Sample records for aligned short fiber

  1. Aligned Layers of Silver Nano-Fibers.

    PubMed

    Golovin, Andrii B; Stromer, Jeremy; Kreminska, Liubov

    2012-02-01

    We describe a new dichroic polarizers made by ordering silver nano-fibers to aligned layers. The aligned layers consist of nano-fibers and self-assembled molecular aggregates of lyotropic liquid crystals. Unidirectional alignment of the layers is achieved by means of mechanical shearing. Aligned layers of silver nano-fibers are partially transparent to a linearly polarized electromagnetic radiation. The unidirectional alignment and density of the silver nano-fibers determine degree of polarization of transmitted light. The aligned layers of silver nano-fibers might be used in optics, microwave applications, and organic electronics.

  2. Modeling and Predicting the Stress Relaxation of Composites with Short and Randomly Oriented Fibers

    PubMed Central

    Obaid, Numaira; Sain, Mohini

    2017-01-01

    The addition of short fibers has been experimentally observed to slow the stress relaxation of viscoelastic polymers, producing a change in the relaxation time constant. Our recent study attributed this effect of fibers on stress relaxation behavior to the interfacial shear stress transfer at the fiber-matrix interface. This model explained the effect of fiber addition on stress relaxation without the need to postulate structural changes at the interface. In our previous study, we developed an analytical model for the effect of fully aligned short fibers, and the model predictions were successfully compared to finite element simulations. However, in most industrial applications of short-fiber composites, fibers are not aligned, and hence it is necessary to examine the time dependence of viscoelastic polymers containing randomly oriented short fibers. In this study, we propose an analytical model to predict the stress relaxation behavior of short-fiber composites where the fibers are randomly oriented. The model predictions were compared to results obtained from Monte Carlo finite element simulations, and good agreement between the two was observed. The analytical model provides an excellent tool to accurately predict the stress relaxation behavior of randomly oriented short-fiber composites. PMID:29053601

  3. Rapid Quantification of 3D Collagen Fiber Alignment and Fiber Intersection Correlations with High Sensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Meng; Bloom, Alexander B.; Zaman, Muhammad H.

    2015-01-01

    Metastatic cancers aggressively reorganize collagen in their microenvironment. For example, radially orientated collagen fibers have been observed surrounding tumor cell clusters in vivo. The degree of fiber alignment, as a consequence of this remodeling, has often been difficult to quantify. In this paper, we present an easy to implement algorithm for accurate detection of collagen fiber orientation in a rapid pixel-wise manner. This algorithm quantifies the alignment of both computer generated and actual collagen fiber networks of varying degrees of alignment within 5°°. We also present an alternative easy method to calculate the alignment index directly from the standard deviation of fiber orientation. Using this quantitative method for determining collagen alignment, we demonstrate that the number of collagen fiber intersections has a negative correlation with the degree of fiber alignment. This decrease in intersections of aligned fibers could explain why cells move more rapidly along aligned fibers than unaligned fibers, as previously reported. Overall, our paper provides an easier, more quantitative and quicker way to quantify fiber orientation and alignment, and presents a platform in studying effects of matrix and cellular properties on fiber alignment in complex 3D environments. PMID:26158674

  4. Fiber alignment apparatus and method

    DOEpatents

    Kravitz, Stanley H.; Warren, Mial Evans; Snipes, Jr., Morris Burton; Armendariz, Marcelino Guadalupe; Word, V., James Cole

    1997-01-01

    A fiber alignment apparatus includes a micro-machined nickel spring that captures and locks arrays of single mode fibers into position. The design consists of a movable nickel leaf shaped spring and a fixed pocket where fibers are held. The fiber is slid between the spring and a fixed block, which tensions the spring. When the fiber reaches the pocket, it automatically falls into the pocket and is held by the pressure of the leaf spring.

  5. Fiber alignment apparatus and method

    DOEpatents

    Kravitz, S.H.; Warren, M.E.; Snipes, M.B. Jr.; Armendariz, M.G.; Word, J.C. V

    1997-08-19

    A fiber alignment apparatus includes a micro-machined nickel spring that captures and locks arrays of single mode fibers into position. The design consists of a movable nickel leaf shaped spring and a fixed pocket where fibers are held. The fiber is slid between the spring and a fixed block, which tensions the spring. When the fiber reaches the pocket, it automatically falls into the pocket and is held by the pressure of the leaf spring. 8 figs.

  6. libgapmis: extending short-read alignments

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background A wide variety of short-read alignment programmes have been published recently to tackle the problem of mapping millions of short reads to a reference genome, focusing on different aspects of the procedure such as time and memory efficiency, sensitivity, and accuracy. These tools allow for a small number of mismatches in the alignment; however, their ability to allow for gaps varies greatly, with many performing poorly or not allowing them at all. The seed-and-extend strategy is applied in most short-read alignment programmes. After aligning a substring of the reference sequence against the high-quality prefix of a short read--the seed--an important problem is to find the best possible alignment between a substring of the reference sequence succeeding and the remaining suffix of low quality of the read--extend. The fact that the reads are rather short and that the gap occurrence frequency observed in various studies is rather low suggest that aligning (parts of) those reads with a single gap is in fact desirable. Results In this article, we present libgapmis, a library for extending pairwise short-read alignments. Apart from the standard CPU version, it includes ultrafast SSE- and GPU-based implementations. libgapmis is based on an algorithm computing a modified version of the traditional dynamic-programming matrix for sequence alignment. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the functions of the CPU version provided in this library accelerate the computations by a factor of 20 compared to other programmes. The analogous SSE- and GPU-based implementations accelerate the computations by a factor of 6 and 11, respectively, compared to the CPU version. The library also provides the user the flexibility to split the read into fragments, based on the observed gap occurrence frequency and the length of the read, thereby allowing for a variable, but bounded, number of gaps in the alignment. Conclusions We present libgapmis, a library for extending

  7. Anisotropic contraction of hydrogel reinforced by aligned fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olvera de La Cruz, Monica; Liu, Shuangping

    Hydrogel reinforced by aligned fibers can have strong anisotropic contraction or swelling behavior triggered by external stimuli, which has been largely employed in realizing soft actuators for artificial muscles as well as many biological systems. In this work, we investigate how this anisotropic behavior is controlled by the dimension of the embedded fibers and their reinforcement to the surrounding hydrogel. We describe the anisotropic contraction of hydrogels with rigid fibers using the Flory-Rehner thermodynamic model under periodic boundary conditions. It is found that a hydrogel reinforced by aligned fibers exhibits larger anisotropy when it is pre-stretched before contraction. Using finite element method, we further observe that the anisotropic contraction is dampened by reducing the fiber-fiber distance due to the finite size of the fibers.

  8. Fiber optics welder having movable aligning mirror

    DOEpatents

    Higgins, Robert W.; Robichaud, Roger E.

    1981-01-01

    A system for welding fiber optic waveguides together. The ends of the two fibers to be joined together are accurately, collinearly aligned in a vertical orientation and subjected to a controlled, diffuse arc to effect welding and thermal conditioning. A front-surfaced mirror mounted at a 45.degree. angle to the optical axis of a stereomicroscope mounted for viewing the junction of the ends provides two orthogonal views of the interface during the alignment operation.

  9. Local alignment vectors reveal cancer cell-induced ECM fiber remodeling dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Byoungkoo; Konen, Jessica; Wilkinson, Scott; Marcus, Adam I.; Jiang, Yi

    2017-01-01

    Invasive cancer cells interact with the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), remodeling ECM fiber network structure by condensing, degrading, and aligning these fibers. We developed a novel local alignment vector analysis method to quantitatively measure collagen fiber alignment as a vector field using Circular Statistics. This method was applied to human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, embedded as spheroids in a collagen gel. Collagen remodeling was monitored using second harmonic generation imaging under normal conditions and when the LKB1-MARK1 pathway was disrupted through RNAi-based approaches. The results showed that inhibiting LKB1 or MARK1 in NSCLC increases the collagen fiber alignment and captures outward alignment vectors from the tumor spheroid, corresponding to high invasiveness of LKB1 mutant cancer cells. With time-lapse imaging of ECM micro-fiber morphology, the local alignment vector can measure the dynamic signature of invasive cancer cell activity and cell-migration-induced ECM and collagen remodeling and realigning dynamics. PMID:28045069

  10. Aligning Arrays of Lenses and Single-Mode Optical Fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Duncan

    2004-01-01

    A procedure now under development is intended to enable the precise alignment of sheet arrays of microscopic lenses with the end faces of a coherent bundle of as many as 1,000 single-mode optical fibers packed closely in a regular array (see Figure 1). In the original application that prompted this development, the precise assembly of lenses and optical fibers serves as a single-mode spatial filter for a visible-light nulling interferometer. The precision of alignment must be sufficient to limit any remaining wavefront error to a root-mean-square value of less than 1/10 of a wavelength of light. This wavefront-error limit translates to requirements to (1) ensure uniformity of both the lens and fiber arrays, (2) ensure that the lateral distance from the central axis of each lens and the corresponding optical fiber is no more than a fraction of a micron, (3) angularly align the lens-sheet planes and the fiber-bundle end faces to within a few arc seconds, and (4) axially align the lenses and the fiber-bundle end faces to within tens of microns of the focal distance. Figure 2 depicts the apparatus used in the alignment procedure. The beam of light from a Zygo (or equivalent) interferometer is first compressed by a ratio of 20:1 so that upon its return to the interferometer, the beam will be magnified enough to enable measurement of wavefront quality. The apparatus includes relay lenses that enable imaging of the arrays of microscopic lenses in a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that is part of the interferometer. One of the arrays of microscopic lenses is mounted on a 6-axis stage, in proximity to the front face of the bundle of optical fibers. The bundle is mounted on a separate stage. A mirror is attached to the back face of the bundle of optical fibers for retroreflection of light. When a microscopic lens and a fiber are aligned with each other, the affected portion of the light is reflected back by the mirror, recollimated by the microscopic lens, transmitted

  11. Design and fabrication of advanced fiber alignment structures for field-installable fiber connectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Erps, Jürgen; Vervaeke, Michael; Sánchez Martínez, Alberto; Beri, Stefano; Debaes, Christof; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo

    2012-06-01

    Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) networks have been adopted as a potential replacement of traditional electrical connections for the 'last mile' transmission of information at bandwidths over 1Gb/s. However, the success and adoption of optical access networks critically depend on the quality and reliability of connections between optical fibers. In particular a further reduction of insertion loss of field-installable connectors must be achieved without a significant increase in component cost. This requires precise alignment of fibers that can differ in terms of ellipticity, eccentricity or diameter and seems hardly achievable using today's widespread ferrule-based alignment systems. Novel low-cost structures for bare fiber alignment with outstanding positioning accuracies are strongly desired as they would allow reducing loss beyond the level achievable with ferrule-bore systems. However, the realization of such alignment system is challenging as it should provide sufficient force to position the fiber with sub-micron accuracy required in positioning the fiber. In this contribution we propose, design and prototype a bare-fiber alignment system which makes use of deflectable/compressible micro-cantilevers. Such cantilevers behave as springs and provide self-centering functionality to the structure. Simulations of the mechanical properties of the cantilevers are carried out in order to get an analytical approximation and a mathematical model of the spring constant and stress in the structure. Elastic constants of the order of 104 to 105N/m are found out to be compatible with a proof stress of 70 MPa. Finally a first self-centering structure is prototyped in PMMA using our Deep Proton Writing technology. The spring constants of the fabricated cantilevers are in the range of 4 to 6 × 104N/m and the stress is in the range 10 to 20 MPa. These self-centering structures have the potential to become the basic building blocks for a new generation of field-installable connectors.

  12. Aligning Optical Fibers by Means of Actuated MEMS Wedges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, Brian; Ghodssi, Reza

    2007-01-01

    Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) of a proposed type would be designed and fabricated to effect lateral and vertical alignment of optical fibers with respect to optical, electro-optical, optoelectronic, and/or photonic devices on integrated circuit chips and similar monolithic device structures. A MEMS device of this type would consist of a pair of oppositely sloped alignment wedges attached to linear actuators that would translate the wedges in the plane of a substrate, causing an optical fiber in contact with the sloping wedge surfaces to undergo various displacements parallel and perpendicular to the plane. In making it possible to accurately align optical fibers individually during the packaging stages of fabrication of the affected devices, this MEMS device would also make it possible to relax tolerances in other stages of fabrication, thereby potentially reducing costs and increasing yields. In a typical system according to the proposal (see Figure 1), one or more pair(s) of alignment wedges would be positioned to create a V groove in which an optical fiber would rest. The fiber would be clamped at a suitable distance from the wedges to create a cantilever with a slight bend to push the free end of the fiber gently to the bottom of the V groove. The wedges would be translated in the substrate plane by amounts Dx1 and Dx2, respectively, which would be chosen to move the fiber parallel to the plane by a desired amount Dx and perpendicular to the plane by a desired amount Dy. The actuators used to translate the wedges could be variants of electrostatic or thermal actuators that are common in MEMS.

  13. Passively aligned multichannel fiber-pigtailing of planar integrated optical waveguides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kremmel, Johannes; Lamprecht, Tobias; Crameri, Nino; Michler, Markus

    2017-02-01

    A silicon device to simplify the coupling of multiple single-mode fibers to embedded single-mode waveguides has been developed. The silicon device features alignment structures that enable a passive alignment of fibers to integrated waveguides. For passive alignment, precisely machined V-grooves on a silicon device are used and the planar lightwave circuit board features high-precision structures acting as a mechanical stop. The approach has been tested for up to eight fiber-to-waveguide connections. The alignment approach, the design, and the fabrication of the silicon device as well as the assembly process are presented. The characterization of the fiber-to-waveguide link reveals total coupling losses of (0.45±0.20 dB) per coupling interface, which is significantly lower than the values reported in earlier works. Subsequent climate tests reveal that the coupling losses remain stable during thermal cycling but increases significantly during an 85°C/85 Rh-test. All applied fabrication and bonding steps have been performed using standard MOEMS fabrication and packaging processes.

  14. Preferential growth of short aligned, metallic-rich single-walled carbon nanotubes from perpendicular layered double hydroxide film.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Meng-Qiang; Tian, Gui-Li; Zhang, Qiang; Huang, Jia-Qi; Nie, Jing-Qi; Wei, Fei

    2012-04-07

    Direct bulk growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with required properties, such as diameter, length, and chirality, is the first step to realize their advanced applications in electrical and optical devices, transparent conductive films, and high-performance field-effect transistors. Preferential growth of short aligned, metallic-rich SWCNTs is a great challenge to the carbon nanotube community. We report the bulk preferential growth of short aligned SWCNTs from perpendicular Mo-containing FeMgAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) film by a facile thermal chemical vapor deposition with CH(4) as carbon source. The growth of the short aligned SWCNTs showed a decreased growth velocity with an initial value of 1.9 nm s(-1). Such a low growth velocity made it possible to get aligned SWCNTs shorter than 1 μm with a growth duration less than 15 min. Raman spectra with different excitation wavelengths indicated that the as-grown short aligned SWCNTs showed high selectivity of metallic SWCNTs. Various kinds of materials, such as mica, quartz, Cu foil, and carbon fiber, can serve as the substrates for the growth of perpendicular FeMoMgAl LDH films and also the growth of the short aligned SWCNTs subsequently. These findings highlight the easy route for bulk preferential growth of aligned metallic-rich SWCNTs with well defined length for further bulk characterization and applications. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  15. Seamless, axially aligned, fiber tubes, meshes, microbundles and gradient biomaterial constructs

    PubMed Central

    Elia, Roberto; Firpo, Matthew A.; Kaplan, David L.; Peattie, Robert A.

    2012-01-01

    A new electrospinning apparatus was developed to generate nanofibrous materials with improved organizational control. The system functions by oscillating the deposition signal (ODS) of multiple collectors, allowing significantly improved nanofiber control by manipulating the electric field which drives the electrospinning process. Other electrospinning techniques designed to impart deposited fiber organizational control, such as rotating mandrels or parallel collector systems, do not generate seamless constructs with high quality alignment in sizes large enough for medical devices. In contrast, the ODS collection system produces deposited fiber networks with highly pure alignment in a variety of forms and sizes, including flat (8 × 8 cm2), tubular (1.3 cm diameter), or rope-like microbundle (45 μm diameter) samples. Additionally, the mechanism of our technique allows for scale-up beyond these dimensions. The ODS collection system produced 81.6 % of fibers aligned within 5° of the axial direction, nearly a four-fold improvement over the rotating mandrel technique. The meshes produced from the 9 % (w/v) fibroin/PEO blend demonstrated significant mechanical anisotropy due to the fiber alignment. In 37 °C PBS, aligned samples produced an ultimate tensile strength of 16.47 ± 1.18 MPa, a Young's modulus of 37.33 MPa, and a yield strength of 7.79 ± 1.13 MPa. The material was 300 % stiffer when extended in the direction of fiber alignment and required 20 times the amount of force to be deformed, compared to aligned meshes extended perpendicular to the fiber direction. The ODS technique could be applied to any electrospinnable polymer to overcome the more limited uniformity and induced mechanical strain of rotating mandrel techniques, and greatly surpasses the limited length of standard parallel collector techniques. PMID:22890517

  16. Self-centering fiber alignment structures for high-precision field installable single-mode fiber connectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Erps, Jürgen; Ebraert, Evert; Gao, Fei; Vervaeke, Michael; Berghmans, Francis; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo

    2014-05-01

    There is a steady increase in the demand for internet bandwidth, primarily driven by cloud services and high-definition video streaming. Europe's Digital Agenda states the ambitious objective that by 2020 all Europeans should have access to internet at speeds of 30Mb/s or above, with 50% or more of households subscribing to connections of 100Mb/s. Today however, internet access in Europe is mainly based on the first generation of broadband, meaning internet accessed over legacy telephone copper and TV cable networks. In recent years, Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) networks have been adopted as a replacement of traditional electrical connections for the `last mile' transmission of information at bandwidths over 1Gb/s. However, FTTH penetration is still very low (< 5%) in most major Western economies. The main reason for this is the high deployment cost of FTTH networks. Indeed, the success and adoption of optical access networks critically depend on the quality and reliability of connections between optical fibers. In particular a further reduction of insertion loss of field- installable connectors must be achieved without a significant increase in component cost. This requires precise alignment of fibers that can differ in terms of ellipticity, eccentricity or diameter and seems hardly achievable using today's widespread ferrule-based alignment systems. In this paper, we present a field-installable connector based on deflectable/compressible spring structures, providing a self-centering functionality for the fiber. This way, it can accommodate for possible fiber cladding diameter variations (the tolerance on the cladding diameter of G.652 fiber is typically +/-0.7μm). The mechanical properties of the cantilever are derived through an analytical approximation and a mathematical model of the spring constant, and finite element-based simulations are carried out to find the maximum first principal stress as well as the stress distribution distribution in the fiber alignment

  17. Aligning precisely polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber and conventional single-mode fiber by online spectrum monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Ying; Zeng, Jie; Liang, Dakai; Ni, Xiaoyu; Luo, Wenyong

    2013-06-01

    The fibers aligning is very important in fusion splicing process. The core of polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber(PM-PCF) can not be seen in the splicer due to microhole structure of its cross-section. So it is difficult to align precisely PM-PCF and conventional single-mode fiber(SMF).We demonstrate a novel method for aligning precisely PM-PCF and conventional SMF by online spectrum monitoring. Firstly, the light source of halogen lamp is connected to one end face of conventional SMF.Then align roughly one end face of PM-PCF and the other end face of conventional SMF by observing visible light in the other end face of PM-PCF. If there exists visible light, they are believed to align roughly. The other end face of PM-PCF and one end face of the other conventional SMF are aligned precisely in the other splicer by online spectrum monitoring. Now the light source of halogen lamp is changed into a broadband light source with 52nm wavelength range.The other end face of the other conventional SMF is connected to an optical spectrum analyzer.They are translationally and rotationally adjusted in the splicer by monitoring spectrum. When the transmission spectrum power is maximum, the aligning is precise.

  18. Additive manufacturing of short and mixed fibre-reinforced polymer

    DOEpatents

    Lewicki, James; Duoss, Eric B.; Rodriguez, Jennifer Nicole; Worsley, Marcus A.; King, Michael J.

    2018-01-09

    Additive manufacturing of a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) product using an additive manufacturing print head; a reservoir in the additive manufacturing print head; short carbon fibers in the reservoir, wherein the short carbon fibers are randomly aligned in the reservoir; an acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin in the reservoir, wherein the short carbon fibers are dispersed in the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin; a tapered nozzle in the additive manufacturing print head operatively connected to the reservoir, the tapered nozzle produces an extruded material that forms the fiber-reinforced polymer product; baffles in the tapered nozzle that receive the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin with the short carbon fibers dispersed in the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin; and a system for driving the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin with the short carbon fibers dispersed in the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin from the reservoir through the tapered nozzle wherein the randomly aligned short carbon fibers in the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin are aligned by the baffles and wherein the extruded material has the short carbon fibers aligned in the acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy, cyanate ester or isocyanate resin that forms the fiber-reinforced polymer product.

  19. Tolerancing the alignment of large-core optical fibers, fiber bundles and light guides using a Fourier approach.

    PubMed

    Sawyer, Travis W; Petersburg, Ryan; Bohndiek, Sarah E

    2017-04-20

    Optical fiber technology is found in a wide variety of applications to flexibly relay light between two points, enabling information transfer across long distances and allowing access to hard-to-reach areas. Large-core optical fibers and light guides find frequent use in illumination and spectroscopic applications, for example, endoscopy and high-resolution astronomical spectroscopy. Proper alignment is critical for maximizing throughput in optical fiber coupling systems; however, there currently are no formal approaches to tolerancing the alignment of a light-guide coupling system. Here, we propose a Fourier alignment sensitivity (FAS) algorithm to determine the optimal tolerances on the alignment of a light guide by computing the alignment sensitivity. The algorithm shows excellent agreement with both simulated and experimentally measured values and improves on the computation time of equivalent ray-tracing simulations by two orders of magnitude. We then apply FAS to tolerance and fabricate a coupling system, which is shown to meet specifications, thus validating FAS as a tolerancing technique. These results indicate that FAS is a flexible and rapid means to quantify the alignment sensitivity of a light guide, widely informing the design and tolerancing of coupling systems.

  20. Tolerancing the alignment of large-core optical fibers, fiber bundles and light guides using a Fourier approach

    PubMed Central

    Sawyer, Travis W.; Petersburg, Ryan; Bohndiek, Sarah E.

    2017-01-01

    Optical fiber technology is found in a wide variety of applications to flexibly relay light between two points, enabling information transfer across long distances and allowing access to hard-to-reach areas. Large-core optical fibers and light guides find frequent use in illumination and spectroscopic applications; for example, endoscopy and high-resolution astronomical spectroscopy. Proper alignment is critical for maximizing throughput in optical fiber coupling systems, however, there currently are no formal approaches to tolerancing the alignment of a light guide coupling system. Here, we propose a Fourier Alignment Sensitivity (FAS) algorithm to determine the optimal tolerances on the alignment of a light guide by computing the alignment sensitivity. The algorithm shows excellent agreement with both simulated and experimentally measured values and improves on the computation time of equivalent ray tracing simulations by two orders of magnitude. We then apply FAS to tolerance and fabricate a coupling system, which is shown to meet specifications, thus validating FAS as a tolerancing technique. These results indicate that FAS is a flexible and rapid means to quantify the alignment sensitivity of a light guide, widely informing the design and tolerancing of coupling systems. PMID:28430250

  1. Preparation of uniaxially aligned TiO2 ultrafine fibers by electrospinning.

    PubMed

    Nien, Yu-Hsun; Tsai, Yan-Sheng; Wang, Jia-Yi; Syu, Shu-Ping

    2012-11-01

    TiO2 nanofibers are often produced by electrospinning using a collector consisting of two parallel electrodes. In this work, a high speed rotating drum was used as a collector to produce uniaxially aligned TiO2 ultrafine fibers. The apparatus to manufacture uniaxially aligned TiO2 ultrafine fiber consisted of a high-speed roller, a high-voltage power supply, a controllable syringe pump and a syringe. Titanium (IV) isopropoxide and polyvinylpyrrolidone were used as precursor and auxiliary, respectively. Titanium (IV) isopropoxide and polyvinylpyrrolidone were well mixed with other essential reagents to form the polymer solution. The polymer solution was poured into the syringe and pumped at various flow rates. The electrospun ultrafine fibers collected on the roller were heat treated up to 600 degrees C and the uniaxially aligned TiO2 ultrafine fibers were formed and characterized using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction.

  2. Aligned and Electrospun Piezoelectric Polymer Fiber Assembly and Scaffold

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holloway, Nancy M. (Inventor); Scott-Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor); Leong, Kam W. (Inventor); Kulangara, Karina (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A scaffold assembly and related methods of manufacturing and/or using the scaffold for stem cell culture and tissue engineering applications are disclosed which at least partially mimic a native biological environment by providing biochemical, topographical, mechanical and electrical cues by using an electroactive material. The assembly includes at least one layer of substantially aligned, electrospun polymer fiber having an operative connection for individual voltage application. A method of cell tissue engineering and/or stem cell differentiation uses the assembly seeded with a sample of cells suspended in cell culture media, incubates and applies voltage to one or more layers, and thus produces cells and/or a tissue construct. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing the assembly including the steps of providing a first pre-electroded substrate surface; electrospinning a first substantially aligned polymer fiber layer onto the first surface; providing a second pre-electroded substrate surface; electrospinning a second substantially aligned polymer fiber layer onto the second surface; and, retaining together the layered surfaces with a clamp and/or an adhesive compound.

  3. Aligned and Electrospun Piezoelectric Polymer Fiber Assembly and Scaffold

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kulangara, Karina (Inventor); Scott Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. (Inventor); Leong, Kam W. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A method of manufacturing and/or using a scaffold assembly for stem cell culture and tissue engineering applications is disclosed. The scaffold at least partially mimics a native biological environment by providing biochemical, topographical, mechanical and electrical cues by using an electroactive material. The assembly includes at least one layer of substantially aligned, electrospun polymer fiber having an operative connection for individual voltage application. A method of cell tissue engineering and/or stem cell differentiation that uses the assembly seeded with a sample of cells suspended in cell culture media, incubates and applies voltage to one or more layers, and thus produces cells and/or a tissue construct. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing the assembly including the steps of providing a first pre-electroded substrate surface; electrospinning a first substantially aligned polymer fiber layer onto the first surface; providing a second pre-electroded substrate surface; electrospinning a second substantially aligned polymer fiber layer onto the second surface; and, retaining together the layered surfaces with a clamp and/or an adhesive compound.

  4. Electric Field-Assisted Orientation of Short Phosphate Glass Fibers on Stainless Steel for Biomedical Applications.

    PubMed

    Chen, Qiang; Jing, Jiajia; Qi, Hongfei; Ahmed, Ifty; Yang, Haiou; Liu, Xianhu; Lu, T L; Boccaccini, Aldo R

    2018-04-11

    Structural and compositional modifications of metallic implant surfaces are being actively investigated to achieve improved bone-to-implant bonding. In this study, a strategy to modify bulk metallic surfaces by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of short phosphate glass fibers (sPGF) is presented. Random and aligned orientation of sPGF embedded in a poly(acrylic acid) matrix is achieved by vertical and horizontal EPD, respectively. The influence of EPD parameters on the degree of alignment is investigated to pave the way for the fabrication of highly aligned sPGF structures in large areas. Importantly, the oriented sPGF structure in the coating, owing to the synergistic effects of bioactive composition and fiber orientation, plays an important role in directional cell migration and enhanced proliferation. Moreover, gene expression of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured with different concentrations of sPGF is thoroughly assessed to elucidate the potential stimulating effect of sPGF on osteogenic differentiation. This study represents an innovative exploitation of EPD to develop textured surfaces by orientation of fibers in the macroscale, which shows great potential for directional functionalization of metallic implants.

  5. Three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation for injection molding flow of short fiber-reinforced polymer composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Liping; Lu, Gang; Chen, Dachuan; Li, Wenjun; Lu, Chunsheng

    2017-07-01

    This paper investigates the three-dimensional (3D) injection molding flow of short fiber-reinforced polymer composites using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation method. The polymer melt was modeled as a power law fluid and the fibers were considered as rigid cylindrical bodies. The filling details and fiber orientation in the injection-molding process were studied. The results indicated that the SPH method could effectively predict the order of filling, fiber accumulation, and heterogeneous distribution of fibers. The SPH simulation also showed that fibers were mainly aligned to the flow direction in the skin layer and inclined to the flow direction in the core layer. Additionally, the fiber-orientation state in the simulation was quantitatively analyzed and found to be consistent with the results calculated by conventional tensor methods.

  6. Effect of Sterilization Methods on Electrospun Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) Fiber Alignment for Biomedical Applications.

    PubMed

    Valente, T A M; Silva, D M; Gomes, P S; Fernandes, M H; Santos, J D; Sencadas, V

    2016-02-10

    Medically approved sterility methods should be a major concern when developing a polymeric scaffold, mainly when commercialization is envisaged. In the present work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fiber membranes were processed by electrospinning with random and aligned fiber alignment and sterilized under UV, ethylene oxide (EO), and γ-radiation, the most common ones for clinical applications. It was observed that UV light and γ-radiation do not influence fiber morphology or alignment, while electrospun samples treated with EO lead to fiber orientation loss and morphology changing from cylindrical fibers to ribbon-like structures, accompanied to an increase of polymer crystallinity up to 28%. UV light and γ-radiation sterilization methods showed to be less harmful to polymer morphology, without significant changes in polymer thermal and mechanical properties, but a slight increase of polymer wettability was detected, especially for the samples treated with UV radiation. In vitro results indicate that both UV and γ-radiation treatments of PLA membranes allow the adhesion and proliferation of MG 63 osteoblastic cells in a close interaction with the fiber meshes and with a growth pattern highly sensitive to the underlying random or aligned fiber orientation. These results are suggestive of the potential of both γ-radiation sterilized PLA membranes for clinical applications in regenerative medicine, especially those where customized membrane morphology and fiber alignment is an important issue.

  7. Fitting-free algorithm for efficient quantification of collagen fiber alignment in SHG imaging applications.

    PubMed

    Hall, Gunnsteinn; Liang, Wenxuan; Li, Xingde

    2017-10-01

    Collagen fiber alignment derived from second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy images can be important for disease diagnostics. Image processing algorithms are needed to robustly quantify the alignment in images with high sensitivity and reliability. Fourier transform (FT) magnitude, 2D power spectrum, and image autocorrelation have previously been used to extract fiber information from images by assuming a certain mathematical model (e.g. Gaussian distribution of the fiber-related parameters) and fitting. The fitting process is slow and fails to converge when the data is not Gaussian. Herein we present an efficient constant-time deterministic algorithm which characterizes the symmetricity of the FT magnitude image in terms of a single parameter, named the fiber alignment anisotropy R ranging from 0 (randomized fibers) to 1 (perfect alignment). This represents an important improvement of the technology and may bring us one step closer to utilizing the technology for various applications in real time. In addition, we present a digital image phantom-based framework for characterizing and validating the algorithm, as well as assessing the robustness of the algorithm against different perturbations.

  8. Image-based quantification of fiber alignment within electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds is related to mechanical anisotropy.

    PubMed

    Fee, Timothy; Downs, Crawford; Eberhardt, Alan; Zhou, Yong; Berry, Joel

    2016-07-01

    It is well documented that electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds can be fabricated with variable degrees of fiber alignment to produce scaffolds with anisotropic mechanical properties. Several attempts have been made to quantify the degree of fiber alignment within an electrospun scaffold using image-based methods. However, these methods are limited by the inability to produce a quantitative measure of alignment that can be used to make comparisons across publications. Therefore, we have developed a new approach to quantifying the alignment present within a scaffold from scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images. The alignment is determined by using the Sobel approximation of the image gradient to determine the distribution of gradient angles with an image. This data was fit to a Von Mises distribution to find the dispersion parameter κ, which was used as a quantitative measure of fiber alignment. We fabricated four groups of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) + Gelatin scaffolds with alignments ranging from κ = 1.9 (aligned) to κ = 0.25 (random) and tested our alignment quantification method on these scaffolds. It was found that our alignment quantification method could distinguish between scaffolds of different alignments more accurately than two other published methods. Additionally, the alignment parameter κ was found to be a good predictor the mechanical anisotropy of our electrospun scaffolds. The ability to quantify fiber alignment within and make direct comparisons of scaffold fiber alignment across publications can reduce ambiguity between published results where cells are cultured on "highly aligned" fibrous scaffolds. This could have important implications for characterizing mechanics and cellular behavior on aligned tissue engineering scaffolds. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1680-1686, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Guidance of neurite outgrowth on aligned electrospun polypyrrole/poly(styrene-beta-isobutylene-beta-styrene) fiber platforms.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiao; Chen, Jun; Gilmore, Kerry J; Higgins, Michael J; Liu, Yong; Wallace, Gordon G

    2010-09-15

    The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential biomedical application of novel aligned electrospun polypyrrole (PPy)/poly(styrene-beta-isobutylene-beta-styrene) (SIBS) fibers. After successfully aligning the electroactive PPy/SIBS fibers based on our modified electrospinning method, we demonstrated that neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells could be highly orientated parallel to the aligned PPy/SIBS fibers. Physical interactions between the nerve cells and PPy/SIBS fibers through filopodia "sensing" were observed using atomic force microscopy. These observations indicate a role of contact guidance as a mechanism for the observed alignment. This work highlights the capacity for electroactive PPy/SIBS fibers to support and guide nerve cell differentiation through topographic cues, which is a highly desirable characteristic in medical implants for neurological applications. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Magnetically aligned H I fibers and the rolling hough transform

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

    Clark, S. E.; Putman, M. E.; Peek, J. E. G.

    2014-07-01

    We present observations of a new group of structures in the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium (ISM): slender, linear H I features we dub 'fibers' that extend for many degrees at high Galactic latitude. To characterize and measure the extent and strength of these fibers, we present the Rolling Hough Transform, a new machine vision method for parameterizing the coherent linearity of structures in the image plane. With this powerful new tool we show that the fibers are oriented along the interstellar magnetic field as probed by starlight polarization. We find that these low column density (N{sub H} {sub I}≃5×10{sup 18}more » cm{sup –2}) fiber features are most likely a component of the local cavity wall, about 100 pc away. The H I data we use to demonstrate this alignment at high latitude are from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array H I (GALFA-H I) Survey and the Parkes Galactic All Sky Survey. We find better alignment in the higher resolution GALFA-H I data, where the fibers are more visually evident. This trend continues in our investigation of magnetically aligned linear features in the Riegel-Crutcher H I cold cloud, detected in the Southern Galactic Plane Survey. We propose an application of the RHT for estimating the field strength in such a cloud, based on the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. We conclude that data-driven, quantitative studies of ISM morphology can be very powerful predictors of underlying physical quantities.« less

  11. Induction and quantification of collagen fiber alignment in a three-dimensional hydroxyapatite-collagen composite scaffold.

    PubMed

    Banglmaier, Richard F; Sander, Edward A; VandeVord, Pamela J

    2015-04-01

    Hydroxyapatite-collagen composite scaffolds are designed to serve as a regenerative load bearing replacement that mimics bone. However, the material properties of these scaffolds are at least an order of magnitude less than that of bone and subject to fail under physiological loading conditions. These scaffolds compositionally resemble bone but they do not possess important structural attributes such as an ordered arrangement of collagen fibers, which is a correlate to the mechanical properties in bone. Furthermore, it is unclear how much ordering of structure is satisfactory to mimic bone. Therefore, quantitative methods are needed to characterize collagen fiber alignment in these scaffolds for better correlation between the scaffold structure and the mechanical properties. A combination of extrusion and compaction was used to induce collagen fiber alignment in composite scaffolds. Collagen fiber alignment, due to extrusion and compaction, was quantified from polarized light microscopy images with a Fourier transform image processing algorithm. The Fourier transform method was capable of resolving the degree of collagen alignment from polarized light images. Anisotropy indices of the image planes ranged from 0.08 to 0.45. Increases in the degree of fiber alignment induced solely by extrusion (0.08-0.25) or compaction (0.25-0.44) were not as great as those by the combination of extrusion and compaction (0.35-0.45). Additional measures of randomness and fiber direction corroborate these anisotropy findings. This increased degree of collagen fiber alignment was induced in a preferred direction that is consistent with the extrusion direction and parallel with the compacted plane. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Numerical simulation of fiber interaction in short-fiber injection-molded composite using different cavity geometries

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

    Thi, Thanh Binh Nguyen, E-mail: nttbinh@kit.ac.jp; Yokoyama, Atsushi, E-mail: yokoyama@kit.ac.jp; Hamanaka, Senji

    The theoretical fiber-interaction model for calculating the fiber orientation in the injection molded short fiber/thermoplastic composite parts was proposed. The proposed model included the fiber dynamics simulation in order to obtain an equation of the global interaction coefficient and accurate estimate of the fiber interacts at all orientation states. The steps to derive the equation for this coefficient in short fiber suspension as a function of the fiber aspect ratio, volume fraction and general shear rate are delineated. Simultaneously, the high-resolution 3D X-ray computed tomography system XVA-160α was used to observe fiber distribution of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide specimens using different cavitymore » geometries. The fiber orientation tensor components are then calculated. Experimental orientation measurements of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide is used to check the ability of present theory for predicting orientation. The experiments and predictions show a quantitative agreement and confirm the basic understanding of fiber orientation in injection-molded composites.« less

  13. Numerical simulation of fiber interaction in short-fiber injection-molded composite using different cavity geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thi, Thanh Binh Nguyen; Yokoyama, Atsushi; Hamanaka, Senji; Yamashita, Katsuhisa; Nonomura, Chisato

    2016-03-01

    The theoretical fiber-interaction model for calculating the fiber orientation in the injection molded short fiber/thermoplastic composite parts was proposed. The proposed model included the fiber dynamics simulation in order to obtain an equation of the global interaction coefficient and accurate estimate of the fiber interacts at all orientation states. The steps to derive the equation for this coefficient in short fiber suspension as a function of the fiber aspect ratio, volume fraction and general shear rate are delineated. Simultaneously, the high-resolution 3D X-ray computed tomography system XVA-160α was used to observe fiber distribution of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide specimens using different cavity geometries. The fiber orientation tensor components are then calculated. Experimental orientation measurements of short-glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide is used to check the ability of present theory for predicting orientation. The experiments and predictions show a quantitative agreement and confirm the basic understanding of fiber orientation in injection-molded composites.

  14. Engineering Design Handbook Short Fiber Plastic Base Composites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1975-07-31

    ENGINEERING DESIGN HANDBOOK N ’~rttl SHORT FIBER PLASTIC BASE COMPOSITES l ,.. HEADQUARTERS, US ARrm MAlERIEL COIVMAND JULY 1975 DEPARTMENT OF...HANDBOOK SHORT FIBER PLASTIC BASE COMPOSITES TABLE OF CONTENTS 31 July 1975 Paragraph Page 1-1 1-2 1-2.1 1-2.2 1-3 1-3.1 1-3.2 1-3.3 1...General ............................... . Molding Short Fiber Compounds ........... . Classification of Polymer Based Composites

  15. A New Three-Dimensional High-Accuracy Automatic Alignment System For Single-Mode Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yun-jiang, Rao; Shang-lian, Huang; Ping, Li; Yu-mei, Wen; Jun, Tang

    1990-02-01

    In order to achieve the low-loss splices of single-mode fibers, a new three-dimension high-accuracy automatic alignment system for single -mode fibers has been developed, which includes a new-type three-dimension high-resolution microdisplacement servo stage driven by piezoelectric elements, a new high-accuracy measurement system for the misalignment error of the fiber core-axis, and a special single chip microcomputer processing system. The experimental results show that alignment accuracy of ±0.1 pin with a movable stroke of -±20μm has been obtained. This new system has more advantages than that reported.

  16. Preparation of active 3D film patches via aligned fiber electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jun-Chuan; Zheng, Hongxia; Chang, Ming-Wei; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Li, Jing-Song

    2017-01-01

    The design, preparation and application of three-dimensional (3D) printed structures have gained appreciable interest in recent times, particularly for drug dosage development. In this study, the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing technique was developed to fabricate aligned-fiber antibiotic (tetracycline hydrochloride, TE-HCL) patches using polycaprolactone (PCL), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and their composite system (PVP-PCL). Drug loaded 3D patches possessed perfectly aligned fibers giving rise to fibrous strut orientation, variable inter-strut pore size and controlled film width (via layering). The effect of operating parameters on fiber deposition and alignment were explored, and the impact of the film structure, composition and drug loading was evaluated. FTIR demonstrated successful TE-HCL encapsulation in aligned fibers. Patches prepared using PVP and TE-HCL displayed enhanced hydrophobicity. Tensile tests exhibited changes to mechanical properties arising from additive effects. Release of antibiotic from PCL-PVP dosage forms was shown over 5 days and was slower compared to pure PCL or PVP. The printed patch void size also influenced antibiotic release behavior. The EHDA printing technique provides an exciting opportunity to tailor dosage forms in a single-step with minimal excipients and operations. These developments are crucial to meet demands where dosage forms cannot be manufactured rapidly or when a personalized approach is required. PMID:28272513

  17. Preparation of active 3D film patches via aligned fiber electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jun-Chuan; Zheng, Hongxia; Chang, Ming-Wei; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Li, Jing-Song

    2017-03-01

    The design, preparation and application of three-dimensional (3D) printed structures have gained appreciable interest in recent times, particularly for drug dosage development. In this study, the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing technique was developed to fabricate aligned-fiber antibiotic (tetracycline hydrochloride, TE-HCL) patches using polycaprolactone (PCL), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and their composite system (PVP-PCL). Drug loaded 3D patches possessed perfectly aligned fibers giving rise to fibrous strut orientation, variable inter-strut pore size and controlled film width (via layering). The effect of operating parameters on fiber deposition and alignment were explored, and the impact of the film structure, composition and drug loading was evaluated. FTIR demonstrated successful TE-HCL encapsulation in aligned fibers. Patches prepared using PVP and TE-HCL displayed enhanced hydrophobicity. Tensile tests exhibited changes to mechanical properties arising from additive effects. Release of antibiotic from PCL-PVP dosage forms was shown over 5 days and was slower compared to pure PCL or PVP. The printed patch void size also influenced antibiotic release behavior. The EHDA printing technique provides an exciting opportunity to tailor dosage forms in a single-step with minimal excipients and operations. These developments are crucial to meet demands where dosage forms cannot be manufactured rapidly or when a personalized approach is required.

  18. Micromechanical modeling of short glass-fiber reinforced thermoplastics-Isotropic damage of pseudograins

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

    Kammoun, S.; Brassart, L.; Doghri, I.

    A micromechanical damage modeling approach is presented to predict the overall elasto-plastic behavior and damage evolution in short fiber reinforced composite materials. The practical use of the approach is for injection molded thermoplastic parts reinforced with short glass fibers. The modeling is proceeded as follows. The representative volume element is decomposed into a set of pseudograins, the damage of which affects progressively the overall stiffness and strength up to total failure. Each pseudograin is a two-phase composite with aligned inclusions having same aspect ratio. A two-step mean-field homogenization procedure is adopted. In the first step, the pseudograins are homogenized individuallymore » according to the Mori-Tanaka scheme. The second step consists in a self-consistent homogenization of homogenized pseudograins. An isotropic damage model is applied at the pseudograin level. The model is implemented as a UMAT in the finite element code ABAQUS. Model is shown to reproduce the strength and the anisotropy (Lankford coefficient) during uniaxial tensile tests on samples cut under different directions relative to the injection flow direction.« less

  19. Micromechanical modeling of short glass-fiber reinforced thermoplastics-Isotropic damage of pseudograins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kammoun, S.; Brassart, L.; Robert, G.; Doghri, I.; Delannay, L.

    2011-05-01

    A micromechanical damage modeling approach is presented to predict the overall elasto-plastic behavior and damage evolution in short fiber reinforced composite materials. The practical use of the approach is for injection molded thermoplastic parts reinforced with short glass fibers. The modeling is proceeded as follows. The representative volume element is decomposed into a set of pseudograins, the damage of which affects progressively the overall stiffness and strength up to total failure. Each pseudograin is a two-phase composite with aligned inclusions having same aspect ratio. A two-step mean-field homogenization procedure is adopted. In the first step, the pseudograins are homogenized individually according to the Mori-Tanaka scheme. The second step consists in a self-consistent homogenization of homogenized pseudograins. An isotropic damage model is applied at the pseudograin level. The model is implemented as a UMAT in the finite element code ABAQUS. Model is shown to reproduce the strength and the anisotropy (Lankford coefficient) during uniaxial tensile tests on samples cut under different directions relative to the injection flow direction.

  20. Enzyme activity assays within microstructured optical fibers enabled by automated alignment.

    PubMed

    Warren-Smith, Stephen C; Nie, Guiying; Schartner, Erik P; Salamonsen, Lois A; Monro, Tanya M

    2012-12-01

    A fluorescence-based enzyme activity assay has been demonstrated within a small-core microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for the first time. To achieve this, a reflection-based automated alignment system has been developed, which uses feedback and piezoelectric actuators to maintain optical alignment. The auto-alignment system provides optical stability for the time required to perform an activity assay. The chosen assay is based on the enzyme proprotein convertase 5/6 (PC6) and has important applications in women's health.

  1. Extreme Magneto-transport of Bulk Carbon Nanotubes in Sorted Electronic Concentrations and Aligned High Performance Fiber.

    PubMed

    Bulmer, John S; Lekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; Rickel, Dwight G; Balakirev, Fedor F; Koziol, Krzysztof K

    2017-09-22

    We explored high-field (60 T) magneto-resistance (MR) with two carbon nanotube (CNT) material classes: (1) unaligned single-wall CNTs (SWCNT) films with controlled metallic SWCNT concentrations and doping degree and (2) CNT fiber with aligned, long-length microstructure. All unaligned SWCNT films showed localized hopping transport where high-field MR saturation definitively supports spin polarization instead of a more prevalent wave function shrinking mechanism. Nitric acid exposure induced an insulator to metal transition and reduced the positive MR component. Aligned CNT fiber, already on the metal side of the insulator to metal transition, had positive MR without saturation and was assigned to classical MR involving electronic mobility. Subtracting high-field fits from the aligned fiber's MR yielded an unconfounded negative MR, which was assigned to weak localization. It is concluded that fluctuation induced tunnelling, an extrinsic transport model accounting for most of the aligned fiber's room temperature resistance, appears to lack MR field dependence.

  2. Laser printed glass planar lightwave circuits with integrated fiber alignment structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desmet, A.; Radosavljevic, A.; Missinne, J.; Van Thourhout, D.; Van Steenberge, G.

    2018-02-01

    Femtosecond laser inscription allows straightforward manufacturing of glass planar lightwave circuits such as waveguides, interferometers, directional couplers, resonators and more complex structures. Fiber alignment structures are needed to facilitate communication with the glass planar lightwave circuit. In this study, a technique is described to create optical waveguides and alignment structures in the same laser exposure step. Using an industrial ytterbium-doped 1030 nm fiber laser pulses of 400 fs were focused into glass with a 0.4 NA objective causing permanent alteration of the material. Depending on laser parameters this modification allows direct writing of waveguides or the creation of channels after exposing the irradiated volumes to an etchant such as KOH. Writing of channels and waveguides with different laser powers, frequencies, polarisations, stage translation speeds and scan densities were investigated in fused silica and borosilicate glass. Waveguides with controlled dimensions were created, as well as etched U-grooves with a diameter of 126 μm and a sidewall roughness Ra of 255 nm. Cut back measurements were performed giving a waveguide propagation loss of 1.1 dB/cm in borosilicate glass. A coupling loss of 0.7 dB was measured for a transition between the waveguide and standard single mode fiber at 1550 nm, using index matching liquid. The described technique eliminates active alignment requirements and is useful for many applications such as microfluidic sensing, PLCs, fan-out connectors for multicore fibers and quantum optical networks.

  3. Creep of experimental short fiber-reinforced composite resin.

    PubMed

    Garoushi, Sufyan; Kaleem, Muhammad; Shinya, Akikazu; Vallittu, Pekka K; Satterthwaite, Julian D; Watts, David C; Lassila, Lippo V J

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the reinforcing effect of short E-glass fiber fillers oriented in different directions on composite resin under static and dynamic loading. Experimental short fiber-reinforced composite resin (FC) was prepared by mixing 22.5 wt% of short E-glass fibers, 22.5 wt% of resin, and 55 wt% of silane-treated silica fillers. Three groups of specimens (n=5) were tested: FC with isotropic fiber orientation, FC with anisotropic fiber orientation, and particulate-filled composite resin (PFC) as a control. Time-dependent creep and recovery were recorded. ANOVA revealed that after secondary curing in a vacuum oven and after storage in dry condition for 30 days, FC with isotropic fiber orientation (1.73%) exhibited significantly lower static creep value (p<0.05) than PFC (2.54%). For the different curing methods and storage conditions evaluated in this study, FC achieved acceptable static and dynamic creep values when compared to PFC.

  4. Effect of Electromechanical Stimulation on the Maturation of Myotubes on Aligned Electrospun Fibers

    PubMed Central

    Liao, I-Chien; Liu, Jason B.; Bursac, Nenad; Leong, Kam W.

    2009-01-01

    Tissue engineering may provide an alternative to cell injection as a therapeutic solution for myocardial infarction. A tissue-engineered muscle patch may offer better host integration and higher functional performance. This study examined the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts on aligned electrospun polyurethane (PU) fibers and in the presence of electromechanical stimulation. Skeletal myoblasts cultured on aligned PU fibers showed more pronounced elongation, better alignment, higher level of transient receptor potential cation channel-1 (TRPC-1) expression, upregulation of contractile proteins and higher percentage of striated myotubes compared to those cultured on random PU fibers and film. The resulting tissue constructs generated tetanus forces of 1.1 mN with a 10-ms time to tetanus. Additional mechanical, electrical, or synchronized electromechanical stimuli applied to myoblasts cultured on PU fibers increased the percentage of striated myotubes from 70 to 85% under optimal stimulation conditions, which was accompanied by an upregulation of contractile proteins such as α-actinin and myosin heavy chain. In describing how electromechanical cues can be combined with topographical cue, this study helped move towards the goal of generating a biomimetic microenvironment for engineering of functional skeletal muscle. PMID:19774099

  5. Extracellular Recordings of Patterned Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes on Aligned Fibers.

    PubMed

    Li, Junjun; Minami, Itsunari; Yu, Leqian; Tsuji, Kiyotaka; Nakajima, Minako; Qiao, Jing; Suzuki, Masato; Shimono, Ken; Nakatsuji, Norio; Kotera, Hitetoshi; Liu, Li; Chen, Yong

    2016-01-01

    Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) hold high potential for use in drug assessment and myocardial regeneration. To create tissue-like constructs of CMs for extracellular monitoring, we placed aligned fibers (AFs) on the surface of a microelectrode array and then seeded hiPSC-CMs for subsequent monitoring for 14 days. As expected, the CMs organized into anisotropic and matured tissue and the extracellular recordings showed reduced premature beating higher signal amplitude and a higher probability of T-wave detection as compared to the culture without fibers. The CMs on the aligned fibers samples also exhibited anisotropic propagation of the field potential. These results therefore suggest that the hiPSC-CMs cultured on AFs can be used more reliably for cell based assays.

  6. A simplified implementation of edge detection in MATLAB is faster and more sensitive than fast fourier transform for actin fiber alignment quantification.

    PubMed

    Kemeny, Steven Frank; Clyne, Alisa Morss

    2011-04-01

    Fiber alignment plays a critical role in the structure and function of cells and tissues. While fiber alignment quantification is important to experimental analysis and several different methods for quantifying fiber alignment exist, many studies focus on qualitative rather than quantitative analysis perhaps due to the complexity of current fiber alignment methods. Speed and sensitivity were compared in edge detection and fast Fourier transform (FFT) for measuring actin fiber alignment in cells exposed to shear stress. While edge detection using matrix multiplication was consistently more sensitive than FFT, image processing time was significantly longer. However, when MATLAB functions were used to implement edge detection, MATLAB's efficient element-by-element calculations and fast filtering techniques reduced computation cost 100 times compared to the matrix multiplication edge detection method. The new computation time was comparable to the FFT method, and MATLAB edge detection produced well-distributed fiber angle distributions that statistically distinguished aligned and unaligned fibers in half as many sample images. When the FFT sensitivity was improved by dividing images into smaller subsections, processing time grew larger than the time required for MATLAB edge detection. Implementation of edge detection in MATLAB is simpler, faster, and more sensitive than FFT for fiber alignment quantification.

  7. Extracellular Recordings of Patterned Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes on Aligned Fibers

    PubMed Central

    Minami, Itsunari; Yu, Leqian; Nakajima, Minako; Qiao, Jing; Shimono, Ken; Nakatsuji, Norio; Kotera, Hitetoshi; Chen, Yong

    2016-01-01

    Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) hold high potential for use in drug assessment and myocardial regeneration. To create tissue-like constructs of CMs for extracellular monitoring, we placed aligned fibers (AFs) on the surface of a microelectrode array and then seeded hiPSC-CMs for subsequent monitoring for 14 days. As expected, the CMs organized into anisotropic and matured tissue and the extracellular recordings showed reduced premature beating higher signal amplitude and a higher probability of T-wave detection as compared to the culture without fibers. The CMs on the aligned fibers samples also exhibited anisotropic propagation of the field potential. These results therefore suggest that the hiPSC-CMs cultured on AFs can be used more reliably for cell based assays. PMID:27446217

  8. Platelet-derived Growth-factor-releasing Aligned Collagen-nanoparticle Fibers Promote the Proliferation and Tenogenic Differentiation of Adipose-derived Stem Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-11-27

    lar to the slow axis appear yellow [19]. To observe the morphology of aligned collagen fibril, fibers were dehydrated via graded series of ethanols (70...Invitrogen) displayed prolifer- ating cell numbers. 2.5. Effect of aligned collagen–NP fibers on cell morphology and proliferation (7 days’ culture) A...loaded with PDGF than in the well with fibers that contained only empty NPs (control). 3.5. ADSCs cell proliferation and morphology on aligned collagen–NP

  9. Generation of Spatially Aligned Collagen Fiber Networks through Microtransfer Molding

    PubMed Central

    Naik, Nisarga; Caves, Jeffrey

    2013-01-01

    The unique biomechanical properties of native tissue are governed by the organization and composition of integrated collagen and elastin networks. We report an approach for fabricating spatially aligned, fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) with adjustable collagen fiber dimensions, layouts, and distribution within an elastin-like protein matrix yielding a biocomposite with controllable mechanical responses. Microtransfer molding is employed for the fabrication of hollow and solid collagen fibers with straight or crimped fiber geometries. Collagen fibers (width: 2 – 50 μm, thickness: 300 nm – 3 μm) exhibit a Young’s modulus of 126 ± 61 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 7 ± 3.2 MPa. As fiber networks within composite structures, straight fiber layouts display orthotropic responses with Young’s modulus ranging from 0.95 ± 0.35 to 10.4 ± 0.5 MPa and tensile strength from 0.22 ± 0.08 to 0.87 ± 0.5 MPa with increasing fraction of collagen fibers (1–10% v/v). In contrast, composites based on crimped fiber layouts exhibit strain-dependent stiffness with an increase in Young’s modulus from 0.7 ± 0.14 MPa to 3.15 ± 0.49 MPa, at a specific transition strain. Through controlling the microstructure of engineered collagen fiber networks, a facile means has been established to control macroscale mechanical responses of composite protein-based materials. PMID:24039146

  10. Microgroove fabrication with excimer laser ablation techniques for optical fiber array alignment purposes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naessens, Kris; Van Hove, An; Coosemans, Thierry; Verstuyft, Steven; Vanwassenhove, Luc; Van Daele, Peter; Baets, Roel G.

