is done by using passive and active solar stills. The major problem in using passive solar still is meeting higher demand for fresh water. The fresh water production from passive solar still is critically low to meet the demand. To improve the productivity of conventional solar still, input feed water is preheated by integrating the solar still to different collector panels. In this review article, the different parameters that affect the rate of evaporation in an active solar still and the different methods incorporated has been presented. In addition to active distillation system, forced convection technique can be incorporated to increase the yield of fresh water by decreasing the temperature of cover. Furthermore, it is identified that the yield of fresh water from the active desalination system can be improved by sensible and latent heat energy storage. This review will motivate the researchers to decide appropriate active solar still technology for promoting development.

  12. Reasearch Activities for the Establishment of The Center for Sustainable Energy

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

    Dr. Michael Seliger

    2005-08-08

    In 2003, Bronx Community College received a grant of $481,000 through the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of conducting research- related activities leading to the creation of the Center for Sustainable Energy at Bronx Community College. The award, which was administered on behalf of Bronx Community College by the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, was initially for one year, from October 2003 through September 30, 2004. It received a no-cost extension to June 30, 2005. This report presents a summary of the activities and accomplishments attributable to the award.

  13. Protein-Nanoparticle Interactions: Improving Immobilized Lytic Enzyme Activity and Surface Energy Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downs, Emily Elizabeth

    Protein-nanostructure conjugates, particularly particles, are a subject of significant interest due to changes in their fundamental behavior compared to bulk surfaces. As the size scale of nano-structured materials and proteins are on the same order of magnitude, nanomaterial properties can heavily influence how proteins adsorb and conform to the surface. Previous work has demonstrated the ability of nanoscale surfaces to modulate protein activity, conformation, and retention by modifying the particle surface curvature, morphology, and surface charge. This work has improved our understanding of the protein material interactions, but a complete understanding is still lacking. The goal of this thesis is to investigate two missing areas of understanding using two distinct systems. The first system utilizes a particle with controlled surface energy to observe the impact of surface energy on protein-particle interactions, while the second system uses a modified Listeria-specific protein to determine how protein structure and flexibility affects protein adsorption and activity on particles. Spherical, amorphous, and uniformly doped Zn-silica particles with tailored surface energies were synthesized to understand the impact of surface energy on protein adsorption behavior. Particle surface energy increased with a decrease in particle size and greater dopant concentrations. Protein adsorption and structural loss increased with both particle size and particle surface energy. Higher surface energies promoted protein-particle association and increased protein unfolding. Particle curvature and protein steric hindrance effects limited adsorption and structural loss on smaller particles. Protein surface charge heterogeneity was also found to be linked to both protein adsorption and unfolding behavior on larger particles. Greater surface charge heterogeneity led to higher adsorption concentrations and multilayer formation. These multilayers transitioned from protein

  14. Adaptive Highly Flexible Multifunctional Wings for Active and Passive Control and Energy Harvesting with Piezoelectric Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsushima, Natsuki

    The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an analytical framework to analyze highly flexible multifunctional wings with integral active and passive control and energy harvesting using piezoelectric transduction. Such multifunctional wings can be designed to enhance aircraft flight performance, especially to support long-endurance flights and to be adaptive to various flight conditions. This work also demonstrates the feasibility of the concept of piezoelectric multifunctional wings for the concurrent active control and energy harvesting to improve the aeroelastic performance of high-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicles. Functions of flutter suppression, gust alleviation, energy generation, and energy storage are realized for the performance improvement. The multifunctional wings utilize active and passive piezoelectric effects for the efficient adaptive control and energy harvesting. An energy storage with thin-film lithium-ion battery cells is designed for harvested energy accumulation. Piezoelectric effects are included in a strain-based geometrically nonlinear beam formulation for the numerical studies. The resulting structural dynamic equations are coupled with a finite-state unsteady aerodynamic formulation, allowing for piezoelectric energy harvesting and active actuation with the nonlinear aeroelastic system. This development helps to provide an integral electro-aeroelastic solution of concurrent active piezoelectric control and energy harvesting for wing vibrations, with the consideration of the geometrical nonlinear effects of slender multifunctional wings. A multifunctional structure for active actuation is designed by introducing anisotropic piezoelectric laminates. Linear quadratic regulator and linear quadratic Gaussian controllers are implemented for the active control of wing vibrations including post-flutter limit-cycle oscillations and gust perturbation. An adaptive control algorithm for gust perturbation is then developed. In this

  15. Human, donkey and cow milk differently affects energy efficiency and inflammatory state by modulating mitochondrial function and gut microbiota.

    PubMed

    Trinchese, Giovanna; Cavaliere, Gina; Canani, Roberto Berni; Matamoros, Sebastien; Bergamo, Paolo; De Filippo, Chiara; Aceto, Serena; Gaita, Marcello; Cerino, Pellegrino; Negri, Rossella; Greco, Luigi; Cani, Patrice D; Mollica, Maria Pina

    2015-11-01

    Different nutritional components are able, by modulating mitochondrial function and gut microbiota composition, to influence body composition, metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory state. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects produced by the supplementation of different milks on energy balance, inflammatory state, oxidative stress and antioxidant/detoxifying enzyme activities and to investigate the role of the mitochondrial efficiency and the gut microbiota in the regulation of metabolic functions in an animal model. We compared the intake of human milk, gold standard for infant nutrition, with equicaloric supplementation of donkey milk, the best substitute for newborns due to its nutritional properties, and cow milk, the primary marketed product. The results showed a hypolipidemic effect produced by donkey and human milk intake in parallel with enhanced mitochondrial activity/proton leakage. Reduced mitochondrial energy efficiency and proinflammatory signals (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1 and lipopolysaccharide levels) were associated with a significant increase of antioxidants (total thiols) and detoxifying enzyme activities (glutathione-S-transferase, NADH quinone oxidoreductase) in donkey- and human milk-treated animals. The beneficial effects were attributable, at least in part, to the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 pathway. Moreover, the metabolic benefits induced by human and donkey milk may be related to the modulation of gut microbiota. In fact, milk treatments uniquely affected the proportions of bacterial phyla and genera, and we hypothesized that the increased concentration of fecal butyrate in human and donkey milk-treated rats was related to the improved lipid and glucose metabolism and detoxifying activities. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Deuteron spin-lattice relaxation in the presence of an activation energy distribution: application to methanols in zeolite NaX.

    PubMed

    Stoch, G; Ylinen, E E; Birczynski, A; Lalowicz, Z T; Góra-Marek, K; Punkkinen, M

    2013-02-01

    A new method is introduced for analyzing deuteron spin-lattice relaxation in molecular systems with a broad distribution of activation energies and correlation times. In such samples the magnetization recovery is strongly non-exponential but can be fitted quite accurately by three exponentials. The considered system may consist of molecular groups with different mobility. For each group a Gaussian distribution of the activation energy is introduced. By assuming for every subsystem three parameters: the mean activation energy E(0), the distribution width σ and the pre-exponential factor τ(0) for the Arrhenius equation defining the correlation time, the relaxation rate is calculated for every part of the distribution. Experiment-based limiting values allow the grouping of the rates into three classes. For each class the relaxation rate and weight is calculated and compared with experiment. The parameters E(0), σ and τ(0) are determined iteratively by repeating the whole cycle many times. The temperature dependence of the deuteron relaxation was observed in three samples containing CD(3)OH (200% and 100% loading) and CD(3)OD (200%) in NaX zeolite and analyzed by the described method between 20K and 170K. The obtained parameters, equal for all the three samples, characterize the methyl and hydroxyl mobilities of the methanol molecules at two different locations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Parametrization in models of subcritical glass fracture: Activation offset and concerted activation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodrigues, Bruno Poletto; Hühn, Carolin; Erlebach, Andreas; Mey, Dorothea; Sierka, Marek; Wondraczek, Lothar

    2017-08-01

    There are two established but fundamentally different empirical approaches to parametrize the rate of subcritical fracture in brittle materials. While both are relying on a thermally activated reaction of bond rupture, the difference lies in the way as to how the externally applied stresses affect the local energy landscape. In the consideration of inorganic glasses, the strain energy is typically taken as an off-set on the activation barrier. As an alternative interpretation, the system’s volumetric strain-energy is added to its thermal energy. Such an interpretation is consistent with the democratic fiber bundle model. Here, we test this approach of concerted activation against macroscopic data of bond cleavage activation energy, and also against ab initio quantum chemical simulation of the energy barrier for cracking in silica. The fact that both models are able to reproduce experimental observation to a remarkable degree highlights the importance of a holistic consideration towards non-empirical understanding.

  18. Climate impacts on extreme energy consumption of different types of buildings.

    PubMed

    Li, Mingcai; Shi, Jun; Guo, Jun; Cao, Jingfu; Niu, Jide; Xiong, Mingming

    2015-01-01

    Exploring changes of building energy consumption and its relationships with climate can provide basis for energy-saving and carbon emission reduction. Heating and cooling energy consumption of different types of buildings during 1981-2010 in Tianjin city, was simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily or hourly extreme energy consumption was determined by percentile methods, and the climate impact on extreme energy consumption was analyzed. The results showed that days of extreme heating consumption showed apparent decrease during the recent 30 years for residential and large venue buildings, whereas days of extreme cooling consumption increased in large venue building. No significant variations were found for the days of extreme energy consumption for commercial building, although a decreasing trend in extreme heating energy consumption. Daily extreme energy consumption for large venue building had no relationship with climate parameters, whereas extreme energy consumption for commercial and residential buildings was related to various climate parameters. Further multiple regression analysis suggested heating energy consumption for commercial building was affected by maximum temperature, dry bulb temperature, solar radiation and minimum temperature, which together can explain 71.5 % of the variation of the daily extreme heating energy consumption. The daily extreme cooling energy consumption for commercial building was only related to the wet bulb temperature (R2= 0.382). The daily extreme heating energy consumption for residential building was affected by 4 climate parameters, but the dry bulb temperature had the main impact. The impacts of climate on hourly extreme heating energy consumption has a 1-3 hour delay in all three types of buildings, but no delay was found in the impacts of climate on hourly extreme cooling energy consumption for the selected buildings.

  19. Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviours according to ethnic background among adolescents in seven countries in Europe: the ENERGY-project.

    PubMed

    Brug, J; van Stralen, M M; Chinapaw, M J M; De Bourdeaudhuij, I; Lien, N; Bere, E; Singh, A S; Maes, L; Moreno, L; Jan, N; Kovacs, E; Lobstein, T; Manios, Y; Te Velde, S J

    2012-10-01

    The aim of this study was to explore differences in weight status and energy balance behaviours according to ethnic background among adolescents across Europe. A school-based survey among 10-12-year-old adolescents was conducted in seven European countries. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured; engagement in physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviour, and sleep duration was assessed by child and parent-report. A distinction between native and non-native ethnic background was based on language spoken at home, and the parents' country of birth. Analyses were conducted with and without adjustment for parental education. With valid data on both indicators of ethnic background for 5149 adolescents, 7307 adolescents (52% girls; 11.6 ± 0.7 years) participated. Significantly higher prevalence of overweight, obesity, body mass index and waist circumference were observed among non-native compared with native adolescents. Non-native adolescents had less favourable behavioural patterns (sugary drinks, breakfast skipping, sport, TV and computer time, hours of sleep) with the exception of active transport to school. Similar patterns were observed for both indicators of ethnicity, and in most of the separate countries; however, in Greece, weight status indicators were better among non-native adolescents. After adjustment for parental education, most differences remained significant according to country of origin of the parents, but not according to language spoken at home. Adolescents of native ethnicity of the country of residence have, in general, more favourable weight status indicators and energy balance-related behaviours than adolescents of non-native ethnicity across Europe. © 2012 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2012 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  20. Award Winning Energy Education Activities for Elementary and High School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carey, Helen H., Ed.

    This publication contains descriptions of the winning entries to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Teacher Participation Contest conducted in 1976. This was a nationwide contest for the design of activities around energy themes at any grade level, K-12. The ten winning entries described here are: (1) Energy Units for Primary Grades;…

  1. Differences in associations between active transportation and built environmental exposures when expressed using different components of individual activity spaces.

    PubMed

    van Heeswijck, Torbjorn; Paquet, Catherine; Kestens, Yan; Thierry, Benoit; Morency, Catherine; Daniel, Mark

    2015-05-01

    This study assessed relationships between built environmental exposures measured within components of individual activity spaces (i.e., travel origins, destinations and paths in-between), and use of active transportation in a metropolitan setting. Individuals (n=37,165) were categorised as using active or sedentary transportation based on travel survey data. Generalised Estimating Equations analysis was used to test relationships with active transportation. Strength and significance of relationships between exposures and active transportation varied for different components of the activity space. Associations were strongest when including travel paths in expression of the built environment. Land use mix and greenness were negatively related to active transportation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Active compounds, antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of different varieties of Chaenomeles fruits.

    PubMed

    Miao, Jing; Li, Xia; Zhao, Chengcheng; Gao, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Ying; Gao, Wenyuan

    2018-05-15

    Chaenomeles is an important source for food industry in China, and its planting area is expanding year by year. This study was conducted to evaluate different varieties of Chaenomeles by comparing the chemical compositions, antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of peels and fleshes from twelve varieties of Chaenomeles. In the results, peels of Chaenomeles contain more phenolics, flavonoids and triterpenes, and show better antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than their fleshes. All varieties of Chaenomeles perform different depend on cultivar and climatic conditions. Oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, protocatechuic acid, rutin, catechin, caffeic acid, syringic acid, epicatechin, hyperin, quercetin, kaempferol and chlorogenic acid are main active compounds in Chaenomeles. Zheng'an, Liufu, Zimugua1, Qijiang and Changjun get Top five scores. This is the first study on the peels and fleshes of twelve varieties of Chaenomeles, and it gives insights into variety selection in the planting and production of Chaenomeles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Effects of atmospheric composition on apparent activation energy of silicate weathering: I. Model formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanzaki, Yoshiki; Murakami, Takashi

    2018-07-01

    We have developed a weathering model to comprehensively understand the determining factors of the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering in order to better estimate the silicate-weathering flux in the Precambrian. The model formulates the reaction rate of a mineral as a basis, then the elemental loss by summing the reaction rates of whole minerals, and finally the weathering flux from a given weathering profile by integrating the elemental losses along the depth of the profile. The rate expressions are formulated with physicochemical parameters relevant to weathering, including solution and atmospheric compositions. The apparent activation energies of silicate weathering are then represented by the temperature dependences of the physicochemical parameters based on the rate expressions. It was found that the interactions between individual mineral-reactions and the compositions of solution and atmosphere are necessarily accompanied by those of temperature-dependence counterparts. Indeed, the model calculates the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering as a function of the temperature dependence of atmospheric CO2 (Δ HCO2‧) . The dependence of the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering on Δ HCO2‧ may explain the empirical dependence of silicate weathering on the atmospheric composition. We further introduce a compensation law between the apparent activation energy and the pre-exponential factor to obtain the relationship between the silicate-weathering flux (FCO2), temperature and the apparent activation energy. The model calculation and the compensation law enable us to predict FCO2 as a function of temperature, once Δ HCO2‧ is given. The validity of the model is supported by agreements between the model prediction and observations of the apparent activation energy and FCO2 in the modern weathering systems. The present weathering model will be useful for the estimation of FCO2 in the Precambrian, for which Δ HCO2‧ can be

  4. The Role of Heart-Rate Variability Parameters in Activity Recognition and Energy-Expenditure Estimation Using Wearable Sensors.

    PubMed

    Park, Heesu; Dong, Suh-Yeon; Lee, Miran; Youn, Inchan

    2017-07-24

    Human-activity recognition (HAR) and energy-expenditure (EE) estimation are major functions in the mobile healthcare system. Both functions have been investigated for a long time; however, several challenges remain unsolved, such as the confusion between activities and the recognition of energy-consuming activities involving little or no movement. To solve these problems, we propose a novel approach using an accelerometer and electrocardiogram (ECG). First, we collected a database of six activities (sitting, standing, walking, ascending, resting and running) of 13 voluntary participants. We compared the HAR performances of three models with respect to the input data type (with none, all, or some of the heart-rate variability (HRV) parameters). The best recognition performance was 96.35%, which was obtained with some selected HRV parameters. EE was also estimated for different choices of the input data type (with or without HRV parameters) and the model type (single and activity-specific). The best estimation performance was found in the case of the activity-specific model with HRV parameters. Our findings indicate that the use of human physiological data, obtained by wearable sensors, has a significant impact on both HAR and EE estimation, which are crucial functions in the mobile healthcare system.

  5. Mass content of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays within different time periods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glushkov, A. V.

    2014-03-01

    Estimates obtained for the average atomic number of nuclei of primary particles with energies in the region of E 0 ⩾ 1015 eV over the past 36 years at the Yakutsk array and other arrays worldwide for studying extensive air showers are presented. It is shown that these estimates are markedly different with in different time periods. Earlier than 1996, the composition of cosmic rays in the energy range of 5 × 1015-1018 eV was markedly lighter than in later years. After 2008, there appeared a trend toward a decrease in . This is likely to be a manifestation of some explosive process in the Milky Way Galaxy after 1996.

  6. Higher skeletal muscle α2AMPK activation and lower energy charge and fat oxidation in men than in women during submaximal exercise

    PubMed Central

    Roepstorff, Carsten; Thiele, Maja; Hillig, Thore; Pilegaard, Henriette; Richter, Erik A; Wojtaszewski, Jørgen F P; Kiens, Bente

    2006-01-01

    5′AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor activated by perturbed cellular energy status such as during muscle contraction. Activated AMPK is thought to regulate several key metabolic pathways. We used sex comparison to investigate whether AMPK signalling in skeletal muscle regulates fat oxidation during exercise. Moderately trained women and men completed 90 min bicycle exercise at 60% V̇O2peak. Both AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation and α2AMPK activity were increased by exercise in men (∼200%, P < 0.001) but not significantly in women. The sex difference in muscle AMPK activation with exercise was accompanied by an increase in muscle free AMP (∼164%, P < 0.01), free AMP/ATP ratio (159%, P < 0.05), and creatine (∼42%, P < 0.001) in men but not in women (NS), suggesting that lack of AMPK activation in women was due to better maintenance of muscle cellular energy balance compared with men. During exercise, fat oxidation per kg lean body mass was higher in women than in men (P < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that a higher proportion of type 1 muscle fibres (∼23%, P < 0.01) and a higher capillarization (∼23%, P < 0.05) in women than in men could partly explain the sex difference in α2AMPK activity (r = −0.54, P < 0.05) and fat oxidation (r = 0.64, P < 0.05) during exercise. On the other hand, fat oxidation appeared not to be regulated via AMPK. In conclusion, during prolonged submaximal exercise at 60% V̇O2peak, higher fat oxidation in women cannot be explained by higher AMPK signalling but is accompanied by improved muscle cellular energy balance in women probably due to sex specific muscle morphology. PMID:16600998

  7. A STATISTICAL STUDY OF FLARE PRODUCTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH SUNSPOT PROPERTIES IN DIFFERENT MAGNETIC TYPES OF ACTIVE REGIONS

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

    Yang, Ya-Hui; Hsieh, Min-Shiu; Yu, Hsiu-Shan

    It is often believed that intense flares preferentially originate from the large-size active regions (ARs) with strong magnetic fields and complex magnetic configurations. This work investigates the dependence of flare activity on the AR properties and clarifies the influence of AR magnetic parameters on the flare productivity, based on two data sets of daily sunspot and flare information as well as the GOES soft X-ray measurements and HMI vector magnetograms. By considering the evolution of magnetic complexity, we find that flare behaviors are quite different in the short- and long-lived complex ARs and the ARs with more complex magnetic configurationsmore » are likely to host more impulsive and intense flares. Furthermore, we investigate several magnetic quantities and perform the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to examine the similarity/difference between two populations in different types of ARs. Our results demonstrate that the total source field strength on the photosphere has a good correlation with the flare activity in complex ARs. It is noted that intense flares tend to occur at the regions of strong source field in combination with an intermediate field-weighted shear angle. This result implies that the magnetic free energy provided by a complex AR could be high enough to trigger a flare eruption even with a moderate magnetic shear on the photosphere. We thus suggest that the magnetic free energy represented by the source field rather than the photospheric magnetic complexity is a better quantity to characterize the flare productivity of an AR, especially for the occurrence of intense flares.« less

  8. Evaluation of dietary energy intake and physical activity in dogs undergoing a controlled weight-loss program.

    PubMed

    Wakshlag, Joseph J; Struble, Angela M; Warren, Barbour S; Maley, Mary; Panasevich, Matthew R; Cummings, Kevin J; Long, Grace M; Laflamme, Dorothy E

    2012-02-15

    To quantify physical activity and dietary energy intake in dogs enrolled in a controlled weight-loss program and assess relationships between energy intake and physical activity, sex, age, body weight, and body condition score (BCS). Prospective clinical study. 35 client-owned obese dogs (BCS > 7/9). Dogs were fed a therapeutic diet with energy intake restrictions to maintain weight loss of approximately 2%/wk. Collar-mounted pedometers were used to record the number of steps taken daily as a measure of activity. Body weight and BCS were assessed at the beginning of the weight-loss program and every 2 weeks thereafter throughout the study. Relationships between energy intake and sex, age, activity, BCS, and body weight at the end of the study were assessed via multivariable linear regression. Variables were compared among dogs stratified post hoc into inactive and active groups on the basis of mean number of steps taken (< or > 7,250 steps/d, respectively). Mean ± SD daily energy intake per unit of metabolic body weight (kg(0.75)) of active dogs was significantly greater than that of inactive dogs (53.6 ± 15.2 kcal/kg(0.75) vs 42.2 ± 9.7 kcal/kg(0.75), respectively) while maintaining weight-loss goals. In regression analysis, only the number of steps per day was significantly associated with energy intake. Increased physical activity was associated with higher energy intake while maintaining weight-loss goals. Each 1,000-step interval was associated with a 1 kcal/kg(0.75) increase in energy intake.

  9. On the analysis of activation energy of PS 35000 in various solvents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Padmanaban, R.; Venkatramanan, K.

    2015-08-01

    Polymer is a macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits. Polystyrene is a polymer of styrene. Polystyrene has very low impact strength. Polystyrene generally leads to lower tensile strength, crystal grades being stiff and brittle. It is used to construct clamshell packs, cookie trays, cups, forks, spoons, cushioning materials for packaging, disposable medical devices, egg cartons, fast food containers, lids, lunch boxes, meat trays and also used in civil construction (concrete form-work or weight reduction on foundations). In the present study an attempt has been made to compute the viscosity of Polystyrene (PS 35000) in toluene and benzene in different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% & 2.5%) at different temperatures (303 K, 308 K, 313 K & 318 K). From these experimental data the activation energy is calculated and the effect of solvent is analysed.

  10. The calculations of small molecular conformation energy differences by density functional method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Topol, I. A.; Burt, S. K.

    1993-03-01

    The differences in the conformational energies for the gauche (G) and trans(T) conformers of 1,2-difluoroethane and for myo-and scyllo-conformer of inositol have been calculated by local density functional method (LDF approximation) with geometry optimization using different sets of calculation parameters. It is shown that in the contrast to Hartree—Fock methods, density functional calculations reproduce the correct sign and value of the gauche effect for 1,2-difluoroethane and energy difference for both conformers of inositol. The results of normal vibrational analysis for1,2-difluoroethane showed that harmonic frequencies calculated in LDF approximation agree with experimental data with the accuracy typical for scaled large basis set Hartree—Fock calculations.

  11. The role of different sampling methods in improving biological activity prediction using deep belief network.

    PubMed

    Ghasemi, Fahimeh; Fassihi, Afshin; Pérez-Sánchez, Horacio; Mehri Dehnavi, Alireza

    2017-02-05

    Thousands of molecules and descriptors are available for a medicinal chemist thanks to the technological advancements in different branches of chemistry. This fact as well as the correlation between them has raised new problems in quantitative structure activity relationship studies. Proper parameter initialization in statistical modeling has merged as another challenge in recent years. Random selection of parameters leads to poor performance of deep neural network (DNN). In this research, deep belief network (DBN) was applied to initialize DNNs. DBN is composed of some stacks of restricted Boltzmann machine, an energy-based method that requires computing log likelihood gradient for all samples. Three different sampling approaches were suggested to solve this gradient. In this respect, the impact of DBN was applied based on the different sampling approaches mentioned above to initialize the DNN architecture in predicting biological activity of all fifteen Kaggle targets that contain more than 70k molecules. The same as other fields of processing research, the outputs of these models demonstrated significant superiority to that of DNN with random parameters. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Identifying physical activity gender differences among youth

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Physical activity (PA) is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and reduces risk of certain chronic diseases. Many youth do not currently meet PA guidelines; evidence suggests that girls are less active than boys are at all ages. PA differences need to be understood, so that gender-specific inter...

  13. Climate Impacts on Extreme Energy Consumption of Different Types of Buildings

    PubMed Central

    Li, Mingcai; Shi, Jun; Guo, Jun; Cao, Jingfu; Niu, Jide; Xiong, Mingming

    2015-01-01

    Exploring changes of building energy consumption and its relationships with climate can provide basis for energy-saving and carbon emission reduction. Heating and cooling energy consumption of different types of buildings during 1981-2010 in Tianjin city, was simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily or hourly extreme energy consumption was determined by percentile methods, and the climate impact on extreme energy consumption was analyzed. The results showed that days of extreme heating consumption showed apparent decrease during the recent 30 years for residential and large venue buildings, whereas days of extreme cooling consumption increased in large venue building. No significant variations were found for the days of extreme energy consumption for commercial building, although a decreasing trend in extreme heating energy consumption. Daily extreme energy consumption for large venue building had no relationship with climate parameters, whereas extreme energy consumption for commercial and residential buildings was related to various climate parameters. Further multiple regression analysis suggested heating energy consumption for commercial building was affected by maximum temperature, dry bulb temperature, solar radiation and minimum temperature, which together can explain 71.5 % of the variation of the daily extreme heating energy consumption. The daily extreme cooling energy consumption for commercial building was only related to the wet bulb temperature (R2= 0.382). The daily extreme heating energy consumption for residential building was affected by 4 climate parameters, but the dry bulb temperature had the main impact. The impacts of climate on hourly extreme heating energy consumption has a 1-3 hour delay in all three types of buildings, but no delay was found in the impacts of climate on hourly extreme cooling energy consumption for the selected buildings. PMID:25923205

  14. Alterations in energy substrate metabolism in mice with different degrees of sepsis.

    PubMed

    Irahara, Takayuki; Sato, Norio; Otake, Kosuke; Matsumura, Shigenobu; Inoue, Kazuo; Ishihara, Kengo; Fushiki, Tohru; Yokota, Hiroyuki

    2018-07-01

    Nutritional management is crucial during the acute phase of severe illnesses. However, the appropriate nutritional requirements for patients with sepsis are poorly understood. We investigated alterations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism in mice with different degrees of sepsis. C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: control mice group, administered with saline, and low- and high-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) groups, intraperitoneally administered with 1 and 5 mg of LPS/kg, respectively. Rectal temperature, food intake, body weight, and spontaneous motor activity were measured. Indirect calorimetry was performed using a respiratory gas analysis for 120 h, after which carbohydrate oxidation and fatty acid oxidation were calculated. Urinary nitrogen excretion was measured to evaluate protein metabolism. The substrate utilization ratio was recalculated. Plasma and liver carbohydrate and lipid levels were evaluated at 24, 72, and 120 h after LPS administration. Biological reactions decreased significantly in the low- and high-LPS groups. Fatty acid oxidation and protein oxidation increased significantly 24 h after LPS administration, whereas carbohydrate oxidation decreased significantly. Energy substrate metabolism changed from glucose to predominantly lipid metabolism depending on the degree of sepsis, and protein metabolism was low. Plasma lipid levels decreased, whereas liver lipid levels increased at 24 h, suggesting that lipids were transported to the liver as the energy source. Our findings revealed that energy substrate metabolism changed depending on the degree of sepsis. Therefore, in nutritional management, such metabolic alterations must be considered, and further studies on the optimum nutritional intervention during severe sepsis are necessary. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Neuroimaging and Neuroenergetics: Brain Activations as Information-Driven Reorganization of Energy Flows

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strelnikov, Kuzma

    2010-01-01

    There is increasing focus on the neurophysiological underpinnings of brain activations, giving birth to an emerging branch of neuroscience--neuroenergetics. However, no common definition of "brain activation" exists thus far. In this article, we define brain activation as the information-driven reorganization of energy flows in a population of…

  16. In silico study of protein to protein interaction analysis of AMP-activated protein kinase and mitochondrial activity in three different farm animal species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prastowo, S.; Widyas, N.

    2018-03-01

    AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is cellular energy censor which works based on ATP and AMP concentration. This protein interacts with mitochondria in determine its activity to generate energy for cell metabolism purposes. For that, this paper aims to compare the protein to protein interaction of AMPK and mitochondrial activity genes in the metabolism of known animal farm (domesticated) that are cattle (Bos taurus), pig (Sus scrofa) and chicken (Gallus gallus). In silico study was done using STRING V.10 as prominent protein interaction database, followed with biological function comparison in KEGG PATHWAY database. Set of genes (12 in total) were used as input analysis that are PRKAA1, PRKAA2, PRKAB1, PRKAB2, PRKAG1, PRKAG2, PRKAG3, PPARGC1, ACC, CPT1B, NRF2 and SOD. The first 7 genes belong to gene in AMPK family, while the last 5 belong to mitochondrial activity genes. The protein interaction result shows 11, 8 and 5 metabolism pathways in Bos taurus, Sus scrofa and Gallus gallus, respectively. The top pathway in Bos taurus is AMPK signaling pathway (10 genes), Sus scrofa is Adipocytokine signaling pathway (8 genes) and Gallus gallus is FoxO signaling pathway (5 genes). Moreover, the common pathways found in those 3 species are Adipocytokine signaling pathway, Insulin signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway. Genes clustered in Adipocytokine and Insulin signaling pathway are PRKAA2, PPARGC1A, PRKAB1 and PRKAG2. While, in FoxO signaling pathway are PRKAA2, PRKAB1, PRKAG2. According to that, we found PRKAA2, PRKAB1 and PRKAG2 are the common genes. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, we can demonstrate that protein to protein interaction shows distinct different of metabolism in different species. However, further validation is needed to give a clear explanation.

  17. Impact of different temperatures on survival and energy metabolism in the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama.

    PubMed

    El-Shesheny, Ibrahim; Hijaz, Faraj; El-Hawary, Ibrahim; Mesbah, Ibrahim; Killiny, Nabil

    2016-02-01

    Temperature influences the life history and metabolic parameters of insects. Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri is a tropical and subtropical pest. ACP invaded new regions around the world and threatened the citrus industry as a vector for Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. ACP is widely distributed and can survive high (up to 45 °C) and low temperatures (as low as -6 °C). The precise mechanism of temperature tolerance in ACP is poorly understood. We investigated adult survival, cellular energy balance, gene expression, and nucleotide and sugar-nucleotide changes under the effect of different temperature regimes (0 °C to 45 °C with 5 °C intervals). The optimum temperatures for survival were 20 and 25 °C. Low temperatures of 0 °C and 5 °C caused 50% mortality after 2 and 4 days respectively, while one day at high temperature (40 °C and 45 °C) caused more than 95% mortality. The lowest quantity of ATP (3.69 ± 1.6 ng/insect) and the maximum ATPase enzyme activities (57.43 ± 7.6 μU/insect) were observed at 25 °C. Correlation between ATP quantities and ATPase activity was negative. Gene expression of hsp 70, V-type proton ATPase catalytic subunit A and ATP synthase α subunit matched these results. Twenty-four nucleotides and sugar-nucleotides were quantified using HPLC in ACP adults maintained at low, high, and optimum temperatures. The nucleotide profiles were different among treatments. The ratios between AMP:ATP and ADP:ATP were significantly decreased and positively correlated to adults survival, whereas the adenylate energy charge was increased in response to low and high temperatures. Exploring energy metabolic regulation in relation with adult survival might help in understanding the physiological basis of how ACP tolerates newly invaded regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Active Noise Control Experiments using Sound Energy Flu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krause, Uli

    2015-03-01

    This paper reports on the latest results concerning the active noise control approach using net flow of acoustic energy. The test set-up consists of two loudspeakers simulating the engine noise and two smaller loudspeakers which belong to the active noise system. The system is completed by two acceleration sensors and one microphone per loudspeaker. The microphones are located in the near sound field of the loudspeakers. The control algorithm including the update equation of the feed-forward controller is introduced. Numerical simulations are performed with a comparison to a state of the art method minimising the radiated sound power. The proposed approach is experimentally validated.

  19. Calculation of Relative Binding Free Energy in the Water-Filled Active Site of Oligopeptide-Binding Protein A.

    PubMed

    Maurer, Manuela; de Beer, Stephanie B A; Oostenbrink, Chris

    2016-04-15

    The periplasmic oligopeptide binding protein A (OppA) represents a well-known example of water-mediated protein-ligand interactions. Here, we perform free-energy calculations for three different ligands binding to OppA, using a thermodynamic integration approach. The tripeptide ligands share a high structural similarity (all have the sequence KXK), but their experimentally-determined binding free energies differ remarkably. Thermodynamic cycles were constructed for the ligands, and simulations conducted in the bound and (freely solvated) unbound states. In the unbound state, it was observed that the difference in conformational freedom between alanine and glycine leads to a surprisingly slow convergence, despite their chemical similarity. This could be overcome by increasing the softness parameter during alchemical transformations. Discrepancies remained in the bound state however, when comparing independent simulations of the three ligands. These difficulties could be traced to a slow relaxation of the water network within the active site. Fluctuations in the number of water molecules residing in the binding cavity occur mostly on a timescale larger than the simulation time along the alchemical path. After extensive simulations, relative binding free energies that were converged to within thermal noise could be obtained, which agree well with available experimental data.

  20. Collision activity during training increases total energy expenditure measured via doubly labelled water.

    PubMed

    Costello, Nessan; Deighton, Kevin; Preston, Thomas; Matu, Jamie; Rowe, Joshua; Sawczuk, Thomas; Halkier, Matt; Read, Dale B; Weaving, Daniel; Jones, Ben

    2018-06-01

    Collision sports are characterised by frequent high-intensity collisions that induce substantial muscle damage, potentially increasing the energetic cost of recovery. Therefore, this study investigated the energetic cost of collision-based activity for the first time across any sport. Using a randomised crossover design, six professional young male rugby league players completed two different 5-day pre-season training microcycles. Players completed either a collision (COLL; 20 competitive one-on-one collisions) or non-collision (nCOLL; matched for kinematic demands, excluding collisions) training session on the first day of each microcycle, exactly 7 days apart. All remaining training sessions were matched and did not involve any collision-based activity. Total energy expenditure was measured using doubly labelled water, the literature gold standard. Collisions resulted in a very likely higher (4.96 ± 0.97 MJ; ES = 0.30 ± 0.07; p = 0.0021) total energy expenditure across the 5-day COLL training microcycle (95.07 ± 16.66 MJ) compared with the nCOLL training microcycle (90.34 ± 16.97 MJ). The COLL training session also resulted in a very likely higher (200 ± 102 AU; ES = 1.43 ± 0.74; p = 0.007) session rating of perceived exertion and a very likely greater (- 14.6 ± 3.3%; ES = - 1.60 ± 0.51; p = 0.002) decrease in wellbeing 24 h later. A single collision training session considerably increased total energy expenditure. This may explain the large energy expenditures of collision-sport athletes, which appear to exceed kinematic training and match demands. These findings suggest fuelling professional collision-sport athletes appropriately for the "muscle damage caused" alongside the kinematic "work required".

  1. Energy transfer in light-adapted photosynthetic membranes: from active to saturated photosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Fassioli, Francesca; Olaya-Castro, Alexandra; Scheuring, Simon; Sturgis, James N; Johnson, Neil F

    2009-11-04

    In bacterial photosynthesis light-harvesting complexes, LH2 and LH1 absorb sunlight energy and deliver it to reaction centers (RCs) with extraordinarily high efficiency. Submolecular resolution images have revealed that both the LH2:LH1 ratio, and the architecture of the photosynthetic membrane itself, adapt to light intensity. We investigate the functional implications of structural adaptations in the energy transfer performance in natural in vivo low- and high-light-adapted membrane architectures of Rhodospirillum photometricum. A model is presented to describe excitation migration across the full range of light intensities that cover states from active photosynthesis, where all RCs are available for charge separation, to saturated photosynthesis where all RCs are unavailable. Our study outlines three key findings. First, there is a critical light-energy density, below which the low-light adapted membrane is more efficient at absorbing photons and generating a charge separation at RCs, than the high-light-adapted membrane. Second, connectivity of core complexes is similar in both membranes, suggesting that, despite different growth conditions, a preferred transfer pathway is through core-core contacts. Third, there may be minimal subareas on the membrane which, containing the same LH2:LH1 ratio, behave as minimal functional units as far as excitation transfer efficiency is concerned.

  2. Can energy expenditure be accurately assessed using accelerometry-based wearable motion detectors for physical activity monitoring in post-stroke patients in the subacute phase?

    PubMed

    Mandigout, Stéphane; Lacroix, Justine; Ferry, Béatrice; Vuillerme, Nicolas; Compagnat, Maxence; Daviet, Jean-Christophe

    2017-12-01

    Background In the subacute stroke phase, the monitoring of ambulatory activity and activities of daily life with wearable sensors may have relevant clinical applications. Do current commercially available wearable activity trackers allow us to objectively assess the energy expenditure of these activities? The objective of the present study was to compare the energy expenditure evaluated by indirect calorimetry during the course of a scenario consisting of everyday activities while estimating the energy expenditure using several commercialised wearable sensors in post-stroke patients (less than six months since stroke). Method Twenty-four patients (age 68.2 ± 13.9; post-stroke delay 34 ± 25 days) voluntarily participated in this study. Each patient underwent a scenario of various everyday tasks (transfer, walking, etc.). During the implementation, patients wore 14 wearable sensors (Armband, Actigraph GT3X, Actical, pedometer) to obtain an estimate of the energy expenditure. The actual energy expenditure was concurrently determined by indirect calorimetry. Results Except for the Armband worn on the non-plegic side, the results of our study show a significant difference between the energy expenditure values estimated by the various sensors and the actual energy expenditure when the scenario is considered as a whole. Conclusion The present results suggest that, for a series of everyday tasks, the wearable sensors underestimate the actual energy expenditure values in post-stroke patients in the subacute phase and are therefore not accurate. Several factors are likely to confound the results: types of activity, prediction equations, the position of the sensor and the hemiplegia side.

  3. Antibacterial photocatalytic activity of different crystalline TiO2 phases in oral multispecies biofilm.

    PubMed

    Pantaroto, Heloisa N; Ricomini-Filho, Antonio P; Bertolini, Martinna M; Dias da Silva, José Humberto; Azevedo Neto, Nilton F; Sukotjo, Cortino; Rangel, Elidiane C; Barão, Valentim A R

    2018-07-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) incorporation in biomaterials is a promising technology due to its photocatalytic and antibacterial activities. However, the antibacterial potential of different TiO 2 crystalline structures on a multispecies oral biofilm remains unknown. We hypothesized that the different crystalline TiO 2 phases present different photocatalytic and antibacterial activities. Three crystalline TiO 2 films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on commercially pure titanium (cpTi), in order to obtain four groups: (1) machined cpTi (control); (2) A-TiO 2 (anatase); (3) M-TiO 2 (mixture of anatase and rutile); (4) R-TiO 2 (rutile). The morphology, crystalline phase, chemical composition, hardness, elastic modulus and surface free energy of the surfaces were evaluated. The photocatalytic potential was assessed by methylene blue degradation assay. The antibacterial activity was evaluated on relevant oral bacteria, by using a multispecies biofilm (Streptococcus sanguinis, Actinomyces naeslundii and Fusobacterium nucleatum) formed on the treated titanium surfaces (16.5h) followed by UV-A light exposure (1h) to generate reactive oxygen species production. All TiO 2 films presented around 300nm thickness and improved the hardness and elastic modulus of cpTi surfaces (p<0.05). A-TiO 2 and M-TiO 2 films presented superior photocatalytic activity than R-TiO 2 (p<0.05). M-TiO 2 revealed the greatest antibacterial activity followed by A-TiO 2 (≈99.9% and 99% of bacterial reduction, respectively) (p<0.001 vs. control). R-TiO 2 had no antibacterial activity (p>0.05 vs. control). This study brings new insights on the development of extra oral protocols for the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 in oral biofilm-associated disease. Anatase and mixture-TiO 2 showed antibacterial activity on this oral bacterial biofilm, being promising surface coatings for dental implant components. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of Charge State on Fragmentation Pathways, Dynamics, and Activation Energies of Ubiquitin Ions Measured by Blackbody Infrared Radiative Dissociation

    PubMed Central

    Jockusch, Rebecca A.; Schnier, Paul D.; Price, William D.; Strittmatter, Eric. F.; Demirev, Plamen A.; Williams*, Evan R.

    2005-01-01

    Blackbody infrared radiative dissociation spectra of the (M + 5H)5+ through (M + 11H)11+ ions of the protein ubiquitin (8.6 kDa) formed by electrospray ionization were measured in a Fourier-transform mass spectrometer. The 5+ ion dissociates exclusively by loss of water and/or ammonia, whereas the 11+ charge state dissociates only by formation of complementary y and b ions. These two processes are competitive for intermediate charge state ions, with the formation of y and b ions increasingly favored for the higher charge states. The y and b ions are formed by cleavage of the backbone amide bond on the C-terminal side of acidic residues exclusively, with cleavage adjacent to aspartic acid favored. Thermal unimolecular dissociation rate constants for the dissociation of each of these charge states were measured. From the temperature dependence of these rates, Arrhenius activation parameters in the rapid energy exchange limit are obtained. The activation energies (Ea) and preexponential factors (A) for the 5+, 8+, and 9+ ions are 1.2 eV and 1012 s−1, respectively. These values for the 6+ and 7+ ions are 0.9–1.0 eV and 109 s−1, and those for the 10+ and 11+ ions are 1.6 eV and 1016–1017 s−1. Thus, with the exception of the 5+ ion, the higher charge states of ubiquitin have larger dissociation activation energies than the lower charge states. The different A factors observed for production of y and b ions from different precursor charge states indicate that they are formed by different mechanisms, ranging from relatively complex rearrangements to direct bond cleavages. These results clearly demonstrate that the relative dissociation rates of large biomolecule ions by themselves are not necessarily a reliable indicator of their relative dissociation energies, even when similar fragment ions are formed. PMID:9075403

  5. Effects of charge state on fragmentation pathways, dynamics, and activation energies of ubiquitin ions measured by blackbody infrared radiative dissociation.

    PubMed

    Jockusch, R A; Schnier, P D; Price, W D; Strittmatter, E F; Demirev, P A; Williams, E R

    1997-03-15

    Blackbody infrared radiative dissociation spectra of the (M + 5H)5+ through (M + 11H)11+ ions of the protein ubiquitin (8.6 kDa) formed by electrospray ionization were measured in a Fourier-transform mass spectrometer. The 5+ ion dissociates exclusively by loss of water and/or ammonia, whereas the 11+ charge state dissociates only by formation of complementary y and b ions. These two processes are competitive for intermediate charge state ions, with the formation of y and b ions increasingly favored for the higher charge states. The y and b ions are formed by cleavage of the backbone amide bond on the C-terminal side of acidic residues exclusively, with cleavage adjacent to aspartic acid favored. Thermal unimolecular dissociation rate constants for the dissociation of each of these charge states were measured. From the temperature dependence of these rates, Arrhenius activation parameters in the rapid energy exchange limit are obtained. The activation energies (Ea) and preexponential factors (A) for the 5+, 8+, and 9+ ions are 1.2 eV and 10(12) s-1, respectively. These values for the 6+ and 7+ ions are 0.9-1.0 eV and 10(9) s-1, and those for the 10+ and 11+ ions are 1.6 eV and 10(16)-10(17) s-1. Thus, with the exception of the 5+ ion, the higher charge states of ubiquitin have larger dissociation activation energies than the lower charge states. The different A factors observed for production of y and b ions from different precursor charge states indicate that they are formed by different mechanisms, ranging from relatively complex rearrangements to direct bond cleavages. These results clearly demonstrate that the relative dissociation rates of large biomolecule ions by themselves are not necessarily a reliable indicator of their relative dissociation energies, even when similar fragment ions are formed.

  6. Energy cost of isometric force production after active shortening in skinned muscle fibres.

    PubMed

    Joumaa, Venus; Fitzowich, Alex; Herzog, Walter

    2017-04-15

    The steady-state isometric force after active shortening of a skeletal muscle is lower than the purely isometric force at the corresponding length. This property of skeletal muscle is known as force depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the energy cost of force production at the steady state after active shortening was reduced compared with the energy cost of force production for a purely isometric contraction performed at the corresponding length (same length, same activation). Experiments were performed in skinned fibres isolated from rabbit psoas muscle. Skinned fibres were actively shortened from an average sarcomere length of 3.0 µm to an average sarcomere length of 2.4 µm. Purely isometric reference contractions were performed at an average sarcomere length of 2.4 µm. Simultaneously with the force measurements, the ATP cost was measured during the last 30 s of isometric contractions using an enzyme-coupled assay. Stiffness was calculated during a quick stretch-release cycle of 0.2% fibre length performed once the steady state had been reached after active shortening and during the purely isometric reference contractions. Force and stiffness following active shortening were decreased by 10.0±1.8% and 11.0±2.2%, respectively, compared with the isometric reference contractions. Similarly, ATPase activity per second (not normalized to the force) showed a decrease of 15.6±3.0% in the force-depressed state compared with the purely isometric reference state. However, ATPase activity per second per unit of force was similar for the isometric contractions following active shortening (28.7±2.4 mmol l -1  mN -1  s mm 3 ) and the corresponding purely isometric reference contraction (30.9±2.8 mmol l -1  mN -1  s mm 3 ). Furthermore, the reduction in absolute ATPase activity per second was significantly correlated with force depression and stiffness depression. These results are in accordance with the idea that force

  7. Comparative dosimetric characterization for different types of detectors in high-energy electron beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Chang Yeol; Kim, Woo Chul; Kim, Hun Jeong; Huh, Hyun Do; Park, Seungwoo; Choi, Sang Hyoun; Kim, Kum Bae; Min, Chul Kee; Kim, Seong Hoon; Shin, Dong Oh

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to perform a comparison and on analysis of measured dose factor values by using various commercially available high-energy electron beam detectors to measure dose profiles and energy property data. By analyzing the high-energy electron beam data from each detector, we determined the optimal detector for measuring electron beams in clinical applications. The dose linearity, dose-rate dependence, percentage depth dose, and dose profile of each detector were measured to evaluate the dosimetry characteristics of high-energy electron beams. The dose profile and the energy characteristics of high-energy electron beams were found to be different when measured by different detectors. Through comparison with other detectors based on the analyzed data, the microdiamond detector was found to have outstanding dose linearity, a low dose-rate dependency, and a small effective volume. Thus, this detector has outstanding spatial resolution and is the optimal detector for measuring electron beams. Radiation therapy results can be improved and related medical accidents can be prevented by using the procedure developed in this research in clinical practice for all beam detectors when measuring the electron beam dose.