    2000-11-01

    Currently, an ever increasing need for bandwidth, compactness and efficiency characterizes the world of interconnect and data communication. This tendency has already led to serial links being gradually replaced by parallel optical interconnect solutions. However, as the maximum capacity for the latter will be reached in the near future, new approaches are required to meet demand. One possible option is to switch to 2D parallel implementations of fiber arrays. In this paper we present the fabrication of a 2D connector for coupling a 4x8 array of plastic optical fibers to RCLED or VCSEL arrays. The connector consists primarily of dedicated PMMA plates in which arrays of 8 precisely dimensioned grooves at a pitch of 250 micrometers are introduced. The trenches are each 127 micrometers deep and their width is optimized to allow fixation of plastic optical fibers. We used excimer laser ablation for prototype fabrication of these alignment microstructures. In a later stage, the plates can be replicated using standard molding techniques. The laser ablation technique is extremely well suited for rapid prototyping and proves to be a versatile process yielding high accuracy dimensioning and repeatability of features in a wide diversity of materials. The dependency of the performance in terms of quality of the trenches (bottom roughness) and wall angle on various parameters (wavelength, energy density, pulse frequency and substrate material) is discussed. The fabricated polymer sheets with grooves are used to hold optical fibers by means of a UV-curable adhesive. In a final phase, the plates are stacked and glued in order to realize the 2D-connector of plastic optical fibers for short distance optical interconnects.

  11. PLASTIC SHRINKAGE CONTROLLING EFFECT BY POLYPROPYLENE SHORT FIBER WITH HYDROPHILY

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hosoda, Akira; Sadatsuki, Yoshitomo; Oshima, Akihiro; Ishii, Akina; Tsubaki, Tatsuya

    The aim of this research is to clarify the mechanism of controlling plastic shrinkage crack by adding small amout of synthetic short fiber, and to propose optimum polypropylene short fiber to control plastic shrinkage crack. In this research, the effect of the hydrophily of polypropylene fiber was investigated in the amount of plastic shrinkage of mortar, total area of plastic shrinkage crack, and bond properties between fiber and mortar. The plastic shrinkage test of morar was conducted under high temperature, low relative humidity, and constant wind velocity. When polypropylene fiber had hydrophily, the amount of plastic shrinkage of mortar was restrained, which was because cement paste in morar was captured by hydrophilic fiber and then bleeding of mortar was restrained. With hydrophily, plastic shrinkage of mortar was restrained and bridging effect was improved due to better bond, which led to remarkable reduction of plastic shrinkage crack. Based on experimental results, the way of developing optimum polypropylene short fiber for actual construction was proposed. The fiber should have large hydrophily and small diameter, and should be used in as small amount as possible in order not to disturb workability of concrete.

  12. CODEX-aligned dietary fiber definitions help to bridge the 'fiber gap'.

    PubMed

    Jones, Julie Miller

    2014-04-12

    A comprehensive dietary fiber (DF) definition was adopted by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CAC) (1) to reflect the current state of knowledge about DF, (2) to recognize that all substances that behave like fiber regardless of how they are produced can be named as DF if they show physiological benefits, and (3) to promote international harmonization for food labeling and food composition tables. This review gives the history and evolution of the state of DF knowledge as looked at by refinements in DF methods and definitions subsequent to the launch of the DF hypothesis. The refinements parallel both interventional and epidemiological research leading to better understanding of the role of DF in contributing to the numerous physiological benefits imparted by all the various digestion resistant carbohydrates. A comparison of the CODEX definition (including its footnote that authorizes the inclusion of polymers with DP 3-9) and approved CODEX Type 1 methods with other existing definitions and methods will point out differences and emphasize the importance of adoption of CODEX-aligned definitions by all jurisdictions. Such harmonization enables comparison of nutrition research, recommendations, food composition tables and nutrition labels the world over. A case will be made that fibers are analogous to vitamins, in that they vary in structure, function and amount needed, but each when present in the right amount contributes to optimal health. Since the intake of DF is significantly below recommended levels throughout the world, the recognition that 'all fibers fit' is an important strategy in bridging the 'fiber gap' by enfranchising and encouraging greater intake of foods with inherent and added DF. Fortifying foods with added DF makes it easier to increase intakes while maintaining calories at recommended levels.

  13. Leveraging FPGAs for Accelerating Short Read Alignment.

    PubMed

    Arram, James; Kaplan, Thomas; Luk, Wayne; Jiang, Peiyong

    2017-01-01

    One of the key challenges facing genomics today is how to efficiently analyze the massive amounts of data produced by next-generation sequencing platforms. With general-purpose computing systems struggling to address this challenge, specialized processors such as the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are receiving growing interest. The means by which to leverage this technology for accelerating genomic data analysis is however largely unexplored. In this paper, we present a runtime reconfigurable architecture for accelerating short read alignment using FPGAs. This architecture exploits the reconfigurability of FPGAs to allow the development of fast yet flexible alignment designs. We apply this architecture to develop an alignment design which supports exact and approximate alignment with up to two mismatches. Our design is based on the FM-index, with optimizations to improve the alignment performance. In particular, the n-step FM-index, index oversampling, a seed-and-compare stage, and bi-directional backtracking are included. Our design is implemented and evaluated on a 1U Maxeler MPC-X2000 dataflow node with eight Altera Stratix-V FPGAs. Measurements show that our design is 28 times faster than Bowtie2 running with 16 threads on dual Intel Xeon E5-2640 CPUs, and nine times faster than Soap3-dp running on an NVIDIA Tesla C2070 GPU.

  14. Design and prototyping of self-centering optical single-mode fiber alignment structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebraert, Evert; Gao, Fei; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo; Van Erps, Jürgen

    2016-06-01

    The European Commission’s goal of providing each European household with at least a 30 Mb s-1 Internet connection by 2020 would be facilitated by a widespread deployment of fibre-to-the-home, which would in turn be sped up by the development of connector essential components, such as high-precision alignment features. Currently, the performance of state-of-the-art physical contact optical fiber connectors is limited by the tolerance on the cladding of standard telecom-grade single-mode fiber (SMF), which is typically smaller than  ±1 μm. We propose to overcome this limit by developing micro-spring-based self-centering alignment structures (SCAS) for SMF-connectors. We design these alignment structures with robustness and low-cost replication in mind, allowing for large-scale deployment. Both theoretical and finite element analysis (FEA) models are used to determine the optimal dimensions of the beams of which the micro-springs of the SCAS are comprised. Two topologies of the SCAS, consisting of three and four micro-springs respectively, are investigated for two materials: polysulfone (PSU) and polyetherimide (PEI). These materials hold great potential for high-performance fiber connectors while being compatible with low-cost production and with the harsh environmental operation conditions of those connectors. The theory and FEA agree well (<3% difference) for a simple micro-spring. When including a pedestal on the micro-spring (to bring it further away from the fiber) and for shorter spring lengths the agreement worsens. This is due to spring compression effects not being taken into account in our theoretical model. Prototypes are successfully fabricated using deep proton writing and subsequently characterized. The controlled insertion of an SMF in the SCAS is investigated and we determine that a force of 0.11 N is required. The fiber insertion also causes an out-of-plane deformation of the micro-springs in the SCAS of about 7 μm, which is no problem for

  15. Modulation of anisotropy in electrospun tissue-engineering scaffolds: Analysis of fiber alignment by the fast Fourier transform

    PubMed Central

    Ayres, Chantal; Bowlin, Gary L.; Henderson, Scott C.; Taylor, Leander; Shultz, Jackie; Alexander, John; Telemeco, Todd A.; Simpson, David G.

    2010-01-01

    We describe the use of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) in the measurement of anisotropy in electrospun scaffolds of gelatin as a function of the starting conditions. In electrospinning, fiber alignment and overall scaffold anisotropy can be manipulated by controlling the motion of the collecting mandrel with respect to the source electrospinning solution. By using FFT to assign relative alignment values to an electrospun matrix it is possible to systematically evaluate how different processing variables impact the structure and material properties of a scaffold. Gelatin was suspended at varying concentrations (80, 100, 130, 150 mg/ml) and electrospun from 2,2,2 trifluoroethanol onto rotating mandrels (200–7000 RPM). At each starting concentration, fiber diameter remained constant over a wide range of mandrel RPM. Scaffold anisotropy developed as a function of fiber diameter and mandrel RPM. The induction of varying degrees of anisotropy imparted distinctive material properties to the electrospun scaffolds. The FFT is a rapid method for evaluating fiber alignment in tissue-engineering materials. PMID:16859744

  16. Fiber orientation interpolation for the multiscale analysis of short fiber reinforced composite parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köbler, Jonathan; Schneider, Matti; Ospald, Felix; Andrä, Heiko; Müller, Ralf

    2018-06-01

    For short fiber reinforced plastic parts the local fiber orientation has a strong influence on the mechanical properties. To enable multiscale computations using surrogate models we advocate a two-step identification strategy. Firstly, for a number of sample orientations an effective model is derived by numerical methods available in the literature. Secondly, to cover a general orientation state, these effective models are interpolated. In this article we develop a novel and effective strategy to carry out this interpolation. Firstly, taking into account symmetry arguments, we reduce the fiber orientation phase space to a triangle in R^2 . For an associated triangulation of this triangle we furnish each node with an surrogate model. Then, we use linear interpolation on the fiber orientation triangle to equip each fiber orientation state with an effective stress. The proposed approach is quite general, and works for any physically nonlinear constitutive law on the micro-scale, as long as surrogate models for single fiber orientation states can be extracted. To demonstrate the capabilities of our scheme we study the viscoelastic creep behavior of short glass fiber reinforced PA66, and use Schapery's collocation method together with FFT-based computational homogenization to derive single orientation state effective models. We discuss the efficient implementation of our method, and present results of a component scale computation on a benchmark component by using ABAQUS ®.

  17. Fiber orientation interpolation for the multiscale analysis of short fiber reinforced composite parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köbler, Jonathan; Schneider, Matti; Ospald, Felix; Andrä, Heiko; Müller, Ralf

    2018-04-01

    For short fiber reinforced plastic parts the local fiber orientation has a strong influence on the mechanical properties. To enable multiscale computations using surrogate models we advocate a two-step identification strategy. Firstly, for a number of sample orientations an effective model is derived by numerical methods available in the literature. Secondly, to cover a general orientation state, these effective models are interpolated. In this article we develop a novel and effective strategy to carry out this interpolation. Firstly, taking into account symmetry arguments, we reduce the fiber orientation phase space to a triangle in R^2 . For an associated triangulation of this triangle we furnish each node with an surrogate model. Then, we use linear interpolation on the fiber orientation triangle to equip each fiber orientation state with an effective stress. The proposed approach is quite general, and works for any physically nonlinear constitutive law on the micro-scale, as long as surrogate models for single fiber orientation states can be extracted. To demonstrate the capabilities of our scheme we study the viscoelastic creep behavior of short glass fiber reinforced PA66, and use Schapery's collocation method together with FFT-based computational homogenization to derive single orientation state effective models. We discuss the efficient implementation of our method, and present results of a component scale computation on a benchmark component by using ABAQUS ®.

  18. Density profile and fiber alignment in fiberboard from three southern hardwoods

    Treesearch

    George E. Woodson

    1977-01-01

    Density profile and fiber orientation were evaluated for their effects on selected mechanical properties of medium density fiberboard. Bending MOE and modulus of rigidity were predicted from density profiles established by x-ray radiography. Orthotropic ratios ranged from 1.19 to 2.32 for electrically aligned fiberboards from three southern hardwoods. Off-axis tensile...

  19. CODEX-aligned dietary fiber definitions help to bridge the ‘fiber gap’

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    A comprehensive dietary fiber (DF) definition was adopted by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CAC) (1) to reflect the current state of knowledge about DF, (2) to recognize that all substances that behave like fiber regardless of how they are produced can be named as DF if they show physiological benefits, and (3) to promote international harmonization for food labeling and food composition tables. This review gives the history and evolution of the state of DF knowledge as looked at by refinements in DF methods and definitions subsequent to the launch of the DF hypothesis. The refinements parallel both interventional and epidemiological research leading to better understanding of the role of DF in contributing to the numerous physiological benefits imparted by all the various digestion resistant carbohydrates. A comparison of the CODEX definition (including its footnote that authorizes the inclusion of polymers with DP 3–9) and approved CODEX Type 1 methods with other existing definitions and methods will point out differences and emphasize the importance of adoption of CODEX-aligned definitions by all jurisdictions. Such harmonization enables comparison of nutrition research, recommendations, food composition tables and nutrition labels the world over. A case will be made that fibers are analogous to vitamins, in that they vary in structure, function and amount needed, but each when present in the right amount contributes to optimal health. Since the intake of DF is significantly below recommended levels throughout the world, the recognition that ‘all fibers fit’ is an important strategy in bridging the ‘fiber gap’ by enfranchising and encouraging greater intake of foods with inherent and added DF. Fortifying foods with added DF makes it easier to increase intakes while maintaining calories at recommended levels. PMID:24725724

  20. Laser-fiber coupling by means of a silicon micro-optical bench and a self-aligned soldering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Jan P.; Cordes, A.; Mueller, Joerg; Burkhardt, Hans

    1995-02-01

    The alignment of laser diodes to monomode fibers has to meet extremely close tolerances for a low coupling loss. Typically < 0.5 micrometers in lateral and vertical direction and less than two degrees in angle deviation are allowed for a coupling loss below 2 dB. Presently such close tolerances can only be met by gluing or soldering both components on separate base plates and combining them via piezoactivated alignment monitoring the output of the circuit and then gluing them using UV-hardening epoxies. Such a procedure is not very economical and not useful for mass applications. This paper presents the principle and realization of a silicon micro-optical bench for laser-fiber-coupling, which avoids the above mentioned disadvantages. The micro-optical bench is realized using well controlled plasma etching processes to transfer the guiding patterns for the laser and the fiber into the silicon substrate, keeping geometry tolerances below +/- 0.5 micrometers in lateral and vertical direction. Mounting the laser diode by means of a self-aligned soldering process, an additional contribution to the precise alignment of the laser is further improved.

  1. Extreme Magneto-transport of Bulk Carbon Nanotubes in Sorted Electronic Concentrations and Aligned High Performance Fiber

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

    Bulmer, John S.; Lekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; Rickel, Dwight G.

    We explored high-field (60 T) magneto-resistance (MR) with two carbon nanotube (CNT) material classes: (1) unaligned single-wall CNTs (SWCNT) films with controlled metallic SWCNT concentrations and doping degree and (2) CNT fiber with aligned, long-length microstructure. All unaligned SWCNT films showed localized hopping transport where high-field MR saturation definitively supports spin polarization instead of a more prevalent wave function shrinking mechanism. Nitric acid exposure induced an insulator to metal transition and reduced the positive MR component. Aligned CNT fiber, already on the metal side of the insulator to metal transition, had positive MR without saturation and was assigned to classicalmore » MR involving electronic mobility. Subtracting high-field fits from the aligned fiber’s MR yielded an unconfounded negative MR, which was assigned to weak localization. It is concluded that fluctuation induced tunnelling, an extrinsic transport model accounting for most of the aligned fiber’s room temperature resistance, appears to lack MR field dependence.« less

  2. Extreme Magneto-transport of Bulk Carbon Nanotubes in Sorted Electronic Concentrations and Aligned High Performance Fiber

    DOE PAGES

    Bulmer, John S.; Lekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; Rickel, Dwight G.; ...

    2017-09-22

    We explored high-field (60 T) magneto-resistance (MR) with two carbon nanotube (CNT) material classes: (1) unaligned single-wall CNTs (SWCNT) films with controlled metallic SWCNT concentrations and doping degree and (2) CNT fiber with aligned, long-length microstructure. All unaligned SWCNT films showed localized hopping transport where high-field MR saturation definitively supports spin polarization instead of a more prevalent wave function shrinking mechanism. Nitric acid exposure induced an insulator to metal transition and reduced the positive MR component. Aligned CNT fiber, already on the metal side of the insulator to metal transition, had positive MR without saturation and was assigned to classicalmore » MR involving electronic mobility. Subtracting high-field fits from the aligned fiber’s MR yielded an unconfounded negative MR, which was assigned to weak localization. It is concluded that fluctuation induced tunnelling, an extrinsic transport model accounting for most of the aligned fiber’s room temperature resistance, appears to lack MR field dependence.« less

  3. Modeling of short fiber reinforced injection moulded composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulkarni, A.; Aswini, N.; Dandekar, C. R.; Makhe, S.

    2012-09-01

    A micromechanics based finite element model (FEM) is developed to facilitate the design of a new production quality fiber reinforced plastic injection molded part. The composite part under study is composed of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) matrix reinforced with 30% by volume fraction of short carbon fibers. The constitutive material models are obtained by using micromechanics based homogenization theories. The analysis is carried out by successfully coupling two commercial codes, Moldflow and ANSYS. Moldflow software is used to predict the fiber orientation by considering the flow kinetics and molding parameters. Material models are inputted into the commercial software ANSYS as per the predicted fiber orientation and the structural analysis is carried out. Thus in the present approach a coupling between two commercial codes namely Moldflow and ANSYS has been established to enable the analysis of the short fiber reinforced injection moulded composite parts. The load-deflection curve is obtained based on three constitutive material model namely an isotropy, transversely isotropy and orthotropy. Average values of the predicted quantities are compared to experimental results, obtaining a good correlation. In this manner, the coupled Moldflow-ANSYS model successfully predicts the load deflection curve of a composite injection molded part.

  4. Consideration of reinforcement mechanism in the short fiber mixing granular materials by granular element simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mori, Kentaro; Kaneko, Kenji; Hashizume, Yutaka

    2017-06-01

    The short fiber mixing method is well known as one of the method to improve the strength of gran- ular soils in geotechnical engineering. Mechanical properties of the short fiber mixing granular materials are influenced by many factors, such as the mixture ratio of the short fiber, the material of short fiber, the length, and the orientation. In particular, the mixture ratio of the short fibers is very important in mixture design. In the past study, we understood that the strength is reduced by too much short fiber mixing by a series of tri-axial compression experiments. Namely, there is "optimum mixture ratio" in the short fiber mixing granular soils. In this study, to consider the mechanism of occurrence of the optimum mixture ratio, we carried out the numerical experiments by granular element method. As the results, we can understand that the strength decrease when too much grain-fiber contact points exist, because a friction coefficient is smaller than the grain-grain contact points.

  5. Shear induced alignment of short nanofibers in 3D printed polymer composites.

    PubMed

    Yunus, Doruk Erdem; Shi, Wentao; Sohrabi, Salman; Liu, Yaling

    2016-12-09

    3D printing of composite materials offers an opportunity to combine the desired properties of composite materials with the flexibility of additive manufacturing in geometric shape and complexity. In this paper, the shear-induced alignment of aluminum oxide nanowires during stereolithography printing was utilized to fabricate a nanowire reinforced polymer composite. To align the fibers, a lateral oscillation mechanism was implemented and combined with wall pattern printing technique to generate shear flow in both vertical and horizontal directions. A series of specimens were fabricated for testing the composite material's tensile strength. The results showed that mechanical properties of the composite were improved by reinforcement of nanofibers through shear induced alignment. The improvement of tensile strength was approximately ∼28% by aligning the nanowires at 5 wt% (∼1.5% volume fraction) loading of aluminum oxide nanowires.

  6. Diagnostic apparatus and method for use in the alignment of one or more laser means onto a fiber optics interface

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, Steve A.; Shannon, Robert R.

    1987-01-01

    Diagnostic apparatus for use in determining the proper alignment of a plurality of laser beams onto a fiber optics interface is disclosed. The apparatus includes a lens assembly which serves two functions, first to focus a plurality of laser beams onto the fiber optics interface, and secondly to reflect and image the interface using scattered light to a monitor means. The monitor means permits indirect observation of the alignment or focusing of the laser beams onto the fiber optics interface.

  7. Diagnostic apparatus and method for use in the alignment of one or more laser means onto a fiber optics interface

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, S.A.; Shannon, R.R.

    1985-01-18

    Diagnostic apparatus for use in determining the proper alignment of a plurality of laser beams onto a fiber optics interface is disclosed. The apparatus includes a lens assembly which serves two functions, first to focus a plurality of laser beams onto the fiber optics interface, and secondly to reflect and image the interface using scattered light to a monitor means. The monitor means permits indirect observation of the alignment or focusing of the laser beams onto the fiber optics interface.

  8. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON PARAMETERS USED FOR CHARACTERIZING COTTON SHORT FIBERS

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The quantity of short cotton fibers in a cotton sample is an important cotton quality parameter which impacts yarn production performance and yarn quality. Researchers have proposed different parameters for characterizing the amount of short fibers in a cotton sample. A comprehensive study was car...

  9. Nanofibers grafted on titanium alloy: the effects of fiber alignment and density on osteoblast mineralization.

    PubMed

    Lin, Hsin-Yi; Peng, Zhao-Xiang

    2017-08-17

    The surface of medical implant alloy Ti-6Al-4V was chemically modified to allow it to covalently bond with collagen/PVA nanofibers. These nanofibers were successfully attached to the Ti-6Al-4V surface in three different morphologies: randomly oriented high-density fiber, COL(H); randomly oriented low-density fiber, COL(L); and aligned high-density fiber, COL(A). The effects of the morphology of these covalently-bound collagen nanofibers on the growth and differentiation of osteoblasts were studied for 21 days. The low-density nanofibers covered approximately 80% of the Ti64 surface, while the high-density nanofibers covered nearly 100%. These covalently attached fibrous coatings remained attached to the metal surface after 3 weeks of cell culture. In the first week the aligned fibers of COL(A) allowed the osteoblasts to stretch and elongate in the direction of the fibers. This directional elongation was not seen in the cells on the randomly-oriented samples. Cells proliferated and differentiated on all three surfaces over time. By the end of the test, the amount of type I collagen secreted by the cells on COL(H) was the highest, while the degree of mineralization was highest on COL(A) among the three samples (p < 0.05). Different nanofiber morphologies changed the cell morphology and the secretion of cellular products. The mechanisms remained to be investigated. The surface of medical implant alloy Ti-6Al-4V was chemically modified to allow it to covalently bond with collagen/PVA nanofibers. The SEM micrographs in the top row show the random and aligned morphology of the collagen-PVA nanofibers. The nanofibers on COL(A) were aligned in the general direction indicated by the arrow. The second row are images from EDX titanium element mapping. The location of the titanium elements are shown as bright dots. The low-density nanofibers, COL(L), covered approximately 80% of the Ti64 surface, while the high-density nanofibers, COL(H) and COL(A), covered nearly 100

  10. Research on Extrusion of Rubber Composites Reinforced by Short Fibers Orientation Based on FEA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Dewei; Wang, Chuansheng; Shen, Bo; Li, Shaoming; Bian, Huiguang

    2018-06-01

    In recent years, rubber composites reinforced by short fibers has been researched deeply, because of its good performances such as higher wear resistance, higher cut resistance and so on. Some research results indicated that if short fibers get orientation in rubber composites, the performances of rubber products could be promoted greatly. But how to make short fibers get orientation in rubber matrix during extrusion is still a real problem. And there are many parameters affect the short fibers orientation. So, in this paper, the effects of die structure including expansion-die and dam-expansion-die on extrusion flow field of short fiber and rubber composite material during extrusion process has been researched by Polyflow. And the FEA results about the pressure field, velocity field and the velocity vector of the rubber composites flow field indicate that, comparing with expansion-die and the dam-expansion-die, the latter one is better for the extrusion process of rubber composites and making short fibers get radial orientation in rubber matrix.

  11. Thermal conductivity of hybrid short fiber composites

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

    Dunn, M.L.; Taya, M.; Hatta, H.

    1993-01-01

    A combined analytical/experimental study has been undertaken to investigate the effective thermal conductivity of hybrid composite materials. The analysis utilizes the equivalent inclusion approach for steady state heat conduction (Hatta and Taya, 1986) through which the interaction between the various reinforcing phases at finite concentrations is approximated by the Mori-Tanaka (1973) mean field approach. The multiple reinforcing phases of the composite are modeled as ellipsoidal in shape and thus can simulate a wide range of microstructural geometries ranging from thin platelet to continuous fiber reinforcement. The case when one phase of the composite is penny-shaped microcracks is studied in detail.more » Multiphase composites consisting of a Kerimid matrix and Al2O3 short fibers and Si3N4 whiskers were fabricated and, after a careful study of their microstructure, their thermal conductivities were measured. Analytical predictions are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results obtained for the Al2O3/Si3N4/Kerimid short fiber composites. 26 refs.« less

  12. Numerical prediction of fiber orientation in injection-molded short-fiber/thermoplastic composite parts with experimental validation

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

    Thi, Thanh Binh Nguyen; Morioka, Mizuki; Yokoyama, Atsushi

    Numerical prediction of the fiber orientation in the short-glass fiber (GF) reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composites with the fiber weight concentration of 30%, 50%, and 70% manufactured by the injection molding process is presented. And the fiber orientation was also directly observed and measured through X-ray computed tomography. During the injection molding process of the short-fiber/thermoplastic composite, the fiber orientation is produced by the flow states and the fiber-fiber interaction. Folgar and Tucker equation is the well known for modeling the fiber orientation in a concentrated suspension. They included into Jeffrey’s equation a diffusive type of term by introducing amore » phenomenological coefficient to account for the fiber-fiber interaction. Our developed model for the fiber-fiber interaction was proposed by modifying the rotary diffusion term of the Folgar-Tucker equation. This model was presented in a conference paper of the 29{sup th} International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society published by AIP conference proceeding. For modeling fiber interaction, the fiber dynamic simulation was introduced in order to obtain a global fiber interaction coefficient, which is sum function of the fiber concentration, aspect ratio, and angular velocity. The fiber orientation is predicted by using the proposed fiber interaction model incorporated into a computer aided engineering simulation package C-Mold. An experimental program has been carried out in which the fiber orientation distribution has been measured in 100 x 100 x 2 mm injection-molded plate and 100 x 80 x 2 mm injection-molded weld by analyzed with a high resolution 3D X-ray computed tomography system XVA-160α, and calculated by X-ray computed tomography imaging. The numerical prediction shows a good agreement with experimental validation. And the complex fiber orientation in the injection-molded weld was investigated.« less

  13. Numerical prediction of fiber orientation in injection-molded short-fiber/thermoplastic composite parts with experimental validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thi, Thanh Binh Nguyen; Morioka, Mizuki; Yokoyama, Atsushi; Hamanaka, Senji; Yamashita, Katsuhisa; Nonomura, Chisato

    2015-05-01

    Numerical prediction of the fiber orientation in the short-glass fiber (GF) reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composites with the fiber weight concentration of 30%, 50%, and 70% manufactured by the injection molding process is presented. And the fiber orientation was also directly observed and measured through X-ray computed tomography. During the injection molding process of the short-fiber/thermoplastic composite, the fiber orientation is produced by the flow states and the fiber-fiber interaction. Folgar and Tucker equation is the well known for modeling the fiber orientation in a concentrated suspension. They included into Jeffrey's equation a diffusive type of term by introducing a phenomenological coefficient to account for the fiber-fiber interaction. Our developed model for the fiber-fiber interaction was proposed by modifying the rotary diffusion term of the Folgar-Tucker equation. This model was presented in a conference paper of the 29th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society published by AIP conference proceeding. For modeling fiber interaction, the fiber dynamic simulation was introduced in order to obtain a global fiber interaction coefficient, which is sum function of the fiber concentration, aspect ratio, and angular velocity. The fiber orientation is predicted by using the proposed fiber interaction model incorporated into a computer aided engineering simulation package C-Mold. An experimental program has been carried out in which the fiber orientation distribution has been measured in 100 x 100 x 2 mm injection-molded plate and 100 x 80 x 2 mm injection-molded weld by analyzed with a high resolution 3D X-ray computed tomography system XVA-160α, and calculated by X-ray computed tomography imaging. The numerical prediction shows a good agreement with experimental validation. And the complex fiber orientation in the injection-molded weld was investigated.

  14. Short pulse fiber lasers mode-locked by carbon nanotubes and graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamashita, Shinji; Martinez, Amos; Xu, Bo

    2014-12-01

    One and two dimensional forms of carbon, carbon nanotubes and graphene, have interesting and useful, not only electronic but also photonic, properties. For fiber lasers, they are very attractive passive mode lockers for ultra-short pulse generation, since they have saturable absorption with inherently fast recovery time (<1 ps). In this paper, we review the photonic properties of graphene and CNT and our recent works on fabrication of fiber devices and applications to ultra-short pulse mode-locked fiber lasers.

  15. Development of an embedded instrument for autofocus and polarization alignment of polarization maintaining fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Di; Fang, Qimeng; Huang, Huaibo; Zhao, Zhengqi; Song, Ningfang

    2017-12-01

    The development and implementation of a practical instrument based on an embedded technique for autofocus and polarization alignment of polarization maintaining fiber is presented. For focusing efficiency and stability, an image-based focusing algorithm fully considering the image definition evaluation and the focusing search strategy was used to accomplish autofocus. For improving the alignment accuracy, various image-based algorithms of alignment detection were developed with high calculation speed and strong robustness. The instrument can be operated as a standalone device with real-time processing and convenience operations. The hardware construction, software interface, and image-based algorithms of main modules are described. Additionally, several image simulation experiments were also carried out to analyze the accuracy of the above alignment detection algorithms. Both the simulation results and experiment results indicate that the instrument can achieve the accuracy of polarization alignment <±0.1 deg.

  16. Method and system for aligning fibers during electrospinning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott-Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Stephens, Ralph M (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. (Inventor); Rhim, Caroline (Inventor); Niklason, Laura (Inventor); Clark, Robert L. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    A method and system are provided for aligning fibers in an electrospinning process. A jet of a fiberizable material is directed towards an uncharged collector from a dispensing location that is spaced apart from the collector. While the fiberizable material is directed towards the collector, an elliptical electric field is generated via the electrically charged dispenser and an oppositely-charged control location. The field spans between the dispensing location and the control location that is within line-of-sight of the dispensing location, and impinges upon at least a portion of the collector. Various combinations of numbers and geometries of dispensers, collectors, and electrodes can be used.

  17. Investigation of ASE and SRS effects on 1018nm short-wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Zhaoxin; Shi, Wei; Sheng, Quan; Fu, Shijie; Fang, Qiang; Zhang, Haiwei; Bai, Xiaolei; Shi, Guannan; Yao, Jianquan

    2017-03-01

    1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser can be widely used for tandem-pumped fiber laser system in 1 μm regime because of its high brightness and low quantum defect (QD). In order to achieve 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser with high output power, a steady-state rate equations considering the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) has been established. We theoretically analyzed the ASE and SRS effects in 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser and the simulation results show that the ASE is the main restriction rather than SRS for high power 1018nm short wavelength Yb3+-doped fiber laser, besides the high temperature of fiber is also the restriction for high output power. We use numerical solution of steady-state rate equations to discuss how to suppress ASE in 1018nm short wavelength fiber laser and how to achieve high power 1018nm short-wavelength fiber laser.

  18. Diabetes Alters Mechanical Properties and Collagen Fiber Re-Alignment in Multiple Mouse Tendons

    PubMed Central

    Connizzo, Brianne K.; Bhatt, Pankti R.; Liechty, Kenneth W.; Soslowsky, Louis J.

    2014-01-01

    Tendons function to transfer load from muscle to bone through their complex composition and hierarchical structure, consisting mainly of type I collagen. Recent evidence suggests that type II diabetes may cause alterations in collagen structure, such as irregular fibril morphology and density, which could play a role in the mechanical function of tendons. Using the db/db mouse model of type II diabetes, the diabetic skin was found to have impaired biomechanical properties when compared to the non-diabetic group. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of diabetes on biomechanics, collagen fiber re-alignment, and biochemistry in three functionally different tendons (Achilles, supraspinatus, patellar) using the db/db mouse model. Results showed that cross-sectional area and stiffness, but not modulus, were significantly reduced in all three tendons. However, the tendon response to load (transition strain, collagen fiber re-alignment) occurred earlier in the mechanical test, contrary to expectations. In addition, the patellar tendon had an altered response to diabetes when compared to the other two tendons, with no changes in fiber realignment and decreased collagen content at the midsubstance of the tendon. Overall, type II diabetes alters tendon mechanical properties and the dynamic response to load. PMID:24833253

  19. Short cellulose nanofribrils as reinforcement in polyvinyl alcohol fiber

    Treesearch

    Jun Peng; Thomas Ellingham; Ron Sabo; Lih-Sheng Turng; Craig M. Clemons

    2014-01-01

    Short cellulose nanofibrils (SCNF) were investigated as reinforcement for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. SCNF were mechanically isolated from hard wood pulp after enzymatic pretreatment. Various levels of SCNF were added to an aqueous PVA solution, which was gel-spun into continuous fibers. The molecular orientation of PVA was affected by a combination of wet drawing...

  20. Impact of elastin incorporation into electrochemically aligned collagen fibers on mechanical properties and smooth muscle cell phenotype.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Thuy-Uyen; Bashur, Chris A; Kishore, Vipuil

    2016-03-17

    Application of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) for the replacement of small-diameter arteries is limited due to thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia. Previous studies have attempted to address the limitations of TEVGs by developing scaffolds that mimic the composition (collagen and elastin) of native arteries to better match the mechanical properties of the graft with the native tissue. However, most existing scaffolds do not recapitulate the aligned topography of the collagen fibers found in native vessels. In the current study, based on the principles of isoelectric focusing, two different types of elastin (soluble and insoluble) were incorporated into highly oriented electrochemically aligned collagen (ELAC) fibers and the effect of elastin incorporation on the mechanical properties of the ELAC fibers and smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype was investigated. The results indicate that elastin incorporation significantly decreased the modulus of ELAC fibers to converge upon that of native vessels. Further, a significant increase in yield strain and decrease in Young's modulus was observed on all fibers post SMC culture compared with before the culture. Real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed a significant increase in the expression of α-smooth muscle actin and calponin on ELAC fibers with insoluble elastin, suggesting that incorporation of insoluble elastin induces a contractile phenotype in SMCs after two weeks of culture on ELAC fibers. Immunofluorescence results showed that calponin expression increased with time on all fibers. In conclusion, insoluble elastin incorporated ELAC fibers have the potential to be used for the development of functional TEVGs for the repair and replacement of small-diameter arteries.

  1. Effect of kenaf short fiber loading on mechanical properties of biocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andilolo, J.; Nikmatin, S.; Nugroho, N.; Alatas, H.; Wismogroho, A. S.

    2017-05-01

    The research of biocomposite product with kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) short fiber as a filler and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) as the matrix had been done to understand the mechanical properties of this material. Kenaf short fiber was obtained from mechanical sieving after doing the mechanical milling. TAPPI method has been done to determine the chemical properties. In order to form a granular biocomposite a single screw extruder was performed with a variation of particle loading 10 and 15%. The original of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) has been used as matrix. The fabrication of speciment had been done by molding injection process. Mechanical properties test was done by ASTM standarization. The results showed the density of the fibers of 1.008 g/cm3 with a fiber length of 897.07 µm and a diameter of 66.38 µm. Tensile strength of kenaf short fiber loading 10 and 15% was 23.522 ± 8.36 MPa and 20.739 ± 6.79 MPa, respectively. The tensile properties showed a decreasing trend as the fiber loading was increased. The values of impact strength were 68.657 ± 4.89 kJ m-2 and 82.090 ± 5.56 kJ m-2, respectively and the hardness values were 96.60 ± 6.03 HR and 105.20 ± 13.17 HR, respectively. Kenaf fiber can be a good reinforcement candidate for high performance polymer bio-composites.

  2. Effect of Age and Proteoglycan Deficiency on Collagen Fiber Re-Alignment and Mechanical Properties in Mouse Supraspinatus Tendon

    PubMed Central

    Connizzo, Brianne K.; Sarver, Joseph J.; Iozzo, Renato V.; Birk, David E.; Soslowsky, Louis J.

    2013-01-01

    Collagen fiber realignment is one mechanism by which tendon responds to load. Re-alignment is altered when the structure of tendon is altered, such as in the natural process of aging or with alterations of matrix proteins, such as proteoglycan expression. While changes in re-alignment and mechanical properties have been investigated recently during development, they have not been studied in (1) aged tendons, or (2) in the absence of key proteoglycans. Collagen fiber re-alignment and the corresponding mechanical properties are quantified throughout tensile mechanical testing in both the insertion site and the midsubstance of mouse supraspinatus tendons in wild type (WT), decorin-null (Dcn-/-), and biglycan-null (Bgn-/-) mice at three different ages (90 days, 300 days, and 570 days). Percent relaxation was significantly decreased with age in the WT and Dcn-/- tendons, but not in the Bgn-/- tendons. Changes with age were found in the linear modulus at the insertion site where the 300 day group was greater than the 90 day and 570 day group in the Bgn-/- tendons and the 90 day group was smaller than the 300 day and 570 day groups in the Dcn-/- tendons. However, no changes in modulus were found across age in WT tendons were found. The midsubstance fibers of the WT and Bgn-/- tendons were initially less aligned with increasing age. The re-alignment was significantly altered with age in the WT tendons, with older groups responding to load later in the mechanical test. This was also seen in the Dcn-/- midsubstance and the Bgn-/- insertion, but not in the other locations. Although some studies have found changes in the WT mechanical properties with age, this study did not support those findings. However, it did show fiber re-alignment changes at both locations with age, suggesting a breakdown of tendon′s ability to respond to load in later ages. In the proteoglycan-null tendons however, there were changes in the mechanical properties, accompanied only by

  3. Micromechanical analysis of thermo-inelastic multiphase short-fiber composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aboudi, Jacob

    1994-01-01

    A micromechanical formulation is presented for the prediction of the overall thermo-inelastic behavior of multiphase composites which consist of short fibers. The analysis is an extension of the generalized method of cells that was previously derived for inelastic composites with continuous fibers, and the reliability of which was critically examined in several situations. The resulting three dimensional formulation is extremely general, wherein the analysis of thermo-inelastic composites with continuous fibers as well as particulate and porous inelastic materials are merely special cases.

  4. Three-dimensional matrix fiber alignment modulates cell migration and MT1-MMP utility by spatially and temporally directing protrusions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fraley, Stephanie I.; Wu, Pei-Hsun; He, Lijuan; Feng, Yunfeng; Krisnamurthy, Ranjini; Longmore, Gregory D.; Wirtz, Denis

    2015-10-01

    Multiple attributes of the three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM) have been independently implicated as regulators of cell motility, including pore size, crosslink density, structural organization, and stiffness. However, these parameters cannot be independently varied within a complex 3D ECM protein network. We present an integrated, quantitative study of these parameters across a broad range of complex matrix configurations using self-assembling 3D collagen and show how each parameter relates to the others and to cell motility. Increasing collagen density resulted in a decrease and then an increase in both pore size and fiber alignment, which both correlated significantly with cell motility but not bulk matrix stiffness within the range tested. However, using the crosslinking enzyme Transglutaminase II to alter microstructure independently of density revealed that motility is most significantly predicted by fiber alignment. Cellular protrusion rate, protrusion orientation, speed of migration, and invasion distance showed coupled biphasic responses to increasing collagen density not predicted by 2D models or by stiffness, but instead by fiber alignment. The requirement of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was also observed to depend on microstructure, and a threshold of MMP utility was identified. Our results suggest that fiber topography guides protrusions and thereby MMP activity and motility.

  5. Theory of short-scale field-aligned density striations due to ionospheric heating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, M.-C.; Fejer, J. A.

    1978-01-01

    The theoretical saturation spectrum of parametrically excited Langmuir waves in a locally uniform ionosphere is shown by the present calculations to produce, by ohmic dissipation, short-scale field-aligned density striations. The spectrum of the calculated striations is not inconsistent with observations of field-aligned scatter of VHF and UHF waves in ionospheric modification experiments if local increases of the pump field due to focusing are invoked.

  6. A highly flexible piezoelectret-fiber pressure sensor based on highly aligned P(VDF-TrFE) electrospun fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ke, Jun-Yi; Chu, Hsin-Jung; Hsu, Yu-Hsiang; Lee, Chih-Kung

    2017-04-01

    P(VDF-TrFE) is a ferroelectric material having a strong piezoelectric effect, a good chemical stability, chemical resistance and biocompatibility. Therefore, it is suitable for the development of flexible pressure sensors in biological applications. Using electrospinning method and a drum collector, P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers are aligned and formed an ultrathin film sheet with a thickness of 15 to 30 μm. A 140 °C annealing process and a corona discharge poling process are conducted to increase the performance of β phase piezoelectricity. Based on this technology, a highly flexible piezoelectret pressure sensor is developed for measuring muscle movement on the surface of human body. The orientation of electrospun P(VDFTrFE) fibers and poling direction are studied to enhance the sensitivity of the piezoelectret-fiber pressure sensor. Preliminary study shows that the sensitivity of piezoelectret-fiber pressure sensor can be 110.37 pC/Pa with a high signal to noise ratio. Sensor design, experimental studies, and biological application are detailed in this paper.

  7. Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: a review of fiber size toxicity

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    The fibrogenicity and carcinogenicity of asbestos fibers are dependent on several fiber parameters including fiber dimensions. Based on the WHO (World Health Organization) definition, the current regulations focalise on long asbestos fibers (LAF) (Length: L ≥ 5 μm, Diameter: D < 3 μm and L/D ratio > 3). However air samples contain short asbestos fibers (SAF) (L < 5 μm). In a recent study we found that several air samples collected in buildings with asbestos containing materials (ACM) were composed only of SAF, sometimes in a concentration of ≥10 fibers.L−1. This exhaustive review focuses on available information from peer-review publications on the size-dependent pathogenetic effects of asbestos fibers reported in experimental in vivo and in vitro studies. In the literature, the findings that SAF are less pathogenic than LAF are based on experiments where a cut-off of 5 μm was generally made to differentiate short from long asbestos fibers. Nevertheless, the value of 5 μm as the limit for length is not based on scientific evidence, but is a limit for comparative analyses. From this review, it is clear that the pathogenicity of SAF cannot be completely ruled out, especially in high exposure situations. Therefore, the presence of SAF in air samples appears as an indicator of the degradation of ACM and inclusion of their systematic search should be considered in the regulation. Measurement of these fibers in air samples will then make it possible to identify pollution and anticipate health risk. PMID:25043725

  8. Superporous thermo-responsive hydrogels by combination of cellulose fibers and aligned micropores.

    PubMed

    Halake, Kantappa S; Lee, Jonghwi

    2014-05-25

    In the area of artificial hydrogels, simultaneous engineering of the volume transition characteristics and mechanical properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogels is an important subject. By unrestricted architecting of hierarchical structures, natural hydrogels are able to provide a wide range of swelling and mechanical properties, beyond the limits of artificial hydrogels. Herein, a combination of nanostructures and microstructures was developed to construct superporous hydrogels. Fibers of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), an eco-friendly reinforcing material, were used as nanostructures, aligned micropores were used as microstructures, and in situ photopolymerization was used to immobilize the two structures together within the gel networks of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm). The introduction of MFC distinctly enhanced volume transition, mainly by decreasing the swelling ratios above the transition. The introduction of directional micropores increased the swelling ratio below the transition and decreased the swelling ratio above the transition, thereby also enhancing the volume transition. Additionally, the formation of aligned micropores achieved fast water infiltration, which is beneficial for superabsorbent applications. The introduction of aligned micropores reduced the elastic modulus, but this could partially be compensated for by reinforcement with MFC. This combination of crystalline nanofibers and aligned micropores has great potential for the development of stimuli-responsive superporous hydrogels outperforming current artificial hydrogels. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The influence of fiber orientation on the equilibrium properties of neutral and charged biphasic tissues.

    PubMed

    Nagel, Thomas; Kelly, Daniel J

    2010-11-01

    Constitutive models facilitate investigation into load bearing mechanisms of biological tissues and may aid attempts to engineer tissue replacements. In soft tissue models, a commonly made assumption is that collagen fibers can only bear tensile loads. Previous computational studies have demonstrated that radially aligned fibers stiffen a material in unconfined compression most by limiting lateral expansion while vertically aligned fibers buckle under the compressive loads. In this short communication, we show that in conjunction with swelling, these intuitive statements can be violated at small strains. Under such conditions, a tissue with fibers aligned parallel to the direction of load initially provides the greatest resistance to compression. The results are further put into the context of a Benninghoff architecture for articular cartilage. The predictions of this computational study demonstrate the effects of varying fiber orientations and an initial tare strain on the apparent material parameters obtained from unconfined compression tests of charged tissues.

  10. Surface Acoustic Waves Grant Superior Spatial Control of Cells Embedded in Hydrogel Fibers.

    PubMed

    Lata, James P; Guo, Feng; Guo, Jinshan; Huang, Po-Hsun; Yang, Jian; Huang, Tony Jun

    2016-10-01

    By exploiting surface acoustic waves and a coupling layer technique, cells are patterned within a photosensitive hydrogel fiber to mimic physiological cell arrangement in tissues. The aligned cell-polymer matrix is polymerized with short exposure to UV light and the fiber is extracted. These patterned cell fibers are manipulated into simple and complex architectures, demonstrating feasibility for tissue-engineering applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Fabrication of Extremely Short Length Fiber Bragg Gratings for Sensor Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Meng-Chou; Rogowski, Robert S.; Tedjojuwono, Ken K.

    2002-01-01

    A new technique and a physical model for writing extremely short length Bragg gratings in optical fibers have been developed. The model describes the effects of diffraction on the spatial spectra and therefore, the wavelength spectra of the Bragg gratings. Using an interferometric technique and a variable aperture, short gratings of various lengths and center wavelengths were written in optical fibers. By selecting the related parameters, the Bragg gratings with typical length of several hundred microns and bandwidth of several nanometers can be obtained. These short gratings can be apodized with selected diffraction patterns and hence their broadband spectra have a well-defined bell shape. They are suitable for use as miniaturized distributed strain sensors, which have broad applications to aerospace research and industry as well.

  12. Optimizing alignment and growth of low-loss YAG single crystal fibers using laser heated pedestal growth technique.

    PubMed

    Bera, Subhabrata; Nie, Craig D; Soskind, Michael G; Harrington, James A

    2017-12-10

    The effect of misalignments of different optical components in the laser heated pedestal growth apparatus have been modeled using Zemax optical design software. By isolating the misalignments causing the non-uniformity in the melt zone, the alignment of the components was fine-tuned. Using this optimized alignment, low-loss YAG single crystal fibers of 120 μm diameter were grown, with total attenuation loss as low as 0.5 dB/m at 1064 nm.

  13. Optical fiber stripper positioning apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Fyfe, Richard W.; Sanchez, Jr., Amadeo

    1990-01-01

    An optical fiber positioning apparatus for an optical fiber stripping device is disclosed which is capable of providing precise axial alignment between an optical fiber to be stripped of its outer jacket and the cutting blades of a stripping device. The apparatus includes a first bore having a width approximately equal to the diameter of an unstripped optical fiber and a counter bore axially aligned with the first bore and dimensioned to precisely receive a portion of the stripping device in axial alignment with notched cutting blades within the stripping device to thereby axially align the notched cutting blades of the stripping device with the axis of the optical fiber to permit the notched cutting blades to sever the jacket on the optical fiber without damaging the cladding on the optical fiber. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further includes a fiber stop which permits determination of the length of jacket to be removed from the optical fiber.

  14. Ultra-short wavelength operation in Thulium-doped silica fiber laser with bidirectional pumping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Xusheng; Guo, Haitao; Yan, Zhijun; Wang, Hushan; Xu, Yantao; Lu, Min; Wang, Yishan; Peng, Bo

    2017-02-01

    An ultra-short wavelength operation of Tm-doped all fiber laser based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) was developed. A bi-directional pump configuration for the ultra-short wavelength operation was designed and investigated for the first time. the laser yielded 3.15W of continuous-wave output at 1706.75nm with a narrow-linewidth of 50pm and a maximum slope efficiency of 42.1%. The dependencies of the slope efficiencies and pump threshold of the laser versus the length of active fiber and reflectivity of the output mirror (FBG) were investigated in detail. An experimental comparative study between two Thulium-doped fiber lasers (TDFLs) with two different pumping configuration(forward unidirectional pumping and bidirectional pumping) was presented. It is indisputable that the development of 1.7μm silicate fiber lasers with Watt-level output power open up a number of heart-stirring and tempting application windows.

  15. Properties of cellulose/Thespesia lampas short fibers bio-composite films.

    PubMed

    Ashok, B; Reddy, K Obi; Madhukar, K; Cai, J; Zhang, L; Rajulu, A Varada

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose was dissolved in pre cooled environment friendly solvent (aq.7% sodium hydroxide+12% urea) and regenerated with 5%H2SO4 as coagulation bath. Using cellulose as matrix and alkali treated short natural fibers extracted from the newly identified Thespesia lampas plant as fillers the green composite films were prepared. The films were found to be non toxic. The effect of fiber loading on the tensile properties and thermal stability was studied. The fractographs indicated better interfacial bonding between the fibers and cellulose. The crystallinity of the composite films was found to be lower than the matrix and decreased with increasing fiber content. In spite of better interfacial bonding, the tensile properties of the composites were found to be lower than those of the matrix and decreased with increasing fiber content and this behavior was attributed to the random orientation of the fibers in the composites. The thermal stability of the composite films was higher than the matrix and increased with fiber content. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Alignment-free, all-spliced fiber laser source for CARS microscopy based on four-wave-mixing.

    PubMed

    Baumgartl, Martin; Gottschall, Thomas; Abreu-Afonso, Javier; Díez, Antonio; Meyer, Tobias; Dietzek, Benjamin; Rothhardt, Manfred; Popp, Jürgen; Limpert, Jens; Tünnermann, Andreas

    2012-09-10

    An environmentally-stable low-repetition rate fiber oscillator is developed to produce narrow-bandwidth pulses with several tens of picoseconds duration. Based on this oscillator an alignment-free all-fiber laser for multi-photon microscopy is realized using in-fiber frequency conversion based on four-wave-mixing. Both pump and Stokes pulses for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy are readily available from one fiber end, intrinsically overlapped in space and time, which drastically simplifies the experimental handling for the user. The complete laser setup is mounted on a home-built laser scanning microscope with small footprint. High-quality multimodal microscope images of biological tissue are presented probing the CH-stretching resonance of lipids at an anti-Stokes Raman-shift of 2845 cm(-1) and second-harmonic generation of collagen. Due to its simplicity, compactness, maintenance-free operation, and ease-of-use the presented low-cost laser is an ideal source for bio-medical applications outside laser laboratories and in particular inside clinics.

  17. Short-term inhalation and in vitro tests as predictors of fiber pathogenicity.

    PubMed Central

    Cullen, R T; Miller, B G; Davis, J M; Brown, D M; Donaldson, K

    1997-01-01

    A wide range of fiber types was tested in two in vitro assays: toxicity to A549 epithelial cells, as detachment from substrate, and the production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by rat alveolar macrophages. Three of the fibers were also studied in vivo, using short-term inhalation followed by a) bronchoalveolar lavage to assess the inflammatory response and b) measurement of cell proliferation in terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts, using incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). The amount of TNF produced by macrophages in vitro depended on the fiber type, with the man-made vitreous fibers, and refractory ceramic fibers being least stimulatory and silicon carbide (SiC) whiskers providing the greatest stimulation. In the epithelial detachment assay there were dose-dependent differences in the toxicity of the various fibers, with long amosite being the most toxic. However, there was no clear relationship to known chronic pathogenicity. Fibers studied by short-term inhalation produced some inflammation, but there was no clear discrimination between the responses to code 100/475 glass fibers and the more pathogenic amosite and SiC. However, measurements of BrdU uptake into lung cells showed that amosite and SiC produced a greater reaction than code 100/475, which itself caused no more proliferation than that seen in untreated lungs. These results mirror the pathogenicity ranking of the fibers in long-term experiments. In conclusion, the only test to show potential as a predictive measure of pathogenicity was that of cell proliferation in lungs after brief inhalation exposure (BrdU assay). We believe that this assay should be validated with a wider range of fibers, doses, and time points. PMID:9400730

  18. Short-term inhalation and in vitro tests as predictors of fiber pathogenicity.

    PubMed

    Cullen, R T; Miller, B G; Davis, J M; Brown, D M; Donaldson, K

    1997-09-01

    A wide range of fiber types was tested in two in vitro assays: toxicity to A549 epithelial cells, as detachment from substrate, and the production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by rat alveolar macrophages. Three of the fibers were also studied in vivo, using short-term inhalation followed by a) bronchoalveolar lavage to assess the inflammatory response and b) measurement of cell proliferation in terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts, using incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). The amount of TNF produced by macrophages in vitro depended on the fiber type, with the man-made vitreous fibers, and refractory ceramic fibers being least stimulatory and silicon carbide (SiC) whiskers providing the greatest stimulation. In the epithelial detachment assay there were dose-dependent differences in the toxicity of the various fibers, with long amosite being the most toxic. However, there was no clear relationship to known chronic pathogenicity. Fibers studied by short-term inhalation produced some inflammation, but there was no clear discrimination between the responses to code 100/475 glass fibers and the more pathogenic amosite and SiC. However, measurements of BrdU uptake into lung cells showed that amosite and SiC produced a greater reaction than code 100/475, which itself caused no more proliferation than that seen in untreated lungs. These results mirror the pathogenicity ranking of the fibers in long-term experiments. In conclusion, the only test to show potential as a predictive measure of pathogenicity was that of cell proliferation in lungs after brief inhalation exposure (BrdU assay). We believe that this assay should be validated with a wider range of fibers, doses, and time points.