  8. In Vitro Effects of Sports and Energy Drinks on Streptococcus mutans Biofilm Formation and Metabolic Activity.

    PubMed

    Vinson, LaQuia A; Goodlett, Amy K; Huang, Ruijie; Eckert, George J; Gregory, Richard L

    2017-09-15

    Sports and energy drinks are being increasingly consumed and contain large amounts of sugars, which are known to increase Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation and metabolic activity. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of sports and energy drinks on S. mutans biofilm formation and metabolic activity. S. mutans UA159 was cultured with and without a dilution (1:3 ratio) of a variety of sports and energy drinks in bacterial media for 24 hours. The biofilm was washed, fixed, and stained. Biofilm growth was evaluated by reading absorbance of the crystal violet. Biofilm metabolic activity was measured by the biofilm-reducing XTT to a water-soluble orange compound. Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake and Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso Energy were found to significantly increase biofilm (30-fold and 22-fold, respectively) and metabolic activity (2-fold and 3-fold, respectively). However, most of the remaining drinks significantly inhibited biofilm growth and metabolic activity. Several sports and energy drinks, with sugars or sugar substitutes as their main ingredients inhibited S. mutans biofilm formation. Among the drinks evaluated, Gatorade Protein Recovery Chocolate Shake and Starbucks Doubleshot Energy appear to have cariogenic potential since they increased the biofilm formation and metabolic activity of S. mutans.

  9. [Effect of Low-Intensity 900 MHz Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation on Rat Brain Enzyme Activities Linked to Energy Metabolism].

    PubMed

    Petrosyan, M S; Nersesova, L S; Gazaryants, M G; Meliksetyan, G O; Malakyan, M G; Bajinyan, S A; Akopian, J I

    2015-01-01

    The research deals with the effect of low-intensity 900 MHz frequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR), power density 25 μW/cm2, on the following rat brain and blood serum enzyme activities: creatine kinase (CK), playing a central role in the process of storing and distributing the cell energy, as well as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) that play a key role in providing the conjunction of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. The comparative analysis of the changes in the enzyme activity studied at different times following the two-hour single, as well as fractional, radiation equivalent of the total time showed that the most radiosensitive enzyme is the brain creatine kinase, which may then be recommended as a marker of the radio frequency radiation impact. According to the analysis of the changing dynamics of the CK, ALT and AST activity level, with time these changes acquire the adaptive character and are directed to compensate the damaged cell energy metabolism.

  10. Activation energy of the low-load NaCl transition from nanoindentation loading curves.

    PubMed

    Kaupp, Gerd

    2014-01-01

    Access to activation energies E(a) of phase transitions is opened by unprecedented analyses of temperature dependent nanoindentation loading curves. It is based on kinks in linearized loading curves, with additional support by coincidence of kink and electrical conductivity of silicon loading curves. Physical properties of B1, B2, NaCl and further phases are discussed. The normalized low-load transition energy of NaCl (Wtrans/µN) increases with temperature and slightly decreases with load. Its semi-logarithmic plot versus T obtains activation energy E(a)/µN for calculation of the transition work for all interesting temperatures and pressures. Arrhenius-type activation energy (kJ/mol) is unavailable for indentation phase transitions. The E(a) per load normalization proves insensitive to creep-on-load, which excludes normalization to depth or volume for large temperature ranges. Such phase transition E(a)/µN is unprecedented material's property and will be of practical importance for the compatibility of composite materials under impact and further shearing interactions at elevated temperatures. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Biomechanical pulping of aspen chips; Energy savings resulting from different fungal treatments

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

    Leatham, G.F.; Myers, G.C.; Wegner, T.H.

    1990-05-01

    Besides increasing paper strength, fungal treatments can also reduce the electrical energy needed for fiberizing chips during mechanical pulping. Fungal species, chip movement, and treatment duration affected the extent of energy savings. This paper reports that four-week-long treatment with white-rot fungi, including Phlebia species or Pholiota mutabilis, in a stationary wire tray bioreactor resulted in at least 35% energy savings for pulping chips to 100 mL CSF in a 300-mm-diameter disc refiner. With Phanerochaete chrysosporium in a rotating-drum bioreactor, the optimal treatment duration was four weeks. Treatment with a brown-rot fungus also resulted in energy savings. Over the range ofmore » fungi and conditions tested, neither chip weight loss nor lignin loss correlated with energy savings. Some treatments giving the least chip weight loss ({lt}5%) saved the most energy. Wood modifications responsible for energy savings differed from those that increased strength. Treatments that saved the most energy did not necessarily give the highest strength properties.« less

  12. Adoption of Canada's Physical Activity Guide and Handbook for Older Adults: impact on functional fitness and energy expenditure.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xuesong; Cooper, Juliette; Porter, Michelle M; Ready, A Elizabeth

    2004-08-01

    This study investigated whether a behaviour change program, based on Canada's Physical Activity Guide and Handbook to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults (Health Canada, 1999a), would elicit greater benefits than adoption of the guide and handbook alone. Fifteen older adults received the guide and accompanying handbook and completed the 8-week behaviour change program (mean age 73.2 +/- 5.2 yrs), while 14 others received only the guide and handbook (mean age 76.8 +/- 10.0 yrs). Functional fitness (lower body strength/endurance, flexibility, agility/dynamic balance) (Rikli and Jones, 1999), and estimated energy expenditure (DiPietro et al., 1993) were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks. Lower body strength/endurance and agility/dynamic balance differed between groups at baseline, p < 0.05. All three functional fitness tests improved in both groups over time, p< 0.05. Estimated energy expended in physical activity increased in both groups over time, p < 0.05; however, there was a significantly greater increase in the behaviour-change group (Group x Time interaction, p < 0.05). Participant response to using the guide and handbook was positive. These results indicate that introduction to Canada's Physical Activity Guide and Handbook to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults leads to benefits, whether or not accompanied by program supports. The group receiving the behaviour change program had a greater increase in energy expenditure, which suggests that such an intervention may ultimately lead to greater health benefits.

  13. Activation of different split functionalities upon re-association of RNA-DNA hybrids

    PubMed Central

    Afonin, Kirill A.; Viard, Mathias; Martins, Angelica N.; Lockett, Stephen J.; Maciag, Anna E.; Freed, Eric O.; Heldman, Eliahu; Jaeger, Luc; Blumenthal, Robert; Shapiro, Bruce A.

    2013-01-01

    Split-protein systems, an approach that relies on fragmentation of proteins with their further conditional re-association to form functional complexes, are increasingly used for various biomedical applications. This approach offers tight control of the protein functions and improved detection sensitivity. Here we show a similar technique based on a pair of RNA-DNA hybrids that can be generally used for triggering different split functionalities. Individually, each hybrid is inactive but when two cognate hybrids re-associate, different functionalities are triggered inside mammalian cells. As a proof of concept this work is mainly focused on activation of RNA interference; however the release of other functionalities (resonance energy transfer and RNA aptamer) is also shown. Furthermore, in vivo studies demonstrate a significant uptake of the hybrids by tumors together with specific gene silencing. This split-functionality approach presents a new route in the development of “smart” nucleic acids based nanoparticles and switches for various biomedical applications. PMID:23542902

  14. AgRP(83-132) and SHU9119 differently affect activity-based anorexia.

    PubMed

    Hillebrand, Jacquelien J G; Kas, Martien J H; Scheurink, Anton J W; van Dijk, Gertjan; Adan, Roger A H

    2006-08-01

    Activity-based anorexia (ABA) mimics starvation and hyperactivity of anorexia nervosa patients in rats. Activation of the melanocortin (MC) system leads to hypophagia and increased energy expenditure in ad libitum fed rats. Therefore, activation of the MC system might underlie the development and propagation of ABA. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression is normally decreased during negative energy balance. Strikingly, we found a transient up-regulation of POMC mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus during the development of ABA, indicating a hyperactive MC system. However, wheel running and food intake were not influenced by treating ABA rats with the competitive antagonist SHU9119. This suggests that agonism of MC receptors by endogenous alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) levels does not underlie ABA. Instead, treatment with the inverse agonist AgRP(83-132) did ameliorate signs of ABA. This implies that modulation of constitutive MC receptor activity rather than antagonizing putative alpha-MSH release contributes to the development and propagation of ABA.

  15. Illustrating the Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity Using Gibbs Energy Profiles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bearne, Stephen L.

    2014-01-01

    Gibbs energy profiles provide students with a visual representation of the energy changes that occur during enzyme catalysis, making such profiles useful as teaching and learning tools. Traditional kinetic topics, such as the effect of pH on enzyme activity, are often not discussed in terms of Gibbs energy profiles. Herein, the symbolism of Gibbs…

  16. Biochar as potential sustainable precursors for activated carbon production: Multiple applications in environmental protection and energy storage.

    PubMed

    Tan, Xiao-Fei; Liu, Shao-Bo; Liu, Yun-Guo; Gu, Yan-Ling; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Hu, Xin-Jiang; Wang, Xin; Liu, Shao-Heng; Jiang, Lu-Hua

    2017-03-01

    There is a growing interest of the scientific community on production of activated carbon using biochar as potential sustainable precursors pyrolyzed from biomass wastes. Physical activation and chemical activation are the main methods applied in the activation process. These methods could have significantly beneficial effects on biochar chemical/physical properties, which make it suitable for multiple applications including water pollution treatment, CO 2 capture, and energy storage. The feedstock with different compositions, pyrolysis conditions and activation parameters of biochar have significant influences on the properties of resultant activated carbon. Compared with traditional activated carbon, activated biochar appears to be a new potential cost-effective and environmentally-friendly carbon materials with great application prospect in many fields. This review not only summarizes information from the current analysis of activated biochar and their multiple applications for further optimization and understanding, but also offers new directions for development of activated biochar. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Energy Expenditure During Extravehicular Activity: Apollo Skylab Through STS-135

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paul, Heather L.

    2011-01-01

    The importance of real-time metabolic rate monitoring during extravehicular activities (EVAs) came into question during the Gemini missions, when the energy expenditure required to conduct an EVA over-tasked the crewmember and exceeded the capabilities of vehicle and space suit life support systems. Energy expenditure was closely evaluated through the Apollo lunar surface EVAs, resulting in modifications to space suit design and EVA operations. After the Apollo lunar surface missions were completed, the United States shifted its focus to long duration human space flight, to study the human response to living and working in a microgravity environment. This paper summarizes the energy expenditure during EVA from Apollo Skylab through STS-135.

  18. Triplet energy differences and the low lying structure of 62Ga

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henry, T. W.; Bentley, M. A.; Clark, R. M.; Davies, P. J.; Bader, V. M.; Baugher, T.; Bazin, D.; Beausang, C. W.; Berryman, J. S.; Bruce, A. M.; Campbell, C. M.; Crawford, H. L.; Cromaz, M.; Fallon, P.; Gade, A.; Henderson, J.; Iwasaki, H.; Jenkins, D. G.; Lee, I. Y.; Lemasson, A.; Lenzi, S. M.; Macchiavelli, A. O.; Napoli, D. R.; Nichols, A. J.; Paschalis, S.; Petri, M.; Recchia, F.; Rissanen, J.; Simpson, E. C.; Stroberg, S. R.; Wadsworth, R.; Weisshaar, D.; Wiens, A.; Walz, C.

    2015-08-01

    Background: Triplet energy differences (TED) can be studied to yield information on isospin-non-conserving interactions in nuclei. Purpose: The systematic behavior of triplet energy differences (TED) of T =1 , Jπ=2+ states is examined. The A =62 isobar is identified as having a TED value that deviates significantly from an otherwise very consistent trend. This deviation can be attributed to the tentative assignments of the pertinent states in 62Ga and 62Ge . Methods: An in-beam γ -ray spectroscopy experiment was performed to identify excited states in 62Ga using Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking In-Beam Nuclear Array with the S800 spectrometer at NSCL using a two-nucleon knockout approach. Cross-section calculations for the knockout process and shell-model calculations have been performed to interpret the population and decay properties observed. Results: Using the systematics as a guide, a candidate for the transition from the T =1 , 2+ state is identified. However, previous work has identified similar states with different Jπ assignments. Cross-section calculations indicate that the relevant T =1 , 2+ state should be one of the states directly populated in this reaction. Conclusions: As spins and parities were not measurable, it is concluded that an unambiguous identification of the first T =1 , 2+ state is required to reconcile our understanding of TED systematics.

  19. The independent prospective associations of activity intensity and dietary energy density with adiposity in young adolescents.

    PubMed

    van Sluijs, Esther M F; Sharp, Stephen J; Ambrosini, Gina L; Cassidy, Aedin; Griffin, Simon J; Ekelund, Ulf

    2016-03-14

    There is limited evidence on the prospective association of time spent in activity intensity (sedentary (SED), moderate (MPA) or vigorous (VPA) physical activity) and dietary intake with adiposity indicators in young people. This study aimed to assess associations between (1) baseline objectively measured activity intensity, dietary energy density (DED) and 4-year change in adiposity and (2) 4-year change in activity intensity/DED and adiposity at follow-up. We conducted cohort analyses including 367 participants (10 years at baseline, 14 years at follow-up) with valid data for objectively measured activity (Actigraph), DED (4-d food diary), anthropometry (waist circumference (WC), %body fat (%BF), fat mass index (FMI), weight status) and covariates. Linear and logistic regression models were fit, including adjustment for DED and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Results showed that baseline DED was associated with change in WC (β for 1kJ/g difference: 0·71; 95% CI 0·26, 1·17), particularly in boys (1·26; 95% CI 0·41, 2·16 v. girls: 0·26; 95% CI -0·34, 0·87), but not with %BF, FMI or weight status. In contrast, baseline SED, MPA or VPA were not associated with any of the outcomes. Change in DED was negatively associated with FMI (β for 1kJ/g increase: -0·86; 95% CI -1·59, -0·12) and %BF (-0·86; 95% CI -1·25, -0·11) but not WC (-0·27; 95% CI -1·02, 0·48). Change in SED, MPA and VPA did not predict adiposity at follow-up. In conclusion, activity intensity was not prospectively associated with adiposity, whereas the directions of associations with DED were inconsistent. To inform public health efforts, future studies should continue to analyse longitudinal data to further understand the independent role of different energy-balance behaviours in changes in adiposity in early adolescence.

  20. Glycoprotein Ib activation by thrombin stimulates the energy metabolism in human platelets

    PubMed Central

    Corona de la Peña, Norma; Gutiérrez-Aguilar, Manuel; Hernández-Reséndiz, Ileana; Marín-Hernández, Álvaro

    2017-01-01

    Thrombin-induced platelet activation requires substantial amounts of ATP. However, the specific contribution of each ATP-generating pathway i.e., oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) versus glycolysis and the biochemical mechanisms involved in the thrombin-induced activation of energy metabolism remain unclear. Here we report an integral analysis on the role of both energy pathways in human platelets activated by several agonists, and the signal transducing mechanisms associated with such activation. We found that thrombin, Trap-6, arachidonic acid, collagen, A23187, epinephrine and ADP significantly increased glycolytic flux (3–38 times vs. non-activated platelets) whereas ristocetin was ineffective. OxPhos (33 times) and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (88%) were increased only by thrombin. OxPhos was the main source of ATP in thrombin-activated platelets, whereas in platelets activated by any of the other agonists, glycolysis was the principal ATP supplier. In order to establish the biochemical mechanisms involved in the thrombin-induced OxPhos activation in platelets, several signaling pathways associated with mitochondrial activation were analyzed. Wortmannin and LY294002 (PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors), ristocetin and heparin (GPIb inhibitors) as well as resveratrol, ATP (calcium-release inhibitors) and PP1 (Tyr-phosphorylation inhibitor) prevented the thrombin-induced platelet activation. These results suggest that thrombin activates OxPhos and glycolysis through GPIb-dependent signaling involving PI3K and Akt activation, calcium mobilization and protein phosphorylation. PMID:28817667

  1. Regulation of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase by nuclear respiratory factor 1: implication in the tight coupling of neuronal activity, energy generation, and energy consumption.

    PubMed

    Johar, Kaid; Priya, Anusha; Wong-Riley, Margaret T T

    2012-11-23

    NRF-1 regulates mediators of neuronal activity and energy generation. NRF-1 transcriptionally regulates Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase subunits α1 and β1. NRF-1 functionally regulates mediators of energy consumption in neurons. NRF-1 mediates the tight coupling of neuronal activity, energy generation, and energy consumption at the molecular level. Energy generation and energy consumption are tightly coupled to neuronal activity at the cellular level. Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, a major energy-consuming enzyme, is well expressed in neurons rich in cytochrome c oxidase, an important enzyme of the energy-generating machinery, and glutamatergic receptors that are mediators of neuronal activity. The present study sought to test our hypothesis that the coupling extends to the molecular level, whereby Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase subunits are regulated by the same transcription factor, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1), found recently by our laboratory to regulate all cytochrome c oxidase subunit genes and some NMDA and AMPA receptor subunit genes. By means of multiple approaches, including in silico analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays, in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation, promoter mutational analysis, and real-time quantitative PCR, NRF-1 was found to functionally bind to the promoters of Atp1a1 and Atp1b1 genes but not of the Atp1a3 gene in neurons. The transcripts of Atp1a1 and Atp1b1 subunit genes were up-regulated by KCl and down-regulated by tetrodotoxin. Atp1b1 is positively regulated by NRF-1, and silencing of NRF-1 with small interference RNA blocked the up-regulation of Atp1b1 induced by KCl, whereas overexpression of NRF-1 rescued these transcripts from being suppressed by tetrodotoxin. On the other hand, Atp1a1 is negatively regulated by NRF-1. The binding sites of NRF-1 on Atp1a1 and Atp1b1 are conserved among mice, rats, and humans. Thus, NRF-1 regulates key Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase subunits and plays an important role in mediating the tight coupling between

  2. High-energy laser activities at MBDA Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohring, Bernd; Dietrich, Stephan; Tassini, Leonardo; Protz, Rudolf; Geidek, Franz; Zoz, Jürgen

    2013-05-01

    At MBDA Germany a concept for a high-energy laser weapon system is investigated, which is based on existing industrial laser sources. Due to the enormous progress in the field of high-power fiber lasers, commercial industrial fiber lasers are now available delivering a nearly-diffraction limited beam quality with power levels of up to 10 kW. By using a geometric beam coupling scheme, a number of individual high-power fiber laser beams are combined together using one common beam director telescope. A total laser beam power of more than 100 kW can be achieved, which is sufficient for an operational laser weapon system. The individual beams from the different lasers are steered by servo-loops using fast tip-tilt mirrors. This principle enables the concentration of the total laser beam power at one common focal point on a distant target, also allowing fine tracking of target movements and first-order compensation of turbulence effects on laser beam propagation. The proposed beam combination concept was demonstrated by using different experimental set-ups. A number of experiments were performed successfully to investigate laser beam target interaction and target fine tracking, also at large distances and at moving targets. Content and results of these investigations are reported, which demonstrate the complete engagement sequence for a C-RAM scenario. This includes subsequent steps of target acquisition by radar and IR optics, followed by large angle coarse tracking, active fine tracking and destruction of the target by the laser system. This successful implementation of geometric beam combining is an important step for the realization of a laser weapon system in the near future.

  3. Evaluation of the Effects of Different Energy Drinks and Coffee on Endothelial Function.

    PubMed

    Molnar, Janos; Somberg, John C

    2015-11-01

    Endothelial function plays an important role in circulatory physiology. There has been differing reports on the effect of energy drink on endothelial function. We set out to evaluate the effect of 3 energy drinks and coffee on endothelial function. Endothelial function was evaluated in healthy volunteers using a device that uses digital peripheral arterial tonometry measuring endothelial function as the reactive hyperemia index (RHI). Six volunteers (25 ± 7 years) received energy drink in a random order at least 2 days apart. Drinks studied were 250 ml "Red Bull" containing 80 mg caffeine, 57 ml "5-hour Energy" containing 230 mg caffeine, and a can of 355 ml "NOS" energy drink containing 120 mg caffeine. Sixteen volunteers (25 ± 5 years) received a cup of 473 ml coffee containing 240 mg caffeine. Studies were performed before drink (baseline) at 1.5 and 4 hours after drink. Two of the energy drinks (Red Bull and 5-hour Energy) significantly improved endothelial function at 4 hours after drink, whereas 1 energy drink (NOS) and coffee did not change endothelial function significantly. RHI increased by 82 ± 129% (p = 0.028) and 63 ± 37% (p = 0.027) after 5-hour Energy and Red Bull, respectively. The RHI changed after NOS by 2 ± 30% (p = 1.000) and by 7 ± 30% (p = 1.000) after coffee. In conclusion, some energy drinks appear to significantly improve endothelial function. Caffeine does not appear to be the component responsible for these differences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. K.E.E.P. - Kentucky's Energy Education Program Activities for the Classroom, K-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theiss, Nancy Stearns, Ed.; And Others

    Seventy-seven multidisciplinary activities for grades K-6 are contained in this revised edition of energy education lessons for Kentucky students. Section I introduces students to the topic of energy by emphasizing human interaction with the environment. It focuses on personal energy, food as the source of human energy, food chains, and the sun as…

  5. Quantum mechanics study of the hydroxyethylamines-BACE-1 active site interaction energies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gueto-Tettay, Carlos; Drosos, Juan Carlos; Vivas-Reyes, Ricardo

    2011-06-01

    The identification of BACE-1, a key enzyme in the production of Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, generated by the proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein, was a major advance in the field of Alzheimer's disease as this pathology is characterized by the presence of extracellular senile plaques, mainly comprised of Aβ peptides. Hydroxyethylamines have demonstrated a remarkable potential, like candidate drugs, for this disease using BACE-1 as target. Density Functional Theory calculations were employed to estimate interaction energies for the complexes formed between the hydroxyethylamine derivated inhibitors and 24 residues in the BACE-1 active site. The collected data offered not only a general but a particular quantitative description that gives a deep insight of the interactions in the active site, showing at the same time how ligand structural variations affect them. Polar interactions are the major energetic contributors for complex stabilization and those ones with charged aspartate residues are highlighted, as they contribute over 90% of the total attractive interaction energy. Ligand-ARG296 residue interaction reports the most repulsive value and decreasing of the magnitude of this repulsion can be a key feature for the design of novel and more potent BACE-1 inhibitors. Also it was explained why sultam derivated BACE-1 inhibitors are better ones than lactam based. Hydrophobic interactions concentrated at S1 zone and other relevant repulsions and attractions were also evaluated. The comparison of two different theory levels (X3LYP and M062X) allowed to confirm the relevance of the detected interactions as each theory level has its own strength to depict the forces involved, as is the case of M062X which is better describing the hydrophobic interactions. Those facts were also evaluated and confirmed by comparing the quantitative trend, of selected ligand-residue interactions, with MP2 theory level as reference standard method for electrostatic plus

  6. Quantum mechanics study of the hydroxyethylamines-BACE-1 active site interaction energies.

    PubMed

    Gueto-Tettay, Carlos; Drosos, Juan Carlos; Vivas-Reyes, Ricardo

    2011-06-01

    The identification of BACE-1, a key enzyme in the production of Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, generated by the proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein, was a major advance in the field of Alzheimer's disease as this pathology is characterized by the presence of extracellular senile plaques, mainly comprised of Aβ peptides. Hydroxyethylamines have demonstrated a remarkable potential, like candidate drugs, for this disease using BACE-1 as target. Density Functional Theory calculations were employed to estimate interaction energies for the complexes formed between the hydroxyethylamine derivated inhibitors and 24 residues in the BACE-1 active site. The collected data offered not only a general but a particular quantitative description that gives a deep insight of the interactions in the active site, showing at the same time how ligand structural variations affect them. Polar interactions are the major energetic contributors for complex stabilization and those ones with charged aspartate residues are highlighted, as they contribute over 90% of the total attractive interaction energy. Ligand-ARG296 residue interaction reports the most repulsive value and decreasing of the magnitude of this repulsion can be a key feature for the design of novel and more potent BACE-1 inhibitors. Also it was explained why sultam derivated BACE-1 inhibitors are better ones than lactam based. Hydrophobic interactions concentrated at S1 zone and other relevant repulsions and attractions were also evaluated. The comparison of two different theory levels (X3LYP and M062X) allowed to confirm the relevance of the detected interactions as each theory level has its own strength to depict the forces involved, as is the case of M062X which is better describing the hydrophobic interactions. Those facts were also evaluated and confirmed by comparing the quantitative trend, of selected ligand-residue interactions, with MP2 theory level as reference standard method for electrostatic plus

  7. Oxygen transfer dynamics and activated sludge floc structure under different sludge retention times at low dissolved oxygen concentrations.