  19. Stripping and splicing polyimide-coated fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duke, Douglas; Kanda, Yoshiharu; Tobita, Kenyo; Yamauchi, Ryozo

    2011-05-01

    Polyimide is often used as a coating material for optical fibers used in high temperature environments such as aerospace or oil and gas sensor applications. Unfortunately, polyimide coating is very difficult to strip by conventional mechanical stripping methods. The glass fiber is easily damaged if the stripping process is not extremely well controlled. Stripping the polyimide coating by heating with a flame or arc typically results in a significant reduction in fiber strength. Strength may be maintained by using hot acid stripping, however the use of the strong hot acid presents safety hazards and also requires controlled and safe waste disposal. Another issue with polyimide coating is variability of the coating diameter from various manufacturers or due to different polyimide coating processes. This not only complicates the polyimide stripping issue, but also presents problems with precise clamping and alignment during splicing, especially when it is necessary to splice with a short cleave length. In this paper, we present new polyimide coating stripping technology. The significant feature of this stripping technology is achievement of good strength while avoiding the use of hot acid or heating. We also developed a new specialty fiber fusion splicer that enables precise alignment and splicing regardless of the variability of polyimide coating diameter, even when clamping on the coating.

  20. Optimal Parameter Design of Coarse Alignment for Fiber Optic Gyro Inertial Navigation System.

    PubMed

    Lu, Baofeng; Wang, Qiuying; Yu, Chunmei; Gao, Wei

    2015-06-25

    Two different coarse alignment algorithms for Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) Inertial Navigation System (INS) based on inertial reference frame are discussed in this paper. Both of them are based on gravity vector integration, therefore, the performance of these algorithms is determined by integration time. In previous works, integration time is selected by experience. In order to give a criterion for the selection process, and make the selection of the integration time more accurate, optimal parameter design of these algorithms for FOG INS is performed in this paper. The design process is accomplished based on the analysis of the error characteristics of these two coarse alignment algorithms. Moreover, this analysis and optimal parameter design allow us to make an adequate selection of the most accurate algorithm for FOG INS according to the actual operational conditions. The analysis and simulation results show that the parameter provided by this work is the optimal value, and indicate that in different operational conditions, the coarse alignment algorithms adopted for FOG INS are different in order to achieve better performance. Lastly, the experiment results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

  1. Edge Delamination and Residual Properties of Drilled Carbon Fiber Composites with and without Short-Aramid-Fiber Interleaf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Zhi; Hu, Xiaozhi; Shi, Shanshan; Guo, Xu; Zhang, Yupeng; Chen, Haoran

    2016-10-01

    Edge delamination is frequently observed in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates after machining, due to the low fracture toughness of the resin interfaces between carbon fiber plies. In this study, the effects of incorporating tough aramid fibers into the brittle CFRP system are quantified by measuring the residual properties of bolted CFRP. By adding short-aramid-fiber interleaves in CFRP laminates, the residual tensile strength have been substantially increased by 14 % for twill-weave laminates and 45 % for unidirectional laminates respectively. Moreover, tensile failure was observed as the major mode of toughened laminates, in contrast to shear failure of plain laminates. The qualitative FEM results agreed well with the experimental results that edge delamination would cause relatively higher shear stress and therefore alter the failure mode from tensile failure to shear failure.

  2. Effect of the Microstructure on the Fracture Mode of Short-Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishikawa, Masaaki; Okabe, Tomonaga; Takeda, Nobuo

    A numerical simulation was presented to discuss the microscopic damage and its influence on the strength and energy-absorbing capability of short-fiber reinforced plastic composites. The dominant damage includes matrix crack and/or interfacial debonding, when the fibers are shorter than the critical length for fiber breakage. The simulation addressed the matrix crack with a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model and the interfacial debonding with an embedded process zone (EPZ) model. Fictitious free-edge effects on the fracture modes were successfully eliminated with the periodic-cell simulation. The advantage of our simulation was pointed out by demonstrating that the simulation with edge effects significantly overestimates the dissipative energy of the composites. We then investigated the effect of the material microstructure on the fracture modes in the composites. The simulated results clarified that the inter-fiber distance affects the breaking strain of the composites and the fiber-orientation angle affects the position of the damage initiation. These factors influence the strength and energy-absorbing capability of short fiber-reinforced composites.

  3. Obtaining short-fiber orientation model parameters using non-lubricated squeeze flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambert, Gregory; Wapperom, Peter; Baird, Donald

    2017-12-01

    Accurate models of fiber orientation dynamics during the processing of polymer-fiber composites are needed for the design work behind important automobile parts. All of the existing models utilize empirical parameters, but a standard method for obtaining them independent of processing does not exist. This study considers non-lubricated squeeze flow through a rectangular channel as a solution. A two-dimensional finite element method simulation of the kinematics and fiber orientation evolution along the centerline of a sample is developed as a first step toward a fully three-dimensional simulation. The model is used to fit to orientation data in a short-fiber-reinforced polymer composite after squeezing. Fiber orientation model parameters obtained in this study do not agree well with those obtained for the same material during startup of simple shear. This is attributed to the vastly different rates at which fibers orient during shearing and extensional flows. A stress model is also used to try to fit to experimental closure force data. Although the model can be tuned to the correct magnitude of the closure force, it does not fully recreate the transient behavior, which is attributed to the lack of any consideration for fiber-fiber interactions.

  4. GateKeeper: a new hardware architecture for accelerating pre-alignment in DNA short read mapping.

    PubMed

    Alser, Mohammed; Hassan, Hasan; Xin, Hongyi; Ergin, Oguz; Mutlu, Onur; Alkan, Can

    2017-11-01

    High throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) technologies generate an excessive number of small DNA segments -called short reads- that cause significant computational burden. To analyze the entire genome, each of the billions of short reads must be mapped to a reference genome based on the similarity between a read and 'candidate' locations in that reference genome. The similarity measurement, called alignment, formulated as an approximate string matching problem, is the computational bottleneck because: (i) it is implemented using quadratic-time dynamic programming algorithms and (ii) the majority of candidate locations in the reference genome do not align with a given read due to high dissimilarity. Calculating the alignment of such incorrect candidate locations consumes an overwhelming majority of a modern read mapper's execution time. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a fast and effective filter that can detect incorrect candidate locations and eliminate them before invoking computationally costly alignment algorithms. We propose GateKeeper, a new hardware accelerator that functions as a pre-alignment step that quickly filters out most incorrect candidate locations. GateKeeper is the first design to accelerate pre-alignment using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), which can perform pre-alignment much faster than software. When implemented on a single FPGA chip, GateKeeper maintains high accuracy (on average >96%) while providing, on average, 90-fold and 130-fold speedup over the state-of-the-art software pre-alignment techniques, Adjacency Filter and Shifted Hamming Distance (SHD), respectively. The addition of GateKeeper as a pre-alignment step can reduce the verification time of the mrFAST mapper by a factor of 10. https://github.com/BilkentCompGen/GateKeeper. mohammedalser@bilkent.edu.tr or onur.mutlu@inf.ethz.ch or calkan@cs.bilkent.edu.tr. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press

  5. Direct-write 3D printing of composite materials with magnetically aligned discontinuous reinforcement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Joshua J.; Caunter, Andrew; Dendulk, Amy; Goodrich, Scott; Pembroke, Ryan; Shores, Dan; Erb, Randall M.

    2017-05-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing of fiber reinforced composites represents an enabling technology that may bring toughness and specific strength to complex parts. Recently, direct-write 3D printing has been offered as a promising route to manufacturing fiber reinforced composites that show high specific strength. These approaches primarily rely on the use of shear-alignment during the extrusion process to align fibers along the printing direction. Shear alignment prevents fibers from being oriented along principle stress directions of the final designed part. This paper describes a new direct-write style 3D printing system that incorporates magnetic fields to actively control the orientation of reinforcing fibers during the printing of fiber reinforced composites. Such a manufacturing system is fraught with complications from the high shear dominated alignment experienced by the fibers during extrusion to the slow magnetic alignment dynamics of fibers in viscous media. Here we characterize these issues and suggest effective operating windows in which magnetic alignment is a viable approach to orienting reinforcing particles during direct-write 3D printing.

  6. Hot-embossing replication of self-centering optical fiber alignment structures prototyped by deep proton writing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebraert, Evert; Wissmann, Markus; Guttmann, Markus; Kolew, Alexander; Worgull, Matthias; Barié, Nicole; Schneider, Marc; Hofmann, Andreas; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo; Van Erps, Jürgen

    2016-07-01

    This paper presents the hot-embossing replication of self-centering fiber alignment structures for high-precision, single-mode optical fiber connectors. To this end, a metal mold insert was fabricated by electroforming a polymer prototype patterned by means of deep proton writing (DPW). To achieve through-hole structures, we developed a postembossing process step to remove the residual layer inherently present in hot-embossed structures. The geometrical characteristics of the hot-embossed replicas are compared, before and after removal of the residual layer, with the DPW prototypes. Initial measurements on the optical performance of the replicas are performed. The successful replication of these components paves the way toward low-cost mass replication of DPW-fabricated prototypes in a variety of high-tech plastics.

  7. Computational modeling for prediction of the shear stress of three-dimensional isotropic and aligned fiber networks.

    PubMed

    Park, Seungman

    2017-09-01

    Interstitial flow (IF) is a creeping flow through the interstitial space of the extracellular matrix (ECM). IF plays a key role in diverse biological functions, such as tissue homeostasis, cell function and behavior. Currently, most studies that have characterized IF have focused on the permeability of ECM or shear stress distribution on the cells, but less is known about the prediction of shear stress on the individual fibers or fiber networks despite its significance in the alignment of matrix fibers and cells observed in fibrotic or wound tissues. In this study, I developed a computational model to predict shear stress for different structured fibrous networks. To generate isotropic models, a random growth algorithm and a second-order orientation tensor were employed. Then, a three-dimensional (3D) solid model was created using computer-aided design (CAD) software for the aligned models (i.e., parallel, perpendicular and cubic models). Subsequently, a tetrahedral unstructured mesh was generated and flow solutions were calculated by solving equations for mass and momentum conservation for all models. Through the flow solutions, I estimated permeability using Darcy's law. Average shear stress (ASS) on the fibers was calculated by averaging the wall shear stress of the fibers. By using nonlinear surface fitting of permeability, viscosity, velocity, porosity and ASS, I devised new computational models. Overall, the developed models showed that higher porosity induced higher permeability, as previous empirical and theoretical models have shown. For comparison of the permeability, the present computational models were matched well with previous models, which justify our computational approach. ASS tended to increase linearly with respect to inlet velocity and dynamic viscosity, whereas permeability was almost the same. Finally, the developed model nicely predicted the ASS values that had been directly estimated from computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The present

  8. Preparation and properties of biodegradable films from Sterculia urens short fiber/cellulose green composites.

    PubMed

    Jayaramudu, J; Reddy, G Siva Mohan; Varaprasad, K; Sadiku, E R; Sinha Ray, S; Varada Rajulu, A

    2013-04-02

    The development of commercially viable "green products", based on natural resources for the matrices and reinforcements, in a wide range of applications, is on the rise. The present paper focuses on Sterculia urens short fiber reinforced pure cellulose matrix composite films. The morphologies of the untreated and 5% NaOH (alkali) treated S. urens fibers were observed by SEM. The effect of 5% NaOH treated S. urens fiber (5, 10, 15 and 20% loading) on the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the composites films is discussed. This paper presents the developments made in the area of biodegradable S. urens short fiber/cellulose (SUSF/cellulose) composite films, buried in the soil and later investigated by the (POM), before and after biodegradation has taken place. SUSF/cellulose composite films have great potential in food packaging and for medical applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Pump-Induced, Dual-Frequency Switching in a Short-Cavity, Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser

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

    Guan, W.; Marciante, J.R.

    2008-07-23

    Using a short linear cavity composed of a section of highly ytterbium-doped fiber surrounded by two fiber Bragg gratings, dual frequency switching is achieved by tuning the pump power of the laser. The dual-frequency switching is generated by the thermal effects of the absorbed pump in the ytterbium-doped fiber. At each frequency, the laser shows single-longitudinal-mode behavior. In each single-mode regime, the optical signal-to-noise ratio of the laser is greater than 50 dB. The dual-frequency, switchable, fiber laser can be designed for various applications by the careful selection of the two gratings.

  10. Effect of Forging Parameters on Low Cycle Fatigue Behaviour of Al/Basalt Short Fiber Metal Matrix Composites

    PubMed Central

    Karthigeyan, R.; Ranganath, G.

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with metal matrix composites (MMCs) of Al 7075 alloy containing different weight percentage (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10) basalt short fiber reinforcement and unreinforced matrix alloy. The samples were produced by the permanent stir casting technique. The casting ingots were cut into blanks to be forged in single stage and double stage, using MN press and graphite-based lubricant. The microstructures and fatigue properties of the matrix alloy and MMC samples were investigated in the as cast state and in the single and double stage forging operations. The microstructure results showed that the forged sample had a uniform distribution of the basalt short fiber throughout the specimens. Evaluation of the fatigue properties showed that the forged samples had higher values than those of the as cast counterparts. After forging, the enhancement of the fatigue strength of the matrix alloy was so significant and high in the case of 2.5 and 5.0 wt. percentage basalt short fiber reinforced MMC, and there was no enhancement in 7.5 and 10 weight percentages short fiber reinforced MMCs. The fracture damage was mainly due to decohesion at the matrix-fiber interface. PMID:24298207

  11. Effect of forging parameters on low cycle fatigue behaviour of Al/basalt short fiber metal matrix composites.

    PubMed

    Karthigeyan, R; Ranganath, G

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with metal matrix composites (MMCs) of Al 7075 alloy containing different weight percentage (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10) basalt short fiber reinforcement and unreinforced matrix alloy. The samples were produced by the permanent stir casting technique. The casting ingots were cut into blanks to be forged in single stage and double stage, using MN press and graphite-based lubricant. The microstructures and fatigue properties of the matrix alloy and MMC samples were investigated in the as cast state and in the single and double stage forging operations. The microstructure results showed that the forged sample had a uniform distribution of the basalt short fiber throughout the specimens. Evaluation of the fatigue properties showed that the forged samples had higher values than those of the as cast counterparts. After forging, the enhancement of the fatigue strength of the matrix alloy was so significant and high in the case of 2.5 and 5.0 wt. percentage basalt short fiber reinforced MMC, and there was no enhancement in 7.5 and 10 weight percentages short fiber reinforced MMCs. The fracture damage was mainly due to decohesion at the matrix-fiber interface.

  12. Generation of High Purity Photon-Pair in a Short Highly Non-Linear Fiber

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    Avalanche photodiode. A 10 m long HNLF fabricated by Sumitomo with a core diameter of 4 microns is fusion spliced to a single mode fiber for a...parametric down conversion (SPDC) was first observed in χ(2) nonlinear crystal [3]. However, the compatibility of a nonlinear crystal source with fiber and...PAIR IN A SHORT HIGHLY NON-LINEAR FIBER 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA8750-12-1-0136 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER N/A 6. AUTHOR(S

  13. Interlaminar fracture of random short-fiber SMC composite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, S. S.; Suemasu, H.; Zahlan, N. M.

    1984-01-01

    In the experimental phase of the present study of the interlaminar fracture behavior of a randomly oriented short fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) composite, the double cantilever beam fracture test is used to evaluate the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of different composite thicknesses. In the analytical phase of this work, a geometrically nonlinear analysis is introduced in order to account for large deflections and nonlinear load deflection curves in the evaluation of interlaminar fracture toughness. For the SMC-R50 material studied, interlaminar toughness is an order of magnitude higher than that of unreinforced neat resin, due to unusual damage mechanisms ahead of the crack tip, together with significant fiber bridging across crack surfaces. Composite thickness effects on interlaminar fracture are noted to be appreciable, and a detailed discussion is given on the influence of SMC microstructure.

  14. Electrostatically Induced Carbon Nanotube Alignment for Polymer Composite Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chapkin, Wesley Aaron

    finding matches an electrostatic potential energy model for CNT rotation. Lastly, we investigate the effects of conductive carbon fibers on electrostatically induced alignment of CNTs within carbon fiber composites. The relative electric field strength throughout the composite is modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics. We show the ability to generate enhanced electric field gradients within the gaps between carbon fibers for various fiber orientations. Using polarized Raman spectroscopy, increased levels of CNT alignment are observed between carbon fiber tows, which is consistent with the modeled higher electric field strengths in these regions. These findings could potentially lead to the development of carbon fiber composites with CNT additions that selectively enhance the composite properties outside the carbon fiber interphase in the neat epoxy.

  15. Multispectral optical telescope alignment testing for a cryogenic space environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newswander, Trent; Hooser, Preston; Champagne, James

    2016-09-01

    Multispectral space telescopes with visible to long wave infrared spectral bands provide difficult alignment challenges. The visible channels require precision in alignment and stability to provide good image quality in short wavelengths. This is most often accomplished by choosing materials with near zero thermal expansion glass or ceramic mirrors metered with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) that are designed to have a matching thermal expansion. The IR channels are less sensitive to alignment but they often require cryogenic cooling for improved sensitivity with the reduced radiometric background. Finding efficient solutions to this difficult problem of maintaining good visible image quality at cryogenic temperatures has been explored with the building and testing of a telescope simulator. The telescope simulator is an onaxis ZERODUR® mirror, CFRP metered set of optics. Testing has been completed to accurately measure telescope optical element alignment and mirror figure changes in a cryogenic space simulated environment. Measured alignment error and mirror figure error test results are reported with a discussion of their impact on system optical performance.

  16. Processing-microstructure models for short- and long-fiber thermoplastic composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phelps, Jay H.

    The research for this thesis has explored the important microstructural variables for injection-molded thermoplastic composites with discontinuous fiber reinforcement. Two variables, the distributions of fiber orientation and fiber length after processing, have proven to be not only important for correct material property prediction but also difficult to predict using currently available modeling and simulation techniques. In this work, we develop new models for the prediction of these two microstructural variables. Previously, the Folgar-Tucker model has been widely used to predict fiber orientation in injection molded SFT composites. This model accounts for the effects of both hydrodynamics and fiber-fiber interactions in order to give a prediction for a tensorial measure of fiber orientation. However, when applied to at least some classes of LFTs, this model does not match all components of experimental fiber orientation tensor data. In order to address this shortcoming of the model, we hypothesize that Folgar and Tucker's phenomenological treatment of the effects of fiber-fiber interactions with an isotropic rotary diffusion contribution to the rate of change of orientation is insufficient for materials with longer fibers. Instead, this work develops a fiber orientation model that incorporates anisotropic rotary diffusion (ARD). From kinetic theory we derive a general family of evolution equations for the second-order orientation tensor, correcting errors in earlier treatments, and identify a specific equation that is useful for predicting orientation in LFTs. The amount of diffusivity in this model used to approximate the effect of fiber-fiber interactions in each direction is assumed to depend on a second-order space tensor, which is taken to be a function of the orientation state and the rate of deformation. Also, concentrated fiber suspensions align more slowly with respect to strain than the Folgar-Tucker model predicts. Here, we borrow the technique of

  17. Eliminating crystals in non-oxide optical fiber preforms and optical fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    LaPointe, Michael R. (Inventor); Tucker, Dennis S. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A method is provided for eliminating crystals in non-oxide optical fiber preforms as well as optical fibers drawn therefrom. The optical-fiber-drawing axis of the preform is aligned with the force of gravity. A magnetic field is applied to the preform as it is heated to at least a melting temperature thereof. The magnetic field is applied in a direction that is parallel to the preform's optical-fiber-drawing axis. The preform is then cooled to a temperature that is less than a glass transition temperature of the preform while the preform is maintained in the magnetic field. When the processed preform is to have an optical fiber drawn therefrom, the preform's optical-fiber-drawing axis is again aligned with the force of gravity and a magnetic field is again applied along the axis as the optical fiber is drawn from the preform.

  18. Patterned Cell Alignment in Response to Macroscale Curvature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bade, Nathan; Kamien, Randall; Assoian, Richard; Stebe, Kathleen

    The formation of spatial behavior patterns in tissues is a long-standing problem in biology. Decades of research have focused on understanding how biochemical signaling and morphogen gradients establish cell patterns during development and tissue morphogenesis. Here, we show that geometry and physical cues can drive organization and pattern formation. We find that mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human vascular smooth muscle cells sense curvature differently when in monolayers than when isolated on surfaces with various amounts of Gaussian curvature. While the long, apical stress fibers within these cells align in the direction of minimum curvature on cylindrical substrates, a subpopulation of stress fibers beneath the nucleus aligns in the circumferential direction and is bent maximally. We find dramatic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton upon activation of RhoA, which is associated with increased contractility of the fibers. Thus, stress fiber alignment is likely a result of a complex balance between energy penalties associated with stress fiber bending, contractility, and the dynamics of F-actin assembly.

  19. Strain-Induced Alignment in Collagen Gels

    PubMed Central

    Vader, David; Kabla, Alexandre; Weitz, David; Mahadevan, Lakshminarayana

    2009-01-01

    Collagen is the most abundant extracellular-network-forming protein in animal biology and is important in both natural and artificial tissues, where it serves as a material of great mechanical versatility. This versatility arises from its almost unique ability to remodel under applied loads into anisotropic and inhomogeneous structures. To explore the origins of this property, we develop a set of analysis tools and a novel experimental setup that probes the mechanical response of fibrous networks in a geometry that mimics a typical deformation profile imposed by cells in vivo. We observe strong fiber alignment and densification as a function of applied strain for both uncrosslinked and crosslinked collagenous networks. This alignment is found to be irreversibly imprinted in uncrosslinked collagen networks, suggesting a simple mechanism for tissue organization at the microscale. However, crosslinked networks display similar fiber alignment and the same geometrical properties as uncrosslinked gels, but with full reversibility. Plasticity is therefore not required to align fibers. On the contrary, our data show that this effect is part of the fundamental non-linear properties of fibrous biological networks. PMID:19529768

  20. Flow-aligned, single-shot fiber diffraction using a femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser

    DOE PAGES

    Popp, David; Loh, N. Duane; Zorgati, Habiba; ...

    2017-06-02

    A major goal for X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) based science is to elucidate structures of biological molecules without the need for crystals. Filament systems may provide some of the first single macromolecular structures elucidated by XFEL radiation, since they contain one-dimensional translational symmetry and thereby occupy the diffraction intensity region between the extremes of crystals and single molecules. Here, we demonstrate flow alignment of as few as 100 filaments ( Escherichia coli pili, F-actin, and amyloid fibrils), which when intersected by femtosecond X-ray pulses result in diffraction patterns similar to those obtained from classical fiber diffraction studies. We also determinemore » that F-actin can be flow-aligned to a disorientation of approximately 5 degrees. Using this XFEL-based technique, we determine that gelsolin amyloids are comprised of stacked β-strands running perpendicular to the filament axis, and that a range of order from fibrillar to crystalline is discernable for individual α-synuclein amyloids.« less

  1. Flow-aligned, single-shot fiber diffraction using a femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser

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

    Popp, David; Loh, N. Duane; Zorgati, Habiba

    A major goal for X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) based science is to elucidate structures of biological molecules without the need for crystals. Filament systems may provide some of the first single macromolecular structures elucidated by XFEL radiation, since they contain one-dimensional translational symmetry and thereby occupy the diffraction intensity region between the extremes of crystals and single molecules. Here, we demonstrate flow alignment of as few as 100 filaments ( Escherichia coli pili, F-actin, and amyloid fibrils), which when intersected by femtosecond X-ray pulses result in diffraction patterns similar to those obtained from classical fiber diffraction studies. We also determinemore » that F-actin can be flow-aligned to a disorientation of approximately 5 degrees. Using this XFEL-based technique, we determine that gelsolin amyloids are comprised of stacked β-strands running perpendicular to the filament axis, and that a range of order from fibrillar to crystalline is discernable for individual α-synuclein amyloids.« less

  2. Dynamic mechanical analysis and high strain-rate energy absorption characteristics of vertically aligned carbon nanotube reinforced woven fiber-glass composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The dynamic mechanical behavior and energy absorption characteristics of nano-enhanced functionally graded composites, consisting of 3 layers of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) forests grown on woven fiber-glass (FG) layer and embedded within 10 layers of woven FG, with polyester (PE) and...

  3. Fatigue damage evaluation of short fiber CFRP based on phase information of thermoelastic temperature change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakagami, Takahide; Shiozawa, Daiki; Nakamura, Yu; Nonaka, Shinichi; Hamada, Kenichi

    2017-05-01

    Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is widely used for structural members of transportation vehicles such as automobile, aircraft or spacecraft, utilizing its excellent specific strength and specific rigidity in contrast with the metal. Short carbon fiber composite materials are receiving a lot of attentions because of their excellent moldability and productivity, however they show complicated behaviors in fatigue fracture due to the random fibers orientation. In this study, thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) using an infrared thermography was applied to the evaluation of fatigue damage in short carbon fiber composites. The distributions of the thermoelastic temperature change was measured during the fatigue test, as well as the phase difference between the thermoelastic temperature change and applied loading signal. Evolution of fatigue damages was detected from distributions of thermoelastic temperature change according to the thermoelastic damage analysis (TDA) procedure. It was also found that fatigue damage evolution was clearly detected than ever by the newly developed thermoelastic phase damage analysis (TPDA) in which damaged area was emphasized in the differential phase delay images utilizing the nature that carbon fiber show opposite phase thermoelastic temperature change.

  4. State-of-the-art fiber optics for short distance frequency reference distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lutes, G. F.; Primas, L. E.

    1989-05-01

    A number of recently developed fiber-optic components that hold the promise of unprecedented stability for passively stabilized frequency distribution links are characterized. These components include a fiber-optic transmitter, an optical isolator, and a new type of fiber-optic cable. A novel laser transmitter exhibits extremely low sensitivity to intensity and polarization changes of reflected light due to cable flexure. This virtually eliminates one of the shortcomings in previous laser transmitters. A high-isolation, low-loss optical isolator has been developed which also virtually eliminates laser sensitivity to changes in intensity and polarization of reflected light. A newly developed fiber has been tested. This fiber has a thermal coefficient of delay of less than 0.5 parts per million per deg C, nearly 20 times lower than the best coaxial hardline cable and 10 times lower than any previous fiber-optic cable. These components are highly suitable for distribution systems with short extent, such as within a Deep Space Communications Complex. Here, these new components are described and the test results presented.

  5. State-of-the-art fiber optics for short distance frequency reference distribution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lutes, G. F.; Primas, L. E.

    1989-01-01

    A number of recently developed fiber-optic components that hold the promise of unprecedented stability for passively stabilized frequency distribution links are characterized. These components include a fiber-optic transmitter, an optical isolator, and a new type of fiber-optic cable. A novel laser transmitter exhibits extremely low sensitivity to intensity and polarization changes of reflected light due to cable flexure. This virtually eliminates one of the shortcomings in previous laser transmitters. A high-isolation, low-loss optical isolator has been developed which also virtually eliminates laser sensitivity to changes in intensity and polarization of reflected light. A newly developed fiber has been tested. This fiber has a thermal coefficient of delay of less than 0.5 parts per million per deg C, nearly 20 times lower than the best coaxial hardline cable and 10 times lower than any previous fiber-optic cable. These components are highly suitable for distribution systems with short extent, such as within a Deep Space Communications Complex. Here, these new components are described and the test results presented.

  6. A continuous process to align electrospun nanofibers into parallel and crossed arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laudenslager, Michael J.; Sigmund, Wolfgang M.

    2013-04-01

    Electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of nanofibers are strongly affected by their orientation. Electrospinning is a nanofiber processing technique that typically produces nonwoven meshes of randomly oriented fibers. While several alignment techniques exist, they are only able to produce either a very thin layer of aligned fibers or larger quantities of fibers with less control over their alignment and orientation. The technique presented herein fills the gap between these two methods allowing one to produce thick meshes of highly oriented nanofibers. In addition, this technique is not limited to collection of fibers along a single axis. Modifications to the basic setup allow collection of crossed fibers without stopping and repositioning the apparatus. The technique works for a range of fiber sizes. In this study, fiber diameters ranged from 100 nm to 1 micron. This allows a few fibers at a time to rapidly deposit in alternating directions creating an almost woven structure. These aligned nanofibers have the potential to improve the performance of energy storage and thermoelectric devices and hold great promise for directed cell growth applications.

  7. Polymer optical fiber tapering using chemical solvent and polishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Supian, L. S.; Syuhaimi Ab-Rahman, Mohd; Arsad, Norhana

    2017-11-01

    A method for developing polymer optical fiber (POF) directional coupler is introduced where the initial procedure includes using chemical solvent to remove the cladding, and bare out the core in order to align the unclad center of the fiber with other similar fiber to develop a coupler. The process is safe, simple, inexpensive and require low operation skill. The etched fiber offers improvement to the performance of various POF devices, i.e, couplers and sensors. Instead of relying only on silica or glass fiber, POF now can be used as an alternative to improve the network performance in short distance communication system. The measurement parameters laid out offer great outcomes. However, the couplers intended to be developed is yet to be realized, where deeper research and various experiments are needed in order to develop a simple but optimum performance coupler that can be used for various applications.

  8. Single mode fiber and twin-core fiber connection technique for in-fiber integrated interferometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Tingting; Zhang, Xiaotong; Guan, Chunying; Yang, Xinghua; Yuan, Libo

    2015-09-01

    A novel twin-core fiber connector has been made by two side-polished fibers. By using side polishing technique, we present a connector based on the twin-core fiber (TCF) and two D-shaped single-core fibers. After simple alignment and splicing, all fiber miniaturizing connector can be obtained. Two cores can operate independently and are non-interfering. The coupling loss of this connector is low and the fabrication technologies are mature. The connector device could be used for sensors or particle trapping.

  9. Attitude algorithm and initial alignment method for SINS applied in short-range aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Rong-Hui; He, Zhao-Cheng; You, Feng; Chen, Bo

    2017-07-01

    This paper presents an attitude solution algorithm based on the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System and quaternion method. We completed the numerical calculation and engineering practice by adopting fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm in the digital signal processor. The state space mathematical model of initial alignment in static base was established, and the initial alignment method based on Kalman filter was proposed. Based on the hardware in the loop simulation platform, the short-range flight simulation test and the actual flight test were carried out. The results show that the error of pitch, yaw and roll angle is fast convergent, and the fitting rate between flight simulation and flight test is more than 85%.

  10. Anisotropic mechanical behavior of an injection molded short fiber reinforced thermoplastic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopez, Delphine; Thuillier, Sandrine; Bessières, Nicolas; Grohens, Yves

    2016-10-01

    A short fiber reinforced thermoplastic was injected into a rectangular mold, in order to prepare samples to characterize the mechanical behavior of the material. The injection process was simulated with Moldflow and a cutting pattern was deduced from the predicted fiber orientation, leading to samples with several well-defined orientations with respect to the injection direction. Monotonic tensile tests up to rupture, as well as complex cycles made of loading steps followed by relaxation steps at different strain levels were performed, in order to check the reproducibility for a given orientation. Moreover, the fiber orientation in the central part of the tensile samples was also analyzed with X-ray tomography. The results show that the mechanical behavior for each orientation (among 6) was rather reproducible, thus validating the cutting pattern.

  11. Fiber/collagen composites for ligament tissue engineering: influence of elastic moduli of sparse aligned fibers on mesenchymal stem cells.

    PubMed

    Thayer, Patrick S; Verbridge, Scott S; Dahlgren, Linda A; Kakar, Sanjeev; Guelcher, Scott A; Goldstein, Aaron S

    2016-08-01

    Electrospun microfibers are attractive for the engineering of oriented tissues because they present instructive topographic and mechanical cues to cells. However, high-density microfiber networks are too cell-impermeable for most tissue applications. Alternatively, the distribution of sparse microfibers within a three-dimensional hydrogel could present instructive cues to guide cell organization while not inhibiting cell behavior. In this study, thin (∼5 fibers thick) layers of aligned microfibers (0.7 μm) were embedded within collagen hydrogels containing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), cultured for up to 14 days, and assayed for expression of ligament markers and imaged for cell organization. These microfibers were generated through the electrospinning of polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(ester-urethane) (PEUR), or a 75/25 PEUR/PCL blend to produce microfiber networks with elastic moduli of 31, 15, and 5.6 MPa, respectively. MSCs in composites containing 5.6 MPa fibers exhibited increased expression of the ligament marker scleraxis and the contractile phenotype marker α-smooth muscle actin versus the stiffer fiber composites. Additionally, cells within the 5.6 MPa microfiber composites were more oriented compared to cells within the 15 and 31 MPa microfiber composites. Together, these data indicate that the mechanical properties of microfiber/collagen composites can be tuned for the engineering of ligament and other target tissues. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1894-1901, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Fiber optics welder

    DOEpatents

    Higgins, R.W.; Robichaud, R.E.

    A system is described for welding fiber optic waveguides together. The ends of the two fibers to be joined together are accurately, collinearly aligned in a vertical orientation and subjected to a controlled, diffuse arc to effect welding and thermal conditioning. A front-surfaced mirror mounted at a 45/sup 0/ angle to the optical axis of a stereomicroscope mounted for viewing the junction of the ends provides two orthogonal views of the interface during the alignment operation.

  13. Role of xyloglucan in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber elongation of the short fiber mutant Ligon lintless-2 (Li2).

    PubMed

    Naoumkina, Marina; Hinchliffe, Doug J; Fang, David D; Florane, Christopher B; Thyssen, Gregory N

    2017-08-30

    Xyloglucan is a matrix polysaccharide found in the cell walls of all land plants. In growing cells, xyloglucan is thought to connect cellulose microfibrils and regulate their separation during wall extension. Ligon lintless-2 (Li 2 ) is a monogenic dominant cotton fiber mutation that causes extreme reduction in lint fiber length with no pleiotropic effects on vegetative growth. Li 2 represents an excellent model system to study fiber elongation. To understand the role of xyloglucan in cotton fiber elongation we used the short fiber mutant Li 2 and its near isogenic wild type for analysis of xyloglucan content and expression of xyloglucan-related genes in developing fibers. Accumulation of xyloglucan was significantly higher in Li 2 developing fibers than in wild type. Genes encoding enzymes for nine family members of xyloglucan biosynthesis were identified in the draft Gossypium hirsutum genome. RNAseq analysis revealed that most differentially expressed xyloglucan-related genes were down-regulated in Li 2 fiber cells. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the peak of expression for the majority of xyloglucan-related genes in wild type developing fibers was 5-16days post anthesis (DPA) compared to 1-3 DPA in Li 2 fibers. Thus, our results suggest that early activation of xyloglucan-related genes and down regulation of xyloglucan degradation genes during the elongation phase lead to elevated accumulation of xyloglucan that restricts elongation of fiber cells in Li 2 . Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Watt-level short-length holmium-doped ZBLAN fiber lasers at 1.2  μm.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Xiushan; Zong, Jie; Wiersma, Kort; Norwood, R A; Prasad, Narasimha S; Obland, Michael D; Chavez-Pirson, Arturo; Peyghambarian, N

    2014-03-15

    In-band core-pumped Ho3+-doped ZBLAN fiber lasers at the 1.2 μm region were investigated with different gain fiber lengths. A 2.4 W 1190 nm all-fiber laser with a slope efficiency of 42% was achieved by using a 10 cm long gain fiber pumped at a maximum available 1150 nm pump power of 5.9 W. A 1178 nm all-fiber laser was demonstrated with an output power of 350 mW and a slope efficiency of 6.5%. High Ho3+ doping in ZBLAN is shown to be effective in producing single-frequency fiber lasers and short-length fiber amplifiers immune from stimulated Brillouin scattering.

  15. Method for promoting specific alignment of short oligonucleotides on nucleic acids

    DOEpatents

    Studier, F. William; Kieleczawa, Jan; Dunn, John J.

    1996-01-01

    Disclosed is a method for promoting specific alignment of short oligonucleotides on a nucleic acid polymer. The nucleic acid polymer is incubated in a solution containing a single-stranded DNA-binding protein and a plurality of oligonucleotides which are perfectly complementary to distinct but adjacent regions of a predetermined contiguous nucleotide sequence in the nucleic acid polymer. The plurality of oligonucleotides anneal to the nucleic acid polymer to form a contiguous region of double stranded nucleic acid. Specific application of the methods disclosed include priming DNA synthesis and template-directed ligation.

  16. MEMS Integrated Submount Alignment for Optoelectronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakespeare, W. Jeffrey; Pearson, Raymond A.; Grenestedt, Joachim L.; Hutapea, Parsaoran; Gupta, Vikas

    2005-02-01

    One of the most expensive and time-consuming production processes for single-mode fiber-optic components is the alignment of the photonic chip or waveguide to the fiber. The alignment equipment is capital intensive and usually requires trained technicians to achieve desired results. Current technology requires active alignment since tolerances are only ~0.2 μ m or less for a typical laser diode. This is accomplished using piezoelectric actuated stages and active optical feedback. Joining technologies such as soldering, epoxy bonding, or laser welding may contribute significant postbond shift, and final coupling efficiencies are often less than 80%. This paper presents a method of adaptive optical alignment to freeze in place directly on an optical submount using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation technology. Postbond shift is eliminated since the phase change is the alignment actuation. This technology is not limited to optical alignment but can be applied to a variety of MEMS actuations, including nano-actuation and nano-alignment for biomedical applications. Experimental proof-of-concept results are discussed, and a simple analytical model is proposed to predict the stress strain behavior of the optical submount. Optical coupling efficiencies and alignment times are compared with traditional processes. The feasibility of this technique in high-volume production is discussed.

  17. Design and performance of a SWaP short-range fully fibered monostatic laser rangefinder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pallier, G.; Portalis, A.; Canat, G.; Chiquet, F.; Auffray, P.; Le, S.-D.; Le Flohic, M.

    2017-10-01

    The development of a multisensor optronic device requires Size, Weight and Power (SWaP), cost-effective and modular rangefinders while keeping a good range performance. We report on a fully fibered monostatic laser rangerfinder based on a one lens collimator used as the aperture of both the emission and reception channels. This has been possible thanks to the use of a diplexer. This design makes the system compacter and achieves a 200g system weight. In addition to its low volume, the fully fibered architecture allows designing a building block rangefinder with the collimator sub-system on one side and the laser and electronics cards module on the other side. Both are linked up by only an optical fiber. This kit format enables the rangefinder to better fit in any available space in higher level systems such as gimbals and multi-function imagers. Besides, no alignment is needed, and no parallax error is possible: the alignment between channels is guaranteed by design over the whole range. The emission/reception channels of the first prototype has a 28mm diameter 80mm focal length lens, and a 1.55μm 100μJ pulsed laser firing in a burst mode. The rangefinder is set in a class 1 configuration, and measures at 1Hz. The achieved Extinction Ratio is 30dB, which is equivalent to a range on NATO targets of 7km. The achieved ER being class 1M at 5Hz is even 32dB, which is equivalent to a range of 8.5km on NATO targets. More configurations are reported in this article with their associated performance.

  18. Changes in collection efficiency in nylon net filter media through magnetic alignment of elongated aerosol particles.

    PubMed

    Lam, Christopher O; Finlay, W H

    2009-10-01

    Fiber aerosols tend to align parallel to surrounding fluid streamlines in shear flows, making their filtration more difficult. However, previous research indicates that composite particles made from cromoglycic acid fibers coated with small nanoscaled magnetite particles can align with an applied magnetic field. The present research explored the effect of magnetically aligning these fibers to increase their filtration. Nylon net filters were challenged with the aerosol fibers, and efficiency tests were performed with and without a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the flow direction. We investigated the effects of varying face velocities, the amount of magnetite material on the aerosol particles, and magnetic field strengths. Findings from the experiments, matched by supporting single-fiber theories, showed significant efficiency increases at the low face velocity of 1.5 cm s(-1) at all magnetite compositions, with efficiencies more than doubling due to magnetic field alignment in certain cases. At a higher face velocity of 5.12 cm s(-1), filtration efficiencies were less affected by the magnetic field alignment being, at most, 43% higher for magnetite weight compositions up to 30%, while at a face velocity of 10.23 cm s(-1) alignment effects were insignificant. In most cases, efficiencies became independent of magnetic field strength above 50 mT, suggesting full alignment of the fibers. The present data suggest that fiber alignment in a magnetic field may warrant applications in the filtration and detection of fibers, such as asbestos.

  19. Formation of Highly Aligned Collagen Nanofibers by Continuous Cyclic Stretch of a Collagen Hydrogel Sheet.

    PubMed

    Nam, Eunryel; Lee, Won Chul; Takeuchi, Shoji

    2016-07-01

    A collagen sheet with highly aligned collagen fibers is fabricated by continuous cyclic stretch. The rearrangement of the collagen fibers depends on the different process parameters of the cyclic stretch, including magnitude, frequency, and period of stretch. The collagen fibers are aligned perpendicularly to the direction of the stretch. Corneal stromal cells and smooth muscle cells cultivated on the highly aligned collagen sheet show alignment along the collagen fibers without the stretch during culture. Thus, the sheet can be a suitable scaffold for use in regenerative medicine. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Size and myonuclear domains in Rhesus soleus muscle fibers: short-term spaceflight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roy, R. R.; Zhong, H.; Talmadge, R. J.; Bodine, S. C.; Fanton, J. W.; Koslovskaya, I.; Edgerton, V. R.

    2001-01-01

    The cross-sectional area (CSA), myonuclear number per mm of fiber length, and myonuclear domain (cytoplasmic volume/myonucleus) of mechanically isolated single fibers from biopsies of the soleus muscle of 5 vivarium control, 3 flight simulation and 2 flight (BION 11) Rhesus monkeys (Macaca [correction of Macacca] mulatta) were determined using confocal microscopy before and after a 14-day experimental period. Simulation monkeys were confined in chairs placed in capsules identical to those used during the flight. Fibers were classified as type I, type II or hybrid (containing both types I and II) based on myosin heavy chain (MHC) gel electrophoresis. A majority of the fibers sampled contained only type I MHC, i.e. 89, 62 and 68% for the control, simulation and flight groups, respectively. Most of the remaining fibers were hybrids, i.e. 8, 36 and 32% for the same groups. There were no significant pre-post differences in the fiber type composition for any of the experimental groups. There also were no significant pre-post differences in fiber CSA, myonuclear number or myonuclear domain. There was, however, a tendency for the fibers in the post-flight biopsies to have a smaller mean CSA and myonuclear domain (approximately 10%, p=0.07) than the fibers in the pre-flight biopsy. The combined mean cytoplasmic volume/myonucleus for all muscle fiber phenotypes in the Rhesus soleus muscle was approximately 25,000 micrometers3 and there were no differences in pre-post samples for the control and simulated groups. The cytoplasmic domains tended to be lower (p=0.08) after than before flight. No phenotype differences in cytoplasmic domains were observed. These data suggest that after a relatively short period of actual spaceflight, modest fiber atrophy occurs in the soleus muscle fibers without a concomitant change in myonuclear number.

  1. Rod-Shaped Neural Units for Aligned 3D Neural Network Connection.

    PubMed

    Kato-Negishi, Midori; Onoe, Hiroaki; Ito, Akane; Takeuchi, Shoji

    2017-08-01

    This paper proposes neural tissue units with aligned nerve fibers (called rod-shaped neural units) that connect neural networks with aligned neurons. To make the proposed units, 3D fiber-shaped neural tissues covered with a calcium alginate hydrogel layer are prepared with a microfluidic system and are cut in an accurate and reproducible manner. These units have aligned nerve fibers inside the hydrogel layer and connectable points on both ends. By connecting the units with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) guide, 3D neural tissues can be constructed and maintained for more than two weeks of culture. In addition, neural networks can be formed between the different neural units via synaptic connections. Experimental results indicate that the proposed rod-shaped neural units are effective tools for the construction of spatially complex connections with aligned nerve fibers in vitro. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Laser Processing of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics - Release of Carbon Fiber Segments During Short-pulsed Laser Processing of CFRP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walter, Juergen; Brodesser, Alexander; Hustedt, Michael; Bluemel, Sven; Jaeschke, Peter; Kaierle, Stefan

    Cutting and ablation using short-pulsed laser radiation are promising technologies to produce or repair CFRP components with outstanding mechanical properties e.g. for automotive and aircraft industry. Using sophisticated laser processing strategies and avoiding excessive heating of the workpiece, a high processing quality can be achieved. However, the interaction of laser radiation and composite material causes a notable release of hazardous substances from the process zone, amongst others carbon fiber segments or fibrous particles. In this work, amounts and geometries of the released fiber segments are analyzed and discussed in terms of their hazardous potential. Moreover, it is investigated to what extent gaseous organic process emissions are adsorbed at the fiber segments, similar to an adsorption of volatile organic compounds at activated carbon, which is typically used as filter material.

  3. Numerical prediction of flow induced fibers orientation in injection molded polymer composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oumer, A. N.; Hamidi, N. M.; Mat Sahat, I.

    2015-12-01

    Since the filling stage of injection molding process has important effect on the determination of the orientation state of the fibers, accurate analysis of the flow field for the mold filling stage becomes a necessity. The aim of the paper is to characterize the flow induced orientation state of short fibers in injection molding cavities. A dog-bone shaped model is considered for the simulation and experiment. The numerical model for determination of the fibers orientation during mold-filling stage of injection molding process was solved using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software called MoldFlow. Both the simulation and experimental results showed that two different regions (or three layers of orientation structures) across the thickness of the specimen could be found: a shell region which is near to the mold cavity wall, and a core region at the middle of the cross section. The simulation results support the experimental observations that for thin plates the probability of fiber alignment to the flow direction near the mold cavity walls is high but low at the core region. It is apparent that the results of this study could assist in decisions regarding short fiber reinforced polymer composites.

  4. Multianode Photomultiplier Tube Alignment for the MINERvA Experiment at Fermilab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruno, Jorge

    2006-10-01

    The MINERvA experiment (Main INjector ExpeRiment vA) at FNAL will study the neutrino-nucleon and neutrino-nucleus interaction. The light collection from the detector will be done via optic fibers using Hamamatsu H8804 64-channel photomultiplier tubes (PMT). Each PMT channel needs to be precisely aligned with the corresponding optic fiber. The MINERvA PMT optical boxes contain precision machined optic ``cookies'' which capture the 8x8 array of optic fibers. Each PMT-cookie pair needs to be aligned as precisely as possible. This contribution will describe the alignment setup and procedure implemented at James Madison University.

  5. Dynamic stability of nano-fibers self-assembled from short amphiphilic A6D peptides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikoofard, Narges; Maghsoodi, Fahimeh

    2018-04-01

    Self-assembly of A6D amphiphilic peptides in explicit water is studied by using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. It is observed that the self-assembly of randomly distributed A6D peptides leads to the formation of a network of nano-fibers. Two other simulations with cylindrical nano-fibers as the initial configuration show the dynamic stability of the self-assembled nano-fibers. As a striking feature, notable fluctuations occur along the axes of the nano-fibers. Depending on the number of peptides per unit length of the nano-fiber, flat-shaped bulges or spiral shapes along the nano-fiber axis are observed at the fluctuations. Analysis of the particle distribution around the nano-fiber indicates that the hydrophobic core and the hydrophilic shell of the nano-structure are preserved in both simulations. The size of the deformations and their correlation times are different in the two simulations. This study gives new insights into the dynamics of the self-assembled nano-structures of short amphiphilic peptides.

  6. Dynamic stability of nano-fibers self-assembled from short amphiphilic A6D peptides.

    PubMed

    Nikoofard, Narges; Maghsoodi, Fahimeh

    2018-04-07

    Self-assembly of A 6 D amphiphilic peptides in explicit water is studied by using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. It is observed that the self-assembly of randomly distributed A 6 D peptides leads to the formation of a network of nano-fibers. Two other simulations with cylindrical nano-fibers as the initial configuration show the dynamic stability of the self-assembled nano-fibers. As a striking feature, notable fluctuations occur along the axes of the nano-fibers. Depending on the number of peptides per unit length of the nano-fiber, flat-shaped bulges or spiral shapes along the nano-fiber axis are observed at the fluctuations. Analysis of the particle distribution around the nano-fiber indicates that the hydrophobic core and the hydrophilic shell of the nano-structure are preserved in both simulations. The size of the deformations and their correlation times are different in the two simulations. This study gives new insights into the dynamics of the self-assembled nano-structures of short amphiphilic peptides.

  7. Perturbation of cytosolic calcium by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate and caffeine affects zebrafish myofibril alignment.

    PubMed

    Wu, Hsin-Ju; Fong, Tsorng-Harn; Chen, Shen-Liang; Wei, Jen-Cheng; Wang, I-Jong; Wen, Chi-Chung; Chang, Chao-Yuan; Chen, Xing-Guang; Chen, Wei-Yu; Chen, Hui-Min; Horng, Juin-Lin; Wang, Yun-Hsin; Chen, Yau-Hung

    2015-03-01

    The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of Ca(2+) levels on myofibril alignment during zebrafish embryogenesis. To investigate how altered cytoplasmic Ca(2+) levels affect myofibril alignment, we exposed zebrafish embryos to 2-aminothoxyldiphenyl borate (2-APB; an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor inhibitor that reduces cytosolic Ca(2+) levels) and caffeine (a ryanodine receptor activator that enhances cytosolic Ca(2+) levels). The results demonstrated that the most evident changes in zebrafish embryos treated with 2-APB were shorter body length, curved trunk and malformed somite boundary. In contrast, such malformed phenotypes were evident neither in untreated controls nor in caffeine-treated embryos. Subtle morphological changes, including changes in muscle fibers, F-actin and ultrastructures were easily observed by staining with specific monoclonal antibodies (F59 and α-laminin), fluorescent probes (phalloidin) and by transmission electron microscopy. Our data suggested that: (1) the exposure to 2-APB and/or caffeine led to myofibril misalignment; (2) 2-APB-treated embryos displayed split and short myofibril phenotypes, whereas muscle fibers from caffeine-treated embryos were twisted and wavy; and (3) zebrafish embryos co-exposed to 2-APB and caffeine resulted in normal myofibril alignment. In conclusion, we proposed that cytosolic Ca(2+) is important for myogenesis, particularly for myofibril alignment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Multicolor, Fluorescent Supercapacitor Fiber.

    PubMed

    Liao, Meng; Sun, Hao; Zhang, Jing; Wu, Jingxia; Xie, Songlin; Fu, Xuemei; Sun, Xuemei; Wang, Bingjie; Peng, Huisheng

    2017-10-05

    Fiber-shaped supercapacitors have attracted broad attentions from both academic and industrial communities due to the demonstrated potentials as next-generation power modules. However, it is important while remains challenging to develop dark-environment identifiable supercapacitor fibers for enhancement on operation convenience and security in nighttime applications. Herein, a novel family of colorful fluorescent supercapacitor fibers has been produced from aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube sheets. Fluorescent dye particles are introduced and stably anchored on the surfaces of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes to prepare hybrid fiber electrodes with a broad range of colors from red to purple. The fluorescent component in the dye introduces fluorescent indication capability to the fiber, which is particularly promising for flexible and wearable devices applied in dark environment. In addition, the colorful fluorescent supercapacitor fibers also maintain high electrochemical performance under cyclic bending and charge-discharge processes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Fiber optic coupled optical sensor

    DOEpatents

    Fleming, Kevin J.

    2001-01-01

    A displacement sensor includes a first optical fiber for radiating light to a target, and a second optical fiber for receiving light from the target. The end of the first fiber is adjacent and not axially aligned with the second fiber end. A lens focuses light from the first fiber onto the target and light from the target onto the second fiber.

  10. Fatigue Damage Evaluation of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Based on Phase Information of Thermoelastic Temperature Change.

    PubMed

    Shiozawa, Daiki; Sakagami, Takahide; Nakamura, Yu; Nonaka, Shinichi; Hamada, Kenichi

    2017-12-06

    Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is widely used for structural members of transportation vehicles such as automobile, aircraft, or spacecraft, utilizing its excellent specific strength and specific rigidity in contrast with the metal. Short carbon fiber composite materials are receiving a lot of attentions because of their excellent moldability and productivity, however they show complicated behaviors in fatigue fracture due to the random fibers orientation. In this study, thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) using an infrared thermography was applied to evaluate fatigue damage in short carbon fiber composites. The distribution of the thermoelastic temperature change was measured during the fatigue test, as well as the phase difference between the thermoelastic temperature change and applied loading signal. Evolution of fatigue damage was detected from the distribution of thermoelastic temperature change according to the thermoelastic damage analysis (TDA) procedure. It was also found that fatigue damage evolution was more clearly detected than before by the newly developed thermoelastic phase damage analysis (TPDA) in which damaged area was emphasized in the differential phase delay images utilizing the property that carbon fiber shows opposite phase thermoelastic temperature change.

  11. Alignment reference device

    DOEpatents

    Patton, Gail Y.; Torgerson, Darrel D.

    1987-01-01

    An alignment reference device provides a collimated laser beam that minimizes angular deviations therein. A laser beam source outputs the beam into a single mode optical fiber. The output end of the optical fiber acts as a source of radiant energy and is positioned at the focal point of a lens system where the focal point is positioned within the lens. The output beam reflects off a mirror back to the lens that produces a collimated beam.

  12. Weak reversible cross links may decrease the strength of aligned fiber bundles.

    PubMed

    Nabavi, S Soran; Hartmann, Markus A

    2016-02-21

    Reversible cross-linking is an effective strategy to specifically tailor the mechanical properties of polymeric materials that can be found in a variety of biological as well as man-made materials. Using a simple model in this paper the influence of weak, reversible cross-links on the mechanical properties of aligned fiber bundles is investigated. Special emphasis in this analysis is put on the strength of the investigated structures. Using Monte Carlo methods two topologies of cross-links exceeding the strength of the covalent backbone are studied. Most surprisingly only two cross-links are sufficient to break the backbone of a multi chain system, resulting in a reduced strength of the material. The found effect crucially depends on the ratio of inter- to intra-chain cross-links and, thus, on the grafting density that determines this ratio.