    PubMed

    Fan, Haitao; Liu, Xiuhong; Wang, Hao; Han, Yunping; Qi, Lu; Wang, Hongchen

    2017-02-01

    In activated sludge systems, the aeration process consumes the most energy. The energy cost can be dramatically reduced by decreasing the operating dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. However, low DO may lead to incomplete nitrification and poor settling performance of activated sludge flocs (ASFs). This study investigates oxygen transfer dynamics and settling performances of activated sludge under different sludge retention times (SRTs) and DO conditions using microelectrodes and microscopic techniques. Our experimental results showed that with longer SRTs, treatment capacity and settling performances of activated sludge improved due to smaller floc size and less extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Long-term low DO conditions produced larger flocs and more EPS per unit sludge, which produced a more extensive anoxic area and led to low oxygen diffusion performance in flocs. Long SRTs mitigated the adverse effects of low DO. According to the microelectrode analysis and fractal dimension determination, smaller floc size and less EPS in the long SRT system led to high oxygen diffusion property and more compact floc structure that caused a drop in the sludge volume index (SVI). In summary, our results suggested that long SRTs of activated sludge can improve the operating performance under low DO conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Active Thermochemical Tables: The Adiabatic Ionization Energy of Hydrogen Peroxide.

    PubMed

    Changala, P Bryan; Nguyen, T Lam; Baraban, Joshua H; Ellison, G Barney; Stanton, John F; Bross, David H; Ruscic, Branko

    2017-11-22

    The adiabatic ionization energy of hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) is investigated, both by means of theoretical calculations and theoretically assisted reanalysis of previous experimental data. Values obtained by three different approaches: 10.638 ± 0.012 eV (purely theoretical determination), 10.649 ± 0.005 eV (reanalysis of photoelectron spectrum), and 10.645 ± 0.010 eV (reanalysis of photoionization spectrum) are in excellent mutual agreement. Further refinement of the latter two values to account for asymmetry of the rotational profile of the photoionization origin band leads to a reduction of 0.007 ± 0.006 eV, which tends to bring them into even closer alignment with the purely theoretical value. Detailed analysis of this fundamental quantity by the Active Thermochemical Tables approach, using the present results and extant literature, gives a final estimate of 10.641 ± 0.006 eV.

  9. Effects of easy-to-use protein-rich energy bar on energy balance, physical activity and performance during 8 days of sustained physical exertion.

    PubMed

    Tanskanen, Minna M; Westerterp, Klaas R; Uusitalo, Arja L; Atalay, Mustafa; Häkkinen, Keijo; Kinnunen, Hannu O; Kyröläinen, Heikki

    2012-01-01

    Previous military studies have shown an energy deficit during a strenuous field training course (TC). This study aimed to determine the effects of energy bar supplementation on energy balance, physical activity (PA), physical performance and well-being and to evaluate ad libitum fluid intake during wintertime 8-day strenuous TC. Twenty-six men (age 20±1 yr.) were randomly divided into two groups: The control group (n = 12) had traditional field rations and the experimental (Ebar) group (n = 14) field rations plus energy bars of 4.1 MJ•day(-1). Energy (EI) and water intake was recorded. Fat-free mass and water loss were measured with deuterium dilution and elimination, respectively. The energy expenditure was calculated using the intake/balance method and energy availability as (EI/estimated basal metabolic rate). PA was monitored using an accelerometer. Physical performance was measured and questionnaires of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), hunger and mood state were recorded before, during and after TC. Ebar had a higher EI and energy availability than the controls. However, decreases in body mass and fat mass were similar in both groups representing an energy deficit. No differences were observed between the groups in PA, water balance, URTI symptoms and changes in physical performance and fat-free mass. Ebar felt less hunger after TC than the controls and they had improved positive mood state during the latter part of TC while controls did not. Water deficit associated to higher PA. Furthermore, URTI symptoms and negative mood state associated negatively with energy availability and PA. An easy-to-use protein-rich energy bars did not prevent energy deficit nor influence PA during an 8-day TC. The high content of protein in the bars might have induced satiation decreasing energy intake from field rations. PA and energy intake seems to be primarily affected by other factors than energy supplementation such as mood state.

  10. Effects of Easy-to-Use Protein-Rich Energy Bar on Energy Balance, Physical Activity and Performance during 8 Days of Sustained Physical Exertion

    PubMed Central

    Tanskanen, Minna M.; Westerterp, Klaas R.; Uusitalo, Arja L.; Atalay, Mustafa; Häkkinen, Keijo; Kinnunen, Hannu O.; Kyröläinen, Heikki

    2012-01-01

    Background Previous military studies have shown an energy deficit during a strenuous field training course (TC). This study aimed to determine the effects of energy bar supplementation on energy balance, physical activity (PA), physical performance and well-being and to evaluate ad libitum fluid intake during wintertime 8-day strenuous TC. Methods Twenty-six men (age 20±1 yr.) were randomly divided into two groups: The control group (n = 12) had traditional field rations and the experimental (Ebar) group (n = 14) field rations plus energy bars of 4.1 MJ•day−1. Energy (EI) and water intake was recorded. Fat-free mass and water loss were measured with deuterium dilution and elimination, respectively. The energy expenditure was calculated using the intake/balance method and energy availability as (EI/estimated basal metabolic rate). PA was monitored using an accelerometer. Physical performance was measured and questionnaires of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), hunger and mood state were recorded before, during and after TC. Results Ebar had a higher EI and energy availability than the controls. However, decreases in body mass and fat mass were similar in both groups representing an energy deficit. No differences were observed between the groups in PA, water balance, URTI symptoms and changes in physical performance and fat-free mass. Ebar felt less hunger after TC than the controls and they had improved positive mood state during the latter part of TC while controls did not. Water deficit associated to higher PA. Furthermore, URTI symptoms and negative mood state associated negatively with energy availability and PA. Conclusion An easy-to-use protein-rich energy bars did not prevent energy deficit nor influence PA during an 8-day TC. The high content of protein in the bars might have induced satiation decreasing energy intake from field rations. PA and energy intake seems to be primarily affected by other factors than energy supplementation such

  11. Estimation of excess energies and activity coefficients for the penternary Ni-Cr-Co-Al-Mo system and its subsystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dogan, A.; Arslan, H.; Dogan, T.

    2015-06-01

    Using different prediction methods, such as the General Solution Model of Kohler and Muggianu, the excess energy and activities of molybdenum for the sections of the phase diagram for the penternary Ni-Cr-Co-Al-Mo system with mole ratios xNi/ xMo = 1, xCr/ xMo = 1, xCo/ xMo = 1, and xAl/ xMo = r = 0.5 and 1, were thermodynamically investigated at a temperature of 2000 K, whereas the excess energy and activities of Bi for the section corresponding to the ternary Bi-Ga-Sb system with mole ratio xGa/ xSb = 1/9 were thermodynamically investigated at a temperature of 1073 K. In the case of r = 0.5 and 1 in the alloys Ni-Cr-Co-Al-Mo, a positive deviation in the activity coefficient was revealed, as molybdenum content increased. Moreover, in the calculations performed in Chou's GSM model, the obtained values for excess Gibbs energies are negative in the whole concentration range of bismuth at 1073 K and exhibit the minimum of about -2.2 kJ/mol at the mole ratio xGa/ xSb = 1/9 in the alloy Bi-Ga-Sb.

  12. Energy-Related Activities in Two-Year Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Institutions: A Representative Sampling by State.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crowell, Mayme R.

    Described are results of a preliminary investigation of the status of energy education activities within two-year postsecondary educational institutions. The specific areas investigated were coal technology, petroleum technology, nuclear technology, solar energy, energy conservation, and energy generation and transmission. Information was gathered…

  13. Impact of Different Time Series Streamflow Data on Energy Generation of a Run-of-River Hydropower Plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kentel, E.; Cetinkaya, M. A.

    2013-12-01

    Global issues such as population increase, power supply crises, oil prices, social and environmental concerns have been forcing countries to search for alternative energy sources such as renewable energy to satisfy the sustainable development goals. Hydropower is the most common form of renewable energy in the world. Hydropower does not require any fuel, produces relatively less pollution and waste and it is a reliable energy source with relatively low operating cost. In order to estimate the average annual energy production of a hydropower plant, sufficient and dependable streamflow data is required. The goal of this study is to investigate impact of streamflow data on annual energy generation of Balkusan HEPP which is a small run-of-river hydropower plant at Karaman, Turkey. Two different stream gaging stations are located in the vicinity of Balkusan HEPP and these two stations have different observation periods: one from 1986 to 2004 and the other from 2000 to 2009. These two observation periods show different climatic characteristics. Thus, annual energy estimations based on data from these two different stations differ considerably. Additionally, neither of these stations is located at the power plant axis, thus streamflow observations from these two stream gaging stations need to be transferred to the plant axis. This requirement introduces further errors into energy estimations. Impact of different streamflow data and transfer of streamflow observations to plant axis on annual energy generation of a small hydropower plant is investigated in this study.

  14. Free-energy landscape of the GB1 hairpin in all-atom explicit solvent simulations with different force fields: Similarities and differences.

    PubMed

    Best, Robert B; Mittal, Jeetain

    2011-04-01

    Although it is now possible to fold peptides and miniproteins in molecular dynamics simulations, it is well appreciated that force fields are not all transferable to different proteins. Here, we investigate the influence of the protein force field and the solvent model on the folding energy landscape of a prototypical two-state folder, the GB1 hairpin. We use extensive replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the free-energy surface as a function of temperature. Most of these force fields appear similar at a global level, giving a fraction folded at 300 K between 0.2 and 0.8 in all cases, which is a difference in stability of 2.8 kT, and are generally consistent with experimental data at this temperature. The most significant differences appear in the unfolded state, where there are different residual secondary structures which are populated, and the overall dimensions of the unfolded states, which in most of the force fields are too collapsed relative to experimental Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) data.

  15. Understanding the Nature of Measurement Error When Estimating Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity via Physical Activity Recall.

    PubMed

    Paul, David R; McGrath, Ryan; Vella, Chantal A; Kramer, Matthew; Baer, David J; Moshfegh, Alanna J

    2018-03-26

    The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) is used to estimate activity energy expenditure (AEE) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Bias and variance in estimates of AEE and MVPA from the PAQ have not been described, nor the impact of measurement error when utilizing the PAQ to predict biomarkers and categorize individuals. The PAQ was administered to 385 adults to estimate AEE (AEE:PAQ) and MVPA (MVPA:PAQ), while simultaneously measuring AEE with doubly labeled water (DLW; AEE:DLW) and MVPA with an accelerometer (MVPA:A). Although AEE:PAQ [3.4 (2.2) MJ·d -1 ] was not significantly different from AEE:DLW [3.6 (1.6) MJ·d -1 ; P > .14], MVPA:PAQ [36.2 (24.4) min·d -1 ] was significantly higher than MVPA:A [8.0 (10.4) min·d -1 ; P < .0001]. AEE:PAQ regressed on AEE:DLW and MVPA:PAQ regressed on MVPA:A yielded not only significant positive relationships but also large residual variances. The relationships between AEE and MVPA, and 10 of the 12 biomarkers were underestimated by the PAQ. When compared with accelerometers, the PAQ overestimated the number of participants who met the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Group-level bias in AEE:PAQ was small, but large for MVPA:PAQ. Poor within-participant estimates of AEE:PAQ and MVPA:PAQ lead to attenuated relationships with biomarkers and misclassifications of participants who met or who did not meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

  16. The energy expenditure of an activity-promoting video game compared to sedentary video games and TV watching.

    PubMed

    Mitre, Naim; Foster, Randal C; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Levine, James A

    2011-01-01

    In the present study we investigated the effect of television watching and the use of activity-promoting video games on energy expenditure in obese and lean children. Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were watching television, playing a video game on a traditional sedentary video game console, and while playing the same video game on an activity-promoting video game console. Energy expenditure was significantly greater than television watching and playing video games on a sedentary video game console when children played the video game on the activity-promoting console. When examining movement with accelerometry, children moved significantly more when playing the video game on the Nintendo Wii console. Activity-promoting video games have shown to increase movement, and be an important tool to raise energy expenditure by 50% when compared to sedentary activities of daily living.

  17. Directed surfaces structures and interfaces for enhanced electrocatalyst activity, selectivity, and stability for energy conversion reactions

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

    Jaramillo, Thomas F.

    In this project, we have employed a systematic approach to develop active, selective, and stable catalyst materials for important electrochemical reactions involving energy conversion. In particular, we have focused our attention on developing active catalyst materials for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). HER: We have synthesized and investigated several highly active and acid stable non-precious metal HER catalysts, including: [Mo 3S 13] 2- nanoclusters (Nature Chemistry, 2014) and molybdenum phosphosulfide (MoP|S) (Angewandte Chemie, 2014). We have also aimed to engineer these catalyst formulations in a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for fundamentalmore » studies of water electrolysis at high current densities, approximately 1 A/cm 2 (ChemSusChem, 2015). We furthermore investigated transition metal phosphide (TMP) catalysts for HER by a combined experimental–theoretical approach (Energy & Environmental Science, 2015). By synthesizing different TMPs and comparing experimentally determined HER activities with the hydrogen adsorption free energies, ΔG H, calculated by density functional theory, we showed that the TMPs follow a volcano relationship for the HER. Using our combined experimental–theoretical model, we predicted that the mixed metal TMP, Fe 0.5Co 0.5P, should have a near-optimal ΔG H. We synthesized several mixtures of Co and Fe phosphides alloys and confirmed that Fe 0.5Co 0.5P exhibits the highest HER activity of the investigated TMPs (Energy & Environmental Science, 2015). The understanding gained as to how to improve catalytic activity for the HER, particularly for non-precious metal materials, is important to DOE targets for sustainable H 2 production. OER: We have developed a SrIrO 3/IrO x catalyst for acidic conditions (submitted, 2016). The SrIrO 3/IrO x catalyst significantly outperforms rutile IrO 2 and RuO 2, the only other OER catalysts to have reasonable

  18. Validation and comparison of two methods to assess human energy expenditure during free-living activities.

    PubMed

    Anastasopoulou, Panagiota; Tubic, Mirnes; Schmidt, Steffen; Neumann, Rainer; Woll, Alexander; Härtel, Sascha

    2014-01-01

    The measurement of activity energy expenditure (AEE) via accelerometry is the most commonly used objective method for assessing human daily physical activity and has gained increasing importance in the medical, sports and psychological science research in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine which of the following procedures is more accurate to determine the energy cost during the most common everyday life activities; a single regression or an activity based approach. For this we used a device that utilizes single regression models (GT3X, ActiGraph Manufacturing Technology Inc., FL., USA) and a device using activity-dependent calculation models (move II, movisens GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany). Nineteen adults (11 male, 8 female; 30.4±9.0 years) wore the activity monitors attached to the waist and a portable indirect calorimeter (IC) as reference measure for AEE while performing several typical daily activities. The accuracy of the two devices for estimating AEE was assessed as the mean differences between their output and the reference and evaluated using Bland-Altman analysis. The GT3X overestimated the AEE of walking (GT3X minus reference, 1.26 kcal/min), walking fast (1.72 kcal/min), walking up-/downhill (1.45 kcal/min) and walking upstairs (1.92 kcal/min) and underestimated the AEE of jogging (-1.30 kcal/min) and walking upstairs (-2.46 kcal/min). The errors for move II were smaller than those for GT3X for all activities. The move II overestimated AEE of walking (move II minus reference, 0.21 kcal/min), walking up-/downhill (0.06 kcal/min) and stair walking (upstairs: 0.13 kcal/min; downstairs: 0.29 kcal/min) and underestimated AEE of walking fast (-0.11 kcal/min) and jogging (-0.93 kcal/min). Our data suggest that the activity monitor using activity-dependent calculation models is more appropriate for predicting AEE in daily life than the activity monitor using a single regression model.

  19. The effect of fruit in different forms on energy intake and satiety at a meal.

    PubMed

    Flood-Obbagy, Julie E; Rolls, Barbara J

    2009-04-01

    Consuming whole fruit reduces ratings of satiety more than fruit juice, but little is known about the effects of different forms of fruit on subsequent energy intake. This study tested how consuming preloads of apples in different forms prior to a meal (apple, applesauce, and apple juice with and without added fiber) influences satiety and energy intake at meal. Preloads were matched for weight, energy content, energy density, and ingestion rate. Once a week for 5 weeks, 58 adults consumed one of four preloads (266 g; 125 kcal [523 kJ]), or no preload (control), followed by a test meal consumed ad libitum 15 min later. Results showed that eating apple reduced lunch energy intake (preload+test meal) by 15% (187+/-36 kcal [782+/-151 kJ]) compared to control (p<0.0001) and decreased energy intake compared to applesauce and both juices. Fullness ratings differed significantly after preload consumption (apple>applesauce>both juices>control). Overall, whole apple increased satiety more than applesauce or apple juice. Adding naturally occurring levels of fiber to juice did not enhance satiety. These results suggest that solid fruit affects satiety more than pureed fruit or juice, and that eating fruit at the start of a meal can reduce energy intake.

  20. The effect of fruit in different forms on energy intake and satiety at a meal

    PubMed Central

    Flood-Obbagy, Julie E.; Rolls, Barbara J.

    2009-01-01

    Consuming whole fruit reduces ratings of satiety more than fruit juice, but little is known about the effects of different forms of fruit on subsequent energy intake. This study tested how consuming preloads of apples in different forms prior to a meal (apple, applesauce, and apple juice with and without added fiber) influences satiety and energy intake at meal. Preloads were matched for weight, energy content, energy density, and ingestion rate. Once a week for 5 weeks, 58 adults consumed one of four preloads (266 g; 125 kcal [523 kJ]), or no preload (control), followed by a test meal consumed ad libitum 15 min later. Results showed that eating apple reduced lunch energy intake (preload + test meal) by 15% (187 ± 36 kcal [782 ± 151 kJ]) compared to control (p < 0.0001) and decreased energy intake compared to applesauce and both juices. Fullness ratings differed significantly after preload consumption (apple > applesauce > both juices > control). Overall, whole apple increased satiety more than applesauce or apple juice. Adding naturally occurring levels of fiber to juice did not enhance satiety. These results suggest that solid fruit affects satiety more than pureed fruit or juice, and that eating fruit at the start of a meal can reduce energy intake. PMID:19110020

  1. Energy laws in human travel behaviour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kölbl, Robert; Helbing, Dirk

    2003-05-01

    We show that energy concepts can contribute to the understanding of human travel behaviour. First, the average journey times for different modes of transport are inversely proportional to the energy consumption rates measured for the respective human physical activities. Second, when daily travel-time distributions for different modes of transport such as walking, cycling, bus or car travel are appropriately scaled, they turn out to have a universal functional relationship. This corresponds to a canonical-like energy distribution with exceptions for short trips, which can be theoretically explained. Combined, this points to a law of constant average energy consumption for the physical activity of daily travel. Applying these natural laws could help to improve long-term urban and transport planning.

  2. Calculation of Relative Binding Free Energy in the Water-Filled Active Site of Oligopeptide-Binding Protein A

    PubMed Central

    Maurer, Manuela; de Beer, Stephanie B. A.; Oostenbrink, Chris

    2018-01-01

    The periplasmic oligopeptide binding protein A (OppA) represents a well-known example of water-mediated protein-ligand interactions. Here, we perform free-energy calculations for three different ligands binding to OppA, using a thermodynamic integration approach. The tripeptide ligands share a high structural similarity (all have the sequence KXK), but their experimentally-determined binding free energies differ remarkably. Thermodynamic cycles were constructed for the ligands, and simulations conducted in the bound and (freely solvated) unbound states. In the unbound state, it was observed that the difference in conformational freedom between alanine and glycine leads to a surprisingly slow convergence, despite their chemical similarity. This could be overcome by increasing the softness parameter during alchemical transformations. Discrepancies remained in the bound state however, when comparing independent simulations of the three ligands. These difficulties could be traced to a slow relaxation of the water network within the active site. Fluctuations in the number of water molecules residing in the binding cavity occur mostly on a timescale larger than the simulation time along the alchemical path. After extensive simulations, relative binding free energies that were converged to within thermal noise could be obtained, which agree well with available experimental data. PMID:27092480

  3. Excitation energy shift and size difference of low-energy levels in p -shell Λ hypernuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanada-En'yo, Yoshiko

    2018-02-01

    Structures of low-lying 0 s -orbit Λ states in p -shell Λ hypernuclei (ZAΛ) are investigated by applying microscopic cluster models for nuclear structure and a single-channel folding potential model for a Λ particle. For A >10 systems, the size reduction of core nuclei is small, and the core polarization effect is regarded as a higher-order perturbation in the Λ binding. The present calculation qualitatively describes the systematic trend of experimental data for excitation energy change from Z-1A to ZAΛ, in A >10 systems. The energy change shows a clear correlation with the nuclear size difference between the ground and excited states. In Li7Λ and Be9Λ, the significant shrinkage of cluster structures occurs consistently with the prediction of other calculations.