  13. All-fiber mode-locked laser via short single-wall carbon nanotubes interacting with evanescent wave in photonic crystal fiber.

    PubMed

    Li, Yujia; Gao, Lei; Huang, Wei; Gao, Cong; Liu, Min; Zhu, Tao

    2016-10-03

    We report an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser based on a saturable absorber fabricated by filling short single-wall carbon nanotubes into cladding holes of grapefruit-type photonic crystal fiber. The single-wall carbon nanotube is insensitive to polarization of light for its one-dimensional structure, which suppresses the polarization dependence loss. Carbon nanotubes interact with photonic crystal fiber with ultra-weak evanescent field, which enhances the damage threshold of the saturable absorber and improves the operating stability. In our experiment, conventional soliton with a pulse duration of 1.003 ps and center wavelength of 1566.36 nm under a pump power of 240 mW is generated in a compact erbium-doped fiber laser cavity with net anomalous dispersion of -0.4102 ps2. The signal to noise ratio of the fundamental frequency component is ~80 dB. The maximum average output power of the mode-locked laser reaches 9.56 mW under a pump power of 360 mW. The output power can be further improved by a higher pump power.

  14. Recycling polyethylene terephthalate wastes as short fibers in Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC).

    PubMed

    Lin, Xiuyi; Yu, Jing; Li, Hedong; Lam, Jeffery Y K; Shih, Kaimin; Sham, Ivan M L; Leung, Christopher K Y

    2018-05-26

    As an important portion of the total plastic waste bulk but lack of reuse and recycling, the enormous amounts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) solid wastes have led to serious environmental issues. This study explores the feasibility of recycling PET solid wastes as short fibers in Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCCs), which exhibit strain-hardening and multiple cracking under tension, and therefore have clear advantages over conventional concrete for many construction applications. Based on micromechanical modeling, fiber dispersion and alkali resistance, the size of recycled PET fibers was first determined. Then the hydrophobic PET surface was treated with NaOH solution followed by a silane coupling agent to achieve the dual purpose of improving the fiber/matrix interfacial frictional bond (from 0.64 MPa to 0.80 MPa) and enhancing the alkali resistance for applications in alkaline cementitious environment. With surface treatment, recycling PET wastes as fibers in SHCCs is a promising approach to significantly reduce the material cost of SHCCs while disposing hazardous PET wastes in construction industry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Composite Reinforcement by Magnetic Control of Fiber Density and Orientation.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Omri; Greenfeld, Israel; Wagner, H Daniel

    2018-05-08

    The flexural rigidity of cylindrical specimens, composed of epoxy reinforced by short, magnetized glass fibers, was enhanced using weak magnetic fields (<100 mT). By spatially controlling the magnitude and direction of the field, and thereby the torques and forces acting locally on the fibers, the orientation and concentration of the fillers in the matrix could be tuned prior to curing. Unidirectional alignment of the fibers, achieved using an air-core solenoid, improved the contribution of the fibers to the flexure modulus by a factor of 3. When a ring-shaped permanent magnet was utilized, the glass fibers were migrated preferentially near the rod boundary, and as a result, the contribution of the fibers to the flexure modulus doubled. The fiber length, density, and orientation distributions were extracted by μCT image analysis, allowing comparison of the experimental flexure modulus to a modified rule of mixtures prediction. The ability to magnetically control the fiber distribution in reinforced composites demonstrated in this study may be applied in the fabrication of complex micro- and macroscale structures with spatially variable anisotropy, allowing features such as crack diversion, strengthening of highly loaded regions, as well as economic management of materials and weight.

  16. Fiber coating method

    DOEpatents

    Corman, Gregory Scot

    2003-04-15

    A coating is applied to reinforcing fibers arranged into a tow by coaxially aligning the tow with an adjacent separation layer and winding or wrapping the tow and separation layer onto a support structure in an interleaved manner so that the separation layer separates a wrap of the tow from an adjacent wrap of the tow. A coating can then be uniformly applied to the reinforcing fibers without defects caused by fiber tow to fiber tow contact. The separation layer can be a carbon fiber veil.

  17. Wrapping Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composite Sheets around Vanadium Nitride Nanowire Arrays for Asymmetric Coaxial Fiber-Shaped Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Energy Density.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qichong; Wang, Xiaona; Pan, Zhenghui; Sun, Juan; Zhao, Jingxin; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Cuixia; Tang, Lei; Luo, Jie; Song, Bin; Zhang, Zengxing; Lu, Weibang; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Yuegang; Yao, Yagang

    2017-04-12

    The emergence of fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSs) has led to a revolution in portable and wearable electronic devices. However, obtaining high energy density FSSs for practical applications is still a key challenge. This article exhibits a facile and effective approach to directly grow well-aligned three-dimensional vanadium nitride (VN) nanowire arrays (NWAs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber with an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 715 mF/cm 2 in a three-electrode system. Benefiting from their intriguing structural features, we successfully fabricated a prototype asymmetric coaxial FSS (ACFSS) with a maximum operating voltage of 1.8 V. From core to shell, this ACFSS consists of a CNT fiber core coated with VN@C NWAs as the negative electrode, Na 2 SO 4 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the solid electrolyte, and MnO 2 /conducting polymer/CNT sheets as the positive electrode. The novel coaxial architecture not only fully enables utilization of the effective surface area and decreases the contact resistance between the two electrodes but also, more importantly, provides a short pathway for the ultrafast transport of axial electrons and ions. The electrochemical results show that the optimized ACFSS exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 213.5 mF/cm 2 and an exceptional energy density of 96.07 μWh/cm 2 , the highest areal capacitance and areal energy density yet reported in FSSs. Furthermore, the device possesses excellent flexibility in that its capacitance retention reaches 96.8% after bending 5000 times, which further allows it to be woven into flexible electronic clothes with conventional weaving techniques. Therefore, the asymmetric coaxial architectural design allows new opportunities to fabricate high-performance flexible FSSs for future portable and wearable electronic devices.

  18. Orientational alignment in solids from bidimensional isotropic-anisotropic nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: applications to the analysis of aramide fibers.

    PubMed

    Sachleben, J R; Frydman, L

    1997-02-01

    The use of two-dimensional isotropic-anisotropic correlation spectroscopy for the analysis of orientational alignment in solids is presented. The theoretical background and advantages of this natural-abundance 13C NMR method of measurement are discussed, and demonstrated with a series of powder and single-crystal variable-angle correlation spectroscopy (VACSY) experiments on model systems. The technique is subsequently employed to analyze the orientational distributions of three polymer fibers: Kevlar 29, Kevlar 49 and Kevlar 149. Using complementary two-dimensional NMR data recorded on synthetic samples of poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide), the precursor of Kevlar, it was found that these commercial fibers possess molecules distributed over a very narrow orientational range with respect to the macroscopic director. The widths measured for these director distribution arrangements were (12 +/- 1.5) degrees for Kevlar 29, (15 +/- 1.5) degrees for Kevlar 49, and (8 +/- 1.5) degrees for Kevlar 149. These figures compare well with previous results obtained for non-commercial fiber samples derived from the same polymer.

  19. Fabrication of microgrooves with excimer laser ablation techniques for plastic optical fiber array alignment purposes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naessens, Kris; Van Hove, An; Coosemans, Thierry; Verstuyft, Steven; Ottevaere, Heidi; Vanwassenhove, Luc; Van Daele, Peter; Baets, Roel G.

    2000-06-01

    Laser ablation is extremely well suited for rapid prototyping and proves to be a versatile technique delivering high accuracy dimensioning and repeatability of features in a wide diversity of materials. In this paper, we present laser ablation as a fabrication method for micro machining in of arrays consisting of precisely dimensioned U-grooves in dedicated polycarbonate and polymethylmetacrylate plates. The dependency of the performance on various parameters is discussed. The fabricated plates are used to hold optical fibers by means of a UV-curable adhesive. Stacking and gluing of the plates allows the assembly of a 2D connector of plastic optical fibers for short distance optical interconnects.

  20. Genome-wide analysis of gene expression of EMS-induced short fiber mutant Ligon lintless-y (liy) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The length of cotton fiber is an important agronomic trait characteristic that directly affects the quality of yarn and fabric. Cotton fiber mutants have been useful tools to study the molecular processes of fiber development. In this work we describe a chemically-induced short fiber mutant Ligon-li...

  1. Tensile and tribological properties of a short-carbon-fiber-reinforced peek composite doped with carbon nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, J.; Zhang, L. Q.

    2009-09-01

    The main objective of this paper is to develop a high-wear-resistant short-carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite by introducing additional multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into it. The compounds were mixed in a Haake batch mixer and fabricated into sheets by compression molding. Samples with different aspect ratios and concentrations of fillers were tested for wear resistance. The worn surfaces of the samples were examined by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the photomicrographs revealed a higher wear resistance of the samples containing the additional carbon nanotubes. Also, a better interfacial adhesion between the short carbon fibers and vinyl ester in the composite was observed.

  2. Physical properties and depth of cure of a new short fiber reinforced composite.

    PubMed

    Garoushi, Sufyan; Säilynoja, Eija; Vallittu, Pekka K; Lassila, Lippo

    2013-08-01

    To determine the physical properties and curing depth of a new short fiber composite intended for posterior large restorations (everX Posterior) in comparison to different commercial posterior composites (Alert, TetricEvoCeram Bulk Fill, Voco X-tra base, SDR, Venus Bulk Fill, SonicFill, Filtek Bulk Fill, Filtek Superme, and Filtek Z250). In addition, length of fiber fillers of composite XENIUS base compared to the previously introduced composite Alert has been measured. The following properties were examined according to ISO standard 4049: flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, polymerization shrinkage and depth of cure. The mean and standard deviation were determined and all results were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance ANOVA (a=0.05). XENIUS base composite exhibited the highest fracture toughness (4.6MPam(1/2)) and flexural strength (124.3MPa) values and the lower shrinkage strain (0.17%) among the materials tested. Alert composite revealed the highest flexural modulus value (9.9GPa), which was not significantly different from XENIUS base composite (9.5GPa). Depth of cure of XENIUS base (4.6mm) was similar than those of bulk fill composites and higher than other hybrid composites. The length of fiber fillers in XENIUS base was longer (1.3-2mm) than in Alert (20-60μm). The new short fiber composite differed significantly in its physical properties compared to other materials tested. This suggests that the latter could be used in high-stress bearing areas. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Crack-closing of cement mortar beams using NiTi cold-drawn SMA short fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Eunsoo; Kim, Dong Joo; Chung, Young-Soo; Kim, Hee Sun; Jung, Chungsung

    2015-01-01

    In this study, crack-closing tests of mortar beams reinforced by shape memory alloy (SMA) short fibers were performed. For this purpose, NiTi SMA fibers with a diameter of 0.965 mm and a length of 30 mm were made from SMA wires of 1.0 mm diameter by cold drawing. Four types of SMA fibers were prepared, namely, straight and dog-bone-shaped fiber and the two types of fibers with paper wrapping in the middle of the fibers. The paper provides an unbonded length of 15 mm. For bending tests, six types of mortar beams with the dimensions of 40 mm × 40 mm × 160 mm (B×H×L) were prepared. The SMA fibers were placed at the bottom center of the beams along with an artificial crack of 10 mm depth and 1 mm thickness. This study investigated the influence of SMA fibers on the flexural strength of the beams from the measured force- deflection curves. After cracking, the beams were heated at the bottom by fire to activate the SMA fibers. Then, the beams recovered the deflection, and the cracks were closed. This study evaluated crack-closing capacity using the degree of crack recovery and deflection-recovery factor. The first factor is estimated from the crack-width before and after crack-closing, and the second one is obtained from the downward deflection due to loading and the upward deflection due to the closing force of the SMA fibers.

  4. Short cavity DFB fiber laser based vector hydrophone for low frequency signal detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Faxiang; Jiang, Shaodong; Min, Li; Li, Ming; Peng, Gangding; Ni, Jiasheng; Wang, Chang

    2017-12-01

    A short cavity distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser is used for low frequency acoustic signal detection. Three DFB fiber lasers with different central wavelengths are chained together to make three-element vector hydrophone with proper sensitivity enhancement design, which has extensive and significant applications to underwater acoustic monitoring for the national defense, oil, gas exploration, and so on. By wavelength-phase demodulation, the lasing wavelength changes under different frequency signals can be interpreted, and the sensitivity is tested about 33 dB re pm/g. The frequency response range is rather flat from 5 Hz to 300 Hz.

  5. Hollow fiber clinostat for simulating microgravity in cell culture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rhodes, Percy H. (Inventor); Miller, Teresa Y. (Inventor); Snyder, Robert S. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    A clinostat for simulating microgravity on cell systems carried in a fiber fixedly mounted in a rotatable culture vessel is disclosed. The clinostat is rotated horizontally along its longitudinal axis to simulate microgravity or vertically as a control response. Cells are injected into the fiber and the ends of the fiber are sealed and secured to spaced end pieces of a fiber holder assembly which consists of the end pieces, a hollow fiber, a culture vessel, and a tension spring with three alignment pins. The tension spring is positioned around the culture vessel with its ends abutting the end pieces for alignment of the spring. After the fiber is secured, the spring is decompressed to maintain tension on the fiber while it is being rotated. This assures that the fiber remains aligned along the axis of rotation. The fiber assembly is placed in the culture vessel and culture medium is added. The culture vessel is then inserted into the rotatable portion of the clinostat and subjected to rotate at selected rpms. The internal diameter of the hollow fiber determines the distance the cells are from the axis of rotation.

  6. Real-time high-resolution measurement of collagen alignment in dynamically loaded soft tissue.

    PubMed

    York, Timothy; Kahan, Lindsey; Lake, Spencer P; Gruev, Viktor

    2014-06-01

    A technique for creating maps of the direction and strength of fiber alignment in collagenous soft tissues is presented. The method uses a division of focal plane polarimeter to measure circularly polarized light transmitted through the tissue. The architecture of the sensor allows measurement of the retardance and fiber alignment at the full frame rate of the sensor without any moving optics. The technique compares favorably to the standard method of using a rotating polarizer. How the new technique enables real-time capture of the full angular spread of fiber alignment and retardance under various cyclic loading conditions is illustrated.

  7. Strength Evaluation and Failure Prediction of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon Spur Gears by Finite Element Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Zhong; Hossan, Mohammad Robiul

    2013-06-01

    In this paper, short carbon fiber reinforced nylon spur gear pairs, and steel and unreinforced nylon spur gear pairs have been selected for study and comparison. A 3D finite element model was developed to simulate the multi-axial stress-strain behaviors of the gear tooth. Failure prediction has been conducted based on the different failure criteria, including Tsai-Wu criterion. The tooth roots, where has stress concentration and the potential for failure, have been carefully investigated. The modeling results show that the short carbon fiber reinforced nylon gear fabricated by properly controlled injection molding processes can provide higher strength and better performance.

  8. An Advanced Electrospinning Method of Fabricating Nanofibrous Patterned Architectures with Controlled Deposition and Desired Alignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasel, Sheikh Md

    We introduce a versatile advanced method of electrospinning for fabricating various kinds of nanofibrous patterns along with desired alignment, controlled amount of deposition and locally variable density into the architectures. In this method, we employed multiple electrodes whose potentials have been altered in milliseconds with the help of microprocessor based control system. Therefore, key success of this method was that the electrical field as well as charge carrying fibers could be switched shortly from one electrode's location to another, as a result, electrospun fibers could be deposited on the designated areas with desired alignment. A wide range of nanofibrous patterned architectures were constructed using proper arrangement of multiple electrodes. By controlling the concurrent activation time of two adjacent electrodes, we demonstrated that amount of fibers going into the pattern can be adjusted and desired alignment in electrospun fibers can be obtained. We also revealed that the deposition density of electrospun fibers in different areas of patterned architectures can be varied. We showed that by controlling the deposition time between two adjacent electrodes, a number of functionally graded patterns can be generated with uniaxial alignment. We also demonstrated that this handy method was capable of producing random, aligned, and multidirectional nanofibrous mats by engaging a number of electrodes and switching them in desired patterns. A comprehensive study using finite element method was carried out to understand the effects of electrical field. Simulation results revealed that electrical field strength alters shortly based on electrode control switch patterns. Nanofibrous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffolds and its composite reinforced with wollastonite and wood flour were fabricated using rotating drum electrospinning technique. Morphological, mechanical, and thermal, properties were characterized on PVA/wollastonite and PVA/wood flour nanocomposites

  9. Imaging of rat brain using short graded-index multimode fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Manabu; Kanno, Takahiro; Ishihara, Syoutarou; Suto, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Toshihiro; Kurotani, Reiko; Abe, Hiroyuki; Nishidate, Izumi

    2014-03-01

    Clinically it is important to image structures of brain at deeper areas with low invasions, for example, the pathological information is not obtained enough from the white matter. Preliminarily we have measured transmission images of rat brain using the short graded-index multimode fiber (SMMF) with the diameter of 140μm and length of 5mm. SMMF (core diameter, 100μm) was cut using a fiber cleaver and was fixed in a jig. Fiber lengths inside and outside jig were 3mm and 2mm, respectively. The jig was attached at the 20x objective lens. The conventional optical microscope was used to measure images. In basic characteristics, it was confirmed that the imaging conditions almost corresponded to calculations with the ray-transfer matrix and the spatial resolution was evaluated at about 4.4μm by measuring the test pattern. After euthanasia the rat parietal brain was excised with thickness around 1.5mm and was set on the slide glass. The tissue was illuminated through the slide glass by the bundle fiber with Halogen lamp. The tip of SMMF was inserted into the tissue by lifting the sample stage. The transmission image at each depth from 0.1mm to 1.53mm was measured. Around the depth of 1.45mm, granular structures with sizes of 4-5μm were recognized and corresponded to images by HE stained tissue. Total measurement time was within 2 hours. The feasibilities to image the depth of 5 mm with SMMF have been shown.

  10. On-command on/off switching of progenitor cell and cancer cell polarized motility and aligned morphology via a cytocompatible shape memory polymer scaffold.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jing; Quach, Andy; Brasch, Megan E; Turner, Christopher E; Henderson, James H

    2017-09-01

    In vitro biomaterial models have enabled advances in understanding the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture in the control of cell motility and polarity. Most models are, however, static and cannot mimic dynamic aspects of in vivo ECM remodeling and function. To address this limitation, we present an electrospun shape memory polymer scaffold that can change fiber alignment on command under cytocompatible conditions. Cellular response was studied using the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT-1080 and the murine mesenchymal stem cell line C3H/10T1/2. The results demonstrate successful on-command on/off switching of cell polarized motility and alignment. Decrease in fiber alignment causes a change from polarized motility along the direction of fiber alignment to non-polarized motility and from aligned to unaligned morphology, while increase in fiber alignment causes a change from non-polarized to polarized motility along the direction of fiber alignment and from unaligned to aligned morphology. In addition, the findings are consistent with the hypothesis that increased fiber alignment causes increased cell velocity, while decreased fiber alignment causes decreased cell velocity. On-command on/off switching of cell polarized motility and alignment is anticipated to enable new study of directed cell motility in tumor metastasis, in cell homing, and in tissue engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Using aligned poly(3-hexylthiophene)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blend fibers to detect volatile organic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Shun-Hsiang; Lin, Tz-Feng; Wu, Ming-Chung; Chen, Shih-Hsuan; Su, Wei-Fang; Lai, Chao-Sung

    2018-04-01

    In this study, we developed a novel sensing material fabricated using a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend fiber on a glass substrate. The sensing materials can easily be used for sensing toluene vapor detected from extinction spectral changes. The extinction spectra variation is noted from the absorption of volatile organic compounds in a highly specific surface area of fibrous coating. An electrospinning technique is applied to generate a nonwoven structure and uniaxial orientation by fibrous coating. The response of the uniaxially orientated fibrous film is even improved at several toluene vapor concentrations. The best detection limit of this well-aligned fibrous film is up to 200 ppm for toluene vapor.

  12. Femtosecond laser inscription of asymmetric directional couplers for in-fiber optical taps and fiber cladding photonics.

    PubMed

    Grenier, Jason R; Fernandes, Luís A; Herman, Peter R

    2015-06-29

    Precise alignment of femtosecond laser tracks in standard single mode optical fiber is shown to enable controllable optical tapping of the fiber core waveguide light with fiber cladding photonic circuits. Asymmetric directional couplers are presented with tunable coupling ratios up to 62% and bandwidths up to 300 nm at telecommunication wavelengths. Real-time fiber monitoring during laser writing permitted a means of controlling the coupler length to compensate for micron-scale alignment errors and to facilitate tailored design of coupling ratio, spectral bandwidth and polarization properties. Laser induced waveguide birefringence was harnessed for polarization dependent coupling that led to the formation of in-fiber polarization-selective taps with 32 dB extinction ratio. This technology enables the interconnection of light propagating in pre-existing waveguides with laser-formed devices, thereby opening a new practical direction for the three-dimensional integration of optical devices in the cladding of optical fibers and planar lightwave circuits.

  13. The optimal fiber volume fraction and fiber-matrix property compatibility in fiber reinforced composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pan, Ning

    1992-01-01

    Although the question of minimum or critical fiber volume fraction beyond which a composite can then be strengthened due to addition of fibers has been dealt with by several investigators for both continuous and short fiber composites, a study of maximum or optimal fiber volume fraction at which the composite reaches its highest strength has not been reported yet. The present analysis has investigated this issue for short fiber case based on the well-known shear lag (the elastic stress transfer) theory as the first step. Using the relationships obtained, the minimum spacing between fibers is determined upon which the maximum fiber volume fraction can be calculated, depending on the fiber packing forms within the composites. The effects on the value of this maximum fiber volume fraction due to such factors as fiber and matrix properties, fiber aspect ratio and fiber packing forms are discussed. Furthermore, combined with the previous analysis on the minimum fiber volume fraction, this maximum fiber volume fraction can be used to examine the property compatibility of fiber and matrix in forming a composite. This is deemed to be useful for composite design. Finally some examples are provided to illustrate the results.

  14. Replication of self-centering optical fiber alignment structures using hot embossing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebraert, Evert; Wissmann, Markus; Barié, Nicole; Guttmann, Markus; Schneider, Marc; Kolew, Alexander; Worgull, Matthias; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo; Van Erps, Jürgen

    2016-04-01

    With the demand for broadband connectivity on the rise due to various services like video-on-demand and cloud computing becoming more popular, the need for better connectivity infrastructure is high. The only future- proof option to supply this infrastructure is to deploy "fiber to the home" (FTTH) networks. One of the main difficulties with the deployment of FTTH is the vast amount of single-mode fiber (SMF) connections that need to be made. Hence there is a strong need for components which enable high performance, robust and easy-to- use SMF connectors. Since large-scale deployment is the goal, these components should be mass-producible at low cost. We discuss a rapid prototyping process on the basis of hot embossing replication of a self-centering alignment system (SCAS) based on three micro-springs, which can position a SMF independently of its diameter. This is beneficial since there is a fabrication tolerance of up to +/-1 μm on a standard G.652 SMF's diameter that can lead to losses if the outer diameter is used as a reference for alignment. The SCAS is first prototyped with deep proton writing (DPW) in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) after which it is glued to a copper substrate with an adhesive. Using an electroforming process, a nickel block is grown over the PMMA prototype followed by mechanical finishing to fabricate a structured nickel mould insert. Even though the mould insert shows non- ideal and rounded features it is used to create PMMA replicas of the SCAS by means of hot embossing. The SCAS possesses a central opening in which a bare SMF can be clamped, which is designed with a diameter of 121 μm. PMMA replicas are dimensionally characterized using a multisensor coordinate measurement machine and show a central opening diameter of 128.3 +/- 2.8 μm. This should be compared to the central opening diameter of the DPW prototype used for mould formation which was measured to be 120.5 μm. This shows that the electroforming and subsequent replication

  15. Molecular Characterization of a Lizard Adenovirus Reveals the First Atadenovirus with Two Fiber Genes and the First Adenovirus with Either One Short or Three Long Fibers per Penton

    PubMed Central

    Pénzes, Judit J.; Menéndez-Conejero, Rosa; Condezo, Gabriela N.; Ball, Inna; Papp, Tibor; Doszpoly, Andor; Paradela, Alberto; Pérez-Berná, Ana J.; López-Sanz, María; Nguyen, Thanh H.; van Raaij, Mark J.; Marschang, Rachel E.; Harrach, Balázs; Benkő, Mária

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Although adenoviruses (AdVs) have been found in a wide variety of reptiles, including numerous squamate species, turtles, and crocodiles, the number of reptilian adenovirus isolates is still scarce. The only fully sequenced reptilian adenovirus, snake adenovirus 1 (SnAdV-1), belongs to the Atadenovirus genus. Recently, two new atadenoviruses were isolated from a captive Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) and Mexican beaded lizards (Heloderma horridum). Here we report the full genomic and proteomic characterization of the latter, designated lizard adenovirus 2 (LAdV-2). The double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome of LAdV-2 is 32,965 bp long, with an average G+C content of 44.16%. The overall arrangement and gene content of the LAdV-2 genome were largely concordant with those in other atadenoviruses, except for four novel open reading frames (ORFs) at the right end of the genome. Phylogeny reconstructions and plesiomorphic traits shared with SnAdV-1 further supported the assignment of LAdV-2 to the Atadenovirus genus. Surprisingly, two fiber genes were found for the first time in an atadenovirus. After optimizing the production of LAdV-2 in cell culture, we determined the protein compositions of the virions. The two fiber genes produce two fiber proteins of different sizes that are incorporated into the viral particles. Interestingly, the two different fiber proteins assemble as either one short or three long fiber projections per vertex. Stoichiometry estimations indicate that the long fiber triplet is present at only one or two vertices per virion. Neither triple fibers nor a mixed number of fibers per vertex had previously been reported for adenoviruses or any other virus. IMPORTANCE Here we show that a lizard adenovirus, LAdV-2, has a penton architecture never observed before. LAdV-2 expresses two fiber proteins—one short and one long. In the virion, most vertices have one short fiber, but a few of them have three long fibers attached to the same penton

  16. Effect of short glass fiber/filler particle proportion on flexural and diametral tensile strength of a novel fiber-reinforced composite.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Rodrigo Borges; de Almeida, Letícia Nunes; Mendes, Gustavo Adolfo Martins; Kasuya, Amanda Vessoni Barbosa; Favarão, Isabella Negro; de Paula, Marcella Silva

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of glass fiber/filler particles proportion on flexural strength and diametral tensile strength of an experimental fiber-reinforced composite. Four experimental groups (N=10) were created using an experimental short fiber-reinforced composite, having as a factor under study the glass fiber (F) and filler particle (P) proportion: F22.5/P55 with 22.5 wt% of fiber and 55 wt% of filler particles; F25/P52.5 with 25 wt% of fiber and 52.5 wt% of filler particles; F27.5/P50 with 27.5 wt% of fiber and 50 wt% of filler particles; F30/P47.5 with 30 wt% of fiber and 47.5 wt% of filler particles. The experimental composite was made up by a methacrylate-based resin (50% Bis-GMA and 50% TEGDMA). Specimens were prepared for Flexural Strength (FS) (25 mm × 2 mm × 2 mm) and for Diametral Tensile Strength (DTS) (3×6 Ø mm) and tested at 0.5 mm/min in a universal testing machine. The results (in MPa) showed significance (different superscript letters mean statistical significant difference) for FS (p<0.009) and DTS (p<0.001)--FS results: F22.5/P55: 217.24±20.64(B); F25/P52.5: 245.77±26.80(AB); F27.5/P50: 246.88±32.28(AB); F30/P47.5: 259.91±26.01(A). DTS results: F22.5/P55: 21.82±4.42(B); F25/P52.5: 22.00±7.40(B); F27.5/P50: 18.63±4.41(B); F30/P47.5: 31.05±2.97(A). In SEM analysis, areas without fiber reinforcement demonstrated to be more prone to the presence of bubbles and crack development. The group F30/P47.5 showed areas with a great quantity of fibers without empty spaces for crack propagation. Increasing fiber content results in higher flexural and diametral tensile strength of an experimental composite reinforced with glass fibers. Copyright © 2015 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. From Wood to Textiles: Top-Down Assembly of Aligned Cellulose Nanofibers.

    PubMed

    Jia, Chao; Chen, Chaoji; Kuang, Yudi; Fu, Kun; Wang, Yilin; Yao, Yonggang; Kronthal, Spencer; Hitz, Emily; Song, Jianwei; Xu, Fujun; Liu, Boyang; Hu, Liangbing

    2018-06-07

    Advanced textiles made of macroscopic fibers are usually prepared from synthetic fibers, which have changed lives over the past century. The shortage of petrochemical resources, however, greatly limits the development of the textile industry. Here, a facile top-down approach for fabricating macroscopic wood fibers for textile applications (wood-textile fibers) comprising aligned cellulose nanofibers directly from natural wood via delignification and subsequent twisting is demonstrated. Inherently aligned cellulose nanofibers are well retained, while the microchannels in the delignified wood are squeezed and totally removed by twisting, resulting in a dense structure with approximately two times higher mechanical strength (106.5 vs 54.9 MPa) and ≈20 times higher toughness (7.70 vs 0.36 MJ m -3 ) than natural wood. Dramatically different from natural wood, which is brittle in nature, the resultant wood-textile fibers are highly flexible and bendable, likely due to the twisted structures. The wood-textile fibers also exhibit excellent knitting properties and dyeability, which are critical for textile applications. Furthermore, functional wood-textile fibers can be achieved by preinfiltrating functional materials in the delignified wood film before twisting. This top-down approach of fabricating aligned macrofibers is simple, scalable, and cost-effective, representing a promising direction for the development of smart textiles and wearable electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. The effect of short fiber composite base on microleakage and load-bearing capacity of posterior restorations

    PubMed Central

    Garoushi, Sufyan K.; Hatem, Marwa; Lassila, Lippo V. J.; Vallittu, Pekka K.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Objectives: To determine the marginal microleakage of Class II restorations made with different composite base materials and the static load-bearing capacity of direct composite onlay restorations. Methods: Class II cavities were prepared in 40 extracted molars. They were divided into five groups (n = 8/group) depending on composite base material used (everX Posterior, SDR, Tetric EvoFlow). After Class II restorations were completed, specimens were sectioned mid-sagitally. For each group, sectioned restorations were immersed in dye. Specimens were viewed under a stereo-microscope and the percentage of cavity leakage was calculated. Ten groups of onlay restorations were fabricated (n = 8/group); groups were made with composite base materials (everX Posterior, SDR, Tetric EvoFlow, Gradia Direct LoFlo) and covered by 1 mm layer of conventional (Tetric N-Ceram) or bulk fill (Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill) composites. Groups made only from conventional, bulk fill and short fiber composites were used as control. Specimens were statically loaded until fracture. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (p = 0.05). Results: Microleakage of restorations made of plain conventional composite or short fiber composite base material showed statistically (p < 0.05) lower values compared to other groups. ANOVA revealed that onlay restorations made from short fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) as base or plain restoration had statistically significant higher load-bearing capacity (1593 N) (p < 0.05) than other restorations. Conclusion: Restorations combining base of short FRC and surface layer of conventional composite displayed promising performance related to microleakage and load-bearing capacity. PMID:28642894

  19. Fabrication of a Highly Aligned Neural Scaffold via a Table Top Stereolithography 3D Printing and Electrospinning.

    PubMed

    Lee, Se-Jun; Nowicki, Margaret; Harris, Brent; Zhang, Lijie Grace

    2017-06-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a rapidly emerging technique in the field of tissue engineering to fabricate extremely intricate and complex biomimetic scaffolds in the range of micrometers. Such customized 3D printed constructs can be used for the regeneration of complex tissues such as cartilage, vessels, and nerves. However, the 3D printing techniques often offer limited control over the resolution and compromised mechanical properties due to short selection of printable inks. To address these limitations, we combined stereolithography and electrospinning techniques to fabricate a novel 3D biomimetic neural scaffold with a tunable porous structure and embedded aligned fibers. By employing two different types of biofabrication methods, we successfully utilized both synthetic and natural materials with varying chemical composition as bioink to enhance biocompatibilities and mechanical properties of the scaffold. The resulting microfibers composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer and PCL mixed with gelatin were embedded in 3D printed hydrogel scaffold. Our results showed that 3D printed scaffolds with electrospun fibers significantly improve neural stem cell adhesion when compared to those without the fibers. Furthermore, 3D scaffolds embedded with aligned fibers showed an enhancement in cell proliferation relative to bare control scaffolds. More importantly, confocal microscopy images illustrated that the scaffold with PCL/gelatin fibers greatly increased the average neurite length and directed neurite extension of primary cortical neurons along the fiber. The results of this study demonstrate the potential to create unique 3D neural tissue constructs by combining 3D bioprinting and electrospinning techniques.

  20. Experimental evaluation and simulation of volumetric shrinkage and warpage on polymeric composite reinforced with short natural fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santos, Jonnathan D.; Fajardo, Jorge I.; Cuji, Alvaro R.; García, Jaime A.; Garzón, Luis E.; López, Luis M.

    2015-09-01

    A polymeric natural fiber-reinforced composite is developed by extrusion and injection molding process. The shrinkage and warpage of high-density polyethylene reinforced with short natural fibers of Guadua angustifolia Kunth are analyzed by experimental measurements and computer simulations. Autodesk Moldflow® and Solid Works® are employed to simulate both volumetric shrinkage and warpage of injected parts at different configurations: 0 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.% reinforcing on shrinkage and warpage behavior of polymer composite. Become evident the restrictive effect of reinforcing on the volumetric shrinkage and warpage of injected parts. The results indicate that volumetric shrinkage of natural composite is reduced up to 58% with fiber increasing, whereas the warpage shows a reduction form 79% to 86% with major fiber content. These results suggest that it is a highly beneficial use of natural fibers to improve the assembly properties of polymeric natural fiber-reinforced composites.

  1. Synthesis and Fabrication of Nanocomposite Fibers of Collagen-Cellulose Nanocrystals by Coelectrocompaction.

    PubMed

    Cudjoe, Elvis; Younesi, Mousa; Cudjoe, Edward; Akkus, Ozan; Rowan, Stuart J

    2017-04-10

    An electrochemical process has been used to compact cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and access aligned micron-sized CNC fibers. Placing a current across aqueous solutions of carboxylic acid functionalized CNCs (t-CNC-COOH) or carboxylic acid/primary amine functionalized CNCs (t-CNC-COOH-NH 2 ) creates a pH gradient between the electrodes, which results in the migration and concentration of the CNC fibers at their isoelectric point. By matching the carboxylic acid/amine ratio of CNCs and collagen (ca. 30:70 carboxylic acid:amine ratio), it is possible to coelectrocompact both nanofibers and access aligned nanocomposite fibers. t-CNC-COOH-NH 2 /collagen fibers showed a maximum increase in mechanical properties at 5 wt % of t-CNC-COOH-NH 2 . Compared to collagen/CNC films which have no alignment in the plane of the films, the tensile properties of the aligned fibers show a significant enhancement in the wet mechanical properties (40 MPa vs 230 MPa) for the 5 wt % of t-CNC-COOH-NH 2 /collagen films and fiber, respectively.

  2. Performance and Characterization of Geopolymer Concrete Reinforced with Short Steel Fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Faris, M. A.; Tahir, M. F. M.; Kadir, A. A.; Sandu, A. V.; Mat Isa, N. A. A.; Corbu, O.

    2017-06-01

    In the recent years, geopolymer concrete are reporting as the greener construction technology compared to conventional concrete that made up of ordinary Portland cement. Geopolymer concrete is an innovative construction material that utilized fly ash as one of waste material in coal combustion industry as a replacement for ordinary Portland cement in concrete. The uses of fly ash could reduce the carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere, redundant of fly ash waste and costs compared to ordinary Portland cement concrete. However, the plain geopolymer concrete suffers from numerous drawbacks such as brittleness and low durability. Thus, in this study the addition of steel fiber is introduced in plain geopolymer concrete to improve its mechanical properties especially in compressive and flexural strength. Characterization of raw materials also determined by using chemical composition analysis. Short type of steel fiber is added to the mix in weight percent of 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt% and 7 wt% with fixed molarity of sodium hydroxide of 12M and solid to liquid ratio as 2.0. The addition of steel fiber showed the excellent improvement in the mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete that are determined by various methods available in the literature and compared with each other.

  3. PLLA-PHB fiber membranes obtained by solvent-free electrospinning for short-time drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Cao, K; Liu, Y; Olkhov, A A; Siracusa, V; Iordanskii, A L

    2018-02-01

    Fibers of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)/polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) with different concentrations of the drug dipyridamole (DPD) were prepared using solvent-free melt electrospinning to obtain a polymeric drug delivery system. The electrospun fibers were morphologically, structurally, thermally, and dynamically characterized. Crazes that resemble lotus root crevices were interestingly observed in the 7:3 PLLA/PHB fibers with 1% DPD. The crystallinity of PLLA slightly decreased as PHB was incorporated, and the addition of DPD significantly reduced the melting temperature of the composite. The interactions between PLLA and PHB mainly occurred at a proportion of 7:3, and drug encapsulation in the fibers was verified. The kinetic profiles of drug release demonstrated the predominant multiple patterns involving a diffusional stage in the short-term mode of release and kinetic process related to the hydrolysis of the biopolymers. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the polymer molecules was evaluated based on the segmental mobility using probe electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The segmental mobility in the amorphous fraction of PLLA decreased with increasing PLLA content. The 9:1 PLLA/PHB system was more resistant to polymer hydrolysis than to the 7:3 system and the rate of diffusion transport was approximately two times higher for the 7:3 PLLA/PHB fibers than for the 9:1 PLLA/PHB fibers.

  4. Fiber webs

    Treesearch

    Roger M. Rowell; James S. Han; Von L. Byrd

    2005-01-01

    Wood fibers can be used to produce a wide variety of low-density three-dimensional webs, mats, and fiber-molded products. Short wood fibers blended with long fibers can be formed into flexible fiber mats, which can be made by physical entanglement, nonwoven needling, or thermoplastic fiber melt matrix technologies. The most common types of flexible mats are carded, air...

  5. Electrochromic fiber-shaped supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xuli; Lin, Huijuan; Deng, Jue; Zhang, Ye; Sun, Xuemei; Chen, Peining; Fang, Xin; Zhang, Zhitao; Guan, Guozhen; Peng, Huisheng

    2014-12-23

    An electrochromic fiber-shaped super-capacitor is developed by winding aligned carbon nanotube/polyaniline composite sheets on an elastic fiber. The fiber-shaped supercapacitors demonstrate rapid and reversible chromatic transitions under different working states, which can be directly observed by the naked eye. They are also stretchable and flexible, and are woven into textiles to display designed signals in addition to storing energy. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Polymer fiber-based models of connective tissue repair and healing.

    PubMed

    Lee, Nancy M; Erisken, Cevat; Iskratsch, Thomas; Sheetz, Michael; Levine, William N; Lu, Helen H

    2017-01-01

    Physiologically relevant models of wound healing are essential for understanding the biology of connective tissue repair and healing. They can also be used to identify key cellular processes and matrix characteristics critical for the design of soft tissue grafts. Modeling the various stages of repair post tendon injury, polymer meshes of varying fiber diameter (nano-1 (390 nm) < nano-2 (740 nm) < micro (1420 nm)) were produced. Alignment was also introduced in the nano-2 group to model matrix undergoing biological healing rather than scar formation. The response of human tendon fibroblasts on these model substrates were evaluated over time as a function of fiber diameter and alignment. It was observed that the repair models of unaligned nanoscale fibers enhanced cell growth and collagen synthesis, while these outcomes were significantly reduced in the mature repair model consisting of unaligned micron-sized fibers. Organization of paxillin and actin on unaligned meshes was enhanced on micro- compared to nano-sized fibers, while the expression and activity of RhoA and Rac1 were greater on nanofibers. In contrast, aligned nanofibers promoted early cell organization, while reducing excessive cell growth and collagen production in the long term. These results show that the early-stage repair model of unaligned nanoscale fibers elicits a response characteristic of the proliferative phase of wound repair, while the more mature model consisting of unaligned micron-sized fibers is more representative of the remodeling phase by supporting cell organization while suppressing growth and biosynthesis. Interestingly, introduction of fiber alignment in the nanofiber model alters fibroblast response from repair to healing, implicating matrix alignment as a critical design factor for circumventing scar formation and promoting biological healing of soft tissue injuries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Device design and signal processing for multiple-input multiple-output multimode fiber links

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Appaiah, Kumar; Vishwanath, Sriram; Bank, Seth R.

    2012-01-01

    Multimode fibers (MMFs) are limited in data rate capabilities owing to modal dispersion. However, their large core diameter simplifies alignment and packaging, and makes them attractive for short and medium length links. Recent research has shown that the use of signal processing and techniques such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) can greatly improve the data rate capabilities of multimode fibers. In this paper, we review recent experimental work using MIMO and signal processing for multimode fibers, and the improvements in data rates achievable with these techniques. We then present models to design as well as simulate the performance benefits obtainable with arrays of lasers and detectors in conjunction with MIMO, using channel capacity as the metric to optimize. We also discuss some aspects related to complexity of the algorithms needed for signal processing and discuss techniques for low complexity implementation.

  8. Nanofiber alignment of a small diameter elastic electrospun scaffold

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patel, Jignesh

    Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in western countries with coronary heart disease making up 50% of these deaths. As a treatment option, tissue engineered grafts have great potential. Elastic scaffolds that mimic arterial extracellular matrix (ECM) may hold the key to creating viable vascular grafts. Electrospinning is a widely used scaffold fabrication technique to engineer tubular scaffolds. In this study, we investigated how the collector rotation speed altered the nanofiber alignment which may improve mechanical characteristics making the scaffold more suitable for arterial grafts. The scaffold was fabricated from a blend of PCL/Elastin. 2D Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) image processing tool and MatLab were used to quantitatively analyze nanofiber orientation at different collector speeds (13500 to 15500 rpm). Both Image J and MatLab showed graphical peaks indicating predominant fiber orientation angles. A collector speed of 15000 rpm was found to produce the best nanofiber alignment with narrow peaks at 90 and 270 degrees, and a relative amplitude of 200. This indicates a narrow distribution of circumferentially aligned nanofibers. Collector speeds below and above 15000 rpm caused a decrease in fiber alignment with a broader orientation distribution. Uniformity of fiber diameter was also measured. Of 600 measures from the 15000 rpm scaffolds, the fiber diameter range from 500 nm to 899 nm was most prevalent. This diameter range was slightly larger than native ECM which ranges from 50 nm to 500 nm. The second most prevalent diameter range had an average of 404 nm which is within the diameter range of collagen. This study concluded that with proper electrospinning technique and collector speed, it is possible to fabricate highly aligned small diameter elastic scaffolds. Image J 2D FFT results confirmed MatLab findings for the analyses of circumferentially aligned nanofibers. In addition, MatLab analyses simplified the FFT orientation data

  9. Short Range Photoassociation of Rb2 by a high power fiber laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passagem, Henry; Rodriguez, Ricardo; Ventura, Paulo; Bouloufa, Nadia; Dulieu, Olivier; Marcassa, Luis

    2016-05-01

    Photoassociation has been studied using cold trapped atomic samples for the last 20 years. Due to poor Franck-Condon overlap, a free-to-bound transition followed by spontaneous decay results in a small production of electronic ground state molecules. If the photoassociation is done at short range, deeply bound ground state molecules can be formed. Optical pumping schemes can be used to populate a single state. In our experiment, we have performed trap loss spectroscopy on trapped 85 Rb atoms in a MOT using a high power fiber laser. Our single mode fiber laser (linewidth < 1 MHz) produces about 50 W, which can be tuned in the 1060-1070 nm range. Two vibrational bound states of the 0u+ potential were observed (ν = 137 and 138). The frequency positions as well as the rotational constants of these states are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We have also measured the lifetime of a crossed optical dipole trap using such fiber laser. The lifetime on resonance is shorter than off resonance as expected. A simple theoretical model indicates that the molecules decay to deeply bound vibrational levels in the ground state. This work was supported by Fapesp and INCT-IQ.

  10. Advanced digital signal processing for short haul optical fiber transmission beyond 100G

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kikuchi, Nobuhiko

    2017-01-01

    Significant increase of intra and inter data center traffic has been expected by the rapid spread of various network applications like SNS, IoT, mobile and cloud computing, and the needs for ultra-high speed and cost-effective short- to medium-reach optical fiber links beyond 100-Gbit/s is becoming larger and larger. Such high-speed links typically use multilevel modulation to lower signaling speed, which in turn face serious challenges in limited loss budget and waveform distortion tolerance. One of the promising techniques to overcome them is the use of advanced digital signal processing (DSP) and we review various DSP applications for short-to-medium reach applications.

  11. Aligned 1-D nanorods of a π-gelator exhibit molecular orientation and excitation energy transport different from entangled fiber networks.

    PubMed

    Sakakibara, Keita; Chithra, Parayalil; Das, Bidisa; Mori, Taizo; Akada, Misaho; Labuta, Jan; Tsuruoka, Tohru; Maji, Subrata; Furumi, Seiichi; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; Hill, Jonathan P; Acharya, Somobrata; Ariga, Katsuhiko; Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai

    2014-06-18

    Linear π-gelators self-assemble into entangled fibers in which the molecules are arranged perpendicular to the fiber long axis. However, orientation of gelator molecules in a direction parallel to the long axes of the one-dimensional (1-D) structures remains challenging. Herein we demonstrate that, at the air-water interface, an oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)-derived π-gelator forms aligned nanorods of 340 ± 120 nm length and 34 ± 5 nm width, in which the gelator molecules are reoriented parallel to the long axis of the rods. The orientation change of the molecules results in distinct excited-state properties upon local photoexcitation, as evidenced by near-field scanning optical microscopy. A detailed understanding of the mechanism by which excitation energy migrates through these 1-D molecular assemblies might help in the design of supramolecular structures with improved charge-transport properties.

  12. Shear-induced migration and orientation of rigid fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butler, Jason; Strednak, Scott; Shaikh, Saif; Guazzelli, Elisabeth

    2017-11-01

    The spatial and orientation distributions are measured for a suspension of fibers during pressure-driven flow. The fibers are rigid and non-colloidal, and two aspect ratios (length to diameter ratios) of 12 and 24 were tested; the suspending fluid is viscous, Newtonian, and density matched to the particles. As with the migration of spheres in parabolic flows, the fibers migrate toward the centerline of the channel if the concentration is sufficiently high. Migration is not observed for concentrations below a volume fraction of 0.035 for aspect ratio 24 and 0.07 for aspect ratio 12. The orientation distribution of the fibers is spatially dependent. Fibers near the center of the channel align closely with the flow direction, but fibers near the wall are observed to preferentially align in the vorticity (perpendicular to the flow and gradient) direction. National Science Foundation (Grants #1511787 and #1362060).

  13. Solvent-free fabrication of three dimensionally aligned polycaprolactone microfibers for engineering of anisotropic tissues.

    PubMed

    An, Jia; Chua, Chee Kai; Leong, Kah Fai; Chen, Chih-Hao; Chen, Jyh-Ping

    2012-10-01

    Fabrication of aligned microfiber scaffolds is critical in successful engineering of anisotropic tissues such as tendon, ligaments and nerves. Conventionally, aligned microfiber scaffolds are two dimensional and predominantly fabricated by electrospinning which is solvent dependent. In this paper, we report a novel technique, named microfiber melt drawing, to fabricate a bundle of three dimensionally aligned polycaprolactone microfibers without using any organic solvent. This technique is simple yet effective. It has been demonstrated that polycaprolactone microfibers of 10 μm fiber diameter can be directly drawn from a 2 mm orifice. Orifice diameter, temperature and take-up speed significantly influence the final linear density and fiber diameter of the microfibers. Mechanical test suggests that mechanical properties such as stiffness and breaking force of microfiber bundles can be easily adjusted by the number of fibers. In vitro study shows that these microfibers are able to support the proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts over 7 days. In vivo result of Achilles tendon repair in a rabbit model shows that the microfibers were highly infiltrated by tendon tissue as early as in 1 month, besides, the repaired tendon have a well-aligned tissue structure under the guidance of aligned microfibers. However whether these three dimensionally aligned microfibers can induce three dimensionally aligned cells remains inconclusive.

  14. Pulmonary and pleural responses in Fischer 344 rats following short-term inhalation of a synthetic vitreous fiber. I. Quantitation of lung and pleural fiber burdens.

    PubMed

    Gelzleichter, T R; Bermudez, E; Mangum, J B; Wong, B A; Everitt, J I; Moss, O R

    1996-03-01

    The pleura is an important target tissue of fiber-induced disease, although it is not known whether fibers must be in direct contact with pleural cells to exert pathologic effects. In the present study, we determined the kinetics of fiber movement into pleural tissues of rats following inhalation of RCF-1, a ceramic fiber previously shown to induce neoplasms in the lung and pleura of rats. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed by nose-only inhalation to RCF-1 at 89 mg/m3 (2645 WHO fibers/cc), 6 hr/day for 5 consecutive days. On Days 5 and 32, thoracic tissues were analyzed to determine pulmonary and pleural fiber burdens. Mean fiber counts were 22 x 10(6)/lung (25 x 10(3)/pleura) at Day 5 and 18 x 10(6)/lung (16 x 10(3)/pleura) at Day 32. Similar geometric mean lengths (GML) and diameters (GMD) of pulmonary fiber burdens were observed at both time points. Values were 5 microns for GML (geometric standard deviation GSD approximately 2.3) and 0.3 micron for GMD (GSD approximately 1.9), with correlations between length and diameter (tau) of 0.2-0.3. Size distributions of pleural fiber burdens at both time points were approximately 1.5 microns GML (GSD approximately 2.0) and 0.09 micron GMD (GSD approximately 1.5; tau approximately 0.2-0.5). Few fibers longer than 5 microns were observed at either time point. These findings demonstrate that fibers can rapidly translocate to pleural tissues. However, only short, thin (< 5 microns in length) fibers could be detected over the 32-day time course of the experiment.

  15. Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy using tapered fibers.

    PubMed

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

    2010-01-01

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

  16. Molecular Orientation in Dry and Hydrated Cellulose Fibers: A Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy Study

    PubMed Central

    Zimmerley, Maxwell; Younger, Rebecca; Valenton, Tiffany; Oertel, David C.; Ward, Jimmie L.; Potma, Eric O.

    2012-01-01

    Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is combined with spontaneous Raman scattering microspectroscopy and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to interrogate the molecular alignment in dry and hydrated cellulose fibers. Two types of cellulose were investigated: natural cellulose I in cotton fibers and regenerated cellulose II in rayon fibers. On the basis of the orientation of the methylene symmetric stretching vibration, the molecular alignment of cellulose microfibrils is found to be conserved on the micrometer scale. Whereas the molecular orientation in cotton shows modest variability along the fiber, the alignment of the cellulose units in rayon is highly consistent throughout the fiber. The ordered alignment is retained upon fiber hydration. Upon hydration of the cellulose fibers, an anisotropic electronic contribution is observed, which indicates an ordered incorporation of water molecules into the fiber structure. The third-order and second-order electronic polarizability of cellulose I are directed along the axis of the polyglucan chain. No second-order optical response is observed in cellulose II, supporting the antiparallel arrangement of the polyglucan chains in regenerated cellulose. PMID:20684644

  17. High-speed, bi-directional dual-core fiber transmission system for high-density, short-reach optical interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geng, Ying; Li, Shenping; Li, Ming-Jun; Sutton, Clifford G.; McCollum, Robert L.; McClure, Randy L.; Koklyushkin, Alexander V.; Matthews, Karen I.; Luther, James P.; Butler, Douglas L.

    2015-03-01

    A complete single mode dual-core fiber system for short-reach optical interconnects is fabricated and tested for high-speed data transmission. It includes dual-core fibers capable of bi-directional data transmission, dual-core simplex LC connectors, and fan-outs. The transmission system offers simplified bi-directional traffic engineering with integrated bidirectional transceivers and compact system design, utilizing simplex dual-core LC connectors that use half the space while increasing the bandwidth density by a factor of two. The fiber has two cores that are compatible with single mode fiber and conforms to the industry standard outer diameter of 125 μm. This reduces operational complexity by reducing the size and number of fibers, cables and connectors. Measured OTDR loss for both cores was 0.34 dB/km at 1310 nm and 0.19 dB/km at 1550 nm. Crosstalk for a piece of 5.8 km long dual-core fiber was measured to be below -75 dB at 1310 nm, and below -40 dB at 1550 nm. Both free-space optics fan-outs and tapered-fiber-coupler based MCF fan-outs were evaluated for the transmission system. Error-free and penalty-free 25 Gb/s bi-directional transmission performance was demonstrated for three different fiber lengths, 200 m, 2 km and 10 km, using the complete all-fiber-based system including connectors and fan-outs. This single mode, dual-core fiber transmission system adds complementary value to systems where additional increases in bandwidth density can come from wavelength division multiplexing and multiple bits per symbol.

  18. Femtosecond laser-induced surface structures on carbon fibers.

    PubMed

    Sajzew, Roman; Schröder, Jan; Kunz, Clemens; Engel, Sebastian; Müller, Frank A; Gräf, Stephan

    2015-12-15

    The influence of different polarization states during the generation of periodic nanostructures on the surface of carbon fibers was investigated using a femtosecond laser with a pulse duration τ=300  fs, a wavelength λ=1025  nm, and a peak fluence F=4  J/cm². It was shown that linear polarization results in a well-aligned periodic pattern with different orders of magnitude concerning their period and an alignment parallel and perpendicular to fiber direction, respectively. For circular polarization, both types of uniform laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) patterns appear simultaneously with different dominance in dependence on the position at the fiber surface. Their orientation was explained by the polarization-dependent absorptivity and the geometrical anisotropy of the carbon fibers.

  19. Tissue imaging using full field optical coherence microscopy with short multimode fiber probe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Manabu; Eto, Kai; Goto, Tetsuhiro; Kurotani, Reiko; Abe, Hiroyuki; Nishidate, Izumi

    2018-03-01

    In achieving minimally invasive accessibility to deeply located regions the size of the imaging probes is important. We demonstrated full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCM) using an ultrathin forward-imaging short multimode fiber (SMMF) probe of 50 μm core diameter, 125 μm diameter, and 7.4 mm length for optical communications. The axial resolution was measured to be 2.14 μm and the lateral resolution was also evaluated to be below 4.38 μm using a test pattern (TP). The spatial mode and polarization characteristics of SMMF were evaluated. Inserting SMMF to in vivo rat brain, 3D images were measured and 2D information of nerve fibers was obtained. The feasibility of an SMMF as an ultrathin forward-imaging probe in FF-OCM has been demonstrated.

  20. Optical interconnection for a polymeric PLC device using simple positional alignment.

    PubMed

    Ryu, Jin Hwa; Kim, Po Jin; Cho, Cheon Soo; Lee, El-Hang; Kim, Chang-Seok; Jeong, Myung Yung

    2011-04-25

    This study proposes a simple cost-effective method of optical interconnection between a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) device chip and an optical fiber. It was conducted to minimize and overcome the coupling loss caused by lateral offset which is due to the process tolerance and the dimensional limitation existing between PLC device chips and fiber array blocks with groove structures. A PLC device chip and a fiber array block were simultaneously fabricated in a series of polymer replication processes using the original master. The dimensions (i.e., width and thickness) of the under-clad of the PLC device chip were identical to those of the fiber array block. The PLC device chip and optical fiber were aligned by simple positional control for the vertical direction of the PLC device chip under a particular condition. The insertion loss of the proposed 1 x 2 multimode optical splitter device interconnection was 4.0 dB at 850 nm and the coupling loss was below 0.1 dB compared with single-fiber based active alignment.

  1. Wet-spinning fabrication of shear-patterned alginate hydrogel microfibers and the guidance of cell alignment

    PubMed Central

    Yang, You; Sun, Jing; Liu, Xiaolu; Guo, Zhenzhen; He, Yunhu; Wei, Dan; Zhong, Meiling; Guo, Likun; Zhang, Xingdong

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Native tissue is naturally comprised of highly-ordered cell-matrix assemblies in a multi-hierarchical way, and the nano/submicron alignment of fibrous matrix is found to be significant in supporting cellular functionalization. In this study, a self-designed wet-spinning device appended with a rotary receiving pool was used to continuously produce shear-patterned hydrogel microfibers with aligned submicron topography. The process that the flow-induced shear force reshapes the surface of hydrogel fiber into aligned submicron topography was systematically analysed. Afterwards, the effect of fiber topography on cellular longitudinal spread and elongation was investigated by culturing rat neuron-like PC12 cells and human osteosarcoma MG63 cells with the spun hydrogel microfibers, respectively. The results suggested that the stronger shear flow force would lead to more distinct aligned submicron topography on fiber surface, which could induce cell orientation along with fiber axis and therefore form the cell-matrix dual-alignment. Finally, a multi-hierarchical tissue-like structure constructed by dual-oriented cell-matrix assemblies was fabricated based on this wet-spinning method. This work is believed to be a potentially novel biofabrication scheme for bottom-up constructing of engineered linear tissue, such as nerve bundle, cortical bone, muscle and hepatic cord. PMID:29026644

  2. Fabrication of drug-loaded electrospun aligned fibrous threads for suture applications.

    PubMed

    He, Chuang-Long; Huang, Zheng-Ming; Han, Xiao-Jian

    2009-04-01

    In this work, drug-loaded fibers and threads were successfully fabricated by combining electrospinning with aligned fibers collection. Two different electrospinning processes, that is, blend and coaxial electrospinning, to incorporate a model drug tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) into poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers have been used and compared with each other. The resulting composite ultrafine fibers and threads were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile testing. It has been shown that average diameters of the fibers made from the same polymer concentration depended on the processing method. The blend TCH/PLLA fibers showed the smallest fiber diameter, whereas neat PLLA fibers and core-shell TCH-PLLA fibers showed a larger proximal average diameter. Higher rotating speed of a wheel collector is helpful for obtaining better-aligned fibers. Both the polymer and the drug in the electrospun fibers have poor crystalline property. In vitro release study indicated that threads made from the core-shell fibers could suppress the initial burst release and provide a sustained drug release useful for the release of growth factor or other therapeutic drugs. On the other hand, the threads from the blend fibers produced a large initial burst release that may be used to prevent bacteria infection. A combination of these results suggests that electrospinning technique provides a novel way to fabricate medical agents-loaded fibrous threads for tissue suturing and tissue regeneration applications. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. DisAp-dependent striated fiber elongation is required to organize ciliary arrays

    PubMed Central

    Galati, Domenico F.; Bonney, Stephanie; Kronenberg, Zev; Clarissa, Christina; Yandell, Mark; Elde, Nels C.; Jerka-Dziadosz, Maria; Giddings, Thomas H.; Frankel, Joseph

    2014-01-01

    Cilia-organizing basal bodies (BBs) are microtubule scaffolds that are visibly asymmetrical because they have attached auxiliary structures, such as striated fibers. In multiciliated cells, BB orientation aligns to ensure coherent ciliary beating, but the mechanisms that maintain BB orientation are unclear. For the first time in Tetrahymena thermophila, we use comparative whole-genome sequencing to identify the mutation in the BB disorientation mutant disA-1. disA-1 abolishes the localization of the novel protein DisAp to T. thermophila striated fibers (kinetodesmal fibers; KFs), which is consistent with DisAp’s similarity to the striated fiber protein SF-assemblin. We demonstrate that DisAp is required for KFs to elongate and to resist BB disorientation in response to ciliary forces. Newly formed BBs move along KFs as they approach their cortical attachment sites. However, because they contain short KFs that are rotated, BBs in disA-1 cells display aberrant spacing and disorientation. Therefore, DisAp is a novel KF component that is essential for force-dependent KF elongation and BB orientation in multiciliary arrays. PMID:25533842

  4. Rigid Amorphous Fraction in PLA Electrospun Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cebe, Peggy; Ma, Qian; Simona Cozza, Erika; Pyda, Marek; Mao, Bin; Zhu, Yazhe; Monticelli, Orietta

    2013-03-01

    Electrospun fibers of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were formed by adopting a high-speed rotating wheel as the counter-electrode. The molecular orientation, crystallization mechanism, and phase structure and transitions of the aligned ES fibers were investigated. Using thermal analysis and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), we evaluated the confinement that exists in as-spun amorphous, and heat-treated semicrystalline, fibers. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the existence of a constrained amorphous phase in as-spun aligned fibers, without the presence of crystals or fillers to serve as fixed physical constraints. Using WAXS, for the first time the mesophase fraction, consisting of oriented amorphous PLA chains, was quantitatively characterized in nanofibers. The authors acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation, Polymers Program under grant DMR-0602473. ESC acknowledges a Ph.D. grant supported by Italian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research.

  5. [Fiber-reinforced composite in fixed prosthodontics].

    PubMed

    Pilo, R; Abu Rass, Z; Shmidt, A

    2010-07-01

    Fiber reinforced composite (FRC) is composed of resin matrix and fibers filler. Common types of fibers: polyethylene, carbon and glass. Fibers can be continuous and aligned, discontinuous and aligned, discontinuous and randomly oriented. The architecture of the fibers is unidirectional, woven or braided. The two main types are: dry fibers or impregnated. Inclusion of fibers to resin composite increased its average flexural strength in 100-200 MPa. FRC can be utilized by the dentist in direct approach (splinting, temporary winged bridge) or indirect approach (laboratory made fixed partial denture). Laboratory fixed partial denture (FPD) is made from FRC substructure and Hybrid/Microfill particulate composite veneer. Main indications: interim temporary FPD or FPD in cases of questionable abutment teeth, in aesthetic cases where All Ceram FPD is not feasible. Retention is attained by adhesive cementation to minimally prepared teeth or to conventionally prepared teeth; other options are inlay-onlay bridges or hybrid bridges. Contraindications are: poor hygiene, inability to control humidity, parafunction habits, and more than two pontics. Survival rate of FRC FPD over 5 years is 75%, lower compared to porcelain fused to metal FPD which is 95%. Main reasons for failure are: fracture of framework and delamination of the veneer. Part of the failures is repairable.

  6. Flexible polymeric rib waveguide with self-align couplers system

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Wei-Chih

    2011-01-01

    The authors report a polymeric based rib waveguide with U shape self-align fiber couplers system using a simple micromolding process with SU8 as a molding material and polydimethysiloxane as a waveguide material. The material is used for its good optical transparency, low surface tension, biocompatibility, and durability. Furthermore, the material is highly formable. This unique fabrication molding technique provides a means of keeping the material and manufacturing costs to a minimum. The self-align fiber couplers system also proves a fast and simple means of light coupling. The flexible nature of the waveguide material makes this process ideal for a potential wearable optical sensor. PMID:22171151

  7. Carbon nanotube fiber spun from wetted ribbon

    DOEpatents

    Zhu, Yuntian T; Arendt, Paul; Zhang, Xiefei; Li, Qingwen; Fu, Lei; Zheng, Lianxi

    2014-04-29

    A fiber of carbon nanotubes was prepared by a wet-spinning method involving drawing carbon nanotubes away from a substantially aligned, supported array of carbon nanotubes to form a ribbon, wetting the ribbon with a liquid, and spinning a fiber from the wetted ribbon. The liquid can be a polymer solution and after forming the fiber, the polymer can be cured. The resulting fiber has a higher tensile strength and higher conductivity compared to dry-spun fibers and to wet-spun fibers prepared by other methods.

  8. Wavefront Processing Through Integrated Fiber Optics.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Romel Rabiul

    This thesis is devoted to the development of a new technology of integrated fiber optics. Through the use of fusion splicing and etching several dissimilar optical fibers can be integrated into a single fiber providing wave-front processing capabilities not previously possible. Optical fibers have been utilized for their unique capabilities; such as, remote beam delivery and immunity from electromagnetic noise. In this thesis, the understanding of integrated fiber optics through fusion splicing is furthered both theoretically and experimentally. Most of the common optical components such as lenses, apertures, and modulators can be implemented through the use of fiber optics and then integrated together through fusion splicing, resulting in an alignment-free, rugged and miniaturized system. For example, a short length of multimode graded-index fiber can be used as either a lens or a window to relay an image. A step-index multimode fiber provides a spacer or an aperture. Other special arrangements can be exploited to do in-line modulation in both amplitude and phase. The power of this technique is demonstrated by focusing on a few applications where significant advantages are obtained through this technology. In laser light scattering fiber optic systems, integrated fiber optics is used for delivering and receiving light from small scattering volumes in a spatially constrained environment. When applied for the detection of cataracts in the human eye lens, laser light scattering probes with integrated fiber optics could obtain a map of the eye lens and provide invaluable data for further understanding of cataractogenesis. Use of integrated fiber optics in the high resolution structural analysis of aircraft propeller blades is also presented. Coupling of laser diode to monomode fiber through integrated fiber optics is analyzed. The generation of nondiffracting Bessel-Gauss beams using integrated fiber optics is described. The significance of the Bessel-Gauss beam lies

  9. Circumferentially aligned fibers guided functional neoartery regeneration in vivo.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Meifeng; Wang, Zhihong; Zhang, Jiamin; Wang, Lina; Yang, Xiaohu; Chen, Jingrui; Fan, Guanwei; Ji, Shenglu; Xing, Cheng; Wang, Kai; Zhao, Qiang; Zhu, Yan; Kong, Deling; Wang, Lianyong

    2015-08-01

    An ideal vascular graft should have the ability to guide the regeneration of neovessels with structure and function similar to those of the native blood vessels. Regeneration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with circumferential orientation within the grafts is crucial for functional vascular reconstruction in vivo. To date, designing and fabricating a vascular graft with well-defined geometric cues to facilitate simultaneously VSMCs infiltration and their circumferential alignment remains a great challenge and scarcely reported in vivo. Thus, we have designed a bi-layered vascular graft, of which the internal layer is composed of circumferentially aligned microfibers prepared by wet-spinning and an external layer composed of random nanofibers prepared by electrospinning. While the internal circumferentially aligned microfibers provide topographic guidance for in vivo regeneration of circumferentially aligned VSMCs, the external random nanofibers can offer enhanced mechanical property and prevent bleeding during and after graft implantation. VSMCs infiltration and alignment within the scaffold was then evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrated that the circumferentially oriented VSMCs and longitudinally aligned ECs were successfully regenerated in vivo after the bi-layered vascular grafts were implanted in rat abdominal aorta. No formation of thrombosis or intimal hyperplasia was observed up to 3 month post implantation. Further, the regenerated neoartery exhibited contraction and relaxation property in response to vasoactive agents. This new strategy may bring cell-free small diameter vascular grafts closer to clinical application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Cyclic Fiber Push-In Test Monitors Evolution of Interfacial Behavior in Ceramic Matrix Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eldridge, Jeffrey I.

    1998-01-01

    SiC fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites are being developed for high-temperature advanced jet engine applications. Obtaining a strong, tough composite material depends critically on optimizing the mechanical coupling between the reinforcing fibers and the surrounding matrix material. This has usually been accomplished by applying a thin C or BN coating onto the surface of the reinforcing fibers. The performance of these fiber coatings, however, may degrade under cyclic loading conditions or exposure to different environments. Degradation of the coating-controlled interfacial behavior will strongly affect the useful service lifetime of the composite material. Cyclic fiber push-in testing was applied to monitor the evolution of fiber sliding behavior in both C- and BN-coated small-diameter (15-mm) SiC-fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites. The cyclic fiber push-in tests were performed using a desktop fiber push-out apparatus. At the beginning of each test, the fiber to be tested was aligned underneath a 10- mm-diameter diamond punch; then, the applied load was cycled between selected maximum and minimum loads. From the measured response, the fiber sliding distance and frictional sliding stresses were determined for each cycle. Tests were performed in both room air and nitrogen. Cyclic fiber push-in tests of C-coated, SiC-fiber-reinforced SiC showed progressive increases in fiber sliding distances along with decreases in frictional sliding stresses for continued cycling in room air. This rapid degradation in interfacial response was not observed for cycling in nitrogen, indicating that moisture exposure had a large effect in immediately lowering the frictional sliding stresses of C-coated fibers. These results indicate that matrix cracks bridged by C-coated fibers will not be stable, but will rapidly grow in moisture-containing environments. In contrast, cyclic fiber push-in tests of both BN-coated, SiC-fiber-reinforced SiC and BNcoated, SiC-fiber

  11. Micromechanical Fatigue Visco-Damage Model for Short Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide-66

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Despringre, N.; Chemisky, Y.; Robert, G.; Meraghni, F.

    This work presents a micromechanical fatigue damage model developed for short glass fiber reinforced PA66. It has been developed to predict the high cycle fatigue behavior of PA66/GF30. The model is based on an extended Mori-Tanaka method which includes coated inclusions, matrix viscoelasticity and the evolution of micro-scale damage. The developed model accounts for the nonlinear matrix viscoelasticity and the reinforcement orientation. The description of the damage processes is based on the experimental investigation of damage mechanisms previously performed through in-situ SEM tests and X-ray micro-computed tomography observations. Damage chronologies have been proposed involving three different processes: interface debonding/coating, matrix micro-cracking and fiber breakages. Their occurrence strongly depends on the microstructure and the relative humidity. Each damage mechanism is introduced through an evolution law coupled to local stress fields. The developed model is implemented using a UMAT subroutine. Its experimental validation is achieved under stress or strain controlled fatigue tests.

  12. Slow and fast light via SBS in optical fibers for short pulses and broadband pump

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalosha, V. P.; Chen, Liang; Bao, Xiaoyi

    2006-12-01

    Slow-light effect via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in single-mode optical fibers was considered for short probe pulses of nanosecond duration relevant to Gb/s data streams. Unlike recent estimations of delay versus pump based on steady-state small-signal approximation we have used numerical solution of three-wave equations describing SBS for a realistic fiber length. Both regimes of small signal and pump depletion (gain saturation) were considered. The physical origin of Stokes pulse distortion is revealed which is related to excitation of long-living acoustic field behind the pulse and prevents effective delay control by pump power increase at cw pumping. We have shown different slope of the gain-dependent delay for different pulse durations. Spectrally broadened pumping by multiple cw components, frequency-modulated pump and pulse train were studied for short pulses which allow to obtain large delay and suppress pulse distortion. In the pump-depletion regime of pumping by pulse train, both pulse delay and distortion decrease with increasing pump, and the pulse achieves advancement.

  13. HSA: a heuristic splice alignment tool.

    PubMed

    Bu, Jingde; Chi, Xuebin; Jin, Zhong

    2013-01-01

    RNA-Seq methodology is a revolutionary transcriptomics sequencing technology, which is the representative of Next generation Sequencing (NGS). With the high throughput sequencing of RNA-Seq, we can acquire much more information like differential expression and novel splice variants from deep sequence analysis and data mining. But the short read length brings a great challenge to alignment, especially when the reads span two or more exons. A two steps heuristic splice alignment tool is generated in this investigation. First, map raw reads to reference with unspliced aligner--BWA; second, split initial unmapped reads into three equal short reads (seeds), align each seed to the reference, filter hits, search possible split position of read and extend hits to a complete match. Compare with other splice alignment tools like SOAPsplice and Tophat2, HSA has a better performance in call rate and efficiency, but its results do not as accurate as the other software to some extent. HSA is an effective spliced aligner of RNA-Seq reads mapping, which is available at https://github.com/vlcc/HSA.

  14. Mechanical function near defects in an aligned nanofiber composite is preserved by inclusion of disorganized layers: Insight into meniscus structure and function.

    PubMed

    Bansal, Sonia; Mandalapu, Sai; Aeppli, Céline; Qu, Feini; Szczesny, Spencer E; Mauck, Robert L; Zgonis, Miltiadis H

    2017-07-01

    The meniscus is comprised of circumferentially aligned fibers that resist the tensile forces within the meniscus (i.e., hoop stress) that develop during loading of the knee. Although these circumferential fibers are severed by radial meniscal tears, tibial contact stresses do not increase until the tear reaches ∼90% of the meniscus width, suggesting that the severed circumferential fibers still bear load and maintain the mechanical functionality of the meniscus. Recent data demonstrates that the interfibrillar matrix can transfer strain energy to disconnected fibrils in tendon fascicles. In the meniscus, interdigitating radial tie fibers, which function to stabilize and bind the circumferential fibers together, are hypothesized to function in a similar manner by transmitting load to severed circumferential fibers near a radial tear. To test this hypothesis, we developed an engineered fibrous analog of the knee meniscus using poly(ε-caprolactone) to create aligned scaffolds with variable amounts of non-aligned elements embedded within the scaffold. We show that the tensile properties of these scaffolds are a function of the ratio of aligned to non-aligned elements, and change in a predictable fashion following a simple mixture model. When measuring the loss of mechanical function in scaffolds with a radial tear, compared to intact scaffolds, the decrease in apparent linear modulus was reduced in scaffolds containing non-aligned layers compared to purely aligned scaffolds. Increased strains in areas adjacent to the defect were also noted in composite scaffolds. These findings indicate that non-aligned (disorganized) elements interspersed within an aligned network can improve overall mechanical function by promoting strain transfer to nearby disconnected fibers. This finding supports the notion that radial tie fibers may similarly promote tear tolerance in the knee meniscus, and will direct changes in clinical practice and provide guidance for tissue engineering

  15. Transversely Isotropic Hyperelastic Constitutive Model of Short Fiber Reinforced EPDM Based on Tensor Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Q. L.; Li, C.; Liao, Y. F.

    2017-12-01

    Short fiber reinforced EPDM is a new kind of composite material used in solid rocket motor winding and coating. It has relatively large deformation under the small stress condition, and the physical non-linear characteristic is obvious. Due to the addition of fiber in the specific direction of the rubber, the macroscopic mechanical properties are expressed as transversely isotropic properties. In order to describe the mechanical behavior under the impact and vibration, the transversely isotropic hyperelastic constitutive model based on tensor function is proposed. The symmetry of the transversely isotropic incompressible material limits the stress tensor ‘ K ’ to be characterized as a function of 5 tensor invariants and 4 scalar invariants. The third power constitutive equations of the model give 12 independent elastic constants of the transversely isotropic nonlinear elastic material. The experimental results show that the non-zero elastic constants are different in the fiber direction and at the different strain rate. Number and value of adiabatic layer and related products R & D has a reference value.

  16. Economic potential of short-rotation woody crops on agricultural land for pulp fiber production in the United States.

    Treesearch

    Ralph J. Alig; Darius M. Adams; Bruce A. McCarl; Peter J. Ince

    2000-01-01

    A model of the U.S. forestry and agricultural sectors is used to simulate the consequences of growing short-rotation woody crops on agricultural lands as a fiber source for pulp and paper production. Hybrid poplar, a short-rotation woody crop, annually produces 4 to 7 dry tons per acre of hardwood pulpwood over a 6- to 10-year rotation. When harvested, the material...

  17. Compressibility of 304 Stainless Steel Powder Metallurgy Materials Reinforced with 304 Short Stainless Steel Fibers

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Bibo; Zhou, Zhaoyao; Duan, Liuyang; Xiao, Zhiyu

    2016-01-01

    Powder metallurgy (P/M) technique is usually used for manufacturing porous metal materials. However, some P/M materials are limitedly used in engineering for their performance deficiency. A novel 304 stainless steel P/M material was produced by a solid-state sintering of 304 stainless steel powders and 304 short stainless steel fibers, which were alternately laid in layers according to mass ratio. In this paper, the compressive properties of the P/M materials were characterized by a series of uniaxial compression tests. The effects of fiber content, compaction pressure and high temperature nitriding on compressive properties were investigated. The results indicated that, without nitriding, the samples changed from cuboid to cydariform without damage in the process of compression. The compressive stress was enhanced with increasing fiber content ranging from 0 to 8 wt.%. For compaction pressure from 55 to 75 MPa, greater compaction pressure improved compressive stress. Moreover, high temperature nitriding was able to significantly improve the yield stress, but collapse failure eventually occurred. PMID:28773285

  18. Compressibility of 304 Stainless Steel Powder Metallurgy Materials Reinforced with 304 Short Stainless Steel Fibers.

    PubMed

    Yao, Bibo; Zhou, Zhaoyao; Duan, Liuyang; Xiao, Zhiyu

    2016-03-04

    Powder metallurgy (P/M) technique is usually used for manufacturing porous metal materials. However, some P/M materials are limitedly used in engineering for their performance deficiency. A novel 304 stainless steel P/M material was produced by a solid-state sintering of 304 stainless steel powders and 304 short stainless steel fibers, which were alternately laid in layers according to mass ratio. In this paper, the compressive properties of the P/M materials were characterized by a series of uniaxial compression tests. The effects of fiber content, compaction pressure and high temperature nitriding on compressive properties were investigated. The results indicated that, without nitriding, the samples changed from cuboid to cydariform without damage in the process of compression. The compressive stress was enhanced with increasing fiber content ranging from 0 to 8 wt.%. For compaction pressure from 55 to 75 MPa, greater compaction pressure improved compressive stress. Moreover, high temperature nitriding was able to significantly improve the yield stress, but collapse failure eventually occurred.

  19. Electrode alignment of transverse tripoles using a percutaneous triple-lead approach in spinal cord stimulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sankarasubramanian, V.; Buitenweg, J. R.; Holsheimer, J.; Veltink, P.

    2011-02-01

    The aim of this modeling study is to determine the influence of electrode alignment of transverse tripoles on the paresthesia coverage of the pain area in spinal cord stimulation, using a percutaneous triple-lead approach. Transverse tripoles, comprising a central cathode and two lateral anodes, were modeled on the low-thoracic vertebral region (T10-T12) using percutaneous triple-lead configurations, with the center lead on the spinal cord midline. The triple leads were oriented both aligned and staggered. In the staggered configuration, the anodes were offset either caudally (caudally staggered) or rostrally (rostrally staggered) with respect to the midline cathode. The transverse tripolar field steering with the aligned and staggered configurations enabled the estimation of dorsal column fiber thresholds (IDC) and dorsal root fiber thresholds (IDR) at various anodal current ratios. IDC and IDR were considerably higher for the aligned transverse tripoles as compared to the staggered transverse tripoles. The aligned transverse tripoles facilitated deeper penetration into the medial dorsal columns (DCs). The staggered transverse tripoles always enabled broad and bilateral DC activation, at the expense of mediolateral steerability. The largest DC recruited area was obtained with the rostrally staggered transverse tripole. Transverse tripolar geometries, using percutaneous leads, allow for selective targeting of either medial or lateral DC fibers, if and only if the transverse tripole is aligned. Steering of anodal currents between the lateral leads of the staggered transverse tripoles cannot target medially confined populations of DC fibers in the spinal cord. An aligned transverse tripolar configuration is strongly recommended, because of its ability to provide more post-operative flexibility than other configurations.

  20. Mode Selection for a Single-Frequency Fiber Laser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Jian

    2010-01-01

    A superstructured fiber-grating-based mode selection filter for a single-frequency fiber laser eliminates all free-space components, and makes the laser truly all-fiber. A ring cavity provides for stable operations in both frequency and power. There is no alignment or realignment required. After the fibers and components are spliced together and packaged, there is no need for specially trained technicians for operation or maintenance. It can be integrated with other modules, such as telescope systems, without extra optical alignment due to the flexibility of the optical fiber. The filter features a narrow line width of 1 kHz and side mode suppression ratio of 65 dB. It provides a high-quality laser for lidar in terms of coherence length and signal-to-noise ratio, which is 20 dB higher than solid-state or microchip lasers. This concept is useful in material processing, medical equipment, biomedical instrumentation, and optical communications. The pulse-shaping fiber laser can be directly used in space, airborne, and satellite applications including lidar, remote sensing, illuminators, and phase-array antenna systems.

  1. Effects of fiber motion on the acoustic behavior of an anisotropic, flexible fibrous material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dahl, Milo D.; Rice, Edward J.; Groesbeck, Donald E.

    1987-01-01

    The acoustic behavior of a flexible fibrous material was studied experimentally. The material consisted of cylindrically shaped fibers arranged in a batting with the fibers primarily aligned parallel to the face of the batting. This type of material was considered anisotropic, with the acoustic propagation constant depending on whether the dirction of sound propagation was parallel or normal to the fiber arrangement. Normal incidence sound absorption measurements were taken for both fiber orientations over the frequency range 140 to 1500 Hz and with bulk densities ranging from 4.6 to 67 kg/cu m. When the sound propagated in a direction normal to the fiber alignment, the measured sound absorption showed the occurrence of a strong resonance, which increased absorption above that attributed to viscous and thermal effects. When the sound propagated in a direction parallel to the fiber alignment, indications of strong resonances in the data were not present. The resonance in the data for fibers normal to the direction of sound propagation is attributed to fiber motion. An analytical model was developed for the acoustic behavior of the material displaying the same fiber motion characteristics shown in the measurements.

  2. Effects of fiber motion on the acoustic behavior of an anisotropic, flexible fibrous material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dahl, Milo D.; Rice, Edward J.; Groesbeck, Donald E.

    1990-01-01

    The acoustic behavior of a flexible fibrous material was studied experimentally. The material consisted of cylindrically shaped fibers arranged in a batting with the fibers primarily aligned parallel to the face of the batting. This type of material was considered anisotropic, with the acoustic propagation constant depending on whether the direction of sound propagation was parallel or normal to the fiber arrangement. Normal incidence sound absorption measurements were taken for both fiber orientations over the frequency range 140 to 1500 Hz and with bulk densities ranging from 4.6 to 67 kg/cu m. When the sound propagated in a direction normal to the fiber alignment, the measured sound absorption showed the occurrence of a strong resonance, which increased absorption above that attributed to viscous and thermal effects. When the sound propagated in a direction parallel to the fiber alignment, indications of strong resonances in the data were not present. The resonance in the data for fibers normal to the direction of sound propagation is attributed to fiber motion. An analytical model was developed for the acoustic behavior of the material displaying the same fiber motion characteristics shown in the measurements.

  3. Safely splicing glass optical fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korbelak, K.

    1980-01-01

    Field-repair technique fuses glass fibers in flammable environment. Apparatus consists of v-groove vacuum chucks on manipulators, high-voltage dc power supply and tungsten electrodes, microscope to observe joint alignment and fusion, means of test transmission through joint. Apparatus is enclosed in gas tight bos filled with inert gas during fusion. About 2 feet of fiber end are necessary for splicing.

  4. How genome complexity can explain the difficulty of aligning reads to genomes.

    PubMed

    Phan, Vinhthuy; Gao, Shanshan; Tran, Quang; Vo, Nam S

    2015-01-01

    Although it is frequently observed that aligning short reads to genomes becomes harder if they contain complex repeat patterns, there has not been much effort to quantify the relationship between complexity of genomes and difficulty of short-read alignment. Existing measures of sequence complexity seem unsuitable for the understanding and quantification of this relationship. We investigated several measures of complexity and found that length-sensitive measures of complexity had the highest correlation to accuracy of alignment. In particular, the rate of distinct substrings of length k, where k is similar to the read length, correlated very highly to alignment performance in terms of precision and recall. We showed how to compute this measure efficiently in linear time, making it useful in practice to estimate quickly the difficulty of alignment for new genomes without having to align reads to them first. We showed how the length-sensitive measures could provide additional information for choosing aligners that would align consistently accurately on new genomes. We formally established a connection between genome complexity and the accuracy of short-read aligners. The relationship between genome complexity and alignment accuracy provides additional useful information for selecting suitable aligners for new genomes. Further, this work suggests that the complexity of genomes sometimes should be thought of in terms of specific computational problems, such as the alignment of short reads to genomes.

  5. High-Throughput Image Analysis of Fibrillar Materials: A Case Study on Polymer Nanofiber Packing, Alignment, and Defects in Organic Field Effect Transistors.

    PubMed

    Persson, Nils E; Rafshoon, Joshua; Naghshpour, Kaylie; Fast, Tony; Chu, Ping-Hsun; McBride, Michael; Risteen, Bailey; Grover, Martha; Reichmanis, Elsa

    2017-10-18

    High-throughput discovery of process-structure-property relationships in materials through an informatics-enabled empirical approach is an increasingly utilized technique in materials research due to the rapidly expanding availability of data. Here, process-structure-property relationships are extracted for the nucleation, growth, and deposition of semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibers used in organic field effect transistors, via high-throughput image analysis. This study is performed using an automated image analysis pipeline combining existing open-source software and new algorithms, enabling the rapid evaluation of structural metrics for images of fibrillar materials, including local orientational order, fiber length density, and fiber length distributions. We observe that microfluidic processing leads to fibers that pack with unusually high density, while sonication yields fibers that pack sparsely with low alignment. This is attributed to differences in their crystallization mechanisms. P3HT nanofiber packing during thin film deposition exhibits behavior suggesting that fibers are confined to packing in two-dimensional layers. We find that fiber alignment, a feature correlated with charge carrier mobility, is driven by increasing fiber length, and that shorter fibers tend to segregate to the buried dielectric interface during deposition, creating potentially performance-limiting defects in alignment. Another barrier to perfect alignment is the curvature of P3HT fibers; we propose a mechanistic simulation of fiber growth that reconciles both this curvature and the log-normal distribution of fiber lengths inherent to the fiber populations under consideration.

  6. Fiber inhalability and head deposition in rats and humans. ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Due to their dimensions and long durability, inhaled asbestos fibers clear slowly from lung airways. Retained fibers may injure the epithelium, interact with macrophages, or translocate to the interstitium to result in various respiratory diseases. Therefore, calculations of fiber inhalability, deposition, and retention in respiratory tract regions of both rats and humans are crucial, both to assess the health risk of fiber exposures and to facilitate inferences from rat inhalation studies. Rat inhalation experiments are underway at the EPA and NIEHS. A model of fiber inhalability and initial deposition in the human and rat nasal cavity was developed. Existing models for particles were extended to fibers by replacing particle diameter with an equivalent fiber diameter. Since fiber inhalability into the respiratory tract and deposition in the extra thoracic airways depended mainly on its inertia, equivalent impaction diameters were derived and substituted in expressions for spherical particle diameter to determine fiber inhalability and nasal losses. Fiber impaction diameter depended strongly on its orientation in the air. Highest inhalability was obtained when fibers were aligned perpendicular to the flow streamlines in the inhaled air. However, detailed calculations of fiber transport in slow moving air such as that in the atmosphere and in lung airways showed that fibers stayed primarily aligned (parallel) to the flow. Therefore, for inhalability calculations,

  7. Understanding Beam Alignment in a Coherent Lidar System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prasad, Narasimha S.; Roychoudhari, Chandrasekhar

    2015-01-01

    Optical beam alignment in a coherent lidar (or ladar) receiver system plays a critical role in optimizing its performance. Optical alignment in a coherent lidar system dictates the wavefront curvature (phase front) and Poynting vector) matching of the local oscillator beam with the incoming receiver beam on a detector. However, this alignment is often not easy to achieve and is rarely perfect. Furthermore, optical fibers are being increasingly used in coherent lidar system receivers for transporting radiation to achieve architectural elegance. Single mode fibers also require stringent mode matching for efficient light coupling. The detector response characteristics vary with the misalignment of the two pointing vectors. Misalignment can lead to increase in DC current. Also, a lens in front of the detector may exasperate phase front and Poynting vector mismatch. Non-Interaction of Waves, or the NIW property indicates the light beams do not interfere by themselves in the absence of detecting dipoles. In this paper, we will analyze the extent of misalignment on the detector specifications using pointing vectors of mixing beams in light of the NIW property.

  8. 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewicki, James P.; Rodriguez, Jennifer N.; Zhu, Cheng; Worsley, Marcus A.; Wu, Amanda S.; Kanarska, Yuliya; Horn, John D.; Duoss, Eric B.; Ortega, Jason M.; Elmer, William; Hensleigh, Ryan; Fellini, Ryan A.; King, Michael J.

    2017-03-01

    Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignment within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Furthermore, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response.

  9. 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties.

    PubMed

    Lewicki, James P; Rodriguez, Jennifer N; Zhu, Cheng; Worsley, Marcus A; Wu, Amanda S; Kanarska, Yuliya; Horn, John D; Duoss, Eric B; Ortega, Jason M; Elmer, William; Hensleigh, Ryan; Fellini, Ryan A; King, Michael J

    2017-03-06

    Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignment within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Furthermore, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response.

  10. 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties

    PubMed Central

    Lewicki, James P.; Rodriguez, Jennifer N.; Zhu, Cheng; Worsley, Marcus A.; Wu, Amanda S.; Kanarska, Yuliya; Horn, John D.; Duoss, Eric B.; Ortega, Jason M.; Elmer, William; Hensleigh, Ryan; Fellini, Ryan A.; King, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignment within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Furthermore, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response. PMID:28262669

  11. Comparison of cell behavior on pva/pva-gelatin electrospun nanofibers with random and aligned configuration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chen-Yu; Hu, Keng-Hsiang; Wei, Zung-Hang

    2016-12-01

    Electrospinning technique is able to create nanofibers with specific orientation. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) have good mechanical stability but poor cell adhesion property due to the low affinity of protein. In this paper, extracellular matrix, gelatin is incorporated into PVA solution to form electrospun PVA-gelatin nanofibers membrane. Both randomly oriented and aligned nanofibers are used to investigate the topography-induced behavior of fibroblasts. Surface morphology of the fibers is studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with image analysis. Functional group composition in PVA or PVA-gelatin is investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The morphological changes, surface coverage, viability and proliferation of fibroblasts influenced by PVA and PVA-gelatin nanofibers with randomly orientated or aligned configuration are systematically compared. Fibroblasts growing on PVA-gelatin fibers show significantly larger projected areas as compared with those cultivated on PVA fibers which p-value is smaller than 0.005. Cells on PVA-gelatin aligned fibers stretch out extensively and their intracellular stress fiber pull nucleus to deform. Results suggest that instead of the anisotropic topology within the scaffold trigger the preferential orientation of cells, the adhesion of cell membrane to gelatin have substantial influence on cellular behavior.

  12. All fiber nonlinear microscopy at 1550 nm using a double-clad fiber coupler

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perrillat-Bottonet, Thomas; Strupler, Mathias; Leduc, Mikael; Majeau, Lucas; Godbout, Nicolas; Boudoux, Caroline

    2017-02-01

    Nonlinear microscopy has already shown its impact in biological research, namely in the fields of neurobiology, immunology, cancer research and embryology. Typically, these microscopes operate under free space propagation, using a dichroic mirror to separate the nonlinear signals from the excitation laser. While powerful such implementations are difficult to translate from the laboratory to a clinical setting where the environment is less controlled. Therefore, we propose an alignment-free all-fiber nonlinear microscopy system at 1550 nm based on double-clad fibers (DCF). As sectioning is performed through nonlinear effects, nonlinear microscopy does not require a detection pinhole, and. the DCF inner cladding can be used for efficient collection of nonlinear signals. The built system allows for multiplexing second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (2PEF), collected from the inner cladding; and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), detected from the core acting as the confocal pinhole. Finally, an asymmetric double-clad fiber coupler (DCFC) is used to address efficiently both DCF channels. This all-fiber system is more compact and less sensitive to alignment, but requires carefully managing the transmission of the femtosecond pulse in the fiber. This is addressed using dispersion compensation fiber, pulse compression and solitonic propagation. Additionally, with a source centered at 1550 nm, we benefit from reduced sample scattering thus increasing the depth of field in comparison with systems operating at 800 nm. Overall we believe that the developed system could be transferred in clinics to enable in-vivo and in-situ imaging of human patient.

  13. Do vitreous fibers break in the lung?

    PubMed

    Eastes, Walter; Baron, Paul A; Baier, Robert E; Guldberg, Marianne; Potter, Russell

    2007-04-01

    In order to determine whether breakage of long vitreous fibers in the lung could be responsible for removing significant numbers of these fibers, an intratracheal instillation study was done with a preparation consisting of mostly long fibers of two different types. Following instillation of both fibers, laboratory rats were sacrificed at 6 times up to 14 days. The NK (conventional borosilicate glass) fiber preparation had about 20% short fibers (length < or = 15 microm) initially, and fibers recovered from the lungs remained at that proportion for the entire 14 days. But the HT (a new rock or stone wool) fiber preparation, which had about 5% short fibers initially, jumped to about 50% short fibers at 2 days and remained at that proportion for the rest of the study. The appearance of many short HT fibers where there were few initially is conclusive evidence that these long fibers break, and it explains their rapid removal from the lung. Since the HT fibers dissolve rapidly at acid pH, but slowly at the near neutral pH of the extracellular lung fluid, it is likely that acid attack by phagocytic cells is causing the long fibers to dissolve and break. The long NK fibers dissolve rapidly at neutral pH but slowly at acid pH and thus appear to clear by more or less uniform dissolution without apparent breakage. The long fibers of these two kinds are removed rapidly at about the same rate, but by a different mechanism.

  14. Very low-loss passive fiber-to-chip coupling with tapered fibers.

    PubMed

    Paatzsch, T; Smaglinski, I; Abraham, M; Bauer, H D; Hempelmann, U; Neumann, G; Mrozynski, G; Kerndlmaier, W

    1997-07-20

    A novel passive fiber-to-chip coupling based on the use of fiber tapers embedded in a guiding structure is proposed. By beam-propagation calculations it is verified that this new coupling method exhibits a very low insertion loss. Major advantages of the proposed method compared with butt coupling are demonstrated by simulation results: first, tolerance requirements for the fibers, e.g., diameter variations and core eccentricity, and for fabrication of the alignment structure are reduced by at least 1 order of magnitude. Second, coupling to waveguides of nearly arbitrary dimensions and refractive indices seems to be possible. Experimental results on thermal drawing of fiber tapers are presented and used as input data for the simulations. A concept for fabrication of the new coupling method with the Lithographic Galvanik Abformung (LIGA) technique is presented.

  15. Claustrum of the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata: Alignment of cellular orientation and functional connectivity.

    PubMed

    Orman, Rena; Kollmar, Richard; Stewart, Mark

    2017-04-15

    The claustrum is a gray-matter structure that underlies neocortex and reciprocates connections with cortical and subcortical targets. In lower mammals, the claustrum is directly adjacent to neocortex, making the definition of claustral boundaries challenging. Latexin, an endogenous inhibitor of metallocarboxypeptidases, localizes to claustral cells, enabling a clear delineation of claustrum. Given its proportionately large claustrum, we hypothesized that the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, can be a useful model for claustral structure-function relations. We used latexin immunohistochemistry to identify claustral boundaries and intrinsic structure and multielectrode recordings from brain slices to explore intrinsic excitatory connectivity of the claustrum. Carollia's claustrum contains cells whose intrinsic connectivity and alignment permit the generation of spontaneous, synchronous population events and mirror their pattern of spread in disinhibited brain slices over millimeters. Carollia shows cellular alignment and spontaneous population-activity spread along both horizontal and dorsoventral axes. Carollia claustrum possesses intrinsic excitatory connectivity sufficient to: 1) generate single, spontaneous, synchronized burst discharges, 2) support activity spread along axes where claustral cells are aligned, and 3), because of multiple axes for cell alignment, support activity spread along both rostrocaudal and dorsoventral axes. The smaller event sizes in bat claustrum compared with rat claustrum are consistent with events occurring in population subsets rather than the full claustral cell population. The overall size of claustrum, its pronounced vascularity, and its more complex intrinsic connectivity than rat suggest that the bat is an animal model for claustral structure and function that will permit unique access to claustrum's processing capabilities. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1459-1474, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley

  16. Structure-Property Relations in Carbon Nanotube Fibers by Downscaling Solution Processing.

    PubMed

    Headrick, Robert J; Tsentalovich, Dmitri E; Berdegué, Julián; Bengio, Elie Amram; Liberman, Lucy; Kleinerman, Olga; Lucas, Matthew S; Talmon, Yeshayahu; Pasquali, Matteo

    2018-03-01

    At the microscopic scale, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) combine impressive tensile strength and electrical conductivity; however, their macroscopic counterparts have not met expectations. The reasons are variously attributed to inherent CNT sample properties (diameter and helicity polydispersity, high defect density, insufficient length) and manufacturing shortcomings (inadequate ordering and packing), which can lead to poor transmission of stress and current. To efficiently investigate the disparity between microscopic and macroscopic properties, a new method is introduced for processing microgram quantities of CNTs into highly oriented and well-packed fibers. CNTs are dissolved into chlorosulfonic acid and processed into aligned films; each film can be peeled and twisted into multiple discrete fibers. Fibers fabricated by this method and solution-spinning are directly compared to determine the impact of alignment, twist, packing density, and length. Surprisingly, these discrete fibers can be twice as strong as their solution-spun counterparts despite a lower degree of alignment. Strength appears to be more sensitive to internal twist and packing density, while fiber conductivity is essentially equivalent among the two sets of samples. Importantly, this rapid fiber manufacturing method uses three orders of magnitude less material than solution spinning, expanding the experimental parameter space and enabling the exploration of unique CNT sources. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Fabrication and mechanical behavior of dye-doped polymer optical fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Changhong; Kuzyk, Mark G.; Ding, Jow-Lian; Johns, William E.; Welker, David J.

    2002-07-01

    The purpose of this article is to study the materials physics behind dye-doped polymethyl metharcylate (PMMA) that is important for the optical fiber drawing process. We report effects of the fabrication process on the mechanical properties of the final fiber. The qualitative degree of polymer chain alignment is found to increase with the drawing force, which in turn decreases with the drawing temperature and increases with the drawing ratio. The chain alignment relaxes when the fibers are annealed at 95 degC with a commensurate decrease in fiber length and increase in diameter. The annealed fiber has higher ductility but lower strength than the unannealed fiber. Both the yield and tensile strengths are dependent on the strain rate. The relationship between tensile strength, sigmab, and fiber diameter, d, is found empirically to be sigmab[is proportional to]d-0.5. The yield strength appears to be less sensitive to the fiber diameter than the tensile strength. For PMMA doped with disperse red 1 azo dye, the yield strength, tensile strength, and Young's modulus peak at a dye concentration of 0.0094 wt %. These results are useful for designing polymer optical fibers with well-defined mechanical properties.

  18. Design of practical alignment device in KSTAR Thomson diagnostic.

    PubMed

    Lee, J H; Lee, S H; Yamada, I

    2016-11-01

    The precise alignment of the laser path and collection optics in Thomson scattering measurements is essential for accurately determining electron temperature and density in tokamak experiments. For the last five years, during the development stage, the KSTAR tokamak's Thomson diagnostic system has had alignment fibers installed in its optical collection modules, but these lacked a proper alignment detection system. In order to address these difficulties, an alignment verifying detection device between lasers and an object field of collection optics is developed. The alignment detection device utilizes two types of filters: a narrow laser band wavelength for laser, and a broad wavelength filter for Thomson scattering signal. Four such alignment detection devices have been successfully developed for the KSTAR Thomson scattering system in this year, and these will be tested in KSTAR experiments in 2016. In this paper, we present the newly developed alignment detection device for KSTAR's Thomson scattering diagnostics.

  19. The effect of short polyethylene fiber with different weight percentages on diametral tensile strength of conventional and resin modified glass ionomer cements

    PubMed Central

    Sharafeddin, Farahnaz; Ghaboos, Seyed-Ali

    2017-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polyethylene fiber on diametral tensile strength of conventional and resin modified glass ionomer cements. Material and Methods 60 specimens in 6 groups (n=10) were prepared. In group 1 conventional glass ionomer (Fuji GC) and in group 2 resin modified glass ionomer (Fuji LC) were as control groups. In group 3 and 4 conventional glass ionomers mixed with short polyethylene fibers in proportion of 1 wt% and 3 wt%, respectively. In fifth and sixth groups, resin modified glass ionomer and short polyethylene fibers were mixed in 1 and 3% wt, respectively. Samples were prepared in a round brass mold (6.5×2.5 mm). After thermo-cycling, the diametral tensile strength of the specimens were tested and data were analyzed with ANOVA and post-hoc tests (p<0.05). Results Diametral tensile strength of both conventional and resin modified glass ionomer cements increased after mixing with polyethylene fiber (p<0.001). Also, reinforcement occurred as the mixing percentage increased from 1% wt to 3% wt in either conventional and resin modified glass ionomer (p<0.001). Conclusions The polyethylene fiber was shown to have a significant positive influence on diametral tensile strength of two types of glass ionomers. Key words:Conventional glass ionomer, diametral tensile strength, polyethylene fiber, resin modified glass ionomer. PMID:28298993

  20. Coval: Improving Alignment Quality and Variant Calling Accuracy for Next-Generation Sequencing Data

    PubMed Central

    Kosugi, Shunichi; Natsume, Satoshi; Yoshida, Kentaro; MacLean, Daniel; Cano, Liliana; Kamoun, Sophien; Terauchi, Ryohei

    2013-01-01

    Accurate identification of DNA polymorphisms using next-generation sequencing technology is challenging because of a high rate of sequencing error and incorrect mapping of reads to reference genomes. Currently available short read aligners and DNA variant callers suffer from these problems. We developed the Coval software to improve the quality of short read alignments. Coval is designed to minimize the incidence of spurious alignment of short reads, by filtering mismatched reads that remained in alignments after local realignment and error correction of mismatched reads. The error correction is executed based on the base quality and allele frequency at the non-reference positions for an individual or pooled sample. We demonstrated the utility of Coval by applying it to simulated genomes and experimentally obtained short-read data of rice, nematode, and mouse. Moreover, we found an unexpectedly large number of incorrectly mapped reads in ‘targeted’ alignments, where the whole genome sequencing reads had been aligned to a local genomic segment, and showed that Coval effectively eliminated such spurious alignments. We conclude that Coval significantly improves the quality of short-read sequence alignments, thereby increasing the calling accuracy of currently available tools for SNP and indel identification. Coval is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/coval105/. PMID:24116042

  1. Align and random electrospun mat of PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:PSS/RGO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarabi, Ghazale Asghari; Latifi, Masoud; Bagherzadeh, Roohollah

    2018-01-01

    In this research work we fabricated two ultrafine conductive nanofibrous layers to investigate the materilas composition and their properties for the preparation of supercapacitor materials application. In first layer, a polymer and a conductive polymer were used and second layer was a composition of polymer, conductive polymer and carbon-base material. In both cases align and randomized mat of conductive nanofibers were fabricated using electrospinning set up. Conductive poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/ polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) nanofibers were electrospun by dissolving fiber-forming polymer and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in an aqueous dispersion of PEDOT:PSS. The effect of addition of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was considered for nanocomposite layer. The ultrafine conductive polymer fibers and conductive nanocomposite fibrous materials were also fabricated using an electrospinning process. A fixed collector and a rotating drum were used for random and align nanofibers production, respectively. The resulted fibers were characterized and analyzed by SEM, FTIR and two-point probe conductivity test. The average diameter of nanofibers measured by ImageJ software indicated that the average fiber diameter for first layer was 100 nm and for nanocomposite layer was about 85 nm. The presence of PEDOT:PSS and RGO in the nanofibers was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The conductivity of align and random layers was characterized. The conductivity of PEDOT:PSS nanofibers showed higher enhancement by addition of RGO in aqueous dispersion. The obtained results showed that alignment of fibrous materials can be considered as an engineering tool for tuning the conductivity of fibrous materials for many different applications such as supercapacitors, conductive and transparent materials.

  2. A hybrid short read mapping accelerator

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The rapid growth of short read datasets poses a new challenge to the short read mapping problem in terms of sensitivity and execution speed. Existing methods often use a restrictive error model for computing the alignments to improve speed, whereas more flexible error models are generally too slow for large-scale applications. A number of short read mapping software tools have been proposed. However, designs based on hardware are relatively rare. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been successfully used in a number of specific application areas, such as the DSP and communications domains due to their outstanding parallel data processing capabilities, making them a competitive platform to solve problems that are “inherently parallel”. Results We present a hybrid system for short read mapping utilizing both FPGA-based hardware and CPU-based software. The computation intensive alignment and the seed generation operations are mapped onto an FPGA. We present a computationally efficient, parallel block-wise alignment structure (Align Core) to approximate the conventional dynamic programming algorithm. The performance is compared to the multi-threaded CPU-based GASSST and BWA software implementations. For single-end alignment, our hybrid system achieves faster processing speed than GASSST (with a similar sensitivity) and BWA (with a higher sensitivity); for pair-end alignment, our design achieves a slightly worse sensitivity than that of BWA but has a higher processing speed. Conclusions This paper shows that our hybrid system can effectively accelerate the mapping of short reads to a reference genome based on the seed-and-extend approach. The performance comparison to the GASSST and BWA software implementations under different conditions shows that our hybrid design achieves a high degree of sensitivity and requires less overall execution time with only modest FPGA resource utilization. Our hybrid system design also shows that the performance

  3. Collagen Fiber Orientation in Primate Long Bones.

    PubMed

    Warshaw, Johanna; Bromage, Timothy G; Terranova, Carl J; Enlow, Donald H

    2017-07-01

    Studies of variation in orientation of collagen fibers within bone have lead to the proposition that these are preferentially aligned to accommodate different kinds of load, with tension best resisted by fibers aligned longitudinally relative to the load, and compression best resisted by transversely aligned fibers. However, previous studies have often neglected to consider the effect of developmental processes, including constraints on collagen fiber orientation (CFO), particularly in primary bone. Here we use circularly polarized light microscopy to examine patterns of CFO in cross-sections from the midshaft femur, humerus, tibia, radius, and ulna in a range of living primate taxa with varied body sizes, phylogenetic relationships and positional behaviors. We find that a preponderance of longitudinally oriented collagen is characteristic of both periosteal primary and intracortically remodeled bone. Where variation does occur among groups, it is not simply understood via interpretations of mechanical loads, although prioritized adaptations to tension and/or shear are considered. While there is some suggestion that CFO may correlate with body size, this relationship is neither consistent nor easily explicable through consideration of size-related changes in mechanical adaptation. The results of our study indicate that there is no clear relationship between CFO and phylogenetic status. One of the principle factors accounting for the range of variation that does exist is primary tissue type, where slower depositing bone is more likely to comprise a larger proportion of oblique to transverse collagen fibers. Anat Rec, 300:1189-1207, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds with Gradations in Fiber Organization

    PubMed Central

    Khandalavala, Karl; Jiang, Jiang; Shuler, Franklin D.; Xie, Jingwei

    2015-01-01

    The goal of this protocol is to report a simple method for generating nanofiber scaffolds with gradations in fiber organization and test their possible applications in controlling cell morphology/orientation. Nanofiber organization is controlled with a new fabrication apparatus that enables the gradual decrease of fiber organization in a scaffold. Changing the alignment of fibers is achieved through decreasing deposition time of random electrospun fibers on a uniaxially aligned fiber mat. By covering the collector with a moving barrier/mask, along the same axis as fiber deposition, the organizational structure is easily controlled. For tissue engineering purposes, adipose-derived stem cells can be seeded to these scaffolds. Stem cells undergo morphological changes as a result of their position on the varied organizational structure, and can potentially differentiate into different cell types depending on their locations. Additionally, the graded organization of fibers enhances the biomimicry of nanofiber scaffolds so they more closely resemble the natural orientations of collagen nanofibers at tendon-to-bone insertion site compared to traditional scaffolds. Through nanoencapsulation, the gradated fibers also afford the possibility to construct chemical gradients in fiber scaffolds, and thereby further strengthen their potential applications in fast screening of cell-materials interaction and interfacial tissue regeneration. This technique enables the production of continuous gradient scaffolds, but it also can potentially produce fibers in discrete steps by controlling the movement of the moving barrier/mask in a discrete fashion. PMID:25938562

  5. Improved Fiber-Optic-Coupled Pressure And Vibration Sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuckerwar, Allan J.; Cuomo, Frank W.

    1994-01-01

    Improved fiber-optic coupler enables use of single optical fiber to carry light to and from sensor head. Eliminates problem of alignment of multiple fibers in sensor head and simplifies calibration by making performance both more predictable and more stable. Sensitivities increased, sizes reduced. Provides increased margin for design of compact sensor heads not required to contain amplifier circuits and withstand high operating temperatures.