  4. Reported energy intake by weight status, day and estimated energy requirement among adults: NHANES 2003-2008

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Objective: To describe energy intake reporting by gender, weight status, and interview sequence and to compare reported intakes to the Estimated Energy Requirement at different levels of physical activity. Methods: Energy intake was self-reported by 24-hour recall on two occasions (day 1 and day 2)...

  5. Energy requirements of lactating women derived from doubly labeled water and milk energy output.

    PubMed

    Butte, N F; Wong, W W; Hopkinson, J M

    2001-01-01

    Instead of using an incremental approach to assess the energy requirements of lactation, a more comprehensive approach may be taken by measuring total energy expenditure (TEE), milk energy output and energy mobilization from tissue stores. The latter approach avoids assumptions regarding energetic efficiency and changes in physical activity and adiposity. The purpose of this study was threefold: to assess the energy requirements of lactation; to compare these estimates with energy requirements in the nonpregnant, nonlactating state and to test for energetic adaptations in basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physical activity during the energy-demanding process of lactation. Milk production and composition, body weight and composition, TEE, BMR and physical activity levels were measured in 24 well-nourished women during exclusive breastfeeding at 3 mo postpartum and after the cessation of breastfeeding at 18 or 24 mo postpartum. TEE was measured by the doubly labeled water method, milk production by 3-d test-weighing, milk energy by bomb calorimetry on a 24-h milk sample, body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and BMR by room respiration calorimetry. TEE, BMR and physical activity level (physical activity level = TEE/BMR) did not differ between the lactating and nonlactating state (TEE 10.0 +/- 1.5 versus 10.6 +/- 2.1 MJ/d). Mean milk energy output was equivalent to 2.02 +/- 0.33 MJ/d. Total energy requirements were greater during lactation than afterward (12.0 +/- 1.4 versus 10.6 +/- 2.1 MJ/d, P: = 0.002). Energy mobilization from tissue stores (-0.65 +/- 0.97 MJ/d) resulted in net energy requirements during lactation of 11.4 +/- 1.8 MJ/d. Because adaptations in basal metabolism and physical activity were not evident in these well-nourished women, energy requirements during lactation were met primarily from the diet and only partially by mobilization of tissue stores.

  6. Racial/ethnic differences in midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity.

    PubMed

    Im, Eun-Ok; Ko, Young; Hwang, Hyenam; Chee, Wonshik; Stuifbergen, Alexa; Walker, Lorraine; Brown, Adama

    2013-01-01

    Women's racial/ethnic-specific attitudes toward physical activity have been pointed out as a plausible reason for their low participation rates in physical activity. However, very little is actually known about racial/ethnic commonalities and differences in midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore commonalities and differences in midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity among 4 major racial/ethnic groups in the United States (whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians). This was a secondary analysis of the qualitative data from a larger study that explored midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity. Qualitative data from 4 racial/ethnic-specific online forums among 90 midlife women were used for this study. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and themes reflecting commonalties and differences in the women's attitudes toward physical activity across the racial/ethnic groups were extracted. The themes reflecting the commonalities were: 1) physical activity is good for health, 2) not as active as I could be, 3) physical activity was not encouraged, 4) inherited diseases motivated participation in physical activity, and 5) lack of accessibility to physical activity. The themes reflecting the differences were: 1) physical activity as necessity or luxury, 2) organized versus natural physical activity, 3) individual versus family-oriented physical activity, and 4) beauty ideal or culturally accepted physical appearance. Developing an intervention that could change the social influences and environmental factors and address the women's racial/ethnic-specific attitudes would be a priority in increasing physical activity of racial/ethnic minority midlife women. © 2013 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  7. Comparative study between two different active flutter suppression systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nissim, E.

    1978-01-01

    An activated leading-edge (LE)-tailing-edge (TE) control system is applied to a drone aircraft with the objective of enabling the drone to fly subsonically at dynamic pressures which are 44% above the open-loop flutter dynamic pressure. The control synthesis approach is based on the aerodynamic energy concept and it incorporates recent developments in this area. A comparison is made between the performance of the activated LE-TE control system and the performance of a TE control system, analyzed in a previous work. The results obtained indicate that although all the control systems achieve the flutter suppression objectives, the TE control system appears to be somewhat superior to the LE-TE control system, in this specific application. This superiority is manifested through reduced values of control surface activity over a wide range of flight conditions.

  8. Path Integral Computation of Quantum Free Energy Differences Due to Alchemical Transformations Involving Mass and Potential.

    PubMed

    Pérez, Alejandro; von Lilienfeld, O Anatole

    2011-08-09

    Thermodynamic integration, perturbation theory, and λ-dynamics methods were applied to path integral molecular dynamics calculations to investigate free energy differences due to "alchemical" transformations. Several estimators were formulated to compute free energy differences in solvable model systems undergoing changes in mass and/or potential. Linear and nonlinear alchemical interpolations were used for the thermodynamic integration. We find improved convergence for the virial estimators, as well as for the thermodynamic integration over nonlinear interpolation paths. Numerical results for the perturbative treatment of changes in mass and electric field strength in model systems are presented. We used thermodynamic integration in ab initio path integral molecular dynamics to compute the quantum free energy difference of the isotope transformation in the Zundel cation. The performance of different free energy methods is discussed.

  9. Aloe vera Derived Activated High-Surface-Area Carbon for Flexible and High-Energy Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Karnan, M; Subramani, K; Sudhan, N; Ilayaraja, N; Sathish, M

    2016-12-28

    Materials which possess high specific capacitance in device configuration with low cost are essential for viable application in supercapacitors. Herein, a flexible high-energy supercapacitor device was fabricated using porous activated high-surface-area carbon derived from aloe leaf (Aloe vera) as a precursor. The A. vera derived activated carbon showed mesoporous nature with high specific surface area of ∼1890 m 2 /g. A high specific capacitance of 410 and 306 F/g was achieved in three-electrode and symmetric two-electrode system configurations in aqueous electrolyte, respectively. The fabricated all-solid-state device showed a high specific capacitance of 244 F/g with an energy density of 8.6 Wh/kg. In an ionic liquid electrolyte, the fabricated device showed a high specific capacitance of 126 F/g and a wide potential window up to 3 V, which results in a high energy density of 40 Wh/kg. Furthermore, it was observed that the activation temperature has significant role in the electrochemical performance, as the activated sample at 700 °C showed best activity than the samples activated at 600 and 800 °C. The electron microscopic images (FE-SEM and HR-TEM) confirmed the formation of pores by the chemical activation. A fabricated supercapacitor device in ionic liquid with 3 V could power up a red LED for 30 min upon charging for 20s. Also, it is shown that the operation voltage and capacitance of flexible all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors fabricated using aloe-derived activated carbon could be easily tuned by series and parallel combinations. The performance of fabricated supercapacitor devices using A. vera derived activated carbon in all-solid-state and ionic liquid indicates their viable applications in flexible devices and energy storage.

  10. Temperature-dependent regioselectivity of nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution. Evidence that activation energy controls reactivity.

    PubMed

    Wubbels, Gene G; Tamura, Ryo; Gannon, Emmett J

    2013-05-17

    Irradiation (λ > 330 nm) of 2-chloro-4-nitroanisole (1) at 25 °C in aqueous NaOH forms three substitution photoproducts: 2-methoxy-5-nitrophenol (2), 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (3), and 3-chloro-4-methoxyphenol (4), in chemical yields of 69.2%, 14.3%, and 16.5%. The activation energies for the elementary steps from the triplet state at 25 °C were determined to be 1.8, 2.4, and 2.7 kcal/mol, respectively. The chemical yields of each of the three products were determined for exhaustive irradiations at 0, 35, and 70 °C. The variation with temperature of the experimental yields is reproduced almost exactly by the yields calculated with the Arrhenius equation. This indicates that activation energy is the fundamental property related to regioselectivity in nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution of the S(N)2 Ar* type. The many methods proposed for predicting regioselectivity in reactions of this type have had limited success and have not been related to activation energy.

  11. Sintering activation energy MoSi2-WSi2-Si3N4 ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titov, D. D.; Lysenkov, A. S.; Kargin, Yu F.; Frolova, M. G.; Gorshkov, V. A.; Perevislov, S. N.

    2018-04-01

    The activation energy of sintering process was calculated based on dilatometric studies of shrinkage processes (Mo,W)Si2 + Si3N4 composite ceramic. (Mo,W)Si2 powders was obtained by solid-phase solutions of 70 wt% MoSi2 and 30 wt% WSi2 by SHS in the ISMAN RAS. The concentration rate Si3N4 was from 1 to 15 wt.%. The sintering was carried out to 1850°C in Ar atmosphere the heating rate of 5, 10, 12 and 15°C/min by the way of dilatometer tests. Based on the differential kinetic analysis method (Friedman’s method), the sintering process activation energy of (Mo,W)Si2 + Si3N4 were calculated. The two-stage sintering process and the dependence of the activation energy on the Si3N4 content was shown. Average value of 370 kJ/mol for Q was obtained.

  12. Low-energy collisionally activated dissociation of pentose-borate complexes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pepi, Federico; Garzoli, Stefania; Tata, Alessandra; Giacomello, Pierluigi

    2010-01-01

    Pentose-borate 1:1 complexes were generated in the ESI source of a triple quadrupole and ion trap mass spectrometer by electrospray ionization of Na2B4O7 and pentose (arabinose, lyxose, ribose, xylose) 2:1 solution in CH3CN/H2O. The study of their low-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) demonstrated that ribose and lyxose are preferentially complexed at the C2-C3 cis-diol function whereas arabinose and xylose are esterified at the C1-C2 hydroxyl groups. No evidence was found of the stronger affinity for ribose to borate. The ribose probiotic rule can be explained by considering its peculiar capability, among the investigated pentoses, to almost totally complex the borate anion at the C2-C3 hydroxyl group, thus enabling the subsequent stages of nucleotide assembly, such as phosphorylation and linkage to the nucleobases. Finally, the differences observed in the pentose-borate complex CAD spectra can be used for the mass spectrometric discrimination of isomeric pentoses in complex mixtures.

  13. Solar Spots - Activities to Introduce Solar Energy into the K-8 Curricula.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longe, Karen M.; McClelland, Michael J.

    Following an introduction to solar technology which reviews solar heating and cooling, passive solar systems (direct gain systems, thermal storage walls, sun spaces, roof ponds, and convection loops), active solar systems, solar electricity (photovoltaic and solar thermal conversion systems), wind energy, and biomass, activities to introduce solar…

  14. Report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity for the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Program

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

    None

    2000-12-01

    This report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity (IPPA) has been prepared in response to a recommendation by the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board that, ''Given the complex nature of the fusion effort, an integrated program planning process is an absolute necessity.'' We, therefore, undertook this activity in order to integrate the various elements of the program, to improve communication and performance accountability across the program, and to show the inter-connectedness and inter-dependency of the diverse parts of the national fusion energy sciences program. This report is based on the September 1999 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee's (FESAC) report ''Prioritiesmore » and Balance within the Fusion Energy Sciences Program''. In its December 5,2000, letter to the Director of the Office of Science, the FESAC has reaffirmed the validity of the September 1999 report and stated that the IPPA presents a framework and process to guide the achievement of the 5-year goals listed in the 1999 report. The National Research Council's (NRC) Fusion Assessment Committee draft final report ''An Assessment of the Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Program'', reviewing the quality of the science in the program, was made available after the IPPA report had been completed. The IPPA report is, nevertheless, consistent with the recommendations in the NRC report. In addition to program goals and the related 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year objectives, this report elaborates on the scientific issues associated with each of these objectives. The report also makes clear the relationships among the various program elements, and cites these relationships as the reason why integrated program planning is essential. In particular, while focusing on the science conducted by the program, the report addresses the important balances between the science and energy goals of the program, between the MFE and IFE approaches, and between the domestic and international

  15. Cultural differences in human brain activity: a quantitative meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Han, Shihui; Ma, Yina

    2014-10-01

    Psychologists have been trying to understand differences in cognition and behavior between East Asian and Western cultures within a single cognitive framework such as holistic versus analytic or interdependent versus independent processes. However, it remains unclear whether cultural differences in multiple psychological processes correspond to the same or different neural networks. We conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of 35 functional MRI studies to examine cultural differences in brain activity engaged in social and non-social processes. We showed that social cognitive processes are characterized by stronger activity in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, lateral frontal cortex and temporoparietal junction in East Asians but stronger activity in the anterior cingulate, ventral medial prefrontal cortex and bilateral insula in Westerners. Social affective processes are associated with stronger activity in the right dorsal lateral frontal cortex in East Asians but greater activity in the left insula and right temporal pole in Westerners. Non-social processes induce stronger activity in the left inferior parietal cortex, left middle occipital and left superior parietal cortex in East Asians but greater activations in the right lingual gyrus, right inferior parietal cortex and precuneus in Westerners. The results suggest that cultural differences in social and non-social processes are mediated by distinct neural networks. Moreover, East Asian cultures are associated with increased neural activity in the brain regions related to inference of others' mind and emotion regulation whereas Western cultures are associated with enhanced neural activity in the brain areas related to self-relevance encoding and emotional responses during social cognitive/affective processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Active Site Characterization of Proteases Sequences from Different Species of Aspergillus.

    PubMed

    Morya, V K; Yadav, Virendra K; Yadav, Sangeeta; Yadav, Dinesh

    2016-09-01

    A total of 129 proteases sequences comprising 43 serine proteases, 36 aspartic proteases, 24 cysteine protease, 21 metalloproteases, and 05 neutral proteases from different Aspergillus species were analyzed for the catalytically active site residues using MEROPS database and various bioinformatics tools. Different proteases have predominance of variable active site residues. In case of 24 cysteine proteases of Aspergilli, the predominant active site residues observed were Gln193, Cys199, His364, Asn384 while for 43 serine proteases, the active site residues namely Asp164, His193, Asn284, Ser349 and Asp325, His357, Asn454, Ser519 were frequently observed. The analysis of 21 metalloproteases of Aspergilli revealed Glu298 and Glu388, Tyr476 as predominant active site residues. In general, Aspergilli species-specific active site residues were observed for different types of protease sequences analyzed. The phylogenetic analysis of these 129 proteases sequences revealed 14 different clans representing different types of proteases with diverse active site residues.

  17. Star sub-pixel centroid calculation based on multi-step minimum energy difference method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Duo; Han, YanLi; Sun, Tengfei

    2013-09-01

    The star's centroid plays a vital role in celestial navigation, star images which be gotten during daytime, due to the strong sky background, have a low SNR, and the star objectives are nearly submerged in the background, takes a great trouble to the centroid localization. Traditional methods, such as a moment method, weighted centroid calculation method is simple but has a big error, especially in the condition of a low SNR. Gaussian method has a high positioning accuracy, but the computational complexity. Analysis of the energy distribution in star image, a location method for star target centroids based on multi-step minimum energy difference is proposed. This method uses the linear superposition to narrow the centroid area, in the certain narrow area uses a certain number of interpolation to pixels for the pixels' segmentation, and then using the symmetry of the stellar energy distribution, tentatively to get the centroid position: assume that the current pixel is the star centroid position, and then calculates and gets the difference of the sum of the energy which in the symmetric direction(in this paper we take the two directions of transverse and longitudinal) and the equal step length(which can be decided through different conditions, the paper takes 9 as the step length) of the current pixel, and obtain the centroid position in this direction when the minimum difference appears, and so do the other directions, then the validation comparison of simulated star images, and compare with several traditional methods, experiments shows that the positioning accuracy of the method up to 0.001 pixel, has good effect to calculate the centroid of low SNR conditions; at the same time, uses this method on a star map which got at the fixed observation site during daytime in near-infrared band, compare the results of the paper's method with the position messages which were known of the star, it shows that :the multi-step minimum energy difference method achieves a better

  18. Sex-dependent differences in voluntary physical activity.

    PubMed

    Rosenfeld, Cheryl S

    2017-01-02

    Numbers of overweight and obese individuals are increasing in the United States and globally, and, correspondingly, the associated health care costs are rising dramatically. More than one-third of children are currently considered obese with a predisposition to type 2 diabetes, and it is likely that their metabolic conditions will worsen with age. Physical inactivity has also risen to be the leading cause of many chronic, noncommunicable diseases (NCD). Children are more physically inactive now than they were in past decades, which may be due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In rodents, the amount of time engaged in spontaneous activity within the home cage is a strong predictor of later adiposity and weight gain. Thus, it is important to understand primary motivators stimulating physical activity (PA). There are normal sex differences in PA levels in rodents and humans. The perinatal environment can induce sex-dependent differences in PA disturbances. This Review considers the current evidence for sex differences in PA in rodents and humans. The rodent studies showing that early exposure to environmental chemicals can shape later adult PA responses are discussed. Next, whether there are different motivators stimulating exercise in male vs. female humans are examined. Finally, the brain regions, genes, and pathways that modulate PA in rodents, and possibly by translation in humans, are described. A better understanding of why each sex remains physically active through the life span could open new avenues for preventing and treating obesity in children and adults. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Measurement of Electron Density Using the Multipole Resonance Probe, Langmuir Probe and Optical Emission Spectroscopy in Low Pressure Plasmas with Different Electron Energy Distribution Functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oberberg, Moritz; Bibinov, Nikita; Ries, Stefan; Awakowicz, Peter; Institute of Electrical Engineering; Plasma Technology Team

    2016-09-01

    In recently publication, the young diagnostic tool Multipole Resonance Probe (MRP) for electron density measurements was introduced. It is based on active plasma resonance spectroscopy (APRS). The probe was simulated und evaluated for different devices. The geometrical and electrical symmetry simplifies the APRS model, so that the electron density can be easily calculated from the measured resonance. In this work, low pressure nitrogen mixture plasmas with different electron energy distribution functions (EEDF) are investigated. The results of the MRP measurement are compared with measurements of a Langmuir Probe (LP) and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). Probes and OES measure in different regimes of kinetic electron energy. Both probes measure electrons with low kinetic energy (<10 eV), whereas the OES is influenced by electrons with high kinetic energy which are needed for transitions of molecule bands. By the determination of the absolute intensity of N2(C-B) and N2+(B-X)electron temperature and density can be calculated. In a non-maxwellian plasma, all plasma diagnostics need to be combined.

  20. Energy Intake and Energy Expenditure for Determining Excess Weight Gain in Pregnant Women

    PubMed Central

    Gilmore, L. Anne; Butte, Nancy F.; Ravussin, Eric; Han, Hongmei; Burton, Jeffrey H.; Redman, Leanne M.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To conduct a secondary analysis designed to test whether gestational weight gain is due to increased energy intake or adaptive changes in energy expenditures. Methods In this secondary analysis, energy intake and energy expenditure of 45 pregnant women (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n=33 and BMI ≥ 25, n=12) were measured preconceptionally 22, and 36 weeks of gestation. Energy intake was calculated as the sum of total energy expenditure measured by doubly labeled water and energy deposition determined by the 4-compartment body composition model. Weight, body composition, and metabolic chamber measurement were completed preconceptionally, 9, 22, and 36 weeks of gestation. Basal metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry in a room calorimeter and activity energy expenditure by doubly labeled water. Results Energy intake from 22 to 36 weeks of gestation was significantly higher in high gainers (n=19) (3437 ± 99 kcal/d) versus low + ideal gainers (n=26) (2687 ± 110 p< .001) within both BMI categories. Basal metabolic rate increased in proportion to gestational weight gain; however, basal metabolic rate adjusted for body composition changes with gestational weight gain was not significantly different between high gainers and low + ideal gainers (151 ± 33 vs. 129 ± 36 kcal/d; p=.66). Activity energy expenditure decreased throughout pregnancy in both groups (low + ideal gainers: −150 ± 70 kcal/d; p=.04 and high gainers: −230 ± 92 kcal/day; p=.01), but there was no difference between high gainers and low + ideal gainers (p=.49). Conclusion Interventions designed to increase adherence to the IOM guidelines for weight gain in pregnancy may have increased efficacy if focused on limiting energy intake while increasing nutrient density and maintaining levels of physical activity. PMID:27054928

  1. Oxygen exchange at gas/oxide interfaces: how the apparent activation energy of the surface exchange coefficient depends on the kinetic regime.

    PubMed

    Fielitz, Peter; Borchardt, Günter

    2016-08-10

    In the dedicated literature the oxygen surface exchange coefficient KO and the equilibrium oxygen exchange rate [Fraktur R] are considered to be directly proportional to each other regardless of the experimental circumstances. Recent experimental observations, however, contradict the consequences of this assumption. Most surprising is the finding that the apparent activation energy of KO depends dramatically on the kinetic regime in which it has been determined, i.e. surface exchange controlled vs. mixed or diffusion controlled. This work demonstrates how the diffusion boundary condition at the gas/solid interface inevitably entails a correlation between the oxygen surface exchange coefficient KO and the oxygen self-diffusion coefficient DO in the bulk ("on top" of the correlation between KO and [Fraktur R] for the pure surface exchange regime). The model can thus quantitatively explain the range of apparent activation energies measured in the different regimes: in the surface exchange regime the apparent activation energy only contains the contribution of the equilibrium exchange rate, whereas in the mixed or in the diffusion controlled regime the contribution of the oxygen self-diffusivity has also to be taken into account, which may yield significantly higher apparent activation energies and simultaneously quantifies the correlation KO ∝ DO(1/2) observed for a large number of oxides in the mixed or diffusion controlled regime, respectively.

  2. Activity Profile and Energy Expenditure Among Active Older Adults, British Columbia, 2011-2012.

    PubMed

    Madden, Kenneth M; Ashe, Maureen C; Chase, Jocelyn M

    2015-07-16

    Time spent by young adults in moderate to vigorous activity predicts daily caloric expenditure. In contrast, caloric expenditure among older adults is best predicted by time spent in light activity. We examined highly active older adults to examine the biggest contributors to energy expenditure in this population. Fifty-four community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or older (mean, 71.4 y) were enrolled in this cross-sectional observational study. All were members of the Whistler Senior Ski Team, and all met current American guidelines for physical activity. Activity levels (sedentary, light, and moderate to vigorous) were recorded by accelerometers worn continuously for 7 days. Caloric expenditure was measured using accelerometry, galvanic skin response, skin temperature, and heat flux. Significant variables were entered into a stepwise multivariate linear model consisting of activity level, age, and sex. The average (standard deviation [SD]) daily nonlying sedentary time was 564 (92) minutes (9.4 [1.5] h) per day. The main predictors of higher caloric expenditure were time spent in moderate to vigorous activity (standardized β = 0.42 [SE, 0.08]; P < .001) and male sex (standardized β = 1.34 [SE, 0.16]; P < .001). A model consisting of only moderate to vigorous physical activity and sex explained 68% of the variation in caloric expenditure. An increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity by 1 minute per day was associated with an additional 16 kcal expended in physical activity. The relationship between activity intensity and caloric expenditure in athletic seniors is similar to that observed in young adults. Active older adults still spend a substantial proportion of the day engaged in sedentary behaviors.