  6. Effects of TiB2 Particle and Short Fiber Sizes on the Microstructure and Properties of TiB2-Reinforced Composite Coatings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Yinghua; Yao, Jianhua; Wang, Liang; Zhang, Qunli; Li, Xueqiao; Lei, Yongping; Fu, Hanguang

    2018-03-01

    In this study, particle and short fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composite coatings are prepared via laser in situ technique using (0.5 and 50 μm) TiB2 and Ti powder as cladding materials. The microstructure and properties of the composite coatings are studied, and the changing mechanism of the microstructure is discussed. The results reveal that particle agglomeration is prone to appear with using fine TiB2 particles. Decomposition of the particles preferentially occurs with using coarse TiB2 particles. The cracks and pores on the surface of the coating are formed at a lower laser energy density. With the increase in the laser energy density, cracking on the surface of the coating diminishes, but the coating exhibits depression behavior. The depression extent of the coating using fine TiB2 particle as the reinforcement is much less than that of the coating using coarse TiB2 particle. Moreover, the size of the aggregate and the tendency of cracking can be reduced with the increase in Ti addition. Meanwhile, short TiB fiber bundles are formed by the diffusion mechanism of rod aggregate, and randomly oriented TiB short fibers are formed mainly by the dissolution-precipitation mechanism of fine TiB2 particles. Moreover, the growth of short TiB fibers can be in an alternating manner between B27 and Bf structures. The micro-hardness and wear resistance of the coatings are evidently higher than that of the titanium alloy substrate. The wear resistance of the large size TiB2 coating is higher than that of the small size TiB2 coating under the condition of low load.

  7. Short-Term Effects of Kinesiotaping on Pain and Joint Alignment in Conservative Treatment of Hallux Valgus.

    PubMed

    Karabicak, Gul Oznur; Bek, Nilgun; Tiftikci, Ugur

    2015-10-01

    The main aim of this study was to measure short-term effects of kinesiotaping on pain and joint alignment in the conservative treatment of hallux valgus. Twenty-one female patients diagnosed with a total of 34 feet with hallux valgus (13 bilateral, 6 right, and 2 left) participated in this study. Kinesiotaping was implemented after the first assessment and renewed in days 3, 7, and 10. The main outcome measures were pain, as assessed using visual analog scale, and hallux adduction angle, as measured by goniometry. Secondary outcome measure was patients' functional status, as measured by Foot Function Index and the hallux valgus scale of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). The radiographic results were also measured before and after 1 month of treatment. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the differences between initial and final scores of AOFAS, as well as FFI scales and hallux valgus angle assessment scores. There was a significant reduction in goniometric measurement of hallux valgus angle (P = .001). There was a significant reduction in pain intensity (P = .001) and AOFAS and Foot Function Index scores at the end of the treatment (P = .001 and P = .001, respectively). There was a significant difference between radiographic results in 1-month control (P = .009). For this group of female patients, pain and joint alignment were improved after a 10-day kinesiotape implementation in patients with hallux valgus. The findings showed short-term decreased pain and disability in hallux valgus deformity. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Design of practical alignment device in KSTAR Thomson diagnostic

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

    Lee, J. H., E-mail: jhlee@nfri.re.kr; University of Science and Technology; Lee, S. H.

    2016-11-15

    The precise alignment of the laser path and collection optics in Thomson scattering measurements is essential for accurately determining electron temperature and density in tokamak experiments. For the last five years, during the development stage, the KSTAR tokamak’s Thomson diagnostic system has had alignment fibers installed in its optical collection modules, but these lacked a proper alignment detection system. In order to address these difficulties, an alignment verifying detection device between lasers and an object field of collection optics is developed. The alignment detection device utilizes two types of filters: a narrow laser band wavelength for laser, and a broadmore » wavelength filter for Thomson scattering signal. Four such alignment detection devices have been successfully developed for the KSTAR Thomson scattering system in this year, and these will be tested in KSTAR experiments in 2016. In this paper, we present the newly developed alignment detection device for KSTAR’s Thomson scattering diagnostics.« less

  9. Minimap2: pairwise alignment for nucleotide sequences.

    PubMed

    Li, Heng

    2018-05-10

    Recent advances in sequencing technologies promise ultra-long reads of ∼100 kilo bases (kb) in average, full-length mRNA or cDNA reads in high throughput and genomic contigs over 100 mega bases (Mb) in length. Existing alignment programs are unable or inefficient to process such data at scale, which presses for the development of new alignment algorithms. Minimap2 is a general-purpose alignment program to map DNA or long mRNA sequences against a large reference database. It works with accurate short reads of ≥ 100bp in length, ≥1kb genomic reads at error rate ∼15%, full-length noisy Direct RNA or cDNA reads, and assembly contigs or closely related full chromosomes of hundreds of megabases in length. Minimap2 does split-read alignment, employs concave gap cost for long insertions and deletions (INDELs) and introduces new heuristics to reduce spurious alignments. It is 3-4 times as fast as mainstream short-read mappers at comparable accuracy, and is ≥30 times faster than long-read genomic or cDNA mappers at higher accuracy, surpassing most aligners specialized in one type of alignment. https://github.com/lh3/minimap2. hengli@broadinstitute.org.

  10. Biodegradable composites with aligned hydroxyapatite nanoneedles.

    PubMed

    Sun, Shih-Po; Wei, Mei; Olson, James R; Shaw, Montgomery T

    2012-10-01

    We prepared an anisotropic bone graft composite to mimic the hierarchical structure of the natural bone in which aligned hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals deposit along collagen fibers. To approach the modulus and strength of the bone, we incorporated synthesized HA nanoneedles and melt drawn poly(L-lactic acid) fibers in our composite as reinforcing components. Their preferred orientation was induced via a modified pultrusion process. The HA orientation distribution was examined using wide angle X-ray diffraction. Micromechanical Halpin-Tsai model predictions considering the amount, shape, and orientation distribution of HA were compared, favorably, with the experimental observations. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Electrospinning of single wall carbon nanotube reinforced aligned fibrils and yarns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lam, Hoa Le

    Commercial carbon fibers produced from a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor have reached their performance limit. The approach in this study involves the use of single carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with an ultra-high elastic modulus of approximately ˜1 TPa and tensile strength of ˜37 GPa at a breaking strain of ˜6% to reinforce PAN. In order to translate these extraordinary properties to a higher order structure, the need for a media to carry and assemble the SWNT into continuous fibers or yarns is necessary. Effective translation of properties can only be achieved through uniform distribution of SWNT and their alignment in the fiber axis. This has been one of the major challenges since SWNTs tend to agglomerate due to high van der Waals attraction between tubes. It is the goal of this study to develop dispersion technique(s) for the SWNT and process them into aligned fibers utilizing the electrospinning process. The electrospun nanofibers were then characterized by various techniques such as ESEM, Raman microspectroscopy, HRTEM, and tensile testing. Composite nanofibers containing various contents of SWNT up to 10 wt. % with diameter ranging from 40--300 nm were successfully electrospun through varying the polymer concentration and spinning parameters. The inclusion of SWNTs and their alignment in the fiber axis were confirmed by Raman microspectroscopy, polarized Raman and HRETEM. The failure mechanism of the nanofibers was investigated by HRTEM through fiber surface fracture. A two stage rupture mechanism was observed where crazing initiates at a surface defect followed by SWNTs pulling out of the PAN matrix. Such mechanisms consume energy therefore strengthening and toughening the fibers. Mechanical drawing of the fiber prior to heat treatment induced molecular orientation resulting in oriented graphite layers in the carbonized fibers. This study has established a processing base and characterization techniques to support the design and development of SWNT

  12. Optimal matrix rigidity for stress fiber polarization in stem cells

    PubMed Central

    Rehfeldt, F.; Brown, A. E. X.; Discher, D. E.; Safran, S. A.

    2010-01-01

    The shape and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells is especially sensitive to the rigidity of their environment; the physical mechanisms involved are unknown. A theoretical model and experiments demonstrate here that the polarization/alignment of stress-fibers within stem cells is a non-monotonic function of matrix rigidity. We treat the cell as an active elastic inclusion in a surrounding matrix whose polarizability, unlike dead matter, depends on the feedback of cellular forces that develop in response to matrix stresses. The theory correctly predicts the monotonic increase of the cellular forces with the matrix rigidity and the alignment of stress-fibers parallel to the long axis of cells. We show that the anisotropy of this alignment depends non-monotonically on matrix rigidity and demonstrate it experimentally by quantifying the orientational distribution of stress-fibers in stem cells. These findings offer a first physical insight for the dependence of stem cell differentiation on tissue elasticity. PMID:20563235

  13. Direct writing of fiber optic components in photonic crystal fibers and other specialty fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandes, Luis Andre; Sezerman, Omur; Best, Garland; Ng, Mi Li; Kane, Saidou

    2016-04-01

    Femtosecond direct laser writing has recently shown great potential for the fabrication of complex integrated devices in the cladding of optical fibers. Such devices have the advantage of requiring no bulk optical components and no breaks in the fiber path, thus reducing the need for complicated alignment, eliminating contamination, and increasing stability. This technology has already found applications using combinations of Bragg gratings, interferometers, and couplers for the fabrication of optical filters, sensors, and power monitors. The femtosecond laser writing method produces a local modification of refractive index through non-linear absorption of the ultrafast laser pulses inside the dielectric material of both the core and cladding of the fiber. However, fiber geometries that incorporate air or hollow structures, such as photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), still present a challenge since the index modification regions created by the writing process cannot be generated in the hollow regions of the fiber. In this work, the femtosecond laser method is used together with a pre-modification method that consists of partially collapsing the hollow holes using an electrical arc discharge. The partial collapse of the photonic band gap structure provides a path for femtosecond laser written waveguides to couple light from the core to the edge of the fiber for in-line power monitoring. This novel approach is expected to have applications in other specialty fibers such as suspended core fibers and can open the way for the integration of complex devices and facilitate miniaturization of optical circuits to take advantage of the particular characteristics of the PCFs.

  14. High-throughput and high-yield fabrication of uniaxially-aligned chitosan-based nanofibers by centrifugal electrospinning

    PubMed Central

    Erickson, Ariane E.; Edmondson, Dennis; Chang, Fei-Chien; Wood, Dave; Gong, Alex; Levengood, Sheeny Lan; Zhang, Miqin

    2016-01-01

    The inability to produce large quantities of nanofibers has been a primary obstacle in advancement and commercialization of electrospinning technologies, especially when aligned nanofibers are desired. Here, we present a high-throughput centrifugal electrospinning (HTP-CES) system capable of producing a large number of highly-aligned nanofiber samples with high-yield and tunable diameters. The versatility of the design was revealed when bead-less nanofibers were produced from copolymer chitosan/polycaprolactone (C-PCL) solutions despite variations in polymer blend composition or spinneret needle gauge. Compared to conventional electrospinning techniques, fibers spun with the HTP-CES not only exhibited superior alignment, but also better diameter uniformity. Nanofiber alignment was quantified using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis. In addition, a concave correlation between the needle diameter and resultant fiber diameter was identified. This system can be easily scaled up for industrial production of highly-aligned nanofibers with tunable diameters that can potentially meet the requirements for various engineering and biomedical applications. PMID:26428148

  15. Optimization of GRIN lenses coupling system for twin-core fiber interconnection with single core fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Gongdai; Deng, Hongchang; Yuan, Libo

    2018-07-01

    We aim at a more compact, flexible, and simpler core-to-fiber coupling approach, optimal combinations of two graded refractive index (GRIN) lenses have been demonstrated for the interconnection between a twin-core single-mode fiber and two single-core single-mode fibers. The optimal two-lens combinations achieve an efficient core-to-fiber separating coupling and allow the fibers and lenses to coaxially assemble. Finally, axial deviations and transverse displacements of the components are discussed, and the latter increases the coupling loss more significantly. The gap length between the two lenses is designed to be fine-tuned to compensate for the transverse displacement, and the good linear compensation relationship contributes to the device manufacturing. This approach has potential applications in low coupling loss and low crosstalk devices without sophisticated alignment and adjustment, and enables the channel separating for multicore fibers.

  16. Vertically aligned carbon nanotube-sheathed carbon fibers as pristine microelectrodes for selective monitoring of ascorbate in vivo.

    PubMed

    Xiang, Ling; Yu, Ping; Hao, Jie; Zhang, Meining; Zhu, Lin; Dai, Liming; Mao, Lanqun

    2014-04-15

    Using as-synthesized vertically aligned carbon nanotube-sheathed carbon fibers (VACNT-CFs) as microelectrodes without any postsynthesis functionalization, we have developed in this study a new method for in vivo monitoring of ascorbate with high selectivity and reproducibility. The VACNT-CFs are formed via pyrolysis of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) on the carbon fiber support. After electrochemical pretreatment in 1.0 M NaOH solution, the pristine VACNT-CF microelectrodes exhibit typical microelectrode behavior with fast electron transfer kinetics for electrochemical oxidation of ascorbate and are useful for selective ascorbate monitoring even with other electroactive species (e.g., dopamine, uric acid, and 5-hydroxytryptamine) coexisting in rat brain. Pristine VACNT-CFs are further demonstrated to be a reliable and stable microelectrode for in vivo recording of the dynamic increase of ascorbate evoked by intracerebral infusion of glutamate. Use of a pristine VACNT-CF microelectrode can effectively avoid any manual electrode modification and is free from person-to-person and/or electrode-to-electrode deviations intrinsically associated with conventional CF electrode fabrication, which often involves electrode surface modification with randomly distributed CNTs or other pretreatments, and hence allows easy fabrication of highly selective, reproducible, and stable microelectrodes even by nonelectrochemists. Thus, this study offers a new and reliable platform for in vivo monitoring of neurochemicals (e.g., ascorbate) to largely facilitate future studies on the neurochemical processes involved in various physiological events.

  17. BarraCUDA - a fast short read sequence aligner using graphics processing units

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background With the maturation of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies, the throughput of DNA sequencing reads has soared to over 600 gigabases from a single instrument run. General purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU), extracts the computing power from hundreds of parallel stream processors within graphics processing cores and provides a cost-effective and energy efficient alternative to traditional high-performance computing (HPC) clusters. In this article, we describe the implementation of BarraCUDA, a GPGPU sequence alignment software that is based on BWA, to accelerate the alignment of sequencing reads generated by these instruments to a reference DNA sequence. Findings Using the NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) software development environment, we ported the most computational-intensive alignment component of BWA to GPU to take advantage of the massive parallelism. As a result, BarraCUDA offers a magnitude of performance boost in alignment throughput when compared to a CPU core while delivering the same level of alignment fidelity. The software is also capable of supporting multiple CUDA devices in parallel to further accelerate the alignment throughput. Conclusions BarraCUDA is designed to take advantage of the parallelism of GPU to accelerate the alignment of millions of sequencing reads generated by NGS instruments. By doing this, we could, at least in part streamline the current bioinformatics pipeline such that the wider scientific community could benefit from the sequencing technology. BarraCUDA is currently available from http://seqbarracuda.sf.net PMID:22244497

  18. Biopersistences of man-made vitreous fibers and crocidolite fibers in rat lungs following short-term exposures.

    PubMed Central

    Musselman, R P; Miiller, W C; Eastes, W; Hadley, J G; Kamstrup, O; Thevenaz, P; Hesterberg, T W

    1994-01-01

    Biopersistence of commercial man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) and crocidolite were studied in Fischer 344 rats. MMVF used were size-selected to be rat-respirable, and rats were exposed nose-only 6 h/day for 5 days to gravimetric concentrations (30 mg/m3) of two fiber glass compositions--a rockwool, and a slagwool--or to 10 mg/m3 of long-fibered crocidolite, or to filtered air. Animals were sacrificed at 1 hr, 1, 5, 31, 90, 180, 270, 365, and 545 days after exposure stopped. Fibers were recovered from digested lung tissue to determine changes in concentrations (fibers/mg dry lung) and fiber retentions (expressed as percent of day 1 retention [PR]) for selected dimension categories. One-day average concentrations of lung-retained MMVF and crocidolite fibers, of diameter > or = 0.5 micron or > 20 microns in length, were nearly equal, permitting direct comparisons between MMVF and crocidolite. At 270 days average PR for MMVF > or = 0.5 micron in diameter were from 3 to 6 +/- 2% and 27 +/- 9% for crocidolite. For fibers > 20 microns, PR were 1 to 4 +/- 4% for MMVF and 37 +/- 20% for crocidolite. At 545 days, MMVF > 20 microns in length were at background level while concentration of crocidolite fibers > 20 microns in length remained at 2000 +/- 400 f/mg DL (dry lung), or 38 +/- 9% of day-1 retention. These results suggest strongly that MMVF dissolved or fractured in vivo whereas crocidolite fibers did not change. PMID:7882918

  19. FEA of the clinching process of short fiber reinforced thermoplastic with an aluminum sheet using LS-DYNA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behrens, B.-A.; Bouguecha, A.; Vucetic, M.; Grbic, N.

    2016-10-01

    A structural concept in multi-material design is used in the automotive industry with the aim of achieving significant weight reductions of conventional car bodies. In this respect, the use of aluminum and short fiber reinforced plastics represents an interesting material combination. A wide acceptance of such a material combination requires a suitable joining technique. Among different joining techniques, clinching represents one of the most appealing alternative for automotive applications. This contribution deals with the FE simulation of the clinching process of two representative materials PA6GF30 and EN AW 5754 using the FE software LS-DYNA. With regard to the material modelling of the aluminum sheet, an isotropic material model based on the von Mises plasticity implemented in LS-DYNA was chosen. Analogous to aluminum, the same material model is used for modelling the short fiber reinforced thermoplastic. Additionally, a semi-analytical model for polymers (SAMP-1) also available in LS-DYNA was taken. Finally, the FEA of clinching process is carried out and the comparison of the simulation results is presented above.

  20. Modular and configurable optimal sequence alignment software: Cola.

    PubMed

    Zamani, Neda; Sundström, Görel; Höppner, Marc P; Grabherr, Manfred G

    2014-01-01

    The fundamental challenge in optimally aligning homologous sequences is to define a scoring scheme that best reflects the underlying biological processes. Maximising the overall number of matches in the alignment does not always reflect the patterns by which nucleotides mutate. Efficiently implemented algorithms that can be parameterised to accommodate more complex non-linear scoring schemes are thus desirable. We present Cola, alignment software that implements different optimal alignment algorithms, also allowing for scoring contiguous matches of nucleotides in a nonlinear manner. The latter places more emphasis on short, highly conserved motifs, and less on the surrounding nucleotides, which can be more diverged. To illustrate the differences, we report results from aligning 14,100 sequences from 3' untranslated regions of human genes to 25 of their mammalian counterparts, where we found that a nonlinear scoring scheme is more consistent than a linear scheme in detecting short, conserved motifs. Cola is freely available under LPGL from https://github.com/nedaz/cola.

  1. Transfer of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) while maintaining their alignment and impalefection functionality.

    PubMed

    Pearce, Ryan C; Railsback, Justin G; Anderson, Bryan D; Sarac, Mehmet F; McKnight, Timothy E; Tracy, Joseph B; Melechko, Anatoli V

    2013-02-01

    Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) are synthesized on Al 3003 alloy substrates by direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Chemically synthesized Ni nanoparticles were used as the catalyst for growth. The Si-containing coating (SiN(x)) typically created when VACNFs are grown on silicon was produced by adding Si microparticles prior to growth. The fiber arrays were transferred to PDMS by spin coating a layer on the grown substrates, curing the PDMS, and etching away the Al in KOH. The fiber arrays contain many fibers over 15 μm (long enough to protrude from the PDMS film and penetrate cell membranes) and SiN(x) coatings as observed by SEM, EDX, and fluorescence microscopy. The free-standing array in PDMS was loaded with pVENUS-C1 plasmid and human brain microcapillary endothelial (HBMEC) cells and was successfully impalefected.

  2. Albumin fiber scaffolds for engineering functional cardiac tissues.

    PubMed

    Fleischer, Sharon; Shapira, Assaf; Regev, Omri; Nseir, Nora; Zussman, Eyal; Dvir, Tal

    2014-06-01

    In recent years attempts to engineer contracting cardiac patches were focused on recapitulation of the myocardium extracellular microenvironment. We report here on our work, where for the first time, a three-dimensional cardiac patch was fabricated from albumin fibers. We hypothesized that since albumin fibers' mechanical properties resemble those of cardiac tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) and their biochemical character enables their use as protein carriers, they can support the assembly of cardiac tissues capable of generating strong contraction forces. Here, we have fabricated aligned and randomly oriented electrospun albumin fibers and investigated their structure, mechanical properties, and chemical nature. Our measurements showed that the scaffolds have improved elasticity as compared to synthetic electrospun PCL fibers, and that they are capable of adsorbing serum proteins, such as laminin leading to strong cell-matrix interactions. Moreover, due to the functional groups on their backbone, the fibers can be chemically modified with essential biomolecules. When seeded with rat neonatal cardiac cells the engineered scaffolds induced the assembly of aligned cardiac tissues with high aspect ratio cardiomyocytes and massive actinin striation. Compared to synthetic fibrous scaffolds, cardiac cells cultured within aligned or randomly oriented scaffolds formed functional tissues, exhibiting significantly improved function already on Day 3, including higher beating rate (P = 0.0002 and P < 0.0001, respectively), and higher contraction amplitude (P = 0.009 and P = 0.003, respectively). Collectively, our results suggest that albumin electrospun scaffolds can play a key role in contributing to the ex vivo formation of a contracting cardiac muscle tissue. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Flow cytometry without alignment of collection optics.

    PubMed

    Sitton, Greg; Srienc, Friedrich

    2009-12-01

    This study describes the performance of a new waveguide flow cell constructed from Teflon AF (TFC) and the potential use of fiber optic splitters to replace collection objectives and dichroic mirrors. The TFC has the unique optical property that the refractive index of the polymer is lower than water and therefore, water filled TFC behaves and functions as a liquid core waveguide. Thus, as cells flow through the TFC and are illuminated by a laser orthogonal to the flow direction, scattered and fluorescent light is directed down the axis of the TFC to a fiber optic. The total signal in the fiber optic is then split into multiple fibers by fiber optic splitters to enable measurement of signal intensities at different wavelengths. Optical filters are placed at the terminus of each fiber before measurement of specific wavelengths by a PMT. The constructed system was used to measure DNA content of CHO and yeast cells. Polystyrene beads were used for alignment and to assess the performance of the system. Polystyrene beads were observed to produce light scattering signals with unique bimodal characteristics dependent on the direction of flow relative to the collecting fiber optic.

  4. Connector For Embedded Optical Fiber

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkerson, Charles; Hiles, Steven; Houghton, J. Richard; Holland, Brent W.

    1994-01-01

    Partly embedded fixture is simpler and sturdier than other types of outlets for optical fibers embedded in solid structures. No need to align coupling prism and lenses. Fixture includes base, tube bent at 45 degree angle, and ceramic ferrule.

  5. Monitoring techniques for the manufacture of tapered optical fibers.

    PubMed

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

    2015-10-01

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

  6. Role of Fiber Length on Phagocytosis & Inflammatory Response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turkevich, Leonid; Stark, Carahline; Champion, Julie

    2014-03-01

    Asbestos fibers have long been associated with lung cancer death. The inability of immune cells (e.g. macrophages) to effectively remove asbestos leads to chronic inflammation and disease. This study examines the role of fiber length on toxicity at the cellular level using model glass fibers. A major challenge is obtaining single diameter fibers but differing in length. Samples of 1 micron diameter fibers with different length distributions were prepared: short fibers (less than 15 microns) by aggressive crushing, and long fibers (longer than 15 microns) by successive sedimentation. Time-lapse video microscopy monitored the interaction of MH-S murine alveolar macrophages with the fibers: short fibers were easily internalized by the macrophages, but long fibers resisted internalization over many hours. Production of TNF- α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), a general inflammatory secreted cytokine, and Cox-2 (cyclo-oxygenase-2), an enzyme that produces radicals, each exhibited a dose-dependence that was greater for long than for short fibers. These results corroborate the importance of fiber length in both physical and biochemical cell response and support epidemiological observations of higher toxicity for longer fibers.

  7. Measurements of Inertial Torques on Sedimenting Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamati, Rami; Roy, Anubhab; Koch, Don; Voth, Greg

    2017-11-01

    Stokes flow solutions predict that ellipsoids sedimenting in quiescent fluid keep their initial orientation. However, preferential alignment in low Reynolds number sedimentation is easily observed. For example, sun dogs form from alignment of sedimenting ice crystals. The cause of this preferential alignment is a torque due to non-zero fluid inertia that aligns particles with a long axis in the horizontal direction. These torques are predicted analytically for slender fibers with low Reynolds number based on the fiber diameter (ReD) by Khayat and Cox (JFM 209:435, 1989). Despite increasingly widespread use of these expressions, we did not find experimental measurements of these inertial torques at parameters where the theory was valid, so we performed a set of sedimentation experiments using fore-aft symmetric cylinders and asymmetric cylinders with their center of mass offset from their center of drag. Measured rotation rates as a function of orientation using carefully prepared glass capillaries in silicon oil show good agreement with the theory. We quantify the effect of finite tank size and compare with other experiments in water where the low ReD condition is not met. Supported by Army Research Office Grant W911NF1510205.

  8. Dynamics of Cancer Cell near Collagen Fiber Chain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jihan; Sun, Bo

    Cell migration is an integrated process that is important in life. Migration is essential for embryonic development as well as homeostatic processes such as wound healing and immune responses. When cell migrates through connective extracellular matrix (ECM), it applies cellular traction force to ECM and senses the rigidity of their local environment. We used human breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-231) which is highly invasive and applies strong traction force to ECM. As cancer cell applies traction force to type I collage-based ECM, it deforms collagen fibers near the surface. Patterns of deforming collagen fibers are significantly different with pairs of cancer cells compared to a single cancer cell. While a pair of cancer cells within 60 um creates aligned collagen fiber chains between them permanently, a single cancer cell does not form any fiber chains. In this experiment we measured a cellular response and an interaction between a pair of cells through the chain. Finally, we analyzed correlation of directions between cancer cell migration and the collagen chain alignment.

  9. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes/carbon fiber paper composite to support Pt nanoparticles for direct methanol fuel cell application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jing; Yi, Xi-bin; Liu, Shuo; Fan, Hui-Li; Ju, Wei; Wang, Qi-Chun; Ma, Jie

    2017-03-01

    Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) grown on carbon fiber paper (CFP) by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is introduced as a catalyst support material for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Well dispersed Pt nanoparticles on VACNTs surface are prepared by impregnation-reduction method. The VACNTs on CFP possess well-maintained alignment, large surface area and good electrical conductivity, which leading to the formation of Pt particles with a smaller size and enhance the Pt utilization rate. The structure and nature of resulting Pt/VACNTs/CFP catalysts for methanol oxidation are investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). With the aid of VACNTs, well-dispersed Pt catalysts enable the reversibly rapid redox kinetic since electron transport efficiently passes through a one-dimensional pathway, which leads to enhance the catalytic activity and Pt utilization rate. Compared with the Pt/XC-72/CFP electrode, the electrochemical measurements results display that the Pt/VACNTs/CFP catalyst shows much higher electrocatalytic activity and better stability for methanol oxidation. In addition, the oxidation current from 200 to 1200 s decayed more slowly for the Pt/VACNTs/CFP than that of the Pt/XC-72/CFP catalysts, indicating less accumulation of adsorbed CO species. All those results imply that the Pt/VACNTs/CFP has a great potential for applications in DMFCs.

  10. Automated fiber pigtailing machine

    DOEpatents

    Strand, Oliver T.; Lowry, Mark E.

    1999-01-01

    The Automated Fiber Pigtailing Machine (AFPM) aligns and attaches optical fibers to optoelectonic (OE) devices such as laser diodes, photodiodes, and waveguide devices without operator intervention. The so-called pigtailing process is completed with sub-micron accuracies in less than 3 minutes. The AFPM operates unattended for one hour, is modular in design and is compatible with a mass production manufacturing environment. This machine can be used to build components which are used in military aircraft navigation systems, computer systems, communications systems and in the construction of diagnostics and experimental systems.

  11. Automated fiber pigtailing machine

    DOEpatents

    Strand, O.T.; Lowry, M.E.

    1999-01-05

    The Automated Fiber Pigtailing Machine (AFPM) aligns and attaches optical fibers to optoelectronic (OE) devices such as laser diodes, photodiodes, and waveguide devices without operator intervention. The so-called pigtailing process is completed with sub-micron accuracies in less than 3 minutes. The AFPM operates unattended for one hour, is modular in design and is compatible with a mass production manufacturing environment. This machine can be used to build components which are used in military aircraft navigation systems, computer systems, communications systems and in the construction of diagnostics and experimental systems. 26 figs.

  12. DC Plasma Synthesis of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers for Biointerfacing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearce, Ryan Christopher

    Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) are a class of materials whose nanoscale dimensions and physical properties makes them uniquely suitable as functional elements in many applications for biodetection and biointerfacing on a cellular level. Control of VACNF synthesis by catalytic plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) presents many challenges in integration into devices and structures designed for biointerfacing, such as transparent or flexible substrates. This dissertation addresses ways to overcome many of these issues in addition to deepening the fundamental understanding of nano-synthesis in catalytic PECVD. First, a survey of the field of VACNF synthesis and biointerfacing is presented, identifying the present challenges and greatest experimental applications. It is followed by experimental observations that elucidate the underlying mechanism to fiber alignment during synthesis, a critical step for deterministic control of fiber growth. Using a grid of electrodes patterned by photolithography on an insulating substrate, it was found that the alignment of the fibers is controlled by the anisotropic etching provided by ions during dc-PECVD synthesis. The VACNFs that have been utilized for many cellular interfacing experiments have unique mechanical and fluorescent properties due to a SiNx coating. The mechanism for SiNx deposition to VACNF sidewalls during synthesis is explored in addition to a detailed study of the optical properties of the coating. To explain the optical properties of this coating it is proposed that the source of photoluminescence for the SiNx coated VACNFs is quantum confinement effects due to the presence of silicon nanoclusters embedded in a Si3N4 matrix. These luminescent fibers have proven useful as registry markers in cell impalefection studies. To realize VACNF arrays used as an inflatable angioplasty balloon with embedded fibers to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier, a method for transferring fibers to

  13. The deterministic optical alignment of the HERMES spectrograph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gers, Luke; Staszak, Nicholas

    2014-07-01

    The High Efficiency and Resolution Multi Element Spectrograph (HERMES) is a four channel, VPH-grating spectrograph fed by two 400 fiber slit assemblies whose construction and commissioning has now been completed at the Anglo Australian Telescope (AAT). The size, weight, complexity, and scheduling constraints of the system necessitated that a fully integrated, deterministic, opto-mechanical alignment system be designed into the spectrograph before it was manufactured. This paper presents the principles about which the system was assembled and aligned, including the equipment and the metrology methods employed to complete the spectrograph integration.

  14. Carbon fiber on polyimide ultra-microelectrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillis, Winthrop F.; Lissandrello, Charles A.; Shen, Jun; Pearre, Ben W.; Mertiri, Alket; Deku, Felix; Cogan, Stuart; Holinski, Bradley J.; Chew, Daniel J.; White, Alice E.; Otchy, Timothy M.; Gardner, Timothy J.

    2018-02-01

    Objective. Most preparations for making neural recordings degrade over time and eventually fail due to insertion trauma and reactive tissue response. The magnitudes of these responses are thought to be related to the electrode size (specifically, the cross-sectional area), the relative stiffness of the electrode, and the degree of tissue tolerance for the material. Flexible carbon fiber ultra-microelectrodes have a much smaller cross-section than traditional electrodes and low tissue reactivity, and thus may enable improved longevity of neural recordings in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Only two carbon fiber array designs have been described previously, each with limited channel densities due to limitations of the fabrication processes or interconnect strategies. Here, we describe a method for assembling carbon fiber electrodes on a flexible polyimide substrate that is expected to facilitate the construction of high-density recording and stimulating arrays. Approach. Individual carbon fibers were aligned using an alignment tool that was 3D-printed with sub-micron resolution using direct laser writing. Indium deposition on the carbon fibers, followed by low-temperature microsoldering, provided a robust and reliable method of electrical connection to the polyimide interconnect. Main results. Spontaneous multiunit activity and stimulation-evoked compound responses with SNR  >10 and  >120, respectively, were recorded from a small (125 µm) peripheral nerve. We also improved the typically poor charge injection capacity of small diameter carbon fibers by electrodepositing 100 nm-thick iridium oxide films, making the carbon fiber arrays usable for electrical stimulation as well as recording. Significance. Our innovations in fabrication technique pave the way for further miniaturization of carbon fiber ultra-microelectrode arrays. We believe these advances to be key steps to enable a shift from labor intensive, manual assembly to a more automated

  15. Carbon fiber on polyimide ultra-microelectrodes.

    PubMed

    Gillis, Winthrop F; Lissandrello, Charles A; Shen, Jun; Pearre, Ben W; Mertiri, Alket; Deku, Felix; Cogan, Stuart; Holinski, Bradley J; Chew, Daniel J; White, Alice E; Otchy, Timothy M; Gardner, Timothy J

    2018-02-01

    Most preparations for making neural recordings degrade over time and eventually fail due to insertion trauma and reactive tissue response. The magnitudes of these responses are thought to be related to the electrode size (specifically, the cross-sectional area), the relative stiffness of the electrode, and the degree of tissue tolerance for the material. Flexible carbon fiber ultra-microelectrodes have a much smaller cross-section than traditional electrodes and low tissue reactivity, and thus may enable improved longevity of neural recordings in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Only two carbon fiber array designs have been described previously, each with limited channel densities due to limitations of the fabrication processes or interconnect strategies. Here, we describe a method for assembling carbon fiber electrodes on a flexible polyimide substrate that is expected to facilitate the construction of high-density recording and stimulating arrays. Individual carbon fibers were aligned using an alignment tool that was 3D-printed with sub-micron resolution using direct laser writing. Indium deposition on the carbon fibers, followed by low-temperature microsoldering, provided a robust and reliable method of electrical connection to the polyimide interconnect. Spontaneous multiunit activity and stimulation-evoked compound responses with SNR  >10 and  >120, respectively, were recorded from a small (125 µm) peripheral nerve. We also improved the typically poor charge injection capacity of small diameter carbon fibers by electrodepositing 100 nm-thick iridium oxide films, making the carbon fiber arrays usable for electrical stimulation as well as recording. Our innovations in fabrication technique pave the way for further miniaturization of carbon fiber ultra-microelectrode arrays. We believe these advances to be key steps to enable a shift from labor intensive, manual assembly to a more automated manufacturing process.

  16. Genome-wide analysis of gene expression of EMS-induced short fiber mutant Ligon lintless-y (liy) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

    PubMed

    Naoumkina, Marina; Bechere, Efrem; Fang, David D; Thyssen, Gregory N; Florane, Christopher B

    2017-07-01

    In this work we describe a chemically-induced short fiber mutant cotton line, Ligon-lintless-y (li y ), which is controlled by a single recessive locus and affects multiple traits, including height of the plant, and length and maturity of fiber. An RNAseq analysis was used to evaluate global transcriptional changes during cotton fiber development at 3, 8 and 16days post anthesis. We found that 613, 2629 and 3397 genes were significantly down-regulated, while 2700, 477 and 3260 were significantly up-regulated in li y at 3, 8 and 16 DPA. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that many metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, cell wall, hormone metabolism and transport were substantially altered in li y developing fibers. We discuss perturbed expression of genes involved in signal transduction and biosynthesis of phytohormones, such as auxin, abscisic acid, gibberellin and ethylene. The results of this study provide new insights into transcriptional regulation of cotton fiber development. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Electrospun Collagen/Silk Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: Fiber Fabrication, Post-Treatment Optimization, and Application in Neural Differentiation of Stem Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Bofan

    Biocompatible scaffolds mimicking the locally aligned fibrous structure of native extracellular matrix (ECM) are in high demand in tissue engineering. In this thesis research, unidirectionally aligned fibers were generated via a home-built electrospinning system. Collagen type I, as a major ECM component, was chosen in this study due to its support of cell proliferation and promotion of neuroectodermal commitment in stem cell differentiation. Synthetic dragline silk proteins, as biopolymers with remarkable tensile strength and superior elasticity, were also used as a model material. Good alignment, controllable fiber size and morphology, as well as a desirable deposition density of fibers were achieved via the optimization of solution and electrospinning parameters. The incorporation of silk proteins into collagen was found to significantly enhance mechanical properties and stability of electrospun fibers. Glutaraldehyde (GA) vapor post-treatment was demonstrated as a simple and effective way to tune the properties of collagen/silk fibers without changing their chemical composition. With 6-12 hours GA treatment, electrospun collagen/silk fibers were not only biocompatible, but could also effectively induce the polarization and neural commitment of stem cells, which were optimized on collagen rich fibers due to the unique combination of biochemical and biophysical cues imposed to cells. Taken together, electrospun collagen rich composite fibers are mechanically strong, stable and provide excellent cell adhesion. The unidirectionally aligned fibers can accelerate neural differentiation of stem cells, representing a promising therapy for neural tissue degenerative diseases and nerve injuries.

  18. Numerical approach of the injection molding process of fiber-reinforced composite with considering fiber orientation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen Thi, T. B.; Yokoyama, A.; Ota, K.; Kodama, K.; Yamashita, K.; Isogai, Y.; Furuichi, K.; Nonomura, C.

    2014-05-01

    One of the most important challenges in the injection molding process of the short-glass fiber/thermoplastic composite parts is being able to predict the fiber orientation, since it controls the mechanical and the physical properties of the final parts. Folgar and Tucker included into the Jeffery equation a diffusive type of term, which introduces a phenomenological coefficient for modeling the randomizing effect of the mechanical interactions between the fibers, to predict the fiber orientation in concentrated suspensions. Their experiments indicated that this coefficient depends on the fiber volume fraction and aspect ratio. However, a definition of the fiber interaction coefficient, which is very necessary in the fiber orientation simulations, hasn't still been proven yet. Consequently, this study proposed a developed fiber interaction model that has been introduced a fiber dynamics simulation in order to obtain a global fiber interaction coefficient. This supposed that the coefficient is a sum function of the fiber concentration, aspect ratio, and angular velocity. The proposed model was incorporated into a computer aided engineering simulation package C-Mold. Short-glass fiber/polyamide-6 composites were produced in the injection molding with the fiber weight concentration of 30 wt.%, 50 wt.%, and 70 wt.%. The physical properties of these composites were examined, and their fiber orientation distributions were measured by micro-computed-tomography equipment μ-CT. The simulation results showed a good agreement with experiment results.

  19. An aligned porous electrospun fibrous membrane with controlled drug delivery - An efficient strategy to accelerate diabetic wound healing with improved angiogenesis.

    PubMed

    Ren, Xiaozhi; Han, Yiming; Wang, Jie; Jiang, Yuqi; Yi, Zhengfang; Xu, He; Ke, Qinfei

    2018-04-01

    A chronic wound in diabetic patients is usually characterized by poor angiogenesis and delayed wound closure. The exploration of efficient strategy to significantly improve angiogenesis in the diabetic wound bed and thereby accelerate wound healing is still a significant challenge. Herein, we reported a kind of aligned porous poly (l-lactic acid) (PlLA) electrospun fibrous membranes containing dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG)-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DS) for diabetic wound healing. The PlLA electrospun fibers aligned in a single direction and there were ellipse-shaped nano-pores in situ generated onto the surface of fibers, while the DS were well distributed in the fibers and the DMOG as well as Si ion could be controlled released from the nanopores on the fibers. The in vitro results revealed that the aligned porous composite membranes (DS-PL) could stimulate the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis-related gene expression of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) compared with the pure PlLA membranes. The in vivo study further demonstrated that the prepared DS-PL membranes significantly improved neo-vascularization, re-epithelialization and collagen formation as well as inhibited inflammatory reaction in the diabetic wound bed, which eventually stimulated the healing of the diabetic wound. Collectively, these results suggest that the combination of hierarchical structures (nanopores on the aligned fibers) with the controllable released DMOG drugs as well as Si ions from the membranes, which could create a synergetic effect on the rapid stimulation of angiogenesis in the diabetic wound bed, is a potential novel therapeutic strategy for highly efficient diabetic wound healing. A chronic wound in diabetic patients is usually characterized by the poor angiogenesis and the delayed wound closure. The main innovation of this study is to design a new kind of skin tissue engineered scaffold, aligned porous poly (l-lactic acid) (PlLA) electrospun

  20. Computational complexity of algorithms for sequence comparison, short-read assembly and genome alignment.

    PubMed

    Baichoo, Shakuntala; Ouzounis, Christos A

    A multitude of algorithms for sequence comparison, short-read assembly and whole-genome alignment have been developed in the general context of molecular biology, to support technology development for high-throughput sequencing, numerous applications in genome biology and fundamental research on comparative genomics. The computational complexity of these algorithms has been previously reported in original research papers, yet this often neglected property has not been reviewed previously in a systematic manner and for a wider audience. We provide a review of space and time complexity of key sequence analysis algorithms and highlight their properties in a comprehensive manner, in order to identify potential opportunities for further research in algorithm or data structure optimization. The complexity aspect is poised to become pivotal as we will be facing challenges related to the continuous increase of genomic data on unprecedented scales and complexity in the foreseeable future, when robust biological simulation at the cell level and above becomes a reality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Rugged fiber optic probe for raman measurement

    DOEpatents

    O'Rourke, Patrick E.; Toole, Jr., William R.; Nave, Stanley E.

    1998-01-01

    An optical probe for conducting light scattering analysis is disclosed. The probe comprises a hollow housing and a probe tip. A fiber assembly made up of a transmitting fiber and a receiving bundle is inserted in the tip. A filter assembly is inserted in the housing and connected to the fiber assembly. A signal line from the light source and to the spectrometer also is connected to the filter assembly and communicates with the fiber assembly. By using a spring-loaded assembly to hold the fiber connectors together with the in-line filters, complex and sensitive alignment procedures are avoided. The close proximity of the filter assembly to the probe tip eliminates or minimizes self-scattering generated by the optical fiber. Also, because the probe can contact the sample directly, sensitive optics can be eliminated.

  2. Neurite Outgrowth On Electrospun PLLA Fibers Is Enhanced By Exogenous Electrical Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Koppes, A. N.; Zaccor, N. W.; Rivet, C. J.; Williams, L. A.; Piselli, J. M.; Gilbert, R. J.; Thompson, D. M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Both electrical stimuli (endogenous and exogenous) and topographical cues are instructive to axonal extension. This report, for the first time, investigated the relative dominance of directional topographical guidance cues and directional electrical cues to enhance and/or direct primary neurite extension. We hypothesized the combination of electrical stimulation with electrospun fiber topography would induce longer neurite extension from DRG neurons than the presence of electrical stimulation or aligned topography alone. Approach To test the hypothesis, neurite outgrowth was examined on laminin-coated poly-L-lactide (PLLA) films or electrospun fibers (2 μm in diameter) in the presence or absence of electrical stimulation. Immunostained neurons were semi-automatically traced using Neurolucida software and morphology was evaluated. Results Neurite extension increased 74% on the aligned fibers compared to film controls. Stimulation alone increased outgrowth by 32% on films or fibers relative to unstimulated film controls. The co-presentation of topographical (fibers) with biophysical (electrical stimulation) cues resulted in a synergistic 126% increase in outgrowth relative to unstimulated film controls. Field polarity had no influence on the directionality of neurite, indicating topographical cues are responsible to guide neurite extension. Significance Both cues (electrical stimulation and fiber geometry) are modular in nature and can be synergistically applied in conjunction with other common methods in regenerative medicine such as controlled release of growth factors to further influence axonal growth in vivo. The combined application of electrical and aligned fiber topographical guidance cues described herein, if translated in vivo, could provide a more supportive environment for directed and robust axonal regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. PMID:24891494

  3. Neurite outgrowth on electrospun PLLA fibers is enhanced by exogenous electrical stimulation.

    PubMed

    Koppes, A N; Zaccor, N W; Rivet, C J; Williams, L A; Piselli, J M; Gilbert, R J; Thompson, D M

    2014-08-01

    Both electrical stimuli (endogenous and exogenous) and topographical cues are instructive to axonal extension. This report, for the first time, investigated the relative dominance of directional topographical guidance cues and directional electrical cues to enhance and/or direct primary neurite extension. We hypothesized the combination of electrical stimulation with electrospun fiber topography would induce longer neurite extension from dorsal root ganglia neurons than the presence of electrical stimulation or aligned topography alone. To test the hypothesis, neurite outgrowth was examined on laminin-coated poly-L-lactide films or electrospun fibers (2 µm in diameter) in the presence or absence of electrical stimulation. Immunostained neurons were semi-automatically traced using Neurolucida software and morphology was evaluated. Neurite extension increased 74% on the aligned fibers compared to film controls. Stimulation alone increased outgrowth by 32% on films or fibers relative to unstimulated film controls. The co-presentation of topographical (fibers) with biophysical (electrical stimulation) cues resulted in a synergistic 126% increase in outgrowth relative to unstimulated film controls. Field polarity had no influence on the directionality of neurites, indicating topographical cues are responsible for guiding neurite extension. Both cues (electrical stimulation and fiber geometry) are modular in nature and can be synergistically applied in conjunction with other common methods in regenerative medicine such as controlled release of growth factors to further influence axonal growth in vivo. The combined application of electrical and aligned fiber topographical guidance cues described herein, if translated in vivo, could provide a more supportive environment for directed and robust axonal regeneration following peripheral nerve injury.

  4. Surface decoration of short-cut polyimide fibers with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their application for reinforcement of lightweight PC/ABS composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Le; Han, Enlin; Wu, Yulun; Wang, Xiaodong; Wu, Dezhen

    2018-06-01

    The surface decoration of short-cut polyimide (PI) fibers with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was performed by fabricating a polydopamine (PDA) coating layer on the fiber surface and then immobilizing MWCNTs onto the coating layer via covalent bonding. This successful surface decoration was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared microscopy and static water contact angle. The application of the surface-decorated PI fibers as reinforcing fibers for reinforcement of polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) alloy was investigated, which indicated that the MWCNTs-decorated PI fibers not only could effectively reinforce the PC/ABS alloy but also generated a significant lightweighting effect on the resulting composites. The maximum mechanical properties were achieved for the composites at a fiber content of 20 wt.% and a fiber length of 3 mm. This significant reinforcement effect is attributed to the enhancement of interaction bonding strength between the fibers and matrix as a result of the surface decoration of PI fibers with MWCNTs. The morphological investigation suggested that fiber rupture was the major energy dissipation mechanism in the tensile and impact failures, whereas fiber debonding and pullout were partly involved in the fracture energy dissipation. In addition, the presence of surface-decorated PI fibers slightly enhanced the thermal stability and load bearing capability of composites. This work can provide a type of high-performance lightweight composite material for automobile and aviation industries.

  5. Mechanical properties of as-cast and heat-treated ZA-27 alloy/short glass fiber composites

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

    Sharma, S.C.; Girish, B.M.; Satish, B.M.

    1998-02-01

    This paper reports on the mechanical properties of as-cast and heat-treated ZA-27 alloy composites reinforced with glass fibers from 1 to 5 wt%. The composites were fabricated using the Compocasting method, in which short glass fibers were introduced into the vortex created in the molten alloy through an impeller rotated at 500 rpm. The molten mass was thoroughly stirred and poured into permanent molds and squeezed under pressure. The specimens were heat treated at 320 C for 1, 2, 3, and 4 h. The tests on the as-cast composites revealed that as the glass content in the composites was increased,more » the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), compressive strength, and hardness of the composite increased, while the ductility and impact strength were decreased. Heat treatment was found to improve significantly the ductility, compressive strength, and impact strength, while the hardness and UTS were reduced. This paper discusses the behavior of these composites.« less

  6. Regionally variant collagen alignment correlates with viscoelastic properties of the disc of the human temporomandibular joint.

    PubMed

    Gutman, Shawn; Kim, Daniel; Tarafder, Solaiman; Velez, Sergio; Jeong, Julia; Lee, Chang H

    2018-02-01

    To determine the regionally variant quality of collagen alignment in human TMJ discs and its statistical correlation with viscoelastic properties. For quantitative analysis of the quality of collagen alignment, horizontal sections of human TMJ discs with Pricrosirius Red staining were imaged under circularly polarized microscopy. Mean angle and angular deviation of collagen fibers in each region were analyzed using a well-established automated image-processing for angular gradient. Instantaneous and relaxation moduli of each disc region were measured under stress-relaxation test both in tensile and compression. Then Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the angular deviation and the moduli. To understand the effect of glycosaminoglycans on the correlation, TMJ disc samples were treated by chondroitinase ABC (C-ABC). Our imaging processing analysis showed the region-variant direction of collagen alignment, consistently with previous findings. Interestingly, the quality of collagen alignment, not only the directions, was significantly different in between the regions. The angular deviation of fiber alignment in the anterior and intermediate regions were significantly smaller than the posterior region. Medial and lateral regions showed significantly bigger angular deviation than all the other regions. The regionally variant angular deviation values showed statistically significant correlation with the tensile instantaneous modulus and the relaxation modulus, partially dependent on C-ABC treatment. Our findings suggest the region-variant degree of collagen fiber alignment is likely attributed to the heterogeneous viscoelastic properties of TMJ disc that may have significant implications in development of regenerative therapy for TMJ disc. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Fiber optics: A research paper

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Drone, Melinda M.

    1987-01-01

    Some basic aspects concerning fiber optics are examined. Some history leading up to the development of optical fibers which are now used in the transmission of data in many areas of the world is discussed. Basic theory of the operation of fiber optics is discussed along with methods for improving performance of the optical fiber through much research and design. Splices and connectors are compared and short haul and long haul fiber optic networks are discussed. Fiber optics plays many roles in the commercial world. The use of fiber optics for communication applications is emphasized.

  8. Numerical approach of the injection molding process of fiber-reinforced composite with considering fiber orientation

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

    Nguyen Thi, T. B., E-mail: thanhbinh.skku@gmail.com, E-mail: yokoyama@kit.ac.jp; Yokoyama, A., E-mail: thanhbinh.skku@gmail.com, E-mail: yokoyama@kit.ac.jp; Ota, K., E-mail: kei-ota@toyobo.jp, E-mail: katsuhiro-kodama@toyobo.jp, E-mail: katsuhisa-yamashita@toyobo.jp, E-mail: yumiko-isogai@toyobo.jp, E-mail: kenji-furuichi@toyobo.jp, E-mail: chisato-nonomura@toyobo.jp

    2014-05-15

    One of the most important challenges in the injection molding process of the short-glass fiber/thermoplastic composite parts is being able to predict the fiber orientation, since it controls the mechanical and the physical properties of the final parts. Folgar and Tucker included into the Jeffery equation a diffusive type of term, which introduces a phenomenological coefficient for modeling the randomizing effect of the mechanical interactions between the fibers, to predict the fiber orientation in concentrated suspensions. Their experiments indicated that this coefficient depends on the fiber volume fraction and aspect ratio. However, a definition of the fiber interaction coefficient, whichmore » is very necessary in the fiber orientation simulations, hasn't still been proven yet. Consequently, this study proposed a developed fiber interaction model that has been introduced a fiber dynamics simulation in order to obtain a global fiber interaction coefficient. This supposed that the coefficient is a sum function of the fiber concentration, aspect ratio, and angular velocity. The proposed model was incorporated into a computer aided engineering simulation package C-Mold. Short-glass fiber/polyamide-6 composites were produced in the injection molding with the fiber weight concentration of 30 wt.%, 50 wt.%, and 70 wt.%. The physical properties of these composites were examined, and their fiber orientation distributions were measured by micro-computed-tomography equipment μ-CT. The simulation results showed a good agreement with experiment results.« less

  9. Fiber

    MedlinePlus

    ... short period of time can cause intestinal gas ( flatulence ), bloating , and abdominal cramps . This problem often goes ... 213. National Research Council. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and ...

  10. Slider--maximum use of probability information for alignment of short sequence reads and SNP detection.

    PubMed

    Malhis, Nawar; Butterfield, Yaron S N; Ester, Martin; Jones, Steven J M

    2009-01-01

    A plethora of alignment tools have been created that are designed to best fit different types of alignment conditions. While some of these are made for aligning Illumina Sequence Analyzer reads, none of these are fully utilizing its probability (prb) output. In this article, we will introduce a new alignment approach (Slider) that reduces the alignment problem space by utilizing each read base's probabilities given in the prb files. Compared with other aligners, Slider has higher alignment accuracy and efficiency. In addition, given that Slider matches bases with probabilities other than the most probable, it significantly reduces the percentage of base mismatches. The result is that its SNP predictions are more accurate than other SNP prediction approaches used today that start from the most probable sequence, including those using base quality.

  11. Visible high power fiber coupled diode lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köhler, Bernd; Drovs, Simon; Stoiber, Michael; Dürsch, Sascha; Kissel, Heiko; Könning, Tobias; Biesenbach, Jens; König, Harald; Lell, Alfred; Stojetz, Bernhard; Löffler, Andreas; Strauß, Uwe

    2018-02-01

    In this paper we report on further development of fiber coupled high-power diode lasers in the visible spectral range. New visible laser modules presented in this paper include the use of multi single emitter arrays @ 450 nm leading to a 120 W fiber coupled unit with a beam quality of 44 mm x mrad, as well as very compact modules with multi-W output power from 405 nm to 640 nm. However, as these lasers are based on single emitters, power scaling quickly leads to bulky laser units with a lot of optical components to be aligned. We also report on a new approach based on 450 nm diode laser bars, which dramatically reduces size and alignment effort. These activities were performed within the German government-funded project "BlauLas": a maximum output power of 80 W per bar has been demonstrated @ 450 nm. We show results of a 200 μm NA0.22 fiber coupled 35 W source @ 450 nm, which has been reduced in size by a factor of 25 compared to standard single emitter approach. In addition, we will present a 200 μm NA0.22 fiber coupled laser unit with an output power of 135 W.

  12. A fiber orientation-adapted integration scheme for computing the hyperelastic Tucker average for short fiber reinforced composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldberg, Niels; Ospald, Felix; Schneider, Matti

    2017-10-01

    In this article we introduce a fiber orientation-adapted integration scheme for Tucker's orientation averaging procedure applied to non-linear material laws, based on angular central Gaussian fiber orientation distributions. This method is stable w.r.t. fiber orientations degenerating into planar states and enables the construction of orthotropic hyperelastic energies for truly orthotropic fiber orientation states. We establish a reference scenario for fitting the Tucker average of a transversely isotropic hyperelastic energy, corresponding to a uni-directional fiber orientation, to microstructural simulations, obtained by FFT-based computational homogenization of neo-Hookean constituents. We carefully discuss ideas for accelerating the identification process, leading to a tremendous speed-up compared to a naive approach. The resulting hyperelastic material map turns out to be surprisingly accurate, simple to integrate in commercial finite element codes and fast in its execution. We demonstrate the capabilities of the extracted model by a finite element analysis of a fiber reinforced chain link.