  3. Metabolomics Analysis of Cistus monspeliensis Leaf Extract on Energy Metabolism Activation in Human Intestinal Cells

    PubMed Central

    Shimoda, Yoichi; Han, Junkyu; Kawada, Kiyokazu; Smaoui, Abderrazak; Isoda, Hiroko

    2012-01-01

    Energy metabolism is a very important process to improve and maintain health from the point of view of physiology. It is well known that the intracellular ATP production is contributed to energy metabolism in cells. Cistus monspeliensis is widely used as tea, spices, and medical herb; however, it has not been focusing on the activation of energy metabolism. In this study, C. monspeliensis was investigated as the food resources by activation of energy metabolism in human intestinal epithelial cells. C. monspeliensis extract showed high antioxidant ability. In addition, the promotion of metabolites of glycolysis and TCA cycle was induced by C. monspeliensis treatment. These results suggest that C. monspeliensis extract has an ability to enhance the energy metabolism in human intestinal cells. PMID:22523469

  4. Active Thermochemical Tables: The Adiabatic Ionization Energy of Hydrogen Peroxide

    DOE PAGES

    Changala, P. Bryan; Nguyen, T. Lam; Baraban, Joshua H.; ...

    2017-09-07

    The adiabatic ionization energy of hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) is investigated, both by means of theoretical calculations and theoretically-assisted reanalysis of previous experimental data. Values obtained by three different approaches: 10.638 ± 0.012 eV (purely theoretical determination), 10.649 ± 0.005 eV (reanalysis of photoelectron spectrum) and 10.645 ± 0.010 eV (reanalysis of photoionization spectrum) are in excellent mutual agreement. Further refinement of the latter two values to account for asymmetry of the rotational profile of the photoionization origin band leads to a reduction of 0.007 ± 0.006 eV, which tends to bring them into even closer alignment with the purely theoreticalmore » value. As a result, detailed analysis of this fundamental quantity by the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach, using the present results and extant literature, gives a final estimate of 10.641 ± 0.006 eV.« less

  5. Effects of Differing Energy Dependences in Three Level-Density Models on Calculated Cross Sections

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

    Fu, C.Y.

    2000-07-15

    Three level-density formalisms commonly used for cross-section calculations are examined. Residual nuclides in neutron interaction with {sup 58}Ni are chosen to quantify the well-known differences in the energy dependences of the three formalisms. Level-density parameters for the Gilbert and Cameron model are determined from experimental information. Parameters for the back-shifted Fermi-gas and generalized superfluid models are obtained by fitting their level densities at two selected energies for each nuclide to those of the Gilbert and Cameron model, forcing the level densities of the three models to be as close as physically allowed. The remaining differences are in their energy dependencesmore » that, it is shown, can change the calculated cross sections and particle emission spectra significantly, in some cases or energy ranges by a factor of 2.« less

  6. Regulation of Aerobic Energy Metabolism in Podospora anserina by Two Paralogous Genes Encoding Structurally Different c-Subunits of ATP Synthase.

    PubMed

    Sellem, Carole H; di Rago, Jean-Paul; Lasserre, Jean-Paul; Ackerman, Sharon H; Sainsard-Chanet, Annie

    2016-07-01

    Most of the ATP in living cells is produced by an F-type ATP synthase. This enzyme uses the energy of a transmembrane electrochemical proton gradient to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. Proton movements across the membrane domain (FO) of the ATP synthase drive the rotation of a ring of 8-15 c-subunits, which induces conformational changes in the catalytic part (F1) of the enzyme that ultimately promote ATP synthesis. Two paralogous nuclear genes, called Atp9-5 and Atp9-7, encode structurally different c-subunits in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. We have in this study identified differences in the expression pattern for the two genes that correlate with the mitotic activity of cells in vegetative mycelia: Atp9-7 is transcriptionally active in non-proliferating (stationary) cells while Atp9-5 is expressed in the cells at the extremity (apex) of filaments that divide and are responsible for mycelium growth. When active, the Atp9-5 gene sustains a much higher rate of c-subunit synthesis than Atp9-7. We further show that the ATP9-7 and ATP9-5 proteins have antagonist effects on the longevity of P. anserina. Finally, we provide evidence that the ATP9-5 protein sustains a higher rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis and yield in ATP molecules per electron transferred to oxygen than the c-subunit encoded by Atp9-7. These findings reveal that the c-subunit genes play a key role in the modulation of ATP synthase production and activity along the life cycle of P. anserina. Such a degree of sophistication for regulating aerobic energy metabolism has not been described before.

  7. Investigation on Hot Workability of Homogenized Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy Based on Activation Energy and Processing Map

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Xiaoyan; Su, Wusen; Xiao, Dan; Xu, Guofu

    2018-06-01

    Hot deformation behaviors of the homogenized Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy were studied by uniaxial compression tests carried out at 623-743 K and strain rates of 0.01-10 s-1. The constitutive equation was developed for the activation energy, and thus the activation energy map was constructed. During the hot deformation, the dominated softening mechanisms were the dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization, which were most likely to be driven with increasing temperature and decreasing activation energy. Based on the superposition of the activation energy map and the processing map, together with the microstructure characteristics, the optimized hot workability of the alloy was proposed at the domain (670-743 K and 0.01-0.16 s-1), where the peak efficiency was 0.39 and the activation energy range was 196-260 kJ mol-1.

  8. Activation Energy of Tantalum-Tungsten Oxide Thermite Reaction

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

    Cervantes, O; Kuntz, J; Gash, A

    2010-02-25

    The activation energy of a high melting temperature sol-gel (SG) derived tantalum-tungsten oxide thermite composite was determined using the Kissinger isoconversion method. The SG derived powder was consolidated using the High Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HPSPS) technique to 300 and 400 C to produce pellets with dimensions of 5 mm diameter by 1.5 mm height. A custom built ignition setup was developed to measure ignition temperatures at high heating rates (500-2000 C {center_dot} min{sup -1}). Such heating rates were required in order to ignite the thermite composite. Unlike the 400 C samples, results show that the samples consolidated to 300more » C undergo an abrupt change in temperature response prior to ignition. This change in temperature response has been attributed to the crystallization of the amorphous WO{sub 3} in the SG derived Ta-WO{sub 3} thermite composite and not to a pre-ignition reaction between the constituents. Ignition temperatures for the Ta-WO{sub 3} thermite ranged from approximately 465-670 C. The activation energy of the SG derived Ta-WO{sup 3} thermite composite consolidated to 300 and 400 C were determined to be 37.787 {+-} 1.58 kJ {center_dot} mol{sup -1} and 57.381 {+-} 2.26 kJ {center_dot} mol{sup -1}, respectively.« less

  9. Energy Expenditure and Intensity of Active Video Games in Children and Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canabrava, Karina L. R.; Faria, Fernanda R.; de Lima, Jorge R. P.; Guedes, Dartagnan P.; Amorim, Paulo R. S.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: This study aimed to compare the energy expenditure and intensity of active video games to that of treadmill walking in children and adolescents. Method: Seventy-two boys and girls (aged 8-13 years) were recruited from local public schools. Energy expenditure and heart rate were measured during rest, during 3-km/hr, 4-km/hr, and 5-km/hr…

  10. Human butyrylcholinesterase components differ in aryl acylamidase activity.

    PubMed

    Montenegro, María F; María, T Moral-Naranjo; de la Cadena, María Páez; Campoy, Francisco J; Muñoz-Delgado, Encarnación; Vidal, Cecilio J

    2008-04-01

    Apart from its esterase activity, butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) displays aryl acylamidase (AAA) activity able to hydrolyze o-nitroacetanilide (ONA) and its trifluoro-derivative (F-ONA). We report here that, despite amidase and esterase sites residing in the same protein, in human samples depleted of acetylcholinesterase the ratio of amidase to esterase activity varied depending on the source of BuChE. The much faster degradation of ONA and F-ONA by BuChE monomers (G1) of colon and kidney than by the tetramers (G4) suggests aggregation-driven differences in the AAA site between single and polymerized subunits. The similar ratio of F-ONAto butyrylthiocholine hydrolysis by serum G1 and G4 forms support structural differences in the amidase site according to the source of BuChE. The changing ratios of amidase to esterase activities in the human sources probably arise from post-translational modifications in BuChE subunits, the specific proportion of monomers and oligomers and the variable capacity of the tetramers for degrading ONA and F-ONA. The elevated amidase activity of BuChE monomers and the scant activity of the tetramers justify the occurrence of single BuChE subunits in cells as a means to sustain the AAA activity of BuChE which otherwise could be lost by tetramerization.

  11. Increased Activity or Energy as a Primary Criterion for the Diagnosis of Bipolar Mania in DSM-5: Findings From the STEP-BD Study.

    PubMed

    Machado-Vieira, Rodrigo; Luckenbaugh, David A; Ballard, Elizabeth D; Henter, Ioline D; Tohen, Mauricio; Suppes, Trisha; Zarate, Carlos A

    2017-01-01

    DSM-5 describes "a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased activity or energy" as a primary criterion for mania. Thus, increased energy or activity is now considered a core symptom of manic and hypomanic episodes. Using data from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder study, the authors analyzed point prevalence data obtained at the initial visit to assess the diagnostic validity of this new DSM-5 criterion. The study hypothesis was that the DSM-5 criterion would alter the prevalence of mania and/or hypomania. The authors compared prevalence, clinical characteristics, validators, and outcome in patients meeting the DSM-5 criteria (i.e., DSM-IV criteria plus the DSM-5 criterion of increased activity or energy) and those who did not meet the new DSM-5 criterion (i.e., who only met DSM-IV criteria). All 4,360 participants met DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder, and 310 met DSM-IV criteria for a manic or hypomanic episode. When the new DSM-5 criterion of increased activity or energy was added as a coprimary symptom, the prevalence of mania and hypomania was reduced. Although minor differences were noted in clinical and concurrent validators, no changes were observed in longitudinal outcomes. The findings confirm that including increased activity or energy as part of DSM-5 criterion A decreases the prevalence of manic and hypomanic episodes but does not affect longitudinal clinical outcomes.

  12. Acutely Decreased Thermoregulatory Energy Expenditure or Decreased Activity Energy Expenditure Both Acutely Reduce Food Intake in Mice

    PubMed Central

    Kaiyala, Karl J.; Morton, Gregory J.; Thaler, Joshua P.; Meek, Thomas H.; Tylee, Tracy; Ogimoto, Kayoko; Wisse, Brent E.

    2012-01-01

    Despite the suggestion that reduced energy expenditure may be a key contributor to the obesity pandemic, few studies have tested whether acutely reduced energy expenditure is associated with a compensatory reduction in food intake. The homeostatic mechanisms that control food intake and energy expenditure remain controversial and are thought to act over days to weeks. We evaluated food intake in mice using two models of acutely decreased energy expenditure: 1) increasing ambient temperature to thermoneutrality in mice acclimated to standard laboratory temperature or 2) exercise cessation in mice accustomed to wheel running. Increasing ambient temperature (from 21°C to 28°C) rapidly decreased energy expenditure, demonstrating that thermoregulatory energy expenditure contributes to both light cycle (40±1%) and dark cycle energy expenditure (15±3%) at normal ambient temperature (21°C). Reducing thermoregulatory energy expenditure acutely decreased food intake primarily during the light cycle (65±7%), thus conflicting with the delayed compensation model, but did not alter spontaneous activity. Acute exercise cessation decreased energy expenditure only during the dark cycle (14±2% at 21°C; 21±4% at 28°C), while food intake was reduced during the dark cycle (0.9±0.1 g) in mice housed at 28°C, but during the light cycle (0.3±0.1 g) in mice housed at 21°C. Cumulatively, there was a strong correlation between the change in daily energy expenditure and the change in daily food intake (R2 = 0.51, p<0.01). We conclude that acutely decreased energy expenditure decreases food intake suggesting that energy intake is regulated by metabolic signals that respond rapidly and accurately to reduced energy expenditure. PMID:22936977

  13. Regional differences in rat conjunctival ion transport activities

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Dongfang; Thelin, William R.; Rogers, Troy D.; Stutts, M. Jackson; Randell, Scott H.; Grubb, Barbara R.

    2012-01-01

    Active ion transport and coupled osmotic water flow are essential to maintain ocular surface health. We investigated regional differences in the ion transport activities of the rat conjunctivas and compared these activities with those of cornea and lacrimal gland. The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (Slc5a1), transmembrane protein 16 (Tmem16a, b, f, and g), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr), and mucin (Muc4, 5ac, and 5b) mRNA expression was characterized by RT-PCR. ENaC proteins were measured by Western blot. Prespecified regions (palpebral, fornical, and bulbar) of freshly isolated conjunctival tissues and cell cultures were studied electrophysiologically with Ussing chambers. The transepithelial electrical potential difference (PD) of the ocular surface was also measured in vivo. The effect of amiloride and UTP on the tear volume was evaluated in lacrimal gland excised rats. All selected genes were detected but with different expression patterns. We detected αENaC protein in all tissues, βENaC in palpebral and fornical conjunctiva, and γENaC in all tissues except lacrimal glands. Electrophysiological studies of conjunctival tissues and cell cultures identified functional ENaC, SLC5A1, CFTR, and TMEM16. Fornical conjunctiva exhibited the most active ion transport under basal conditions amongst conjunctival regions. PD measurements confirmed functional ENaC-mediated Na+ transport on the ocular surface. Amiloride and UTP increased tear volume in lacrimal gland excised rats. This study demonstrated that the different regions of the conjunctiva exhibited a spectrum of ion transport activities. Understanding the specific functions of distinct regions of the conjunctiva may foster a better understanding of the physiology maintaining hydration of the ocular surface. PMID:22814399

  14. Regional differences in rat conjunctival ion transport activities.

    PubMed

    Yu, Dongfang; Thelin, William R; Rogers, Troy D; Stutts, M Jackson; Randell, Scott H; Grubb, Barbara R; Boucher, Richard C

    2012-10-01

    Active ion transport and coupled osmotic water flow are essential to maintain ocular surface health. We investigated regional differences in the ion transport activities of the rat conjunctivas and compared these activities with those of cornea and lacrimal gland. The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (Slc5a1), transmembrane protein 16 (Tmem16a, b, f, and g), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr), and mucin (Muc4, 5ac, and 5b) mRNA expression was characterized by RT-PCR. ENaC proteins were measured by Western blot. Prespecified regions (palpebral, fornical, and bulbar) of freshly isolated conjunctival tissues and cell cultures were studied electrophysiologically with Ussing chambers. The transepithelial electrical potential difference (PD) of the ocular surface was also measured in vivo. The effect of amiloride and UTP on the tear volume was evaluated in lacrimal gland excised rats. All selected genes were detected but with different expression patterns. We detected αENaC protein in all tissues, βENaC in palpebral and fornical conjunctiva, and γENaC in all tissues except lacrimal glands. Electrophysiological studies of conjunctival tissues and cell cultures identified functional ENaC, SLC5A1, CFTR, and TMEM16. Fornical conjunctiva exhibited the most active ion transport under basal conditions amongst conjunctival regions. PD measurements confirmed functional ENaC-mediated Na(+) transport on the ocular surface. Amiloride and UTP increased tear volume in lacrimal gland excised rats. This study demonstrated that the different regions of the conjunctiva exhibited a spectrum of ion transport activities. Understanding the specific functions of distinct regions of the conjunctiva may foster a better understanding of the physiology maintaining hydration of the ocular surface.

  15. Activation energy for diamond growth from the carbon-hydrogen gas system at low substrate temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stiegler, J.; Lang, T.; von Kaenel, Y.; Michler, J.; Blank, E.

    1997-01-01

    The growth kinetics of diamond films deposited at low substrate temperatures (600-400 °C) from the carbon-hydrogen gas system have been studied. When the substrate temperature alone was varied, independently of all other process parameters in the microwave plasma reactor, an activation energy in the order of 7 kcal/mol was observed. This value did not change with different carbon concentrations in hydrogen. It is supposed that growth kinetics in this temperature range are controlled by a single chemical reaction, probably the abstraction of surface bonded hydrogen by gas phase atomic hydrogen.

  16. Physical Activity, Gender Difference, and Depressive Symptoms.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jun; Yen, Steven T

    2015-10-01

    To investigate the roles of physical activity (exercise) and sociodemographic factors in depressive symptoms among men and women in the United States. 2011 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8) scores are aggregated and divided into five categories. An ordered switching probability model with binary endogenous physical activity is developed to accommodate ordinality of depression categories and ameliorate statistical biases due to endogeneity of physical activity. Average treatment effects suggest physical activity ameliorates depressive symptoms among mildly and moderately depressed individuals, most notably among mildly depressed women. Gender differences exist in the roles of sociodemographic factors, with age, income, race, education, employment status, and recent mental health condition playing differentiated roles in affecting depressive symptoms. Regular physical activity reduces depressive symptoms among both men and women with mild to moderate depression, notably among women. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  17. Socio-Demographic Differences in Energy Drink Consumption and Reasons for Consumption among US College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poulos, Natalie S.; Pasch, Keryn E.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Energy drink consumption has become increasingly prevalent among US college students, yet little is known about current rates of consumption and reasons for consumption among current energy drink users, particularly differences related to gender and race/ethnicity. Objectives: To better understand energy drink consumption alone and…

  18. Limits to sustained energy intake. XVI. Body temperature and physical activity of female mice during pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Gamo, Yuko; Bernard, Amelie; Mitchell, Sharon E; Hambly, Catherine; Al Jothery, Aqeel; Vaanholt, Lobke M; Król, Elzbieta; Speakman, John R

    2013-06-15

    Lactation is the most energy-demanding phase of mammalian reproduction, and lactation performance may be affected by events during pregnancy. For example, food intake may be limited in late pregnancy by competition for space in the abdomen between the alimentary tract and fetuses. Hence, females may need to compensate their energy budgets during pregnancy by reducing activity and lowering body temperature. We explored the relationships between energy intake, body mass, body temperature and physical activity throughout pregnancy in the MF1 mouse. Food intake and body mass of 26 females were recorded daily throughout pregnancy. Body temperature and physical activity were monitored every minute for 23 h a day by implanted transmitters. Body temperature and physical activity declined as pregnancy advanced, while energy intake and body mass increased. Compared with a pre-mating baseline period, mice increased energy intake by 56% in late pregnancy. Although body temperature declined as pregnancy progressed, this served mostly to reverse an increase between baseline and early pregnancy. Reduced physical activity may compensate the energy budget of pregnant mice but body temperature changes do not. Over the last 3 days of pregnancy, food intake declined. Individual variation in energy intake in the last phase of pregnancy was positively related to litter size at birth. As there was no association between the increase in body mass and the decline in intake, we suggest the decline was not caused by competition for abdominal space. These data suggest overall reproductive performance is probably not constrained by events during pregnancy.

  19. Energy Expenditure during Physically Interactive Video Game Playing in Male College Students with Different Playing Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sell, Katie; Lillie, Tia; Taylor, Julie

    2008-01-01

    Objective: Researchers have yet to explore the effect of physically interactive video game playing on energy expenditure, despite its potential for meeting current minimal daily activity and energy expenditure recommendations. Participants and Methods: Nineteen male college students-12 experienced "Dance Dance Revolution" (DDR) players and 7…

  20. Socioeconomic differences in sport and physical activity among Italian adults.

    PubMed

    Federico, Bruno; Falese, Lavinia; Marandola, Diego; Capelli, Giovanni

    2013-01-01

    We aimed to assess the extent of socioeconomic differences in sport and physical activity among Italian adults. A secondary data analysis of a multipurpose survey carried out by the National Institute of Statistics in 2006 in Italy was performed. We found marked differences in the practice of physical activity and sport by socioeconomic position. Subjects with a higher educational level were more likely to be physically active, practising more frequently both sport and physical activity. The Odds Ratio (OR) of regular physical activity for the highest educated compared to the lowest educated males was 1.70 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.38, 2.08), and the OR of sport participation was 2.03 (95% CI: 1.51, 2.72). Among females, the corresponding ORs were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.63) and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.51, 3.38). Similar differences in physical activity and sport were found in relation to occupation and material conditions. Almost all sports were more frequently practised by subjects of higher socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic differences in sport and physical activity may derive from economic or cultural barriers. Policies to reduce inequalities and ensure access to sport independently of socioeconomic position are strongly needed.

  1. ROCK1 in AgRP neurons regulates energy expenditure and locomotor activity in male mice.

    PubMed

    Huang, Hu; Lee, Seung Hwan; Ye, Chianping; Lima, Ines S; Oh, Byung-Chul; Lowell, Bradford B; Zabolotny, Janice M; Kim, Young-Bum

    2013-10-01

    Normal leptin signaling is essential for the maintenance of body weight homeostasis. Proopiomelanocortin- and agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-producing neurons play critical roles in regulating energy metabolism. Our recent work demonstrates that deletion of Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1) in the AgRP neurons of mice increased body weight and adiposity. Here, we report that selective loss of ROCK1 in AgRP neurons caused a significant decrease in energy expenditure and locomotor activity of mice. These effects were independent of any change in food intake. Furthermore, AgRP neuron-specific ROCK1-deficient mice displayed central leptin resistance, as evidenced by impaired Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 activation in response to leptin administration. Leptin's ability to hyperpolarize and decrease firing rate of AgRP neurons was also abolished in the absence of ROCK1. Moreover, diet-induced and genetic forms of obesity resulted in reduced ROCK1 activity in murine arcuate nucleus. Of note, high-fat diet also impaired leptin-stimulated ROCK1 activity in arcuate nucleus, suggesting that a defect in hypothalamic ROCK1 activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of central leptin resistance in obesity. Together, these data demonstrate that ROCK1 activation in hypothalamic AgRP neurons is required for the homeostatic regulation of energy expenditure and adiposity. These results further support previous work identifying ROCK1 as a key regulator of energy balance and suggest that targeting ROCK1 in the hypothalamus may lead to development of antiobesity therapeutics.

  2. Differences in Mothers' and Children's Dietary Intake during Physical and Sedentary Activities: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Sydney G; Koprowski, Carol; Dzubur, Eldin; Leventhal, Adam M; Huh, Jimi; Dunton, Genevieve Fridlund

    2017-08-01

    Physical activity and diet are major modifiable health behaviors contributing to obesity risk. Although patterns of these behaviors tend to cluster within individuals and within family units, it is unknown to what extent healthy and unhealthy dietary intake might differentially accompany sedentary and physical activities in mothers compared with their children. Our goal was to examine differences in co-occurrence of activities and dietary intake between mothers and children, as measured in real time using ecological momentary assessment. This study examined cross-sectional data from 175 mothers and their children aged 8 to 12 years. Participants completed 8 days of ecological momentary assessment surveys, reporting on whether the following activities had occurred during the past 2 hours: sedentary screen activity, physical activity, and intake of healthy (ie, fruits and vegetables) and unhealthy (ie, fast food, chips/fries, pastries/sweets, and soda/energy drinks) foods. Multilevel logistic regression models estimated the adjusted odds of consuming healthy and unhealthy dietary intake for mothers and children during time periods reporting physical activity (vs no physical activity) or sedentary screen activity (vs no sedentary screen activity). Post hoc tests compared estimates for mothers vs children. Children were significantly more likely than their mothers to consume unhealthy foods during 2-hour windows that included physical activity (odds ratio [children] 1.85, 95% CI 1.47 to 2.31; odds ratio [mothers] 0.83, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.20; P diff <0.05), but not sedentary screen activity (P diff =0.067). In addition, children and their mothers did not differ in their likelihood of consuming healthy foods during 2-hour windows with sedentary screen activity (P diff  =0.497) or physical activity (P diff  =0.170). Results indicate that the consumption of unhealthy foods may be more likely to co-occur within a 2-hour window including physical activity in children as

  3. Modulation of Energy Intake and Expenditure Due to Habitual Physical Exercise.

    PubMed

    Martin, Matoulek; Krystof, Slaby; Jiri, Radvansky; Martina, Dankova; Renata, Vetrovska; Ondrej, Mikes; Stepan, Svacina; Vladimir, Tuka

    2016-01-01

    The 20th and 21st centuries are marked by an increase in life expectancy on one hand and on the other hand by the increase of so called civilization diseases. Their share one common trait: the energy metabolism imbalance, with low energy expenditure and high energy uptake. Our age can be viewed as the age of inactivity and wealth. The aim of the present review is to highlight the influence of habitual physical activity on energy metabolism and balance. Energy balance is the difference between energy intake and energy expenditure, where energy expenditure further divides into resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of feeding and energy used by physical activity. In general population, resting metabolic rate remains constant and proportional to muscle body mass. Muscle mass increases with exercise, especially resistance exercise, concomitantly with increasing energy expenditure. The effect of exercise on appetite is very strong, proportional to exercise intensity. An acute bout of aerobic exercise suppresses appetite by decreasing ghrelin plasma levels, and increasing gut hormones. Different subgroups of patients respond differently to the same exercise or habitual activity and have thus distinct effects on energy balance. Different myokines plasma levels after exercise could explain these different reactions although most of their effect is still unclear. Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of many disorders, like obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, psychiatric and neurologic disorders. It is evident, that physical activity has an effect not only on energy balance but also has a direct effect on other body organ via its own molecules - myokines. The pharmacological effect of myokines gives hope that one day we could have a "myokine drug" that could be used in patients who are unable to exercise. Until then we should use our &

  4. Comparison of methods to assess energy expenditure and physical activity in people with spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Tanhoffer, Ricardo A; Tanhoffer, Aldre I P; Raymond, Jacqueline; Hills, Andrew P; Davis, Glen M

    2012-01-01

    To compare different methods of assessing energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity (PA) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) under community-dwelling conditions. A reference standard encompassing the doubly labelled water (DLW) technique, heart rate monitoring (FLEX-HR), a multi-sensor armband (SenseWear Armband (SWA)), and two PA recall questionnaires were employed in 14 people with SCI to estimate EE and leisure-time PA. Mean total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) assessed by DLW, FLEX-HR, and SWA were 9817 ± 2491 kJ/day, 8498 ± 1516 kJ/day, and 11414 ± 3242 kJ/day, respectively. Physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) quantified by DLW was 2841 ± 1626 kJ/day, 2935 ± 1732 kJ/day estimated from FLEX-HR, and 2773 ± 2966 kJ/day derived from SWA. After converting the PA recall questionnaire data to EE in kJ/day, PAEE for the Physical Activity Recall Assessment for People with Spinal Cord Injury (PARA-SCI) was 2339 ± 1171 kJ/day and for Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD) 749 ± 1026 kJ/day. DLW-quantified PAEE was moderately associated with PARA-SCI (R(2) = 0.62, P < 0.05), but not with the other estimates of PAEE (R(2) ranged between 0.13 and 0.30, P > 0.05). Our findings revealed that the PARA-SCI recall questionnaire was the best estimate of PAEE compared to the reference standard DLW approach. Although the between-method variability for SWA, FLEX-HR, and PASIPD-derived PAEE was small, there was a weak association between these methods and the criterion DLW technique. The best estimate of DLW-quantified TDEE was by FLEX-HR. SWA significantly overestimated TDEE in this population.

  5. Validation and divergence of the activation energy barrier crossing transition at the AOT/lecithin reverse micellar interface.

    PubMed

    Narayanan, S Shankara; Sinha, Sudarson Sekhar; Sarkar, Rupa; Pal, Samir Kumar

    2008-03-13

    In this report, the validity and divergence of the activation energy barrier crossing model for the bound to free type water transition at the interface of the AOT/lecithin mixed reverse micelle (RM) has been investigated for the first time in a wide range of temperatures by time-resolved solvation of fluorophores. Here, picosecond-resolved solvation dynamics of two fluorescent probes, ANS (1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonic acid, ammonium salt) and Coumarin 500 (C-500), in the mixed RM have been carefully examined at 293, 313, 328, and 343 K. Using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique, the size of the mixed RMs at different temperatures was found to have an insignificant change. The solvation process at the reverse micellar interface has been found to be the activation energy barrier crossing type, in which interface-bound type water molecules get converted into free type water molecules. The activation energies, Ea, calculated for ANS and C-500 are 7.4 and 3.9 kcal mol(-1), respectively, which are in good agreement with that obtained by molecular dynamics simulation studies. However, deviation from the regular Arrhenius type behavior was observed for ANS around 343 K, which has been attributed to the spatial heterogeneity of the probe environments. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay of the probes has indicated the existence of the dyes in a range of locations in RM. With the increase in temperature, the overall anisotropy decay becomes faster revealing the lability of the microenvironment at elevated temperatures.

  6. Technology Learning Activities. Design Brief--Measuring Inaccessible Distances. Alternative Energy Sources: Designing a Wind Powered Generator. Alternative Energy Sources: Designing a Hot Dog Heater Using Solar Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Technology Teacher, 1991

    1991-01-01

    These three learning activities are on measuring accessible distances, designing a wind powered generator, and designing a hot dog heater using solar energy. Each activity includes description of context, objectives, list of materials and equipment, challenge to students, and evaluation questions. (SK)

  7. A pediatric correlational study of stride interval dynamics, energy expenditure and activity level.

    PubMed

    Ellis, Denine; Sejdic, Ervin; Zabjek, Karl; Chau, Tom

    2014-08-01

    The strength of time-dependent correlations known as stride interval (SI) dynamics has been proposed as an indicator of neurologically healthy gait. Most recently, it has been hypothesized that these dynamics may be necessary for gait efficiency although the supporting evidence to date is scant. The current study examines over-ground SI dynamics, and their relationship with the cost of walking and physical activity levels in neurologically healthy children aged nine to 15 years. Twenty participants completed a single experimental session consisting of three phases: 10 min resting, 15 min walking and 10 min recovery. The scaling exponent (α) was used to characterize SI dynamics while net energy cost was measured using a portable metabolic cart, and physical activity levels were determined based on a 7-day recall questionnaire. No significant linear relationships were found between a and the net energy cost measures (r < .07; p > .25) or between α and physical activity levels (r = .01, p = .62). However, there was a marked reduction in the variance of α as activity levels increased. Over-ground stride dynamics do not appear to directly reflect energy conservation of gait in neurologically healthy youth. However, the reduction in the variance of α with increasing physical activity suggests a potential exercise-moderated convergence toward a level of stride interval persistence for able-bodied youth reported in the literature. This latter finding warrants further investigation.

  8. Standing wave tube electro active polymer wave energy converter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jean, Philippe; Wattez, Ambroise; Ardoise, Guillaume; Melis, C.; Van Kessel, R.; Fourmon, A.; Barrabino, E.; Heemskerk, J.; Queau, J. P.

    2012-04-01

    Over the past 4 years SBM has developed a revolutionary Wave Energy Converter (WEC): the S3. Floating under the ocean surface, the S3 amplifies pressure waves similarly to a Ruben's tube. Only made of elastomers, the system is entirely flexible, environmentally friendly and silent. Thanks to a multimodal resonant behavior, the S3 is capable of efficiently harvesting wave energy from a wide range of wave periods, naturally smoothing the irregularities of ocean wave amplitudes and periods. In the S3 system, Electro Active Polymer (EAP) generators are distributed along an elastomeric tube over several wave lengths, they convert wave induced deformations directly into electricity. The output is high voltage multiphase Direct Current with low ripple. Unlike other conventional WECs, the S3 requires no maintenance of moving parts. The conception and operating principle will eventually lead to a reduction of both CAPEX and OPEX. By integrating EAP generators into a small scale S3, SBM achieved a world first: direct conversion of wave energy in electricity with a moored flexible submerged EAP WEC in a wave tank test. Through an extensive testing program on large scale EAP generators, SBM identified challenges in scaling up to a utility grid device. French Government supports the consortium consisting of SBM, IFREMER and ECN in their efforts to deploy a full scale prototype at the SEMREV test center in France at the horizon 2014-2015. SBM will be seeking strategic as well as financial partners to unleash the true potentials of the S3 Standing Wave Tube Electro Active Polymer WEC.

  9. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability of Different Building Structures in Latvian Climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jakovičs, A.; Gendelis, S.; Bandeniece, L.

    2015-11-01

    Five experimental test buildings have been built in Riga, Latvia. They are identical except external walls for which different mainly regional building materials are used. Calculated U-values of the other walls, floor and ceiling are the same for each test building. Initial moisture influences the relative humidity of indoor air, which can be higher in the initial time period; as a result, heat transmittances are also very different and cause different heating/cooling energy consumption. Overheating risk in summer exists for test buildings with the smallest thermal inertia. Both summer and heating seasons have been analysed and differences between five test houses have been discussed in details.

  10. Compact, Energy-Efficient High-Frequency Switched Capacitor Neural Stimulator With Active Charge Balancing.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Wen-Yang; Schmid, Alexandre

    2017-08-01

    Safety and energy efficiency are two major concerns for implantable neural stimulators. This paper presents a novel high-frequency, switched capacitor (HFSC) stimulation and active charge balancing scheme, which achieves high energy efficiency and well-controlled stimulation charge in the presence of large electrode impedance variations. Furthermore, the HFSC can be implemented in a compact size without any external component to simultaneously enable multichannel stimulation by deploying multiple stimulators. The theoretical analysis shows significant benefits over the constant-current and voltage-mode stimulation methods. The proposed solution was fabricated using a 0.18 μm high-voltage technology, and occupies only 0.035 mm 2 for a single stimulator. The measurement result shows 50% peak energy efficiency and confirms the effectiveness of active charge balancing to prevent the electrode dissolution.

  11. Vibration energy harvesting based on integrated piezoelectric components operating in different modes.

    PubMed

    Hu, Junhui; Jong, Januar; Zhao, Chunsheng

    2010-01-01

    To increase the vibration energy-harvesting capability of the piezoelectric generator based on a cantilever beam, we have proposed a piezoelectric generator that not only uses the strain change of piezoelectric components bonded on a cantilever beam, but also employs the weights at the tip of the cantilever beam to hit piezoelectric components located on the 2 sides of weights. A prototype of the piezoelectric generator has been fabricated and its characteristics have been measured and analyzed. The experimental results show that the piezoelectric components operating in the hit mode can substantially enhance the energy harvesting of the piezoelectric generator on a cantilever beam. Two methods are used and compared in the management of rectified output voltages from different groups of piezoelectric components. In one of them, the DC voltages from rectifiers are connected in series, and then the total DC voltage is applied to a capacitor. In another connection, the DC voltage from each group is applied to different capacitors. It is found that 22.3% of the harvested energy is wasted due to the series connection. The total output electric energy of our piezoelectric generator at nonresonance could be up to 43 nJ for one vibration excitation applied by spring, with initial vibration amplitude (0-p) of 18 mm and frequency of 18.5 Hz, when the rectified voltages from different groups of piezoelectric components are connected to their individual capacitors. In addition, the motion and impact of the weights at the tip of the cantilever beam are theoretically analyzed, which well explains the experimental phenomena and suggests the measures to improve the generator.

  12. Differences in energy expenditure and substrate oxidation between habitual high fat and low fat consumers (phenotypes).

    PubMed

    Cooling, J; Blundell, J

    1998-07-01

    To investigate physiological differences between habitual high-fat (HF) and low-fat (LF) consumers, which could influence the balance between energy expenditure and energy intake, and the potential for weight gain. 16 young, lean males (eight HF and eight LF consumers; % energy from fat 44.3 and 32.0, respectively). Habitual dietary variables (from FFQ), body mass index (BMI), body fat % (measured by impedance), resting metabolic rate (RMR) (indirect calorimetry), substrate oxidation and basal heart rate, postprandial thermogenesis and heart rate in response to a high-fat (low carbohydrate (CHO)) and high-CHO (low fat) challenge. HF and LF (selected for their intake of fat) did not differ significantly in BMI or % body fat. HF had a significantly higher RMR (1624 vs 1455 kcal/d) and basal heart rate (66 vs 57 bpm) than LF. Differences in oxygen utilisation and heart rate were maintained over a 180 min period, following the high-fat and high-CHO challenge meals. HF had a significantly lower resting respiratory quotient (RQ) than LF and the differences in average RQ were significant over the 180 min examination period. HF had a significantly lower RQ response to the high fat (low CHO) than to the high CHO (low fat) challenge; this effect was not observed in LF. HF had higher total energy intake than LF and a higher absolute (but not %) intake of protein. Significant differences in basal energy expenditure and fat oxidation between habitual HF and LF consumers have been observed. The contributions of energy intake and protein intake (g not %) remain to be determined. In this particular group of subjects (young adult males) a high energy intake characterised by a large fat component is associated with metabolic adaptations which could offset the weight inducing properties of a high-fat diet. These physiological differences may be important when considering the relationship between dietary-fat and obesity.

  13. Macro creatine kinase: determination and differentiation of two types by their activation energies

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

    Stein, W.; Bohner, J.; Steinhart, R.

    1982-01-01

    Determination of the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase in patients with acute myocardial infarction may be disturbed by the presence of macro creatine kinase. The relative molecular mass of this form of creatine kinase in human serum is at least threefold that of the ordinary enzyme, and it is more thermostable. Here we describe our method for determination of macro creatine kinases and an easy-to-perform test for differentiating two forms of macro creatine kinase, based on their distinct activation energies. The activation energies of serum enzymes are mostly in the range of 40-65 kJ/mol of substrate. Unlike normal cytoplasmatic creatinemore » kinases and IgG-linked CK-BB (macro creatine kinase type 1) a second form of macro creatine kinase (macro creatine kinase type 2) shows activation energies greater than 80 kJ/mol of substrate. The exact composition of macro creatine kinase type 2 is still unknown, but there is good reason to believe that it is of mitochondrial origin.« less

  14. Urease activity in different soils of Egypt.

    PubMed

    el-Shinnawi, M M

    1978-01-01

    Samples from two depths (0--15 and 15--30 cm) of five Egyptian soils: sandy, calcareous, fertile alluvial, saline alluvial, and alkali alluvial were tested for urease activity. Samples were treated with farmyard manure at rates of 0 and 0.5% C, and moisture at levels of 50, 65, and 80% of the water holding capacity. The studied Egyptian soils showed different activities of urease. Decreases in the values were shown by depth of sampling and varied in their intensities according to soil type, except for saline soil which revealed an opposite trend by the higher activity of its sub-surface layer. Order of activity was the following: fertile, saline, alkali, calcareous, and sandy soil. Farmyard manure slightly increased the activity of the enzyme. Incubation of moistened samples revealed that the optimum moisture content was 50% of W.H.C. for the tested soils, except for saline which showed best results at 65% of W.H.C.

  15. Functional genomics of bio-energy plants and related patent activities.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Shu-Ye; Ramachandran, Srinivasan

    2013-04-01

    With dwindling fossil oil resources and increased economic growth of many developing countries due to globalization, energy driven from an alternative source such as bio-energy in a sustainable fashion is the need of the hour. However, production of energy from biological source is relatively expensive due to low starch and sugar contents of bioenergy plants leading to lower oil yield and reduced quality along with lower conversion efficiency of feedstock. In this context genetic improvement of bio-energy plants offers a viable solution. In this manuscript, we reviewed the current status of functional genomics studies and related patent activities in bio-energy plants. Currently, genomes of considerable bio-energy plants have been sequenced or are in progress and also large amount of expression sequence tags (EST) or cDNA sequences are available from them. These studies provide fundamental data for more reliable genome annotation and as a result, several genomes have been annotated in a genome-wide level. In addition to this effort, various mutagenesis tools have also been employed to develop mutant populations for characterization of genes that are involved in bioenergy quantitative traits. With the progress made on functional genomics of important bio-energy plants, more patents were filed with a significant number of them focusing on genes and DNA sequences which may involve in improvement of bio-energy traits including higher yield and quality of starch, sugar and oil. We also believe that these studies will lead to the generation of genetically altered plants with improved tolerance to various abiotic and biotic stresses.

  16. Energy for Wild-Type Acetylcholine Receptor Channel Gating from Different Choline Derivatives

    PubMed Central

    Bruhova, Iva; Gregg, Timothy; Auerbach, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    Agonists, including the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), bind at two sites in the neuromuscular ACh receptor channel (AChR) to promote a reversible, global change in protein conformation that regulates the flow of ions across the muscle cell membrane. In the synaptic cleft, ACh is hydrolyzed to acetate and choline. Replacement of the transmitter’s ester acetyl group with a hydroxyl (ACh→choline) results in a +1.8 kcal/mol reduction in the energy for gating generated by each agonist molecule from a low- to high-affinity change of the transmitter binding site (ΔGB). To understand the distinct actions of structurally related agonist molecules, we measured ΔGB for 10 related choline derivatives. Replacing the hydroxyl group of choline with different substituents, such as hydrogen, chloride, methyl, or amine, increased the energy for gating (i.e., it made ΔGB more negative relative to choline). Extending the ethyl hydroxide tail of choline to propyl and butyl hydroxide also increased this energy. Our findings reveal the amount of energy that is available for the AChR conformational change provided by different, structurally related agonists. We speculate that a hydrogen bond between the choline hydroxyl and the backbone carbonyl of αW149 positions this agonist’s quaternary ammonium group so as to reduce the cation-π interaction between this moiety and the aromatic groups at the binding site. PMID:23442907

  17. The fragment spin difference scheme for triplet-triplet energy transfer coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Zhi-Qiang; Hsu, Chao-Ping

    2010-08-01

    To calculate the electronic couplings in both inter- and intramolecular triplet energy transfer (TET), we have developed the "fragment spin difference" (FSD) scheme. The FSD was a generalization from the "fragment charge difference" (FCD) method of Voityuk et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 117, 5607 (2002)] for electron transfer (ET) coupling. In FSD, the spin population difference was used in place of the charge difference in FCD. FSD is derived from the eigenstate energies and populations, and therefore the FSD couplings contain all contributions in the Hamiltonian as well as the potential overlap effect. In the present work, two series of molecules, all-trans-polyene oligomers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were tested for intermolecular TET study. The TET coupling results are largely similar to those from the previously developed direct coupling scheme, with FSD being easier and more flexible in use. On the other hand, the Dexter's exchange integral value, a quantity that is often used as an approximate for the TET coupling, varies in a large range as compared to the corresponding TET coupling. To test the FSD for intramolecular TET, we have calculated the TET couplings between zinc(II)-porphyrin and free-base porphyrin separated by different numbers of p-phenyleneethynylene bridge units. Our estimated rate constants are consistent with experimentally measured TET rates. The FSD method can be used for both intermolecular and intramolecular TET, regardless of their symmetry. This general applicability is an improvement over most existing methodologies.

  18. Parallel Computing:. Some Activities in High Energy Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willers, Ian

    This paper examines some activities in High Energy Physics that utilise parallel computing. The topic includes all computing from the proposed SIMD front end detectors, the farming applications, high-powered RISC processors and the large machines in the computer centers. We start by looking at the motivation behind using parallelism for general purpose computing. The developments around farming are then described from its simplest form to the more complex system in Fermilab. Finally, there is a list of some developments that are happening close to the experiments.

  19. Dietary fat and carbohydrate have different effects on body weight, energy expenditure, glucose homeostasis and behaviour in adult cats fed to energy requirement.

    PubMed

    Gooding, Margaret A; Atkinson, Jim L; Duncan, Ian J H; Niel, Lee; Shoveller, Anna K

    2015-01-01

    The effects of dietary carbohydrate and fat on feline health are not well understood. The effects of feeding diets moderately high in fat (HF; n 10; 30 % fat, 26 % carbohydrate as fed) or carbohydrate (HC; n 10; 11 % fat, 47 % carbohydrate), for 84 d, were investigated in healthy, adult cats (3·5 (sd 0·5) years). Data on indirect calorimetry, blood biomarkers, activity, play and cognition were collected at baseline, and at intervals throughout the study. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and on day 85. There were no significant main effects of diet on body weight and composition. When data were analysed over study day within diet, cats fed HF diets experienced a significant increase in body fat (P = 0·001) and body weight (P = 0·043) in contrast to cats consuming the HC diet that experienced no change in body fat or body weight (P = 0·762) throughout the study. Overall, energy expenditure was similar between diets (P = 0·356 (fasted), P = 0·086 (postprandial)) and respiratory quotient declined with exposure to the HF diet and increased with exposure to the HC diet (P < 0·001; fasted and postprandial). There was no difference in insulin sensitivity as an overall effect of diet (P = 0·266). Activity declined from baseline with exposure to both diets (HC: P = 0·002; HF: P = 0·01) but was not different between diets (P = 0·247). There was no effect of diet on play (P = 0·387) and cats consuming either the HF or HC diet did not successfully learn the cognitive test. Overall, cats adapt to dietary macronutrient content, and the implications of feeding HC and HF diets on risk for adiposity as driven by metabolic and behavioural mechanisms are discussed.

  20. From Radio with Love: An Overview of the Role of Radio Observations in Understanding High-Energy Emission from Active Galaxies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ojha, Roopesh

    2012-01-01

    The gamma-ray satellite Fermi and the ground based TeV facilities MAGIC, VERITAS and HESS have ushered in a new era in the observation of high-energy emission from active galaxies. The energy budgets of these objects have a major contribution from gamma-rays and it is simply not possible to understand their physics without high-energy observations. Though the exact mechanisms for high-energy production in galaxies remains an open question, gamma-rays typically result from interactions between high-energy particles. Via different interactions these same particles can produce radio emission. Thus the non-thermal nature of gamma-ray emission practically guarantees that high-energy emitters are also radio loud. Aside from their obvious role as a component of multiwavelength analysis, radio observations provide two crucial elements essential to understanding the source structure and physical processes of high-energy emitters: very high timing resolution and very high spatial resolution. A brief overview of the unique role played by radio observations in unraveling the mysteries of the high energy Universe as presented here.

  1. Working Memory Delay Activity Predicts Individual Differences in Cognitive Abilities

    PubMed Central

    Unsworth, Nash; Fukuda, Keisuke; Awh, Edward; Vogel, Edward K.

    2015-01-01

    A great deal of prior research has examined the relation between estimates of working memory and cognitive abilities. Yet, the neural mechanisms that account for these relations are still not very well understood. The current study explored whether individual differences in working memory delay activity would be a significant predictor of cognitive abilities. A large number of participants performed multiple measures of capacity, attention control, long-term memory, working memory span, and fluid intelligence, and latent variable analyses were used to examine the data. During two working memory change detection tasks, we acquired EEG data and examined the contra-lateral delay activity. The results demonstrated that the contralateral delay activity was significantly related to cognitive abilities, and importantly these relations were because of individual differences in both capacity and attention control. These results suggest that individual differences in working memory delay activity predict individual differences in a broad range of cognitive abilities, and this is because of both differences in the number of items that can be maintained and the ability to control access to working memory. PMID:25436671

  2. Working memory delay activity predicts individual differences in cognitive abilities.

    PubMed

    Unsworth, Nash; Fukuda, Keisuke; Awh, Edward; Vogel, Edward K

    2015-05-01

    A great deal of prior research has examined the relation between estimates of working memory and cognitive abilities. Yet, the neural mechanisms that account for these relations are still not very well understood. The current study explored whether individual differences in working memory delay activity would be a significant predictor of cognitive abilities. A large number of participants performed multiple measures of capacity, attention control, long-term memory, working memory span, and fluid intelligence, and latent variable analyses were used to examine the data. During two working memory change detection tasks, we acquired EEG data and examined the contralateral delay activity. The results demonstrated that the contralateral delay activity was significantly related to cognitive abilities, and importantly these relations were because of individual differences in both capacity and attention control. These results suggest that individual differences in working memory delay activity predict individual differences in a broad range of cognitive abilities, and this is because of both differences in the number of items that can be maintained and the ability to control access to working memory.