  13. Truss beam having convex-curved rods, shear web panels, and self-aligning adapters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fernandez, Ian M. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A truss beam comprised of a plurality of joined convex-curved rods with self-aligning adapters (SAA) adhesively attached at each end of the truss beam is disclosed. Shear web panels are attached to adjacent pairs of rods, providing buckling resistance for the truss beam. The rods are disposed adjacent to each other, centered around a common longitudinal axis, and oriented so that adjacent rod ends converge to at least one virtual convergence point on the common longitudinal axis, with the rods' curvature designed to increase prevent buckling for the truss beam. Each SAA has longitudinal bores that provide self-aligning of the rods in the SAA, the self-aligning feature enabling creation of strong adhesive bonds between each SAA and the rods. In certain embodiments of the present invention, pultruded unidirectional carbon fiber rods are coupled with carbon fiber shear web panels and metal SAA(s), resulting in a lightweight, low-cost but strong truss beam that is highly resistant to buckling.

  14. E-Spun Composite Fibers of Collagen and Dragline Silk Protein: Fiber Mechanics, Biocompatibility, and Application in Stem Cell Differentiation

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Biocomposite matrices with high mechanical strength, high stability, and the ability to direct matrix-specific stem cell differentiation are essential for the reconstruction of lesioned tissues in tissue engineering and cell therapeutics. Toward this end, we used the electrospinning technique to fabricate well-aligned composite fibers from collagen and spider dragline silk protein, obtained from the milk of transgenic goats, mimicking the native extracellular matrix (ECM) on a similar scale. Collagen and the dragline silk proteins were found to mix homogeneously at all ratios in the electrospun (E-spun) fibers. As a result, the ultimate tensile strength and elasticity of the fibers increased monotonically with silk percentage, whereas the stretchability was slightly reduced. Strikingly, we found that the incorporation of silk proteins to collagen dramatically increased the matrix stability against excessive fiber swelling and shape deformation in cell culture medium. When human decidua parietalis placental stem cells (hdpPSCs) were seeded on the collagen–silk matrices, the matrices were found to support cell proliferation at a similar rate as that of the pure collagen matrix, but they provided cell adhesion with reduced strengths and induced cell polarization at varied levels. Matrices containing 15 and 30 wt % silk in collagen (CS15, CS30) were found to induce a level of neural differentiation comparable to that of pure collagen. In particular, CS15 matrix induced the highest extent of cell polarization and promoted the development of extended 1D neural filaments strictly in-line with the aligned fibers. Taking the increased mechanical strength and fiber stability into consideration, CS15 and CS30 E-spun fibers offer better alternatives to pure collagen fibers as scaffolds that can be potentially utilized in neural tissue repair and the development of future nanobiodevices. PMID:25405355

  15. Aligned-or Not?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roseman, Jo Ellen; Koppal, Mary

    2015-01-01

    When state leaders and national partners in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards met to consider implementation strategies, states and school districts wanted to know which materials were aligned to the new standards. The answer from the developers was short but not sweet: You won't find much now, and it's going to…

  16. Gaussian Curvature Directs Stress Fiber Orientation and Cell Migration.

    PubMed

    Bade, Nathan D; Xu, Tina; Kamien, Randall D; Assoian, Richard K; Stebe, Kathleen J

    2018-03-27

    We show that substrates with nonzero Gaussian curvature influence the organization of stress fibers and direct the migration of cells. To study the role of Gaussian curvature, we developed a sphere-with-skirt surface in which a positive Gaussian curvature spherical cap is seamlessly surrounded by a negative Gaussian curvature draping skirt, both with principal radii similar to cell-length scales. We find significant reconfiguration of two subpopulations of stress fibers when fibroblasts are exposed to these curvatures. Apical stress fibers in cells on skirts align in the radial direction and avoid bending by forming chords across the concave gap, whereas basal stress fibers bend along the convex direction. Cell migration is also strongly influenced by the Gaussian curvature. Real-time imaging shows that cells migrating on skirts repolarize to establish a leading edge in the azimuthal direction. Thereafter, they migrate in that direction. This behavior is notably different from migration on planar surfaces, in which cells typically migrate in the same direction as the apical stress fiber orientation. Thus, this platform reveals that nonzero Gaussian curvature not only affects the positioning of cells and alignment of stress fiber subpopulations but also directs migration in a manner fundamentally distinct from that of migration on planar surfaces. Copyright © 2018 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Poly(hydroxybutyrate)/chitosan Aligned Electrospun Scaffold as a Novel Substrate for Nerve Tissue Engineering.

    PubMed

    Karimi, Afarin; Karbasi, Saeed; Razavi, Shahnaz; Zargar, Elham Naghash

    2018-01-01

    Reconstruction of nervous system is a great challenge in the therapeutic medical field. Nerve tissue engineering is a novel method to regenerate nervous system in human health care. Tissue engineering has introduced novel approaches to promote and guide peripheral nerve regeneration using submicron and nanoscale fibrous scaffolds. In this study, 9 wt% poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) solutions with two different ratios of chitosan (CTS) (15%, and 20%) were mixed in trifluoroacetic acid as a cosolvent. Thereafter, random and aligned PHB/CTS scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning method in an appropriate condition. Average diameters for aligned PHB, PHB/CTS 85:15 and PHB/CTS 80:20 were obtained as 675 nm, 740.3 nm, and 870.74 nm, which was lesser than random fibers. The solution components entity authenticity was approved by Fourier transform infrared. The addition of CTS decreased both water droplet contact angle from 124.79° to 43.14° in random and 110.87° to 33.49° in aligned PHB/CTS fibrous scaffold. Moreover, alignment of fibers causes tremendous increase in hydrophilicity of fibrous PHB/CTS substrate. Tensile strength increased from 6.41 MPa for random to 8.73 MPa for aligned PHB/CTS 85:15. Our results indicated that aligned PHB/CTS 85:15 nanofibers are the desired scaffold than the random PHB/CTS nanofibers for application in nerve tissue regeneration.

  18. Advancing flexible volatile compound sensors using liquid crystals encapsulated in polymer fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reyes, Catherine G.; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

    2018-02-01

    Until recently, organic vapor sensors using liquid crystals (LCs) have employed rigid glass substrates for confining the LC, and bulky equipment for vapor detection. Previously, we demonstrated that coaxially electrospinning nematic LC within the core of polymer fibers provides an alternative and improved form factor for confinement. This enables ppm level sensitivity to harmful industrial organics, such as toluene, while giving the flexibility of textile-like sheets (imparted by polymer encapsulation). Moreover, toluene vapor responses of the LC-core fiber mats were visible macroscopically with the naked eye depending on the morphology of the fibers produced, and whether they were oriented in specific geometries (aligned, or random). We identified two types of responses: one corresponds to the LC transition from nematic to isotropic, and the other we suggest is due to an anchoring change at the LC-polymer interface that influences the alignment. While we need to study the presence that defects can have in more detail, we noted that fiber mat thickness is crucial in attempting to understand how and why we are able to visualize two responses in aligned LC-fiber mats. Ultimately, we noted that the response of the polymer sheath itself (softening) to organic vapor exposure affects the liquid crystal confinement in the core. From the microscopic point of view, this will influence the threshold concentration that fibers in a mat will overall respond to. In this paper we will discuss three findings the morphologies enabling LC-core fiber mat response to vapor seen both micro- and macroscopically, how thickness of the fiber mat can play a role in the visualization of the responses, and the effect that the polymer structure has in the mat's sensitivity threshold.

  19. Bio-composites fabricated by sandwiching sisal fibers with polypropylene (PP)

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

    Sosiati, H., E-mail: hsosiati@gmail.com; Nahyudin, A., E-mail: ahmadnahyudin@yahoo.co.id; Fauzi, I., E-mail: ikhsannurfauzi@gmail.com

    Sisal fibers reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were successfully fabricated using sandwiching sisal fibers with PP sheets. The ratio of fiber and polymer matrix was 50:50 (wt. %). Untreated short and long sisal fibers, and alkali treated short sisal fibers in 6% NaOH at 100°C for 1 and 3 h were used as reinforcement or fillers. A small amount (3 wt. %) of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) was added as a coupling agent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the surface morphology and chemical composition of the fibers, respectively. Flexural test of sisal/PPmore » composites was done according to ASTM D 790-02. The results showed that flexural strength of untreated long fiber reinforced composite is much higher than that of the untreated and alkali treated short fibers reinforced composites with and without the addition of MAPP. Alkalization related to fiber surface modification, fiber length/fiber orientation and a composite fabrication technique are important factors in contributing to the fiber distribution within the matrix, the bonding between the fiber and the matrix and the enhancement of flexural strength of the bio-composite.« less

  20. 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties

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

    Lewicki, James P.; Rodriguez, Jennifer N.; Zhu, Cheng

    Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignmentmore » within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Moreover, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response.« less

  1. 3D-Printing of Meso-structurally Ordered Carbon Fiber/Polymer Composites with Unprecedented Orthotropic Physical Properties

    DOE PAGES

    Lewicki, James P.; Rodriguez, Jennifer N.; Zhu, Cheng; ...

    2017-03-06

    Here we report the first example of a class of additively manufactured carbon fiber reinforced composite (AMCFRC) materials which have been achieved through the use of a latent thermal cured aromatic thermoset resin system, through an adaptation of direct ink writing (DIW) 3D-printing technology. We have developed a means of printing high performance thermoset carbon fiber composites, which allow the fiber component of a resin and carbon fiber fluid to be aligned in three dimensions via controlled micro-extrusion and subsequently cured into complex geometries. Characterization of our composite systems clearly show that we achieved a high order of fiber alignmentmore » within the composite microstructure, which in turn allows these materials to outperform equivalently filled randomly oriented carbon fiber and polymer composites. Moreover, our AM carbon fiber composite systems exhibit highly orthotropic mechanical and electrical responses as a direct result of the alignment of carbon fiber bundles in the microscale which we predict will ultimately lead to the design of truly tailorable carbon fiber/polymer hybrid materials having locally programmable complex electrical, thermal and mechanical response.« less

  2. Ultra-short pulse delivery at high average power with low-loss hollow core fibers coupled to TRUMPF's TruMicro laser platforms for industrial applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baumbach, S.; Pricking, S.; Overbuschmann, J.; Nutsch, S.; Kleinbauer, J.; Gebs, R.; Tan, C.; Scelle, R.; Kahmann, M.; Budnicki, A.; Sutter, D. H.; Killi, A.

    2017-02-01

    Multi-megawatt ultrafast laser systems at micrometer wavelength are commonly used for material processing applications, including ablation, cutting and drilling of various materials or cleaving of display glass with excellent quality. There is a need for flexible and efficient beam guidance, avoiding free space propagation of light between the laser head and the processing unit. Solid core step index fibers are only feasible for delivering laser pulses with peak powers in the kW-regime due to the optical damage threshold in bulk silica. In contrast, hollow core fibers are capable of guiding ultra-short laser pulses with orders of magnitude higher peak powers. This is possible since a micro-structured cladding confines the light within the hollow core and therefore minimizes the spatial overlap between silica and the electro-magnetic field. We report on recent results of single-mode ultra-short pulse delivery over several meters in a lowloss hollow core fiber packaged with industrial connectors. TRUMPF's ultrafast TruMicro laser platforms equipped with advanced temperature control and precisely engineered opto-mechanical components provide excellent position and pointing stability. They are thus perfectly suited for passive coupling of ultra-short laser pulses into hollow core fibers. Neither active beam launching components nor beam trackers are necessary for a reliable beam delivery in a space and cost saving packaging. Long term tests with weeks of stable operation, excellent beam quality and an overall transmission efficiency of above 85 percent even at high average power confirm the reliability for industrial applications.

  3. Arc fusion splicing of photonic crystal fibers to standard single mode fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borzycki, Krzysztof; Kobelke, Jens; Schuster, Kay; Wójcik, Jan

    2010-04-01

    Coupling a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) to measuring instruments or optical subsystems is often done by splicing it to short lengths of single mode fiber (SMF) used for interconnections, as SMF is standardized, widely available and compatible with most fiber optic components and measuring instruments. This paper presents procedures and results of loss measurements during fusion splicing of five PCFs tested at NIT laboratory within activities of COST Action 299 "FIDES". Investigated silica-based fibers had 80-200 μm cladding diameter and were designed as single mode. A standard splicing machine designed for telecom fibers was used, but splicing procedure and arc power were tailored to each PCF. Splice loss varied between 0.7 and 2.8 dB at 1550 nm. Splices protected with heat-shrinkable sleeves served well for gripping fibers during mechanical tests and survived temperature cycling from -30°C to +70°C with stable loss. Collapse of holes in the PCF was limited by reducing fusion time to 0.2-0.5 s; additional measures included reduction of discharge power and shifting SMF-PCF contact point away from the axis of electrodes. Unfortunately, short fusion time sometimes precluded proper smoothing of glass surface, leading to a trade-off between splice loss and strength.

  4. DAMAGE MODELING OF INJECTION-MOLDED SHORT- AND LONG-FIBER THERMOPLASTICS

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

    Nguyen, Ba Nghiep; Kunc, Vlastimil; Bapanapalli, Satish K.

    2009-10-30

    This article applies the recent anisotropic rotary diffusion – reduced strain closure (ARD-RSC) model for predicting fiber orientation and a new damage model for injection-molded long-fiber thermoplastics (LFTs) to analyze progressive damage leading to total failure of injection-molded long-glass-fiber/polypropylene (PP) specimens. The ARD-RSC model was implemented in a research version of the Autodesk Moldflow Plastics Insight (MPI) processing code, and it has been used to simulate injection-molding of a long-glass-fiber/PP plaque. The damage model combines micromechanical modeling with a continuum damage mechanics description to predict the nonlinear behavior due to plasticity coupled with damage in LFTs. This model has beenmore » implemented in the ABAQUS finite element code via user-subroutines and has been used in the damage analyses of tensile specimens removed from the injection-molded long-glass-fiber/PP plaques. Experimental characterization and mechanical testing were performed to provide input data to support and validate both process modeling and damage analyses. The predictions are in agreement with the experimental results.« less

  5. Realization of fiber optic displacement sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guzowski, Bartlomiej; Lakomski, Mateusz

    2018-03-01

    Fiber optic sensors are very promising because of their inherent advantages such as very small size, hard environment tolerance and impact of electromagnetic fields. In this paper three different types of Intensity Fiber Optic Displacement Sensors (I-FODS) are presented. Three configurations of I-FODS were realized in two varieties. In the first one, the cleaved multimode optical fibers (MMF) were used to collect reflected light, while in the second variety the MMF ended with ball lenses were chosen. To ensure an accurate alignment of optical fibers in the sensor head the MTP C9730 optical fiber ferrules were used. In this paper the influence of distribution of transmitting and detecting optical fibers on sensitivity and linear range of operation of developed I-FODS were investigated. We have shown, that I-FODS with ball lenses receive average 10.5% more reflected power in comparison to the cleaved optical fibers and they increase linearity range of I-FODS by 33%. In this paper, an analysis of each type of the realized sensor and detailed discussion are given.

  6. High performance, rapid thermal/UV curing epoxy resin for additive manufacturing of short and continuous carbon fiber epoxy composites

    DOEpatents

    Lewicki, James

    2018-04-17

    An additive manufacturing resin system including an additive manufacturing print head; a continuous carbon fiber or short carbon fibers operatively connected to the additive manufacturing print head; and a tailored resin operatively connected to the print head, wherein the tailored resin has a resin mass and wherein the tailored resin includes an epoxy component, a filler component, a catalyst component, and a chain extender component; wherein the epoxy component is 70-95% of the resin mass, wherein the filler component is 1-20% of the resin mass, wherein the catalyst component is 0.1-10% of the resin mass, and wherein the chain extender component is 0-50% of the resin mass.

  7. Photonic crystal fiber technology for compact fiber-delivered high-power ultrafast fiber lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Triches, Marco; Michieletto, Mattia; Johansen, Mette M.; Jakobsen, Christian; Olesen, Anders S.; Papior, Sidsel R.; Kristensen, Torben; Bondue, Magalie; Weirich, Johannes; Alkeskjold, Thomas T.

    2018-02-01

    Photonic crystal fiber (PCF) technology has radically impacted the scientific and industrial ultrafast laser market. Reducing platform dimensions are important to decrease cost and footprint while maintaining high optical efficiency. We present our recent work on short 85 μm core ROD-type fiber amplifiers that maintain single-mode performance and excellent beam quality. Robust long-term performance at 100 W average power and 250 kW peak power in 20 ps pulses at 1030 nm wavelength is presented, exceeding 500 h with stable performance in terms of both polarization and power. In addition, we present our recent results on hollow-core ultrafast fiber delivery maintaining high beam quality and polarization purity.

  8. Single Mode Fiber Optic Transceiver Using Short Wavelength Active Devices In Long Wavelength Fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillham, Frederick J.; Campbell, Daniel R.; Corke, Michael; Stowe, David W.

    1990-01-01

    Presently, single mode optical fiber technology is being utilized in systems to supply telephone service to the subscriber. However, in an attempt to be competitive with copper based systems, there are many development programs underway to determine the most cost effective solution while still providing a service that will either satisfy or be upgradeable to satisfy the demands of the consumer for the next 10 to 20 years. One such approach is to combine low cost laser transmitters and silicon receivers, which have been developed for the "compact disc" industry, with fiber that operates in the single mode regime at 1300 nm. In this paper, an optical transceiver will be presented, consisting of a compact disc laser, a silicon detector and a single mode coupler at 1300 nm. A possible system layout is presented which operates at 780 nm bi-directionally for POTS and upgradeable to 1300 nm for video services. There are several important design criteria that have to be considered in the development of such a system which will be addressed. These include: 1. Optimization of coupled power from laser to fiber while maintaining stable launched conditions over a wide range of environmental conditions. 2. Consideration of the multimode operation of the 1300 nm single mode fiber while operating in the 780 nm wavelength region. 3. Development of a low cost pseudo-wavelength division multiplexer for 1300 nm single mode/780 nm multimode operation and a low cost dual mode 50/50, 780 nm splitter using 1300 nm fiber. Details will be given of the design criteria and solution in terms of optimized design. Results of the performance of several prototype devices will be given with indications of the merits of this approach and where further development effort should be applied.

  9. Modeling the action-potential-sensitive nonlinear-optical response of myelinated nerve fibers and short-term memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shneider, M. N.; Voronin, A. A.; Zheltikov, A. M.

    2011-11-01

    The Goldman-Albus treatment of the action-potential dynamics is combined with a phenomenological description of molecular hyperpolarizabilities into a closed-form model of the action-potential-sensitive second-harmonic response of myelinated nerve fibers with nodes of Ranvier. This response is shown to be sensitive to nerve demyelination, thus enabling an optical diagnosis of various demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The model is applied to examine the nonlinear-optical response of a three-neuron reverberating circuit—the basic element of short-term memory.

  10. Computational predictions of the tensile properties of electrospun fiber meshes: effect of fiber diameter and fiber orientation

    PubMed Central

    Stylianopoulos, Triantafyllos; Bashur, Chris A.; Goldstein, Aaron S.; Guelcher, Scott A.; Barocas, Victor H.

    2008-01-01

    The mechanical properties of biomaterial scaffolds are crucial for their efficacy in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. At the microscopic scale, the scaffold must be sufficiently rigid to support cell adhesion, spreading, and normal extracellular matrix deposition. Concurrently, at the macroscopic scale the scaffold must have mechanical properties that closely match those of the target tissue. The achievement of both goals may be possible by careful control of the scaffold architecture. Recently, electrospinning has emerged as an attractive means to form fused fiber scaffolds for tissue engineering. The diameter and relative orientation of fibers affect cell behavior, but their impact on the tensile properties of the scaffolds has not been rigorously characterized. To examine the structure-property relationship, electrospun meshes were made from a polyurethane elastomer with different fiber diameters and orientations and mechanically tested to determine the dependence of the elastic modulus on the mesh architecture. Concurrently, a multiscale modeling strategy developed for type I collagen networks was employed to predict the mechanical behavior of the polyurethane meshes. Experimentally, the measured elastic modulus of the meshes varied from 0.56 to 3.0 MPa depending on fiber diameter and the degree of fiber alignment. Model predictions for tensile loading parallel to fiber orientation agreed well with experimental measurements for a wide range of conditions when a fitted fiber modulus of 18 MPa was used. Although the model predictions were less accurate in transverse loading of anisotropic samples, these results indicate that computational modeling can assist in design of electrospun artificial tissue scaffolds. PMID:19627797

  11. Novel electric double-layer capacitor with a coaxial fiber structure.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xuli; Qiu, Longbin; Ren, Jing; Guan, Guozhen; Lin, Huijuan; Zhang, Zhitao; Chen, Peining; Wang, Yonggang; Peng, Huisheng

    2013-11-26

    A coaxial electric double-layer capacitor fiber is developed from the aligned carbon nanotube fiber and sheet, which functions as two electrodes with a polymer gel sandwiched between them. The unique coaxial structure enables a rapid transportation of ions between the two electrodes with a high electrochemical performance. These energy storage fibers are also flexible and stretchable, and can be woven into and widely used for electronic textiles. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Tunable fiber Bragg grating ring lasers using macro fiber composite actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geddis, Demetris L.; Allison, Sidney G.; Shams, Qamar A.

    2006-10-01

    The research reported herein includes the fabrication of a tunable optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fiber ring laser (FRL)1 from commercially available components as a high-speed alternative tunable laser source for NASA Langley's optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) interrogator, which reads low reflectivity FBG sensors. A Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) actuator invented at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) was selected to tune the laser. MFC actuators use a piezoelectric sheet cut into uniaxially aligned rectangular piezo-fibers surrounded by a polymer matrix and incorporate interdigitated electrodes to deliver electric fields along the length of the piezo-fibers. This configuration enables MFC actuators to produce displacements larger than the original uncut piezoelectric sheet. The FBG filter was sandwiched between two MFC actuators, and when strained, produced approximately 3.62 nm of wavelength shift in the FRL when biasing the MFC actuators from -500 V to 2000 V. This tunability range is comparable to that of other tunable lasers and is adequate for interrogating FBG sensors using OFDR technology. Three different FRL configurations were studied. Configuration A examined the importance of erbium-doped fiber length and output coupling. Configuration B demonstrated the importance of the FBG filter. Configuration C added an output coupler to increase the output power and to isolate the filter. Only configuration C was tuned because it offered the best optical power output of the three configurations. Use of Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) FBG's holds promise for enhanced tunability in future research.

  13. The twilight zone of cis element alignments.

    PubMed

    Sebastian, Alvaro; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno

    2013-02-01

    Sequence alignment of proteins and nucleic acids is a routine task in bioinformatics. Although the comparison of complete peptides, genes or genomes can be undertaken with a great variety of tools, the alignment of short DNA sequences and motifs entails pitfalls that have not been fully addressed yet. Here we confront the structural superposition of transcription factors with the sequence alignment of their recognized cis elements. Our goals are (i) to test TFcompare (http://floresta.eead.csic.es/tfcompare), a structural alignment method for protein-DNA complexes; (ii) to benchmark the pairwise alignment of regulatory elements; (iii) to define the confidence limits and the twilight zone of such alignments and (iv) to evaluate the relevance of these thresholds with elements obtained experimentally. We find that the structure of cis elements and protein-DNA interfaces is significantly more conserved than their sequence and measures how this correlates with alignment errors when only sequence information is considered. Our results confirm that DNA motifs in the form of matrices produce better alignments than individual sequences. Finally, we report that empirical and theoretically derived twilight thresholds are useful for estimating the natural plasticity of regulatory sequences, and hence for filtering out unreliable alignments.

  14. AVIRIS foreoptics, fiber optics and on-board calibrator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chrisp, Michael P.; Chrien, Thomas G.; Steimle, L.

    1987-01-01

    The foreoptics, fiber optic system and calibration source of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) are described. The foreoptics, based on a modified Kennedy scanner, is coupled by optical fibers to the four spectrometers. The optical fibers allow convenient positioning of the spectrometers in the limited space and enable simple compensation of the scanner's thermal defocus (at the -23 C operating temp) by active control of the fiber focal plane position. A challenging requirement for the fiber optic system was the transmission to the spectral range 1.85 to 2.45 microns at .45 numerical aperture. This was solved with custom fluoride glass fibers from Verre Fluore. The onboard calibration source is also coupled to the spectrometers by the fibers and provides two radiometric levels and a reference spectrum to check the spectrometers' alignment. Results of the performance of the assembled subsystems are presented.

  15. Purification process for vertically aligned carbon nanofibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nguyen, Cattien V.; Delziet, Lance; Matthews, Kristopher; Chen, Bin; Meyyappan, M.

    2003-01-01

    Individual, free-standing, vertically aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes or nanofibers are ideal for sensor and electrode applications. Our plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition techniques for producing free-standing and vertically aligned carbon nanofibers use catalyst particles at the tip of the fiber. Here we present a simple purification process for the removal of iron catalyst particles at the tip of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers derived by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The first step involves thermal oxidation in air, at temperatures of 200-400 degrees C, resulting in the physical swelling of the iron particles from the formation of iron oxide. Subsequently, the complete removal of the iron oxide particles is achieved with diluted acid (12% HCl). The purification process appears to be very efficient at removing all of the iron catalyst particles. Electron microscopy images and Raman spectroscopy data indicate that the purification process does not damage the graphitic structure of the nanotubes.

  16. Composite strengthening. [of nonferrous, fiber reinforced alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stoloff, N. S.

    1976-01-01

    The mechanical behavior of unidirectionally reinforced metals is examined, with particular attention to fabrication techniques for artificial composites and eutectic alloys and to principles of fiber reinforcement. The properties of artificial composites are discussed in terms of strength of fiber composites, strength of ribbon-reinforced composites, crack initiation, crack propagation, and creep behavior. The properties of eutectic composites are examined relative to tensile strength, compressive strength, fracture, high-temperature strength, and fatigue. In the case of artificial composites, parallelism of fibers, good bonding between fibers and matrix, and freedom of fibers from damage are all necessary to ensure superior performance. For many eutectic systems there are stringent boundary conditions relative to melt purity and superheat, atmosphere control, temperature gradient, and growth rate in order to provide near-perfect alignment of the reinforcements with a minimum of growth defects.

  17. Guiding the orientation of smooth muscle cells on random and aligned polyurethane/collagen nanofibers.

    PubMed

    Jia, Lin; Prabhakaran, Molamma P; Qin, Xiaohong; Ramakrishna, Seeram

    2014-09-01

    Fabricating scaffolds that can simulate the architecture and functionality of native extracellular matrix is a huge challenge in vascular tissue engineering. Various kinds of materials are engineered via nano-technological approaches to meet the current challenges in vascular tissue regeneration. During this study, nanofibers from pure polyurethane and hybrid polyurethane/collagen in two different morphologies (random and aligned) and in three different ratios of polyurethane:collagen (75:25; 50:50; 25:75) are fabricated by electrospinning. The fiber diameters of the nanofibrous scaffolds are in the range of 174-453 nm and 145-419 for random and aligned fibers, respectively, where they closely mimic the nanoscale dimensions of native extracellular matrix. The aligned polyurethane/collagen nanofibers expressed anisotropic wettability with mechanical properties which is suitable for regeneration of the artery. After 12 days of human aortic smooth muscle cells culture on different scaffolds, the proliferation of smooth muscle cells on hybrid polyurethane/collagen (3:1) nanofibers was 173% and 212% higher than on pure polyurethane scaffolds for random and aligned scaffolds, respectively. The results of cell morphology and protein staining showed that the aligned polyurethane/collagen (3:1) scaffold promote smooth muscle cells alignment through contact guidance, while the random polyurethane/collagen (3:1) also guided cell orientation most probably due to the inherent biochemical composition. Our studies demonstrate the potential of aligned and random polyurethane/collagen (3:1) as promising substrates for vascular tissue regeneration. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  18. Method for optical and mechanically coupling optical fibers

    DOEpatents

    Toeppen, John S.

    1996-01-01

    A method and apparatus for splicing optical fibers. A fluorescing solder glass frit having a melting point lower than the melting point of first and second optical fibers is prepared. The solder glass frit is then attached to the end of the first optical fiber and/or the end of the second optical fiber. The ends of the optical fibers are aligned and placed in close proximity to each other. The solder glass frit is then heated to a temperature which is lower than the melting temperature of the first and second optical fibers, but which is high enough to melt the solder glass frit. A force is applied to the first and second optical fibers pushing the ends of the fibers towards each other. As the solder glass flit becomes molten, the layer of molten solder glass is compressed into a thin layer between the first and second optical fibers. The thin compressed layer of molten solder glass is allowed to cool such that the first and second optical fibers are bonded to each other by the hardened layer of solder glass.

  19. Coiled fiber scaffolds embedded with gold nanoparticles improve the performance of engineered cardiac tissues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fleischer, Sharon; Shevach, Michal; Feiner, Ron; Dvir, Tal

    2014-07-01

    Coiled perimysial fibers within the heart muscle provide it with the ability to contract and relax efficiently. Here, we report on a new nanocomposite scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering, integrating coiled electrospun fibers with gold nanoparticles. Cultivation of cardiac cells within the hybrid scaffolds promoted cell organization into elongated and aligned tissues generating a strong contraction force, high contraction rate and low excitation threshold.Coiled perimysial fibers within the heart muscle provide it with the ability to contract and relax efficiently. Here, we report on a new nanocomposite scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering, integrating coiled electrospun fibers with gold nanoparticles. Cultivation of cardiac cells within the hybrid scaffolds promoted cell organization into elongated and aligned tissues generating a strong contraction force, high contraction rate and low excitation threshold. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00300d

  20. Nanowire modified carbon fibers for enhanced electrical energy storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuvo, Mohammad Arif Ishtiaque; (Bill) Tseng, Tzu-Liang; Ashiqur Rahaman Khan, Md.; Karim, Hasanul; Morton, Philip; Delfin, Diego; Lin, Yirong

    2013-09-01

    The study of electrochemical super-capacitors has become one of the most attractive topics in both academia and industry as energy storage devices because of their high power density, long life cycles, and high charge/discharge efficiency. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the development of multifunctional structural energy storage devices such as structural super-capacitors for applications in aerospace, automobiles, and portable electronics. These multifunctional structural super-capacitors provide structures combining energy storage and load bearing functionalities, leading to material systems with reduced volume and/or weight. Due to their superior materials properties, carbon fiber composites have been widely used in structural applications for aerospace and automotive industries. Besides, carbon fiber has good electrical conductivity which will provide lower equivalent series resistance; therefore, it can be an excellent candidate for structural energy storage applications. Hence, this paper is focused on performing a pilot study for using nanowire/carbon fiber hybrids as building materials for structural energy storage materials; aiming at enhancing the charge/discharge rate and energy density. This hybrid material combines the high specific surface area of carbon fiber and pseudo-capacitive effect of metal oxide nanowires, which were grown hydrothermally in an aligned fashion on carbon fibers. The aligned nanowire array could provide a higher specific surface area that leads to high electrode-electrolyte contact area thus fast ion diffusion rates. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction measurements are used for the initial characterization of this nanowire/carbon fiber hybrid material system. Electrochemical testing is performed using a potentio-galvanostat. The results show that gold sputtered nanowire carbon fiber hybrid provides 65.9% higher energy density than bare carbon fiber cloth as super-capacitor.

  1. Dye-sensitized solar cells with vertically aligned TiO2 nanowire arrays grown on carbon fibers.

    PubMed

    Cai, Xin; Wu, Hongwei; Hou, Shaocong; Peng, Ming; Yu, Xiao; Zou, Dechun

    2014-02-01

    One-dimensional semiconductor TiO2 nanowires (TNWs) have received widespread attention from solar cell and related optoelectronics scientists. The controllable synthesis of ordered TNW arrays on arbitrary substrates would benefit both fundamental research and practical applications. Herein, vertically aligned TNW arrays in situ grown on carbon fiber (CF) substrates through a facile, controllable, and seed-assisted thermal process is presented. Also, hierarchical TiO2 -nanoparticle/TNW arrays were prepared that favor both the dye loading and depressed charge recombination of the CF/TNW photoanode. An impressive conversion efficiency of 2.48 % (under air mass 1.5 global illumination) and an apparent efficiency of 4.18 % (with a diffuse board) due to the 3D light harvesting of the wire solar cell were achieved. Moreover, efficient and inexpensive wire solar cells made from all-CF electrodes and completely flexible CF-based wire solar cells were demonstrated, taking into account actual application requirements. This work may provide an intriguing avenue for the pursuit of lightweight, cost-effective, and high-performance flexible/wearable solar cells. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Poly(hydroxybutyrate)/chitosan Aligned Electrospun Scaffold as a Novel Substrate for Nerve Tissue Engineering

    PubMed Central

    Karimi, Afarin; Karbasi, Saeed; Razavi, Shahnaz; Zargar, Elham Naghash

    2018-01-01

    Background: Reconstruction of nervous system is a great challenge in the therapeutic medical field. Nerve tissue engineering is a novel method to regenerate nervous system in human health care. Tissue engineering has introduced novel approaches to promote and guide peripheral nerve regeneration using submicron and nanoscale fibrous scaffolds. Materials and Methods: In this study, 9 wt% poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) solutions with two different ratios of chitosan (CTS) (15%, and 20%) were mixed in trifluoroacetic acid as a cosolvent. Thereafter, random and aligned PHB/CTS scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning method in an appropriate condition. Results: Average diameters for aligned PHB, PHB/CTS 85:15 and PHB/CTS 80:20 were obtained as 675 nm, 740.3 nm, and 870.74 nm, which was lesser than random fibers. The solution components entity authenticity was approved by Fourier transform infrared. The addition of CTS decreased both water droplet contact angle from 124.79° to 43.14° in random and 110.87° to 33.49° in aligned PHB/CTS fibrous scaffold. Moreover, alignment of fibers causes tremendous increase in hydrophilicity of fibrous PHB/CTS substrate. Tensile strength increased from 6.41 MPa for random to 8.73 MPa for aligned PHB/CTS 85:15. Conclusions: Our results indicated that aligned PHB/CTS 85:15 nanofibers are the desired scaffold than the random PHB/CTS nanofibers for application in nerve tissue regeneration. PMID:29657929

  3. Transverse compression of PPTA fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singletary, James

    2000-07-01

    Results of single transverse compression testing of PPTA and PIPD fibers, using a novel test device, are presented and discussed. In the tests, short lengths of single fibers are compressed between two parallel, stiff platens. The fiber elastic deformation is analyzed as a Hertzian contact problem. The inelastic deformation is analyzed by elastic-plastic FE simulation and by laser-scanning confocal microscopy of the compressed fibers ex post facto. The results obtained are compared to those in the literature and to the theoretical predictions of PPTA fiber transverse elasticity based on PPTA crystal elasticity.

  4. Optical Fibers Would Sense Local Strains

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Egalon, Claudio O.; Rogowski, Robert S.

    1994-01-01

    Proposed fiber-optic transducers measure local strains. Includes lead-in and lead-out lengths producing no changes in phase shifts, plus short sensing length in which phase shift is sensitive to strain. Phase shifts in single-mode fibers vary with strains. In alternative version, multiple portions of optical fiber sensitive to strains characteristic of specific vibrational mode of object. Same principle also used with two-mode fiber.

  5. Use of the short-term inflammatory response in the mouse peritoneal cavity to assess the biological activity of leached vitreous fibers.

    PubMed Central

    Donaldson, K; Addison, J; Miller, B G; Cullen, R T; Davis, J M

    1994-01-01

    We used a special-purpose glass microfiber sample, Johns-Manville Code 100/475, to study the effects of various acid and alkali treatments on biological activity as assessed by inflammation in the mouse peritoneal cavity, the leaching of Si, and the phase contrast optical microscopy (PCOM) fiber number. We used mild and medium treatments with oxalic acid and Tris buffer and harsh treatment with concentrated HCl and NaOH. Mild oxalic acid and Tris treatment for 2 weeks had no effect on any of the end-points, but prolonging the mild oxalic acid treatment time to 2 months reduced the biological activity and the fiber number. Medium oxalic acid treatment reduced the biological activity and the fiber number and caused a loss of Si. Medium Tris alkali treatment reduced the PCOM-countable fibers and the biological activity but did not cause a substantial loss of Si. Harsh treatment with strong HCl did not affect the fiber number or cause leaching but the biological activity was reduced; strong NaOH reduced the fiber number and biological activity, and caused marked leaching of Si. The medium oxalic acid conditions (pH 1.4) were more acid than those found in lung cells but produced the same effects (reduction in fiber number and biological activity) as the more physiological mild treatment (pH 4.0), when prolonged. This study suggests that medium oxalic acid treatment can be used as a short-term assay to compare loss of Si, reduction in fiber number, and change in biological activity of vitreous fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:7882922

  6. A Fiber-Optic Coupled Telescope for Water Vapor DIAL Receivers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeYoung, Russell J.; Lonn, Frederick

    1998-01-01

    A fiber-optic coupled telescope of low complexity was constructed and tested. The major loss mechanisms of the optical system have been characterized. Light collected by the receiver mirror is focused onto an optical fiber, and the output of the fiber is filtered by an interference filter and then focused onto an APD detector. This system was used in lidar field measurements with a 532-nm Nd:YAG laser beam. The results were encouraging. A numerical model used for calculation of the expected return signal agreed with the lidar return signal obtained. The assembled system was easy to align and operate and weighed about 8 kg for a 30 cm (12") mirror system. This weight is low enough to allow mounting of the fiber-optic telescope receiver system in a UAV. Furthermore, the good agreement between the numerical lidar model and the performance of the actual receiver system, suggests that this model may be used for estimation of the performance of this and other lidar systems in the future. Such telescopes are relatively easy to construct and align. The fiber optic cable allows easy placement of the optical detector in any position. These telescope systems should find widespread use in aircraft and space home DIAL water vapor receiver systems.

  7. Fiber link design for the NASA-NSF extreme precision Doppler spectrograph concept "WISDOM"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fżrész, Gábor; Pawluczyk, Rafal; Fournier, Paul; Simcoe, Robert; Woods, Deborah F.

    2016-08-01

    We describe the design of the fiber-optic coupling and light transfer system of the WISDOM (WIYN Spectrograph for DOppler Monitoring) instrument. As a next-generation Precision Radial Velocity (PRV) spectrometer, WISDOM incorporates lessons learned from HARPS about thermal, pressure, and gravity control, but also takes new measures to stabilize the spectrograph illumination, a subject that has been overlooked until recently. While fiber optic links provide more even illumination than a conventional slit, careful engineering of the interface is required to realize their full potential. Conventional round fiber core geometries have been used successfully in conjunction with optical double scramblers, but such systems still retain a memory of the input illumination that is visible in systems seeking sub-m/s PRV precision. Noncircular fibers, along with advanced optical scramblers, and careful optimization of the spectrograph optical system itself are therefore necessary to study Earth-sized planets. For WISDOM, we have developed such a state-of-the-art fiber link concept. Its design is driven primarily by PRV requirements, but it also manages to preserve high overall throughput. Light from the telescope is coupled into a set of six, 32 μm diameter octagonal core fibers, as high resolution is achieved via pupil slicing. The low-OH, step index, fused silica, FBPI-type fibers are custom designed for their numerical aperture that matches the convergence of the feeding beam and thus minimizes focal ratio degradation at the output. Given the demanding environment at the telescope the fiber end tips are mounted in a custom fused silica holder, providing a perfect thermal match. We used a novel process, chemically assisted photo etching, to manufacture this glass fiber holder. A single ball-lens scrambler is inserted into the 25m long fibers. Employing an anti-reflection (AR) coated, high index, cubic-zirconia ball lens the alignment of the scrambler components are

  8. Coatings for graphite fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galasso, F. S.; Scola, D. A.; Veltri, R. D.

    1980-01-01

    Graphite fibers released from composites during burning or an explosion caused shorting of electrical and electronic equipment. Silicon carbide, silica, silicon nitride and boron nitride were coated on graphite fibers to increase their electrical resistances. Resistances as high as three orders of magnitude higher than uncoated fiber were attained without any significant degradation of the substrate fiber. An organo-silicone approach to produce coated fibers with high electrical resistance was also used. Celion 6000 graphite fibers were coated with an organo-silicone compound, followed by hydrolysis and pyrolysis of the coating to a silica-like material. The shear and flexural strengths of composites made from high electrically resistant fibers were considerably lower than the shear and flexural strengths of composites made from the lower electrically resistant fibers. The lower shear strengths of the composites indicated that the coatings on these fibers were weaker than the coating on the fibers which were pyrolyzed at higher temperature.

  9. Choice of Reference Sequence and Assembler for Alignment of Listeria monocytogenes Short-Read Sequence Data Greatly Influences Rates of Error in SNP Analyses

    PubMed Central

    Pightling, Arthur W.; Petronella, Nicholas; Pagotto, Franco

    2014-01-01

    The wide availability of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and an abundance of open-source software have made detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in bacterial genomes an increasingly accessible and effective tool for comparative analyses. Thus, ensuring that real nucleotide differences between genomes (i.e., true SNPs) are detected at high rates and that the influences of errors (such as false positive SNPs, ambiguously called sites, and gaps) are mitigated is of utmost importance. The choices researchers make regarding the generation and analysis of WGS data can greatly influence the accuracy of short-read sequence alignments and, therefore, the efficacy of such experiments. We studied the effects of some of these choices, including: i) depth of sequencing coverage, ii) choice of reference-guided short-read sequence assembler, iii) choice of reference genome, and iv) whether to perform read-quality filtering and trimming, on our ability to detect true SNPs and on the frequencies of errors. We performed benchmarking experiments, during which we assembled simulated and real Listeria monocytogenes strain 08-5578 short-read sequence datasets of varying quality with four commonly used assemblers (BWA, MOSAIK, Novoalign, and SMALT), using reference genomes of varying genetic distances, and with or without read pre-processing (i.e., quality filtering and trimming). We found that assemblies of at least 50-fold coverage provided the most accurate results. In addition, MOSAIK yielded the fewest errors when reads were aligned to a nearly identical reference genome, while using SMALT to align reads against a reference sequence that is ∼0.82% distant from 08-5578 at the nucleotide level resulted in the detection of the greatest numbers of true SNPs and the fewest errors. Finally, we show that whether read pre-processing improves SNP detection depends upon the choice of reference sequence and assembler. In total, this study demonstrates that researchers should

  10. Structure-induced variation of thermal conductivity in epoxy resin fibers.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Xiaoliang; Xiong, Yucheng; Fu, Qiang; Sun, Rong; Xu, Jianbin; Xu, Dongyan; Wong, Ching-Ping

    2017-08-03

    The ability to control thermal conductivity is important in a wide variety of applications, especially in heat removal, heat insulation, and thermoelectric energy conversion. Herein, we reveal that the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin fibers increases on decreasing the fiber diameter and surpasses the bulk value (0.25 W m -1 K -1 at 300 K) for the fiber with a diameter of 211 nm. The variation of thermal conductivity in epoxy resin fibers can likely be attributed to their microstructure change-enhanced interface phonon scattering between amorphous and crystalline regions and the enhanced alignment of the molecular chain orientation.

  11. The Surface Interface Characteristics of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube and Graphitic Carbon Fiber Arrays Grown by Thermal and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delzeit, Lance; Nguyen, Cattien; Li, Jun; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, M.

    2002-01-01

    The development of nano-arrays for sensors and devices requires the growth of arrays with the proper characteristics. One such application is the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphitic carbon fibers (GCFs) for the chemical attachment of probe molecules. The effectiveness of such an array is dependent not only upon the effectiveness of the probe and the interface between that probe and the array, but also the array and the underlaying substrate. If that array is a growth of vertically aligned CNTs or GCFs then the attachment of that array to the surface is of the utmost importance. This attachment provides the mechanical stability and durability of the array, as well as, the electrical properties of that array. If the detection is to be acquired through an electrical measurement, then the appropriate resistance between the array and the surface need to be fabricated into the device. I will present data on CNTs and GCFs grown from both thermal and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The focus will be on the characteristics of the metal film from which the CNTs and GCFs are grown and the changes that occur due to changes within the growth process.

  12. High-power fused assemblies enabled by advances in fiber-processing technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiley, Robert; Clark, Brett

    2011-02-01

    The power handling capabilities of fiber lasers are limited by the technologies available to fabricate and assemble the key optical system components. Previous tools for the assembly, tapering, and fusion of fiber laser elements have had drawbacks with regard to temperature range, alignment capability, assembly flexibility and surface contamination. To provide expanded capabilities for fiber laser assembly, a wide-area electrical plasma heat source was used in conjunction with an optimized image analysis method and a flexible alignment system, integrated according to mechatronic principles. High-resolution imaging and vision-based measurement provided feedback to adjust assembly, fusion, and tapering process parameters. The system was used to perform assembly steps including dissimilar-fiber splicing, tapering, bundling, capillary bundling, and fusion of fibers to bulk optic devices up to several mm in diameter. A wide range of fiber types and diameters were tested, including extremely large diameters and photonic crystal fibers. The assemblies were evaluated for conformation to optical and mechanical design criteria, such as taper geometry and splice loss. The completed assemblies met the performance targets and exhibited reduced surface contamination compared to assemblies prepared on previously existing equipment. The imaging system and image analysis algorithms provided in situ fiber geometry measurement data that agreed well with external measurement. The ability to adjust operating parameters dynamically based on imaging was shown to provide substantial performance benefits, particularly in the tapering of fibers and bundles. The integrated design approach was shown to provide sufficient flexibility to perform all required operations with a minimum of reconfiguration.

  13. Design of an Fiber-Coupled Laser Heterodyne Interferometer for the FLARE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frank, Samuel; Yoo, Jongsoo; Ji, Hantao; Jara-Almonte, Jon

    2016-10-01

    The FLARE (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments), which is currently under construction at PPPL, requires a complete set of laboratory plasma diagnostics. The Langmuir probes that will be used in the device to gather local density data require a reliable interferometer system to serve as baseline for density measurement calibration. A fully fiber-coupled infrared laser heterodyne interferometer has been designed in order to serve as the primary line-integrated electron density diagnostic. Thanks to advances in the communications industry many fiber optic devices and phase detection methods have advanced significantly becoming increasingly reliable and inexpensive. Fully fiber coupling a plasma interferometer greatly simplifies alignment procedures needed since the only free space laser path needing alignment is through the plasma itself. Fiber-coupling also provides significant resistance to vibrational noise, a common problem in plasma interferometry systems. This device also uses a greatly simplified phase detection scheme in which chips, originally developed for the communications industry, capable of directly detecting the phase shift of a signal with high time resolution. The design and initial performance of the system will be discussed.

  14. Influence of fiber packing structure on permeability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cai, Zhong; Berdichevsky, Alexander L.

    1993-01-01

    The study on the permeability of an aligned fiber bundle is the key building block in modeling the permeability of advanced woven and braided preforms. Available results on the permeability of fiber bundles in the literature show that a substantial difference exists between numerical and analytical calculations on idealized fiber packing structures, such as square and hexagonal packing, and experimental measurements on practical fiber bundles. The present study focuses on the variation of the permeability of a fiber bundle under practical process conditions. Fiber bundles are considered as containing openings and fiber clusters within the bundle. Numerical simulations on the influence of various openings on the permeability were conducted. Idealized packing structures are used, but with introduced openings distributed in different patterns. Both longitudinal and transverse flow are considered. The results show that openings within the fiber bundle have substantial effect on the permeability. In the longitudinal flow case, the openings become the dominant flow path. In the transverse flow case, the fiber clusters reduce the gap sizes among fibers. Therefore the permeability is greatly influenced by these openings and clusters, respectively. In addition to the porosity or fiber volume fraction, which is commonly used in the permeability expression, another fiber bundle status parameter, the ultimate fiber volume fraction, is introduced to capture the disturbance within a fiber bundle.

  15. All-optical fiber anemometer based on laser heated fiber Bragg gratings.

    PubMed

    Gao, Shaorui; Zhang, A Ping; Tam, Hwa-Yaw; Cho, L H; Lu, Chao

    2011-05-23

    A fiber-optic anemometer based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is presented. A short section of cobalt-doped fiber was utilized to make a fiber-based "hot wire" for wind speed measurement. Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) were fabricated in the cobalt-doped fiber using 193 nm laser pulses to serve as localized temperature sensors. A miniature all-optical fiber anemometer is constructed by using two FBGs to determine the dynamic thermal equilibrium between the laser heating and air flow cooling through monitoring the FBGs' central wavelengths. It was demonstrated that the sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted through the power of pump laser or the coating on the FBG. Experimental results reveal that the proposed FBG-based anemometer exhibits very good performance for wind speed measurement. The resolution of the FBG-based anemometer is about 0.012 m/s for wind speed range between 2.0 m/s and 8.0 m/s.

  16. Advances in sapphire optical fiber sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Anbo; Wang, George Z.; Gollapudi, Sridhar; May, Russell G.; Murphy, Kent A.; Claus, Richard O.

    1993-01-01

    We describe the development and testing of two sapphire fiber sensor designs intended for use in high temperature environments. The first is a birefringence-balanced polarimetric sapphire fiber sensor. In this sensor, two single crystal sapphire rods, acting as the birefringence sensing element, are connected to each other in such a way that the slow axis of the first rod is aligned along with the fast axis of the second rod, and the fast axis of the first rod is along the slow axis of the second rod. This sensor has been demonstrated for measurement of temperature up to 1500 C. The second is a sapphire-fiber-based intrinsic interferometric sensor. In this sensor, a length of uncoated, unclad, structural-graded multimode sapphire fiber is fusion spliced to a singlemode silica fiber to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The reflections from the silica-to-sapphire fiber splice and the free endface of the sapphire fiber give rise to the interfering fringe output. This sensor has been demonstrated for the measurement of temperature above 1510 C, and a resolution of 0.1 C has been obtained.

  17. Multimode interference tapered fiber refractive index sensors.

    PubMed

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

    2012-08-20

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

  18. The twilight zone of cis element alignments

    PubMed Central

    Sebastian, Alvaro; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno

    2013-01-01

    Sequence alignment of proteins and nucleic acids is a routine task in bioinformatics. Although the comparison of complete peptides, genes or genomes can be undertaken with a great variety of tools, the alignment of short DNA sequences and motifs entails pitfalls that have not been fully addressed yet. Here we confront the structural superposition of transcription factors with the sequence alignment of their recognized cis elements. Our goals are (i) to test TFcompare (http://floresta.eead.csic.es/tfcompare), a structural alignment method for protein–DNA complexes; (ii) to benchmark the pairwise alignment of regulatory elements; (iii) to define the confidence limits and the twilight zone of such alignments and (iv) to evaluate the relevance of these thresholds with elements obtained experimentally. We find that the structure of cis elements and protein–DNA interfaces is significantly more conserved than their sequence and measures how this correlates with alignment errors when only sequence information is considered. Our results confirm that DNA motifs in the form of matrices produce better alignments than individual sequences. Finally, we report that empirical and theoretically derived twilight thresholds are useful for estimating the natural plasticity of regulatory sequences, and hence for filtering out unreliable alignments. PMID:23268451

  19. Fiber-optic polarization diversity detection for rotary probe optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Lee, Anthony M D; Pahlevaninezhad, Hamid; Yang, Victor X D; Lam, Stephen; MacAulay, Calum; Lane, Pierre

    2014-06-15

    We report a polarization diversity detection scheme for optical coherence tomography with a new, custom, miniaturized fiber coupler with single mode (SM) fiber inputs and polarization maintaining (PM) fiber outputs. The SM fiber inputs obviate matching the optical lengths of the X and Y OCT polarization channels prior to interference and the PM fiber outputs ensure defined X and Y axes after interference. Advantages for this scheme include easier alignment, lower cost, and easier miniaturization compared to designs with free-space bulk optical components. We demonstrate the utility of the detection system to mitigate the effects of rapidly changing polarization states when imaging with rotating fiber optic probes in Intralipid suspension and during in vivo imaging of human airways.

  20. Short-fiber protein of ad40 confers enteric tropism and protection against acidic gastrointestinal conditions.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez, Ester; Romero, Carolina; Río, Adolfo; Miralles, Marta; Raventós, Aida; Planells, Laura; Burgueño, Joan F; Hamada, Hirofumi; Perales, Jose Carlos; Bosch, Assumpció; Gassull, Miguel Angel; Fernández, Ester; Chillon, Miguel

    2013-08-01

    The lack of vectors for selective gene delivery to the intestine has hampered the development of gene therapy strategies for intestinal diseases. We hypothesized that chimeric adenoviruses of Ad5 (species C) displaying proteins of the naturally enteric Ad40 (species F) might hold the intestinal tropism of the species F and thus be useful for gene delivery to the intestine. As oral-fecal dissemination of enteric adenovirus must withstand the conditions encountered in the gastrointestinal tract, we studied the resistance of chimeric Ad5 carrying the short-fiber protein of Ad40 to acid milieu and proteases and found that the Ad40 short fiber confers resistance to inactivation in acidic conditions and that AdF/40S was further activated upon exposure to low pH. In contrast, the chimeric AdF/40S exhibited only a slightly higher protease resistance compared with Ad5 to proteases present in simulated gastric juice. Then, the biodistribution of different chimeric adenoviruses by oral, rectal, and intravenous routes was tested. Expression of reporter β-galactosidase was measured in extracts of 15 different organs 3 days after administration. Our results indicate that among the chimeric viruses, only intrarectally given AdF/40S infected the colon (preferentially enteroendocrine cells and macrophages) and to a lesser extent, the small intestine, whereas Ad5 infectivity was very poor in all tissues. Additional in vitro experiments showed improved infectivity of AdF/40S also in different human epithelial cell lines. Therefore, our results point at the chimeric adenovirus AdF/40S as an interesting vector for selective gene delivery to treat intestinal diseases.

  1. Tunable Fiber Bragg Grating Ring Lasers using Macro Fiber Composite Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geddis, Demetris L.; Allison, Sidney G.; Shams, Qamar A.

    2006-01-01

    The research reported herein includes the fabrication of a tunable optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fiber ring laser (FRL)1 from commercially available components as a high-speed alternative tunable laser source for NASA Langley s optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) interrogator, which reads low reflectivity FBG sensors. A Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) actuator invented at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) was selected to tune the laser. MFC actuators use a piezoelectric sheet cut into uniaxially aligned rectangular piezo-fibers surrounded by a polymer matrix and incorporate interdigitated electrodes to deliver electric fields along the length of the piezo-fibers. This configuration enables MFC actuators to produce displacements larger than the original uncut piezoelectric sheet. The FBG filter was sandwiched between two MFC actuators, and when strained, produced approximately 3.62 nm of wavelength shift in the FRL when biasing the MFC actuators from 500 V to 2000 V. This tunability range is comparable to that of other tunable lasers and is adequate for interrogating FBG sensors using OFDR technology. Three different FRL configurations were studied. Configuration A examined the importance of erbium-doped fiber length and output coupling. Configuration B demonstrated the importance of the FBG filter. Configuration C added an output coupler to increase the output power and to isolate the filter. Only configuration C was tuned because it offered the best optical power output of the three configurations. Use of Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) FBG s holds promise for enhanced tunability in future research.