  3. Determination of solar wind energy input during different form of geomagnetic disturbances.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dahal, S.; Adhikari, B.; Narayan, C.; Shapkota, N.

    2017-12-01

    A quantitative study on solar wind energy input during different form of geomagnetic disturbances as well as during quite period was performed. To enable a quantitative analysis, we estimate Akasofu parameter which plays an important role to understand the relationships between ionosphere-magnetosphere and solar wind energy input. For comparative purpose, the total energy budget of Non storm HILDCAA event (19th to 24th April 2003), Storm preceding HILDCAA event (14th to 19th May 2005), Geomagnetic sub-storm (12nd to 16th November 2003), Geomagnetic super sub-storm (12nd to 16th November 2003) and a Quiet period (18th to 21st July 2006) were also analyzed. Among these events the highest total energy budget was found during the occurrence of storm preceding HILDCAA. This is due to significant geomagnetic field perturbation as displayed on the value of interplanetary parameters. The principal cause of geomagnetic disturbance is the magnetic reconnection, which establishes an electrodynamic coupling between the solar plasma and the magnetosphere. Although there is distinct perturbation on SYM-H index for all events but the values are different. The highest pick value of SYM-H index ( -300nT) was found for the storm preceding HILDCAA.This results suggest that the effects of HILDCAAs, displayed on the value of the SYM-H index, depends on the amount of the energy injected into the ring current. In a complementary way, fluctuation pattern of Temperature, IMF magnitude, Bx component, By component, and AE index are also studied and the possible physical interpretations for the statistical results obtained during each events were discussed. We shall report the characteristics of Bz component during each events by the implementation of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and cross correlation analysis. We did cross-correlation between solar wind energy and Bz component of IMF and found a negative correlation between them during the main phase of geomagnetic disturbances. These

  4. The Impact of Different Degrees of Feedback on Physical Activity Levels: A 4-Week Intervention Study

    PubMed Central

    Van Hoye, Karen; Boen, Filip; Lefevre, Johan

    2015-01-01

    Assessing levels of physical activity (PA) and providing feedback about these levels might have an effect on participant’s PA behavior. This study discusses the effect of different levels of feedback—from minimal to use of a feedback display and coach—on PA over a 4-week intervention period. PA was measured at baseline, during and immediately after the intervention. Participants (n = 227) were randomly assigned to a Minimal Intervention Group (MIG-no feedback), Pedometer Group (PG-feedback on steps taken), Display Group (DG-feedback on steps, minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and energy expenditure) or Coaching Group (CoachG-same as DG with need-supportive coaching). Two-way ANCOVA showed no significant Group × Time interaction effect for the different PA variables between the MIG and PG. Also no differences emerged between PG and DG. As hypothesized, CoachG had higher PA values throughout the intervention compared with DG. Self-monitoring using a pedometer resulted in more steps compared with a no-feedback condition at the start of the intervention. However, adding individualized coaching seems necessary to increase the PA level until the end of the intervention. PMID:26067990

  5. [Age and time estimation during different types of activity].

    PubMed

    Gareev, E M; Osipova, L G

    1980-01-01

    The study was concerned with the age characteristics of verbal and operative estimation of time intervals filled with different types of mental and physical activity as well as those free of it. The experiment was conducted on 85 subjects, 7--24 years of age. In all age groups and in both forms of time estimation (except verbal estimation in 10--12 years old children) there was a significant connection between the interval estimation and the type of activity. In adults and in 7--8 years old children, the connection was significantly tighter in operative estimations than in verbal ones. Unlike senior school children and adults, in 7--12 years old children there were sharp differences in precision between operative and verbal estimations and a discordance of their changes under the influence of activity. Precision and variability were rather similar in all age groups. It is suggested that the obtained data show heterochronity and a different rate of development of the higher nervous activity mechanisms providing for reflection of time in the form of verbal and voluntary motor reactions to the given interval.

  6. Enhanced Upconversion Luminescence in Yb3+/Tm3+-Codoped Fluoride Active Core/Active Shell/Inert Shell Nanoparticles through Directed Energy Migration

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Hailong; Yang, Chunhui; Shao, Wei; Damasco, Jossana; Wang, Xianliang; Ågren, Hans; Prasad, Paras N.; Chen, Guanying

    2014-01-01

    The luminescence efficiency of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles is of particular importance for their embodiment in biophotonic and photonic applications. Here, we show that the upconversion luminescence of typically used NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5% nanoparticles can be enhanced by ~240 times through a hierarchical active core/active shell/inert shell (NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5%)/NaYbF4/NaYF4 design, which involves the use of directed energy migration in the second active shell layer. The resulting active core/active shell/inert shell nanoparticles are determined to be about 11 times brighter than that of well-investigated (NaYF4:Yb3+30%/Tm3+0.5%)/NaYF4 active core/inert shell nanoparticles when excited at ~980 nm. The strategy for enhanced upconversion in Yb3+/Tm3+-codoped NaYF4 nanoparticles through directed energy migration might have implications for other types of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles. PMID:28348285

  7. Enhanced Upconversion Luminescence in Yb3+/Tm3+-Codoped Fluoride Active Core/Active Shell/Inert Shell Nanoparticles through Directed Energy Migration.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Hailong; Yang, Chunhui; Shao, Wei; Damasco, Jossana; Wang, Xianliang; Ågren, Hans; Prasad, Paras N; Chen, Guanying

    2014-01-03

    The luminescence efficiency of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles is of particular importance for their embodiment in biophotonic and photonic applications. Here, we show that the upconversion luminescence of typically used NaYF₄:Yb 3+ 30%/Tm 3+ 0.5% nanoparticles can be enhanced by ~240 times through a hierarchical active core/active shell/inert shell (NaYF₄:Yb 3+ 30%/Tm 3+ 0.5%)/NaYbF₄/NaYF₄ design, which involves the use of directed energy migration in the second active shell layer. The resulting active core/active shell/inert shell nanoparticles are determined to be about 11 times brighter than that of well-investigated (NaYF₄:Yb 3+ 30%/Tm 3+ 0.5%)/NaYF₄ active core/inert shell nanoparticles when excited at ~980 nm. The strategy for enhanced upconversion in Yb 3+ /Tm 3+ -codoped NaYF₄ nanoparticles through directed energy migration might have implications for other types of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles.

  8. Characterization of the NEPOMUC primary and remoderated positron beams at different energies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanja, J.; Hergenhahn, U.; Niemann, H.; Paschkowski, N.; Sunn Pedersen, T.; Saitoh, H.; Stenson, E. V.; Stoneking, M. R.; Hugenschmidt, C.; Piochacz, C.

    2016-08-01

    We report on the characterization of the positron beam provided at the open beam port of the NEPOMUC facility at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) Garching. The absolute positron flux of the primary beam at 400 eV and 1 keV kinetic energy and of the remoderated beam at 5, 12 and 22 eV were determined. Energy-dependent intensities in the range of (1 - 5) ·108e+ / s and (2 - 6) ·107e+ / s have been observed for the primary and remoderated beam, respectively. We attribute the significant losses for the primary beam, in comparison with the expected value, to the non-adiabatic positron guiding in the beam line. We also measured the longitudinal energy distribution of the remoderated beam, yielding an energy spread below 3.3 eV. The mean transverse energy of the remoderated beam, determined from measurements in different final magnetic fields, was found to be below 1.3 eV. These results are likely to apply to the NEPOMUC beam delivered to other user stations.

  9. Energy Expenditure in Vinyasa Yoga Versus Walking.

    PubMed

    Sherman, Sally A; Rogers, Renee J; Davis, Kelliann K; Minster, Ryan L; Creasy, Seth A; Mullarkey, Nicole C; O'Dell, Matthew; Donahue, Patrick; Jakicic, John M

    2017-08-01

    Whether the energy cost of vinyasa yoga meets the criteria for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity has not been established. To compare energy expenditure during acute bouts of vinyasa yoga and 2 walking protocols. Participants (20 males, 18 females) performed 60-minute sessions of vinyasa yoga (YOGA), treadmill walking at a self-selected brisk pace (SELF), and treadmill walking at a pace that matched the heart rate of the YOGA session (HR-Match). Energy expenditure was assessed via indirect calorimetry. Energy expenditure was significantly lower in YOGA compared with HR-Match (difference = 79.5 ± 44.3 kcal; P < .001) and SELF (difference = 51.7 ± 62.6 kcal; P < .001), but not in SELF compared with HR-Match (difference = 27.8 ± 72.6 kcal; P = .054). A similar pattern was observed for metabolic equivalents (HR-Match = 4.7 ± 0.8, SELF = 4.4 ± 0.7, YOGA = 3.6 ± 0.6; P < .001). Analyses using only the initial 45 minutes from each of the sessions, which excluded the restorative component of YOGA, showed energy expenditure was significantly lower in YOGA compared with HR-Match (difference = 68.0 ± 40.1 kcal; P < .001) but not compared with SELF (difference = 15.1 ± 48.7 kcal; P = .189). YOGA meets the criteria for moderate-intensity physical activity. Thus, YOGA may be a viable form of physical activity to achieve public health guidelines and to elicit health benefits.

  10. Greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiencies for soybeans and maize cultivated in different agronomic zones: A case study of Argentina.

    PubMed

    Arrieta, E M; Cuchietti, A; Cabrol, D; González, A D

    2018-06-01

    Of all human activities, agriculture has one of the highest environmental impacts, particularly related to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, energy use and land use change. Soybean and maize are two of the most commercialized agricultural commodities worldwide. Argentina contributes significantly to this trade, being the third major producer of soybeans, the first exporter of soymeal and soybean oil, and the third exporter of maize. Despite the economic importance of these crops and the products derived, there are very few studies regarding GHG emissions, energy use and efficiencies associated to Argentinean soybean and maize production. Therefore, the aim of this work is to determine the carbon and energy footprint, as well as the carbon and energy efficiencies, of soybeans and maize produced in Argentina, by analyzing 18 agronomic zones covering an agricultural area of 1.53millionkm 2 . Our results show that, for both crops, the GHG and energy efficiencies at the Pampean region were significantly higher than those at the extra-Pampean region. The national average for production of soybeans in Argentina results in 6.06ton/ton CO 2 -eq emitted to the atmosphere, while 0.887ton of soybean were produced per GJ of energy used; and for maize 5.01ton/ton CO 2 -eq emitted to the atmosphere and 0.740ton of maize were produced per each GJ of energy used. We found that the large differences on yields, GHGs and energy efficiencies between agronomic regions for soybean and maize crop production are mainly driven by climate, particularly mean annual precipitation. This study contributes for the first time to understand the carbon and energy footprint of soybean and maize production throughout several agronomic zones in Argentina. The significant differences found in the productive efficiencies questions on the environmental viability of expanding the agricultural frontier to less suitable lands for crop production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Unobtrusive measurement of indoor energy expenditure using an infrared sensor-based activity monitoring system.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Bosun; Han, Jonghee; Choi, Jong Min; Park, Kwang Suk

    2008-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop an unobtrusive energy expenditure (EE) measurement system using an infrared (IR) sensor-based activity monitoring system to measure indoor activities and to estimate individual quantitative EE. IR-sensor activation counts were measured with a Bluetooth-based monitoring system and the standard EE was calculated using an established regression equation. Ten male subjects participated in the experiment and three different EE measurement systems (gas analyzer, accelerometer, IR sensor) were used simultaneously in order to determine the regression equation and evaluate the performance. As a standard measurement, oxygen consumption was simultaneously measured by a portable metabolic system (Metamax 3X, Cortex, Germany). A single room experiment was performed to develop a regression model of the standard EE measurement from the proposed IR sensor-based measurement system. In addition, correlation and regression analyses were done to compare the performance of the IR system with that of the Actigraph system. We determined that our proposed IR-based EE measurement system shows a similar correlation to the Actigraph system with the standard measurement system.

  12. Concurrent Harvesting of Ambient Energy by Hybrid Nanogenerators for Wearable Self-Powered Systems and Active Remote Sensing.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Haiwu; Zi, Yunlong; He, Xu; Guo, Hengyu; Lai, Ying-Chih; Wang, Jie; Zhang, Steven L; Wu, Changsheng; Cheng, Gang; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2018-05-02

    Harvesting energy available from ambient environment is highly desirable for powering personal electronics and health applications. Due to natural process and human activities, steam can be produced by boilers, human perspiration, and the wind exists ubiquitously. In the outdoor environment, these two phenomena usually exist at the same place, which contain heat and mechanical energies simultaneously. However, previous studies have isolated them as separate sources of energy to harvest and hence failed to utilize them effectively. Herein, we present unique hybrid nanogenerators for individually/simultaneously harvesting thermal energy from water vapors and mechanical energy from intermittent wind blowing from the bottom side, which consist of a wind-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and pyroelectric-piezoelectric nanogenerators (PPENGs). The output power of the PPENG and the TENG can be up to about 184.32 μW and 4.74 mW, respectively, indicating the TENG plays the dominant role. Our hybrid nanogenerators could provide different applications such as to power digital watch and enable self-powered sensing with wireless transmission. The device could also be further integrated into a face mask for potentially wearable applications. This work not only provides a promising approach for renewable energy harvesting but also enriches potential applications for self-powered systems and wireless sensors.

  13. Broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting devices using multiple bimorphs with different operating frequencies.

    PubMed

    Xue, Huan; Hu, Yuantai; Wang, Qing-Ming

    2008-09-01

    This paper presents a novel approach for designing broadband piezoelectric harvesters by integrating multiple piezoelectric bimorphs (PBs) with different aspect ratios into a system. The effect of 2 connecting patterns among PBs, in series and in parallel, on improving energy harvesting performance is discussed. It is found for multifrequency spectra ambient vibrations: 1) the operating frequency band (OFB) of a harvesting structure can be widened by connecting multiple PBs with different aspect ratios in series; 2) the OFB of a harvesting structure can be shifted to the dominant frequency domain of the ambient vibrations by increasing or decreasing the number of PBs in parallel. Numerical results show that the OFB of the piezoelectric energy harvesting devices can be tailored by the connection patterns (i.e., in series and in parallel) among PBs.

  14. Effects of Active Video Games on Energy Expenditure in Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Dutta, Nirjhar; Pereira, Mark A

    2015-06-01

    The objective of this study was to estimate the mean difference in energy expenditure (EE) in healthy adults between playing active video games (AVGs) compared with traditional video games (TVGs) or rest. A systematic search was conducted on Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, and Academic Search Premier between 1998 and April 2012 for relevant keywords, yielding 15 studies. EE and heart rate (HR) data were extracted, and random effects meta-analysis was performed. EE during AVG play was 1.81 (95% CI, 1.29-2.34; I² = 94.2%) kcal/kg/hr higher, or about 108 kcal higher per hour for a 60-kg person, compared with TVG play. Mean HR was 21 (95% CI, 13.7-28.3; I² = 93.4%) beats higher per minute during AVG play compared with TVG play. There was wide variation in the EE and HR estimates across studies because different games were evaluated. Overall metabolic equivalent associated with AVG play was 2.62 (95% CI, 2.25-3.00; I² = 99.2%), equivalent to a light activity level. Most studies had low risk of bias due to proper study design and use of indirect calorimetry to measure EE. AVGs may be used to replace sedentary screen time (eg, television watching or TVG play) with light activity in healthy adults.

  15. Association of energy intake and physical activity with overweight among Indonesian children 6-12 years of age.

    PubMed

    Harahap, Heryudarini; Sandjaja, Sandjaja; Soekatri, Moesijanti; Khouw, Ilse; Deurenberg, Paul

    2018-01-01

    Indonesia is currently facing double burden malnutrition in children. As overweight and obesity are due to a disturbed energy balance, this study aimed to assess the association of total energy intake and physical activity with the prevalence of overweight among Indonesian children. The data used for this analysis were from 1143 children, 6-12 years old, that participated in the South East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS). Physical activity (PA) was measured using pedometers for 2 consecutive days and was categorized low, moderate and high. Child nutritional status was categorized based on body mass index for age z-scores (BAZ) into normal weight (-2 SD ≤BAZ≤1 SD) or overweight (BAZ >1 SD). Energy intake was calculated from a one day 24 hour recall and compared to the Indonesian recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for energy. Children with low PA had higher risk (ODDs 3.4, 95% CI: 2.0, 6.0) of being overweight compared to children who had high PA. Children with moderate PA and energy take >100% RDA had higher risk (ODDs 4.2, 95% CI 1.9, 9.3) of being overweight than children with high PA and energy intakes ≤100% RDA. Low physical activity independently or moderate physical activity and high energy intake are risk factors for Indonesian children to get overweight. Program intervention such as increasing physical activity at school and home is needed to reduce overweight among children.

  16. Diagnosis and characterization of mania: Quantifying increased energy and activity in the human behavioral pattern monitor

    PubMed Central

    Perry, William; McIlwain, Meghan; Kloezeman, Karen; Henry, Brook L.; Minassian, Arpi

    2016-01-01

    Increased energy or activity is now an essential feature of the mania of Bipolar Disorder (BD) according to DSM-5. This study examined whether objective measures of increased energy can differentiate manic BD individuals and provide greater diagnostic accuracy compared to rating scales, extending the work of previous studies with smaller samples. We also tested the relationship between objective measures of energy and rating scales. 50 hospitalized manic BD patients were compared to healthy subjects (HCS, n=39) in the human Behavioral Pattern Monitor (hBPM) which quantifies motor activity and goal-directed behavior in an environment containing novel stimuli. Archival hBPM data from 17 schizophrenia patients were used in sensitivity and specificity analyses. Manic BD patients exhibited higher motor activity than HCS and higher novel object interactions. hBPM activity measures were not correlated with observer-rated symptoms, and hBPM activity was more sensitive in accurately classifying hospitalized BD subjects than observer ratings. Although the findings can only be generalized to inpatient populations, they suggest that increased energy, particularly specific and goal-directed exploration, is a distinguishing feature of BD mania and is best quantified by objective measures of motor activity. A better understanding is needed of the biological underpinnings of this cardinal feature. PMID:27138818

  17. Predicting activation energy of thermolysis of polynitro arenes through molecular structure.

    PubMed

    Keshavarz, Mohammad Hossein; Pouretedal, Hamid Reza; Shokrolahi, Arash; Zali, Abbas; Semnani, Abolfazl

    2008-12-15

    The paper presents a new method for activation energy or the Arrhenius parameter E(a) of the thermolysis in the condensed state for different polynitro arenes as an important class of energetic molecules. The methodology assumes that E(a) of a polynitro arene with general formula C(a)H(b)N(c)O(d) can be expressed as a function of optimized elemental composition as well as the contribution of specific molecular structural parameters. The new method can predict E(a) of the thermolysis under conditions of Soviet Manometric Method (SMM), which can be related to the other convenient methods. The new correlation has the root mean square (rms) and the average deviations of 13.79 and 11.94kJ/mol, respectively, for 20 polynitro arenes with different molecular structures. The proposed new method can also be used to predict E(a) of three polynitro arenes, i.e. 2,2',2'',4,4',4'',6,6',6''-nonanitro-1,1':3',1''-terphenyl (NONA), 3,3'-diamino-2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexanitro-1,1'-biphenyl-3,3'-diamine (DIPAM) and N,N-bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-2,4,6-trinitroaniline (NTFA), which have complex molecular structures.

  18. Sleep quality moderates the association between physical activity frequency and feelings of energy and fatigue in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Herring, Matthew P; Monroe, Derek C; Kline, Christopher E; O'Connor, Patrick J; MacDonncha, Ciaran

    2018-03-05

    Physical activity (PA) can improve sleep quality, low energy, and fatigue. Though poor sleep quality may induce feelings of low energy and fatigue, the potential moderating effect of sleep quality on associations between PA and feelings of energy and fatigue among adolescents is unknown. Thus, this study examined the moderating effect of sleep quality on associations between PA frequency and feelings of energy and fatigue among adolescents in Ireland. Adolescents (N = 481; 281 males, 200 females) aged 15.1 ± 1.7 years self-reported PA frequency, feelings of energy and fatigue, and sleep quality (September to December 2015). Two-way ANCOVAs examined variation in feelings of energy and fatigue according to the interaction of PA and sleep quality. Standardized mean difference (d) quantified the magnitude of differences. Poor sleepers with low PA reported greater feelings of fatigue compared to normal sleepers with low PA (d = 1.02; 95% CI 0.60, 1.44), and poor sleepers with moderate PA reported greater feelings of fatigue compared to normal sleepers with moderate PA (d = 0.50; 0.17, 0.82). Poor sleepers with low PA reported greater feelings of fatigue compared to both poor sleepers with moderate PA (d = 0.44; 0.05, 0.83) and poor sleepers with high PA (d = 0.87; 0.46, 1.28). Poor sleepers with moderate PA reported greater feelings of fatigue compared to poor sleepers with high PA (d = 0.52; 0.14, 0.91). Poor sleep did not moderate the association between PA and feelings of energy. Sleep quality moderates the association between PA frequency and feelings of fatigue. Fatigue symptoms improve as PA frequency increases among adolescents with poor sleep quality.

  19. Development of a Novel Method for in vivo Determination of Activation Energy of Glucose Transport Across S. cerevisiae Cellular Membranes. A Biosensor-like Approach.

    PubMed

    Kormes, Diego J; Cortón, Eduardo

    2009-01-01

    Whereas biosensors have been usually proposed as analytical tools, used to investigate the surrounding media pursuing an analytical answer, we have used a biosensor-like device to characterize the microbial cells immobilized on it. We have studied the kinetics of transport and degradation of glucose at different concentrations and temperatures. When glucose concentrations of 15 and 1.5 mM were assayed, calculated activation energies were 25.2 and 18.4 kcal mol(-1), respectively, in good agreement with previously published data. The opportunity and convenience of using Arrhenius plots to estimate the activation energy in metabolic-related processes is also discussed.

  20. Young Children's Energy Expenditure and Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity on Weekdays and Weekends.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jung Eun; Stodden, David F; Gao, Zan

    2016-09-01

    Few studies have examined young children's leisure- and school-based energy expenditure (EE) and moderateto-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The purpose of this study was to explore children's estimated EE rates and time spent in MVPA in 3 time segments: at-school, after-school, and weekends. A total of 187 second and third grade children from 2 elementary schools participated in the study. Accelerometers were used to assess children's 5-day EE and MVPA. Multiple 2 (Grade) × 2 (Gender) ANOVAs with repeated measures (Time) were conducted to examine the differences in the outcome variables. Significant time effects on EE and MVPA were revealed. Children's EE rate and minutes in MVPA per day were higher during after school and weekends than at school. Although children were more active outside of school, their MVPA during weekdays and weekends still fell far short of the recommended level of 60 minutes/day.