  2. Self-Powered Active Sensor with Concentric Topography of Piezoelectric Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fuh, Yiin Kuen; Huang, Zih Ming; Wang, Bo Sheng; Li, Shan Chien

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we demonstrated a flexible and self-powered sensor based on piezoelectric fibers in the diameter range of nano- and micro-scales. Our work is distinctively different from previous electrospinning research; we fabricated this apparatus precisely via near-field electrospinning which has a spectacular performance to harvest mechanical deformation in arbitrary direction and a novel concentrically circular topography. There are many piezoelectric devices based on electrospinning polymeric fibers. However, the fibers were mostly patterned in parallel lines and they could be actuated in limited direction only. To overcome this predicament, we re-arranged the parallel alignment into concentric circle pattern which made it possible to collect the mechanical energy whenever the deformation is along same axis or not. Despite the change of topography, the output voltage and current could still reach to 5 V and 400 nA, respectively, despite the mechanical deformation was from different direction. This new arbitrarily directional piezoelectric generator with concentrically circular topography (PGCT) allowed the piezoelectric device to harvest more mechanical energy than the one-directional alignment fiber-based devices, and this PGCT could perform even better output which promised more versatile and efficient using as a wearable electronics or sensor.

  3. Prosodic alignment in human-computer interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suzuki, N.; Katagiri, Y.

    2007-06-01

    Androids that replicate humans in form also need to replicate them in behaviour to achieve a high level of believability or lifelikeness. We explore the minimal social cues that can induce in people the human tendency for social acceptance, or ethopoeia, toward artifacts, including androids. It has been observed that people exhibit a strong tendency to adjust to each other, through a number of speech and language features in human-human conversational interactions, to obtain communication efficiency and emotional engagement. We investigate in this paper the phenomena related to prosodic alignment in human-computer interactions, with particular focus on human-computer alignment of speech characteristics. We found that people exhibit unidirectional and spontaneous short-term alignment of loudness and response latency in their speech in response to computer-generated speech. We believe this phenomenon of prosodic alignment provides one of the key components for building social acceptance of androids.

  4. Fiber Optical Parametric Oscillator for High Power, High Efficiency Short-Wavelength Generation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-05

    the spectral region about 1550 nm, this project has explored the possibility of using ytterbium - doped fiber lasers (YDFL) and amplifiers (YDFA) as...integration. From this point of view, an ytterbium - doped fiber -based pump source looks most attractive. Of particular interest is the master- oscillator... ytterbium - doped fiber amplifiers (YDFA). The MOPA constructed for this work is shown in Figure 1. It consists of a CW fiber ring-laser centered at

  5. Measuring optical fiber length by use of a short-pulse optical fiber ring laser in a self-injection seeding scheme.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi-Ping; Wang, Dong Ning; Jin, Wei

    2006-09-01

    A method for measuring the length of an optical fiber by use of an optical fiber ring laser pulse source is proposed and demonstrated. The key element of the optical fiber ring laser is a gain-switched Fabry-Perot laser diode operated in a self-injection seeding scheme. This method is especially suitable for measuring a medium or long fiber, and a resolution of 0.1 m is experimentally achieved. The measurement is implemented by accurately determining the pulse frequency that can maximize the output power of the fiber ring laser. The measurement results depend only on the refractive index of the fiber corresponding to this single wavelength, instead of the group index of the fiber, which represents a great advantage over both optical time-domain reflectometry and optical low-coherence reflectometry methods.

  6. Surface Properties of a Hooked Steel Fiber and their Effects on the Fiber Pullout and Composite Cracking 1. Experimental Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zesers, A.; Krūmiņš, J.

    2014-09-01

    Concrete as a material is brittle, but adding short steel fibers to the matrix can significantly improve its mechanical properties. The chemical adhesion between concrete and steel is weak, and the fiber pullout properties are based on fiber geometry and frictional forces. Single-fiber pullout tests of steel fibers with toothed and smooth surfaces were performed in order to characterize the effects of fiber surface facture. The influence of fiber form, surface facture, and fiber orientation (relative to the pullout direction) on the fiber withdrawal resistance and the maximum pullout force were studied.

  7. Spectrometer employing optical fiber time delays for frequency resolution

    DOEpatents

    Schuss, Jack J.; Johnson, Larry C.

    1979-01-01

    This invention provides different length glass fibers for providing a broad range of optical time delays for short incident chromatic light pulses for the selective spatial and frequency analysis of the light with a single light detector. To this end, the frequencies of the incident light are orientated and matched with the different length fibers by dispersing the separate frequencies in space according to the respective fiber locations and lengths at the input terminal of the glass fibers. This makes the different length fibers useful in the field of plasma physics. To this end the short light pulses can be scattered by a plasma and then passed through the fibers for analyzing and diagnosing the plasma while it varies rapidly with time.

  8. Random fiber laser based on artificially controlled backscattering fibers.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaoliang; Chen, Daru; Li, Haitao; She, Lijuan; Wu, Qiong

    2018-01-10

    The random fiber laser (RFL), which is a milestone in laser physics and nonlinear optics, has attracted considerable attention recently. Most previously reported RFLs are based on distributed feedback of Rayleigh scattering amplified through the stimulated Raman-Brillouin scattering effect in single-mode fibers, which require long-distance (tens of kilometers) single-mode fibers and high threshold, up to watt level, due to the extremely small Rayleigh scattering coefficient of the fiber. We proposed and demonstrated a half-open-cavity RFL based on a segment of an artificially controlled backscattering single-mode fiber with a length of 210 m, 310 m, or 390 m. A fiber Bragg grating with a central wavelength of 1530 nm and a segment of artificially controlled backscattering single-mode fiber fabricated by using a femtosecond laser form the half-open cavity. The proposed RFL achieves thresholds of 25 mW, 30 mW, and 30 mW, respectively. Random lasing at a wavelength of 1530 nm and extinction ratio of 50 dB is achieved when a segment of 5 m erbium-doped fiber is pumped by a 980 nm laser diode in the RFL. A novel RFL with many short cavities has been achieved with low threshold.

  9. Numerical Estimation of the Elastic Properties of Thin-Walled Structures Manufactured from Short-Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altenbach, H.; Naumenko, K.; L'vov, G. I.; Pilipenko, S. N.

    2003-05-01

    A model which allows us to estimate the elastic properties of thin-walled structures manufactured by injection molding is presented. The starting step is the numerical prediction of the microstructure of a short-fiber-reinforced composite developed during the filling stage of the manufacturing process. For this purpose, the Moldflow Plastic Insight® commercial program is used. As a result of simulating the filling process, a second-rank orientation tensor characterizing the microstructure of the material is obtained. The elastic properties of the prepared material locally depend on the orientational distribution of fibers. The constitutive equation is formulated by means of orientational averaging for a given orientation tensor. The tensor of elastic material properties is computed and translated into the format for a stress-strain analysis based on the ANSYSÒ finite-element code. The numerical procedure and the convergence of results are discussed for a thin strip, a rectangular plate, and a shell of revolution. The influence of manufacturing conditions on the stress-strain state of statically loaded thin-walled elements is illustrated.

  10. Method for optical and mechanically coupling optical fibers

    DOEpatents

    Toeppen, J.S.

    1996-10-01

    A method and apparatus are disclosed for splicing optical fibers. A fluorescing solder glass frit having a melting point lower than the melting point of first and second optical fibers is prepared. The solder glass frit is then attached to the end of the first optical fiber and/or the end of the second optical fiber. The ends of the optical fibers are aligned and placed in close proximity to each other. The solder glass frit is then heated to a temperature which is lower than the melting temperature of the first and second optical fibers, but which is high enough to melt the solder glass frit. A force is applied to the first and second optical fibers pushing the ends of the fibers towards each other. As the solder glass flit becomes molten, the layer of molten solder glass is compressed into a thin layer between the first and second optical fibers. The thin compressed layer of molten solder glass is allowed to cool such that the first and second optical fibers are bonded to each other by the hardened layer of solder glass. 6 figs.

  11. Characterization of ecofriendly polyethylene fiber from plastic bag waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soekoco, Asril S.; Noerati, Komalasari, Maya; Kurniawan, Hananto, Agus

    2017-08-01

    This paper presents the characterization of fiber morphology, fiber count and tenacity of polyethylene fiber which is made from plastic bag waste. Recycling plastic bag waste into textile fiber has not developed yet. Plastic bag waste was recycled into fiber by melt spinning using laboratory scale melt spinning equipment with single orifice nozzle and plunger system. The basic principle of melt spinning is by melting materials and then extruding it through small orifice of a spinning nozzle to form fibers. Diameter and cross section shape of Recycled polyethylene fiber were obtained by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) instrumentation. Linear density of the recycled fiber were analyzed by calculation using denier and dTex formulation and The mechanical strength of the fibers was measured in accordance with the ASTM D 3379-75 standard. The cross section of recycled fiber is circular taking the shape of orifice. Fiber count of 303.75 denier has 1.84 g/denier tenacity and fiber count of 32.52 has 3.44 g/denier tenacity. This conditions is affected by the growth of polymer chain alignment when take-up axial velocity become faster. Recycled polyethylene fiber has a great potential application in non-apparel textile.

  12. Hybrid semiconductor fiber lasers for telecommunications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khalili, Alireza

    2006-12-01

    Highly stable edge emitting semiconductor lasers are of utmost importance in most telecommunications applications where high-speed data transmission sets strict limits on the purity of the laser signal. Unfortunately, most edge emitting semiconductor lasers, unlike gaseous or solid-state laser sources, operate with many closely spaced axial modes, which accounts for the observed instability and large spikes in the output spectrum of such lasers. Consequently, in most telecom applications distributed feedback (DFB) or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) techniques are used to ensure stability and single-frequency operation, further adding to the cost and complexity of such lasers. Additionally, coupling of the highly elliptical output beam of these lasers to singlemode fibers complicates the packaging procedure and sub-micron alignment of various optical components is often necessary. Utilizing the evanescent coupling between a semiconductor antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) and a side polished fiber, this thesis presents an alternative side-coupled laser module that eliminates the need for the cumbersome multi-component alignment processes of conventional laser packages, and creates an inherent mode selection mechanism that guarantees singlemode radiation into the fiber without any gratings. We have been able to demonstrate the first side-coupled fiber semiconductor laser in this technology, coupling more than 3mW of power at 850nm directly into a 5/125mum singlemode fiber. This mixed-cavity architecture yields a high thermal stability (˜0.06nm/°C), and negligible spectral spikes are observed. Theoretical background and simulation results, as well as several supplementary materials are also presented to further rationalize the experimental data. A side-coupled light-emitter and pre-amplifier are also proposed and discussed. We also study different architectures for attaining higher efficiency, higher output power, and wavelength tunability in such

  13. Fiber optic spectroscopic digital imaging sensor and method for flame properties monitoring

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

    Zelepouga, Serguei A; Rue, David M; Saveliev, Alexei V

    2011-03-15

    A system for real-time monitoring of flame properties in combustors and gasifiers which includes an imaging fiber optic bundle having a light receiving end and a light output end and a spectroscopic imaging system operably connected with the light output end of the imaging fiber optic bundle. Focusing of the light received by the light receiving end of the imaging fiber optic bundle by a wall disposed between the light receiving end of the fiber optic bundle and a light source, which wall forms a pinhole opening aligned with the light receiving end.

  14. Fluorescent fiber diagnostics

    DOEpatents

    Toeppen, John S.

    1994-10-04

    A fluorescent fiber (13) having a doped core (16) is pumped (11) by light (18) of a relatively short wavelength to produce fluorescence at a longer wavelength that is detected by detector (24). The level of fluorescence is monitored (26) and evaluated to provide information as to the excitation of the fiber (13) or the environment thereof. In particular, the level of intensity of the detected fluorescence may be used to measure the intensity of a light beam (18) passing axially through an optical fiber system (12) (FIG. 1 ), or the intensity of a light beam (46) passing radially through a fluorescent fiber (13) (FIG. 2 ), or the level of a fluid (32) in a tank (31) (FIG. 3 ), or a scintillation event (37) in a fluorescent fiber (13) pumped to produce amplification of the scintillation event (FIG. 4 ).

  15. Fluorescent fiber diagnostics

    DOEpatents

    Toeppen, John S.

    1994-01-01

    A fluorescent fiber (13) having a doped core (16) is pumped (11) by light (18) of a relatively short wavelength to produce fluorescence at a longer wavelength that is detected by detector (24). The level of fluorescence is monitored (26) and evaluated to provide information as to the excitation of the fiber (13) or the environment thereof. In particular, the level of intensity of the detected fluorescence may be used to measure the intensity of a light beam (18) passing axially through an optical fiber system (12) (FIG. 1 ), or the intensity of a light beam (46) passing radially through a fluorescent fiber (13) (FIG. 2 ), or the level of a fluid (32) in a tank (31) (FIG. 3 ), or a scintillation event (37) in a fluorescent fiber (13) pumped to produce amplification of the scintillation event (FIG. 4 ).

  16. Squid pen-inspired chitinous functional materials: Hierarchical chitin fibers by centrifugal jet-spinning and transparent chitin fiber-reinforced composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Seung-Hwan; Kim, Joong-Kwon; Lim, Young-Woo; Hwang, Hyun-Bin; Kwon, Hee-Young; Bae, Byeong-Soo; Jin, Jungho

    2018-01-01

    Here, inspired by the fibrous composite structure of a squid pen, we introduce hierarchical chitin fibers (herein, termed "Chiber") and their transparent composites and demonstrate the potential of these chitinous functional materials as a sustainable separation-membrane and reinforcing filler for composites. We employ a centrifugal jet-spinning process to fabricate Chiber with aligned chitin nanofibrillar architectures, for which we discuss the processing-morphology relationship. A nonwoven fiber-mat made of Chiber exhibits excellent adsorbing performance for a toxic ionic dye (Congo Red), and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion comparable to that of glass fibers. Finally, we demonstrate a squid pen-mimetic transparent composite using Chiber and investigate its optical property.

  17. Maximum-performance fiber-optic irradiation with nonimaging designs.

    PubMed

    Fang, Y; Feuermann, D; Gordon, J M

    1997-10-01

    A range of practical nonimaging designs for optical fiber applications is presented. Rays emerging from a fiber over a restricted angular range (small numerical aperture) are needed to illuminate a small near-field detector at maximum radiative efficiency. These designs range from pure reflector (all-mirror), to pure dielectric (refractive and based on total internal reflection) to lens-mirror combinations. Sample designs are shown for a specific infrared fiber-optic irradiation problem of practical interest. Optical performance is checked with computer three-dimensional ray tracing. Compared with conventional imaging solutions, nonimaging units offer considerable practical advantages in compactness and ease of alignment as well as noticeably superior radiative efficiency.

  18. Femtosecond laser inscription of optical circuits in the cladding of optical fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grenier, Jason R.

    The aim of this dissertation was to address the question of whether the cladding of single-mode fibers (SMFs) could be modified to enable optical fibers to serve as a more integrated, highly functional platform for optical circuit devices that can efficiently interconnect with the pre-existing fiber core waveguide. The approach adopted in this dissertation was to employ femtosecond laser direct writing (FLDW), an inherently 3D fabrication technique that harnesses non-linear laser-material interactions to modify the fused silica fiber cladding. A fiber mounting and alignment technique was developed along with oil-immersion focusing to address the strong aberrations caused by the cylindrical fiber shape. The development of real-time device monitoring during the FLDW was instrumental to overcome the acute coupling sensitivity to laser alignment errors of +/-1 ?m positional uncertainty, and thereby opened a new practical direction for the precise fabrication of optical devices inside optical fibers. These powerful and flexible laser fabrication and characterization techniques were successfully employed to optimize optical waveguiding devices positioned within the core and cladding of optical fibers. X-, S-Bend, and directional couplers were developed to enable efficient coupling between the laser-formed cladding devices and the pre-existing core waveguide, enabling up to 62% power transfer over bandwidths up to 300 nm at telecommunication wavelengths. Precise alignment of femtosecond laser modification tracks were positioned inside or near the core waveguide of SMFs was further shown to enable a flexible reshaping of the optical properties to create multimode guiding sections arbitrarily along the fiber length. This core waveguide modification facilitated the precise formation of multimode interferometers along the core waveguide to precisely tailor the modal profiles, and control the spectral and polarization response. In-fiber multimode interference (MMI) splitters

  19. Evanescent-wave photoacoustic spectroscopy with optical micro/nano fibers.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yingchun; Jin, Wei; Ho, Lut Hoi; Liu, Zhibo

    2012-01-15

    We demonstrate gas detection based on evanescent-wave photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy with tapered optical fibers. Evanescent-field instead of open-path absorption is exploited for PA generation, and a quartz tuning fork is used for PA detection. A tapered optical fiber with a diameter down to the wavelength scale demonstrates detection sensitivity similar to an open-path system but with the advantages of easier optical alignment, smaller insertion loss, and multiplexing capability.

  20. Microfluidic flow rate detection based on integrated optical fiber cantilever.

    PubMed

    Lien, Victor; Vollmer, Frank

    2007-10-01

    We demonstrate an integrated microfluidic flow sensor with ultra-wide dynamic range, suitable for high throughput applications such as flow cytometry and particle sorting/counting. A fiber-tip cantilever transduces flow rates to optical signal readout, and we demonstrate a dynamic range from 0 to 1500 microL min(-1) for operation in water. Fiber-optic sensor alignment is guided by preformed microfluidic channels, and the dynamic range can be adjusted in a one-step chemical etch. An overall non-linear response is attributed to the far-field angular distribution of single-mode fiber output.

  1. Photovoltaic fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaudiana, Russell; Eckert, Robert; Cardone, John; Ryan, James; Montello, Alan

    2006-08-01

    It was realized early in the history of Konarka that the ability to produce fibers that generate power from solar energy could be applied to a wide variety of applications where fabrics are utilized currently. These applications include personal items such as jackets, shirts and hats, to architectural uses such as awnings, tents, large covers for cars, trucks and even doomed stadiums, to indoor furnishings such as window blinds, shades and drapes. They may also be used as small fabric patches or fiber bundles for powering or recharging batteries in small sensors. Power generating fabrics for clothing is of particular interest to the military where they would be used in uniforms and body armor where portable power is vital to field operations. In strong sunlight these power generating fabrics could be used as a primary source of energy, or they can be used in either direct sunlight or low light conditions to recharge batteries. Early in 2002, Konarka performed a series of proof-of-concept experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of building a photovoltaic cell using dye-sensitized titania and electrolyte on a metal wire core. The approach taken was based on the sequential coating processes used in making fiber optics, namely, a fiber core, e.g., a metal wire serving as the primary electrode, is passed through a series of vertically aligned coating cups. Each of the cups contains a coating fluid that has a specific function in the photocell. A second wire, used as the counter electrode, is brought into the process prior to entering the final coating cup. The latter contains a photopolymerizable, transparent cladding which hardens when passed through a UV chamber. Upon exiting the UV chamber, the finished PV fiber is spooled. Two hundred of foot lengths of PV fiber have been made using this process. When the fiber is exposed to visible radiation, it generates electrical power. The best efficiency exhibited by these fibers is 6% with an average value in the 4

  2. Coupling loss reducing for fiber Raman gas detection technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Jialin; Jiang, Shubo; Zhang, Xiumei

    2017-01-01

    During the design of the photonic crystal fiber Raman gas detection device and taking the cost and practicability in to consideration, we choose to use a stainless steel tube as a connector for the connecting of the HCPCF and SMF to replace the fiber fusing splice. Basis on the measurement to reduce coupling loss, we calculated the optimum fiber gap for maximum light coupling and to reduce Fresnel loss. Using the stainless steel tube not only result in low loss but also benefit input of the sample gas and recycling of the fiber which is very expensive. By adjusting the central alignment of the stainless steel tube we can easily control the fiber deviation loss for specific type of SMF and HCPCF. The mode mismatch is also demonstrated.

  3. Vibrating Optical Fibers to Make Laser Speckle Disappear

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McGill, Matthew; Scott, V. Stanley

    2005-01-01

    In optical systems in which laser illumination is delivered via multimode optical fibers, laser speckle can be rendered incoherent by a simple but highly effective technique. The need to eliminate speckle arises because speckle can make it difficult to observe edges and other sharp features, thereby making it difficult to perform precision alignment of optical components. The basic ideas of the technique is to vibrate the optical fiber(s) to cause shifting of electromagnetic modes within the fiber(s) and consequent shifting of the speckle pattern in the light emerging from the fiber(s). If the frequency of vibration is high enough, a human eye cannot follow the shifting speckle pattern, so that instead of speckle, a human observer sees a smoothed pattern of light corresponding to a mixture of many electromagnetic modes. If necessary, the optical fiber(s) could be vibrated manually. However, in a typical laboratory situation, it would be more practical to attach a vibrating mechanism to the fiber(s) for routine use as part of the fiber-optic illuminator. In experiments, a commercially available small, gentle, quiet, variable- speed vibratory device was used in this way, with the result that the appearance of speckle was eliminated, as expected. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the difference.

  4. Drainage and fractionation of wood fibers in a flotation froth

    Treesearch

    J.Y. Zhu; Freya Tan

    2005-01-01

    Understanding fiber fractionation in a froth is very important to the quality of recovered fibers in flotation deinking operations. Fiber length is a very important fiber quality parameter in paper-making. For example, long fibers tend to produce a paper with higher tear strength than short fibers. In this study, fibers in froth collected at different froth drainage...

  5. Mechanical alignment of particles for use in fabricating superconducting and permanent magnetic materials

    DOEpatents

    Nellis, William J.; Maple, M. Brian

    1992-01-01

    A method for mechanically aligning oriented superconducting or permanently magnetic materials for further processing into constructs. This pretreatment optimizes the final crystallographic orientation and, thus, properties in these constructs. Such materials as superconducting fibers, needles and platelets are utilized.

  6. Effects of dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks.

    PubMed

    Walugembe, M; Hsieh, J C F; Koszewski, N J; Lamont, S J; Persia, M E; Rothschild, M F

    2015-10-01

    This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks. The lower fiber diet was based on corn-soybean meal (SBM) and the higher fiber diet was formulated using corn-SBM-dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat bran to contain 60.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 1 to 12 d and 80.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 13 to 21 d. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC nutrient requirements. Broiler and laying-hen chicks were randomly assigned to the high and low fiber diets with 11 replicates of 8 chicks for each of the 4 treatments. One cecum from 3 chicks was collected from each replicate: one cecum underwent SCFA concentration analysis, one underwent bacterial DNA isolation for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), and the third cecum was used for metagenomics analyses. There were interactions between bird line and dietary fiber for acetic acid (P = 0.04) and total SCFA (P = 0.04) concentration. There was higher concentration of acetic acid (P = 0.02) and propionic acid (P < 0.01) in broiler chicks compared to laying-hen chicks. TRFLP analysis showed that cecal microbiota varied due to diet (P = 0.02) and chicken line (P = 0.03). Metagenomics analyses identified differences in the relative abundance of Helicobacter pullorum and Megamonas hypermegale and the genera Enterobacteriaceae, Campylobacter, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides in different treatment groups. These results provide insights into the effect of dietary fiber on SCFA concentration and modulation of cecal microbiota in broiler and laying-hen chicks. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  7. Cereal fiber, fruit fiber, and type 2 diabetes: Explaining the paradox.

    PubMed

    Davison, Karen M; Temple, Norman J

    2018-02-01

    While the relationship between dietary fiber and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been much studied, the evidence about its role in the prevention and control of this condition has been conflicting. We critically evaluate prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined insoluble/nonviscous/cereal fiber and soluble/viscous/fruit fiber in relation to risk of T2DM. Taken as a whole this evidence indicates that, in the quantities typically eaten, cereal fiber is protective against T2DM while fruit fiber gives little protection. We argue that the protective action of cereal fiber may be explained by the modulating effects of gut microbiota through mechanisms such as: 1) improving glucose tolerance via energy metabolism pathways (colonic fermentation and generation of short-chain fatty acids); 2) reducing inflammation; and 3) altering the immune response. By gaining more knowledge of specific host and gut microbial functional pathways involved in T2DM development and the potential role of cereal fiber, appropriate disease prevention and intervention strategies may be developed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Characterization of Polyester Matrix Reinforced with Banana Fibers Thermal Properties by Photoacoustic Technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Assis, Foluke S.; Netto, Pedro A.; Margem, Frederico M.; Monteiro, Artur R. P. Junior Sergio N.

    Synthetic fibers are being replaced gradually by natural materials such as lignocellulosic fibers. Compared to synthetic fibers, natural fibers have shown advantages in technical aspects such as environmental and economic. So there is a growing international interest in the use of those fibers. The banana fiber presents significant properties to be studied, but until now few thermal properties on banana fiber as reinforcement of polyester matrix were performed. The present work had as its objective to investigate, by photoacoustic spectroscopy and photothermal techniques the thermal properties of diffusivity, specific heat capacity and conductivity for polyester composites reinforced with banana fibers. In the polyester matrix will be added up to 30% in volume of continuous and aligned banana fibers. These values show that the incorporation of banana fibers in the polyester matrix changes its thermal properties.

  9. Fabrication and preliminary study of a biomimetic tri-layer tubular graft based on fibers and fiber yarns for vascular tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Wu, Tong; Zhang, Jialing; Wang, Yuanfei; Li, Dandan; Sun, Binbin; El-Hamshary, Hany; Yin, Meng; Mo, Xiumei

    2018-01-01

    Designing a biomimetic and functional tissue-engineered vascular graft has been urgently needed for repairing and regenerating defected vascular tissues. Utilizing a multi-layered vascular scaffold is commonly considered an effective way, because multi-layered scaffolds can easily simulate the structure and function of natural blood vessels. Herein, we developed a novel tri-layer tubular graft consisted of Poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone)/collagen (PLCL/COL) fibers and Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/silk fibroin (PLGA/SF) yarns via a three-step electrospinning method. The tri-layer vascular graft consisted of PLCL/COL aligned fibers in inner layer, PLGA/SF yarns in middle layer, and PLCL/COL random fibers in outer layer. Each layer possessed tensile mechanical strength and elongation, and the entire tubular structure provided tensile and compressive supports. Furthermore, the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) proliferated well on the materials. Fluorescence staining images demonstrated that the axially aligned PLCL/COL fibers prearranged endothelium morphology in lumen and the circumferential oriented PLGA/SF yarns regulated SMCs organization along the single yarns. The outside PLCL/COL random fibers performed as the fixed layer to hold the entire tubular structure. The in vivo results showed that the tri-layer vascular graft supported cell infiltration, scaffold biodegradation and abundant collagen production after subcutaneous implantation for 10weeks, revealing the optimal biocompatibility and tissue regenerative capability of the tri-layer graft. Therefore, the specially designed tri-layer vascular graft will be beneficial to vascular reconstruction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon Composite Valve for an Internal Combustion Engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rivers, H. Kevin (Inventor); Ransone, Philip O. (Inventor); Northam, G. Burton (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite valve for internal combustion engines and the like formed of continuous carbon fibers throughout the valve's stem and head is disclosed. The valve includes braided carbon fiber material over axially aligned unidirectional carbon fibers forming a valve stem; the braided and unidirectional carbon fibers being broomed out at one end of the valve stem forming the shape of the valve head; the valve-shaped structure being densified and rigidized with a matrix of carbon containing discontinuous carbon fibers: and the finished valve being treated to resist oxidation. Also disclosed is a carbon matrix plug containing continuous and discontinuous carbon fibers and forming a net-shape valve head acting as a mandrel over which the unidirectional and braided carbon fibers are formed according to textile processes. Also disclosed are various preform valves and processes for making finished and preform carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite valves.

  11. Reinforcing and Toughening Effects of Bamboo Pulp Fiber on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Fiber Composites.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/bamboo pulp fiber composites were melt-compounded and injection-molded. Tensile, impact and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites were studied. In contrast to many other short natural fiber reinforced biocomposites which demonstrate decre...

  12. APOGEE fiber development and FRD testing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brunner, Sophia; Burton, Adam; Crane, Jeff; Zhao, Bo; Hearty, Fred R.; Wilson, John C.; Carey, Larry; Leger, French; Skrutskie, Mike; Schiavon, Ricardo; Majewski, Steven R.

    2010-07-01

    Development of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) near-infrared spectrograph has motivated thorough investigation into the properties and performance of optical fibers. The fiber selected for APOGEE is a step index, multi-mode fiber, developed by PolyMicro, with a 120μm low OH, fused silica core, 25μm cladding, and 10μm buffer. The instrument design includes a 40 meter fiber run, connecting the spectrograph to the 2.5m Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope, and an additional 2.5 meter fiber segment located within the instrument dewar, a vacuum-sealed, cryogenic environment. This light path is convoluted and includes many transitions and connections where the beam is susceptible irrevocable loss. To optimize the spectrograph performance it is necessary to minimize the losses incurred in the fiber system, especially those resulting in focal ratio degradation (FRD). The focus of this research has been to identify potential sources of loss and where applicable, select material components to minimize this effect. There is little previous documented work concerning the performance of optical fibers within this wavelength band (1.5-1.7μm). Consequently, the following includes comprehensive explanations of the APOGEE fiber system components, our experimental design and optical test bed set-up, beam alignment procedures, fiber terminating and polishing techniques, and results from our examination of FRD as correlated with source wavelength, fiber length and termination, and environmental conditions.

  13. In vitro batch fecal fermentation comparison of gas and short-chain fatty acid production using "slowly fermentable" dietary fibers.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Amandeep; Rose, Devin J; Rumpagaporn, Pinthip; Patterson, John A; Hamaker, Bruce R

    2011-01-01

    Sustained colonic fermentation supplies beneficial fermentative by-products to the distal colon, which is particularly prone to intestinal ailments. Blunted/delayed initial fermentation may also lead to less bloating. Previously, we reported that starch-entrapped alginate-based microspheres act as a slowly fermenting dietary fiber. This material was used in the present study to provide a benchmark to compare to other "slowly fermentable" fibers. Dietary fibers with previous reports of slow fermentation, namely, long-chain inulin, psyllium, alkali-soluble corn bran arabinoxylan, and long-chain β-glucan, as well as starch-entrapped microspheres were subjected to in vitro upper gastrointestinal digestion and human fecal fermentation and measured over 48 h for pH, gas, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The resistant fraction of cooked and cooled potato starch was used as another form of fermentable starch and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) served as a fast fermenting control. Corn bran arabinoxylan and long-chain β-glucan initially appeared slower fermenting with comparatively low gas and SCFA production, but later fermented rapidly with little remaining in the final half of the fermentation period. Long-chain inulin and psyllium had slow and moderate, but incomplete, fermentation. The resistant fraction of cooked and cooled potato starch fermented rapidly and appeared similar to FOS. In conclusion, compared to the benchmark slowly fermentable starch-entrapped microspheres, a number of the purported slowly fermentable fibers fermented fairly rapidly overall and, of this group, only the starch-entrapped microspheres appreciably fermented in the second half of the fermentation period. Consumption of dietary fibers, particularly commercial prebiotics, leads to uncomfortable feelings of bloating and flatulence due to their rapid degradation in our large intestine. This article employs claimed potential slowly fermenting fibers and compares their fermentation rates

  14. Feasibility of Reducing the Fiber Content in Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Flexure

    PubMed Central

    Park, Jung-Jun; Yoo, Doo-Yeol; Park, Gi-Joon; Kim, Sung-Wook

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is examined as a function of fiber length and volume fraction. Straight steel fiber with three different lengths (lf) of 13, 19.5, and 30 mm and four different volume fractions (vf) of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% are considered. Test results show that post-cracking flexural properties of UHPFRC, such as flexural strength, deflection capacity, toughness, and cracking behavior, improve with increasing fiber length and volume fraction, while first-cracking properties are not significantly influenced by fiber length and volume fraction. A 0.5 vol % reduction of steel fiber content relative to commercial UHPFRC can be achieved without deterioration of flexural performance by replacing short fibers (lf of 13 mm) with longer fibers (lf of 19.5 mm and 30 mm). PMID:28772477

  15. Evaluation of microRNA alignment techniques

    PubMed Central

    Kaspi, Antony; El-Osta, Assam

    2016-01-01

    Genomic alignment of small RNA (smRNA) sequences such as microRNAs poses considerable challenges due to their short length (∼21 nucleotides [nt]) as well as the large size and complexity of plant and animal genomes. While several tools have been developed for high-throughput mapping of longer mRNA-seq reads (>30 nt), there are few that are specifically designed for mapping of smRNA reads including microRNAs. The accuracy of these mappers has not been systematically determined in the case of smRNA-seq. In addition, it is unknown whether these aligners accurately map smRNA reads containing sequence errors and polymorphisms. By using simulated read sets, we determine the alignment sensitivity and accuracy of 16 short-read mappers and quantify their robustness to mismatches, indels, and nontemplated nucleotide additions. These were explored in the context of a plant genome (Oryza sativa, ∼500 Mbp) and a mammalian genome (Homo sapiens, ∼3.1 Gbp). Analysis of simulated and real smRNA-seq data demonstrates that mapper selection impacts differential expression results and interpretation. These results will inform on best practice for smRNA mapping and enable more accurate smRNA detection and quantification of expression and RNA editing. PMID:27284164

  16. Uniaxially aligned electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers for thin layer chromatographic screening of hydroquinone and retinoic acid adulterated in cosmetics.

    PubMed

    Tidjarat, Siripran; Winotapun, Weerapath; Opanasopit, Praneet; Ngawhirunpat, Tanasait; Rojanarata, Theerasak

    2014-11-07

    Uniaxially aligned cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning and applied to use as stationary phase for thin layer chromatography. The control of alignment was achieved by using a drum collector rotating at a high speed of 6000 rpm. Spin time of 6h was used to produce the fiber thickness of about 10 μm which was adequate for good separation. Without any chemical modification after the electrospinning process, CA nanofibers could be readily devised for screening hydroquinone (HQ) and retinoic acid (RA) adulterated in cosmetics using the mobile phase consisting of 65:35:2.5 methanol/water/acetic acid. It was found that the separation run on the aligned nanofibers over a distance of 5 cm took less than 15 min which was two to three times faster than that on the non-aligned ones. On the aligned nanofibers, the masses of HQ and RA which could be visualized were 10 and 25 ng, respectively, which were two times lower than those on the non-aligned CA fibers and five times lower than those on conventional silica plates due to the appearance of darker and sharper of spots on the aligned nanofibers. Furthermore, the proposed method efficiently resolved HQ from RA and ingredients commonly found in cosmetic creams. Due to the satisfactory analytical performance, facile and inexpensive production process, uniaxially aligned electrospun CA nanofibers are promising alternative media for planar chromatography. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. An electromagnetically actuated fiber optic switch using magnetized ferromagnetic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandojirao-S, Praveen; Dhaubanjar, Naresh; Phuyal, Pratibha C.; Chiao, Mu; Chiao, J.-C.

    2008-03-01

    This paper presents the design, fabrication and testing of a fiber optic switch actuated electromagnetically. The ferromagnetic gel coated optical fiber is actuated using external electromagnetic fields. The ferromagnetic gel consists of ferromagnetic powders dispersed in epoxy. The fabrication utilizes a simple cost-effective coating setup. A direct fiberto-fiber alignment eliminates the need for complementary optical parts and the displacement of fiber switches the laser coupling. The magnetic characteristics of magnetized ferromagnetic materials are performed using alternating gradient magnetometer and the magnetic hysteresis curves are measured for different ferromagnetic materials including iron, cobalt, and nickel. Optical fiber switches with various fiber lengths are actuated and their static and dynamic responses for the same volume of ferromagnetic gel are summarized. The highest displacement is 1.345 mm with an input current of 260mA. In this paper, the performance of fiber switches with various coating materials is presented.

  18. A fiber-Bragg-grating sensor interrogation system using in-fiber Fabry-Pérot interferometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ting-ting; Wang, Ming

    2011-11-01

    A fiber-Bragg-grating sensor interrogation system using a in-fiber Fabry-Pérot interferometer (IFFPI) is presented. The IFFPI was formed by splicing together a conventional single-mode fiber and a photonic crystal fiber with simple arcdischarge technique. The ellipsoidal air-cavity between the two fibers forms Fabry-Pérot cavity. The diffraction loss can be very low due to the focusing of reentrant and very short cavity length, thus resulting in high visibility and long period. The IFFPI is used as the filter component of the interrogation system. The resolving wavelength can achieve 2pm by using an Er-doped ring FBG laser in the experimental system. The advantages of this system are an all-fiber design, temperature insensitivity, quasistatic and dynamic operation, potential high speed and large range demodulation.

  19. Rat brain imaging using full field optical coherence microscopy with short multimode fiber probe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Manabu; Saito, Daisuke; Kurotani, Reiko; Abe, Hiroyuki; Kawauchi, Satoko; Sato, Shunichi; Nishidate, Izumi

    2017-02-01

    We demonstrated FF OCM(full field optical coherence microscopy) using an ultrathin forward-imaging SMMF (short multimode fiber) probe of 50 μm core diameter, 125 μm diameter, and 7.4 mm length, which is a typical graded-index multimode fiber for optical communications. The axial resolution was measured to be 2.20 μm, which is close to the calculated axial resolution of 2.06 μm. The lateral resolution was evaluated to be 4.38 μm using a test pattern. Assuming that the FWHM of the contrast is the DOF (depth of focus), the DOF of the signal is obtained at 36 μm and that of the OCM is 66 μm. The contrast of the OCT images was 6.1 times higher than that of the signal images due to the coherence gate. After an euthanasia the rat brain was resected and cut at 2.6mm tail from Bregma. Contacting SMMF to the primary somatosensory cortex and the agranular insular cortex of ex vivo brain, OCM images of the brain were measured 100 times with 2μm step. 3D OCM images of the brain were measured, and internal structure information was obtained. The feasibility of an SMMF as an ultrathin forward-imaging probe in full-field OCM has been demonstrated.

  20. Self-Powered Active Sensor with Concentric Topography of Piezoelectric Fibers.

    PubMed

    Fuh, Yiin Kuen; Huang, Zih Ming; Wang, Bo Sheng; Li, Shan Chien

    2017-12-01

    In this study, we demonstrated a flexible and self-powered sensor based on piezoelectric fibers in the diameter range of nano- and micro-scales. Our work is distinctively different from previous electrospinning research; we fabricated this apparatus precisely via near-field electrospinning which has a spectacular performance to harvest mechanical deformation in arbitrary direction and a novel concentrically circular topography. There are many piezoelectric devices based on electrospinning polymeric fibers. However, the fibers were mostly patterned in parallel lines and they could be actuated in limited direction only. To overcome this predicament, we re-arranged the parallel alignment into concentric circle pattern which made it possible to collect the mechanical energy whenever the deformation is along same axis or not. Despite the change of topography, the output voltage and current could still reach to 5 V and 400 nA, respectively, despite the mechanical deformation was from different direction. This new arbitrarily directional piezoelectric generator with concentrically circular topography (PGCT) allowed the piezoelectric device to harvest more mechanical energy than the one-directional alignment fiber-based devices, and this PGCT could perform even better output which promised more versatile and efficient using as a wearable electronics or sensor.

  1. Short infrared laser pulses block action potentials in neurons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walsh, Alex J.; Tolstykh, Gleb P.; Martens, Stacey L.; Ibey, Bennett L.; Beier, Hope T.

    2017-02-01

    Short infrared laser pulses have many physiological effects on cells including the ability to stimulate action potentials in neurons. Here we show that short infrared laser pulses can also reversibly block action potentials. Primary rat hippocampal neurons were transfected with the Optopatch2 plasmid, which contains both a blue-light activated channel rhodopsin (CheRiff) and a red-light fluorescent membrane voltage reporter (QuasAr2). This optogenetic platform allows robust stimulation and recording of action potential activity in neurons in a non-contact, low noise manner. For all experiments, QuasAr2 was imaged continuously on a wide-field fluorescent microscope using a Krypton laser (647 nm) as the excitation source and an EMCCD camera operating at 1000 Hz to collect emitted fluorescence. A co-aligned Argon laser (488 nm, 5 ms at 10Hz) provided activation light for CheRiff. A 200 mm fiber delivered infrared light locally to the target neuron. Reversible action potential block in neurons was observed following a short infrared laser pulse (0.26-0.96 J/cm2; 1.37-5.01 ms; 1869 nm), with the block persisting for more than 1 s with exposures greater than 0.69 J/cm2. Action potential block was sustained for 30 s with the short infrared laser pulsed at 1-7 Hz. Full recovery of neuronal activity was observed 5-30s post-infrared exposure. These results indicate that optogenetics provides a robust platform for the study of action potential block and that short infrared laser pulses can be used for non-contact, reversible action potential block.

  2. Enhanced piezoresponse of highly aligned electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Sung Bum; Won, Sang Hyuk; Im, Min Ji; Kim, Chan Ul; Park, Won Il; Baik, Jeong Min; Choi, Kyoung Jin

    2017-09-01

    Well-ordered nanostructure arrays with controlled densities can potentially improve material properties; however, their fabrication typically involves the use of complicated processing techniques. In this work, we demonstrate a uniaxial alignment procedure for fabricating poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrospun nanofibers (NFs) by introducing collectors with additional steps. The mechanism of the observed NF alignment, which occurs due to the concentration of lateral electric field lines around collector steps, has been elucidated via finite-difference time-domain simulations. The membranes composed of well-aligned PVDF NFs are characterized by a higher content of the PVDF β-phase, as compared to those manufactured from randomly orientated fibers. The piezoelectric energy harvester, which was fabricated by transferring well-aligned PVDF NFs onto flexible substrates with Ag electrodes attached to both sides, exhibited a 2-fold increase in the output voltage and a 3-fold increase in the output current as compared to the corresponding values obtained for the device manufactured from randomly oriented NFs. The enhanced piezoresponse observed for the aligned PVDF NFs is due to their higher β-phase content, denser structure, smaller effective radius of curvature during bending, greater applied strain, and higher fraction of contributing NFs.

  3. Variable percolation threshold of composites with fiber fillers under compression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Chuan; Wang, Hongtao; Yang, Wei

    2010-07-01

    The piezoresistant effect in conducting fiber-filled composites has been studied by a continuum percolation model. Simulation was performed by a Monte Carlo method that took into account both the deformation-induced fiber bending and rotation. The percolation threshold was found to rise with the compression strain, which explains the observed positive piezoresistive coefficients in such composites. The simulations unveiled the effect of the microstructure evolution during deformation. The fibers are found to align perpendicularly to the compression direction. As the fiber is bended, the effective length in making a conductive network is shortened. Both effects contribute to a larger percolation threshold and imply a positive piezoresistive coefficient according the universal power law.

  4. Sagittal alignment after single cervical disc arthroplasty.

    PubMed

    Guérin, Patrick; Obeid, Ibrahim; Gille, Olivier; Bourghli, Anouar; Luc, Stéphane; Pointillart, Vincent; Vital, Jean-Marc

    2012-02-01

    Prospective study. To analyze the sagittal balance after single-level cervical disc replacement (CDR) and range of motion (ROM). To define clinical and radiologic parameters those have a significant correlation with segmental and overall cervical curvature after CDR. Clinical outcomes and ROM after CDR with Mobi-C (LDR, Troyes, France) prosthesis have been documented in few studies. No earlier report of this prosthesis has studied correlations between static and dynamic parameters or those between static parameters and clinical outcomes. Forty patients were evaluated. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Short Form-36 questionnaire, Neck Disability Index, and a Visual Analog Scale. Spineview software (Surgiview, Paris, France) was used to investigate sagittal balance parameters and ROM. The mean follow-up was 24.3 months (range: 12 to 36 mo). Clinical outcomes were satisfactory. There was a significant improvement of Short Form-36, Neck Disability Index, and Visual Analog Scale scores. Mean ROM was 8.3 degrees preoperatively and 11.0 degrees postoperatively (P=0.013). Mean preoperative C2C7 curvature was 12.8 and 16.0 degrees at last follow-up (P=0.001). Mean preoperative functional spinal unit (FSU) angle was 2.3 and 5.3 degrees postoperatively (P<0.0001). Mean postoperative shell angle was 5.5 degrees. There was a significant correlation between postoperative C2C7 alignment and preoperative C2C7 alignment, change of C2C7 alignment, preoperative and postoperative FSU angle, and prosthesis shell angle. There was also a significant correlation between postoperative FSU angle and preoperative C2C7 alignment, preoperative FSU angle, change of FSU angle, and prosthesis shell angle. Regression analysis showed that prosthesis shell angle and preoperative FSU angle contributed significantly to postoperative FSU angle. Moreover, preoperative C2C7 alignment, preoperative FSU angle, postoperative FSU angle, and prosthesis shell angle contributed significantly to

  5. Fiber-based architectures for organic photovoltaics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jiwen; Namboothiry, Manoj A. G.; Carroll, David L.

    2007-02-01

    Using poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 bulk-heterojunction blends as the absorbing material, organic photovoltaic devices have been fabricated onto multimode optical fibers. The behavior of the short circuit current density, filling factor, and open circuit voltage as the angle of the incident light onto the cleaved fiber face is varied suggests that the evanescent field at the interface between the fiber and the transparent contact may play a role in coupling light from the fiber into the device. Further, optical loss into the device increases as the fiber diameter decreases.

  6. Feasibility of Reducing the Fiber Content in Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Flexure.

    PubMed

    Park, Jung-Jun; Yoo, Doo-Yeol; Park, Gi-Joon; Kim, Sung-Wook

    2017-01-28

    In this study, the flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is examined as a function of fiber length and volume fraction. Straight steel fiber with three different lengths ( l f ) of 13, 19.5, and 30 mm and four different volume fractions ( v f ) of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% are considered. Test results show that post-cracking flexural properties of UHPFRC, such as flexural strength, deflection capacity, toughness, and cracking behavior, improve with increasing fiber length and volume fraction, while first-cracking properties are not significantly influenced by fiber length and volume fraction. A 0.5 vol % reduction of steel fiber content relative to commercial UHPFRC can be achieved without deterioration of flexural performance by replacing short fibers ( l f of 13 mm) with longer fibers ( l f of 19.5 mm and 30 mm).

  7. Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating photowritten in microstructured optical fiber for improved refractive index measurement.

    PubMed

    Phan Huy, Minh Châu; Laffont, Guillaume; Dewynter, Véronique; Ferdinand, Pierre; Labonté, Laurent; Pagnoux, Dominique; Roy, Philippe; Blanc, Wilfried; Dussardier, Bernard

    2006-10-30

    We report what we believe to be the first Tilted short-period Fiber Bragg Grating photowritten in a microstructured optical fiber for refractive index measurement. We investigate the spectral sensitivity of Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating to refractive index liquid inserted into the holes of a multimode microstructured fiber. We measure the wavelength shift of the first four modes experimentally observed when calibrated oils are inserted into the fiber holes, and thus we determine the refractive index resolution for each of these modes. Moreover, a cross comparison between experimental and simulation results of a modal analysis is performed. Two simulation tools are used, respectively based on the localized functions method and on a finite element method. All results are in very good agreement.

  8. Pair aligning improved motility of Quincke rollers.

    PubMed

    Lu, Shi Qing; Zhang, Bing Yue; Zhang, Zhi Chao; Shi, Yan; Zhang, Tian Hui

    2018-06-06

    Density-dependent speed is studied in a two-dimensional active colloid in which the colloidal particles are propelled by an external electric field via a Quincke rotation. Above the critcal electric field, dense dynamic clusters form spotaneously, in which the particles are highly aligned in velocity and move much faster than isolated units. Detailed observations on pair collision reveal that the alignment of velocity is induced by the long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions and the improvement of speed in the clusters arises from pair aligning in which two particles are closely paired and rotate synchronically. In the aligning state, the short-range in-plane dipole-dipole attraction enhances the rotation torque and gives rises to a larger rolling speed. The pair aligning becomes difficult and unstable at high electric field where the normal dipole-dipole repulsion becomes dominant. As a consequence, the dependence of speed on density becomes weak increasingly upon the increase of the electric field. This result offers an interpretation for the discrepancy between our and previous observations on Quincke rollers.

  9. Low cost, high performance, self-aligning miniature optical systems

    PubMed Central

    Kester, Robert T.; Christenson, Todd; Kortum, Rebecca Richards; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S.

    2009-01-01

    The most expensive aspects in producing high quality miniature optical systems are the component costs and long assembly process. A new approach for fabricating these systems that reduces both aspects through the implementation of self-aligning LIGA (German acronym for lithographie, galvanoformung, abformung, or x-ray lithography, electroplating, and molding) optomechanics with high volume plastic injection molded and off-the-shelf glass optics is presented. This zero alignment strategy has been incorporated into a miniature high numerical aperture (NA = 1.0W) microscope objective for a fiber confocal reflectance microscope. Tight alignment tolerances of less than 10 μm are maintained for all components that reside inside of a small 9 gauge diameter hypodermic tubing. A prototype system has been tested using the slanted edge modulation transfer function technique and demonstrated to have a Strehl ratio of 0.71. This universal technology is now being developed for smaller, needle-sized imaging systems and other portable point-of-care diagnostic instruments. PMID:19543344

  10. Dietary fiber in irritable bowel syndrome (Review).

    PubMed

    El-Salhy, Magdy; Ystad, Synne Otterasen; Mazzawi, Tarek; Gundersen, Doris

    2017-09-01

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder. It is widely believed that IBS is caused by a deficient intake of dietary fiber, and most physicians recommend that patients with IBS increase their intake of dietary fiber in order to relieve their symptoms. However, different types of dietary fiber exhibit marked differences in physical and chemical properties, and the associated health benefits are specific for each fiber type. Short-chain soluble and highly fermentable dietary fiber, such as oligosaccharides results in rapid gas production that can cause abdominal pain/discomfort, abdominal bloating/distension and flatulence in patients with IBS. By contrast, long-chain, intermediate viscous, soluble and moderately fermentable dietary fiber, such as psyllium results in a low gas production and the absence of the symptoms related to excessive gas production. The effects of type of fiber have been documented in the management of IBS, and it is known to improve the overall symptoms in patients with IBS. Dietary fiber acts on the gastrointestinal tract through several mechanisms, including increased fecal mass with mechanical stimulation/irritation of the colonic mucosa with increasing secretion and peristalsis, and the actions of fermentation byproducts, particularly short-chain fatty acids, on the intestinal microbiota, immune system and the neuroendocrine system of the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber supplementation, particularly psyllium, is both safe and effective in improving IBS symptoms globally. Dietary fiber also has other health benefits, such as lowering blood cholesterol levels, improving glycemic control and body weight management.

  11. Cutting and drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) by 70W short pulse nanosecond laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaeschke, Peter; Stolberg, Klaus; Bastick, Stefan; Ziolkowski, Ewa; Roehner, Markus; Suttmann, Oliver; Overmeyer, Ludger

    2014-02-01

    Continuous carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) are recognized as having a significant lightweight construction potential for a wide variety of industrial applications. However, a today`s barrier for a comprehensive dissemination of CFRP structures is the lack of economic, quick and reliable manufacture processes, e.g. the cutting and drilling steps. In this paper, the capability of using pulsed disk lasers in CFRP machining is discussed. In CFRP processing with NIR lasers, carbon fibers show excellent optical absorption and heat dissipation, contrary to the plastics matrix. Therefore heat dissipation away from the laser focus into the material is driven by heat conduction of the fibres. The matrix is heated indirectly by heat transfer from the fibres. To cut CFRP, it is required to reach the melting temperature for thermoplastic matrix materials or the disintegration temperature for thermoset systems as well as the sublimation temperature of the reinforcing fibers simultaneously. One solution for this problem is to use short pulse nanosecond lasers. We have investigated CFRP cutting and drilling with such a laser (max. 7 mJ @ 10 kHz, 30 ns). This laser offers the opportunity of wide range parameter tuning for systematic process optimization. By applying drilling and cutting operations based on galvanometer scanning techniques in multi-cycle mode, excellent surface and edge characteristics in terms of delamination-free and intact fiber-matrix interface were achieved. The results indicate that nanosecond disk laser machining could consequently be a suitable tool for the automotive and aircraft industry for cutting and drilling steps.

  12. A fiber optic sensor for ophthalmic refractive diagnostics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ansari, Rafat R.; Dhadwal, Harbans S.; Campbell, Melanie C. W.; Dellavecchia, Michael A.

    1992-01-01

    This paper demonstrates the application of a lensless fiber optic spectrometer (sensor) to study the onset of cataracts. This new miniaturized and rugged fiber optic probe is based upon dynamic light scattering (DLS) principles. It has no moving parts, no apertures, and requires no optical alignment. It is flexible and easy to use. Results are presented for cold-induced cataract in excised bovine eye lenses, and aging effects in excised human eye lenses. The device can be easily incorporated into a slit-lamp apparatus (ophthalmoscope) for complete eye diagnostics.

  13. Ultra short laser pulse modification of wave guides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenfeld, Arkadi; Ashkenasi, David

    2003-11-01

    The high peak powers of ultra short (ps and sub-ps) pulsed lasers available at relatively low single pulse energies potentially allow for a precise localization of photon energy, either on the surface or inside (transparent) materials. Three dimensional micro structuring of bulk transparent media without any sign of mechanical cracking has shown the potential of ultra short laser processing. In this study, the micro structuring of bulk transparent media was used to modify fused silica and especially the cladding-core interface in normal fused silica wave guides. The idea behind this technique is to enforce a local mismatch for total reflection at the interface at minimal mechanic stress to overcome the barrier for enhanced optical out-coupling. The laser-induced modifications were studied in dependence of pulse width, focal alignment, single pulse energy and pulse overlap. Micro traces with a thickness between 3 and 8 μm were generated with a spacing of 10 μm in the subsurface region using sub-ps and ps laser pulses at a wavelength of 800 nm. The optical leakage enforced by a micro spiral pattern is significant and can be utilized for medical applications or potentially also for telecommunications and fiber laser technology.

  14. Transcript profiling by microarray and marker analysis of the short cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber mutant Ligon lintless-1 (Li1).

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Matthew K; Turley, Rickie B; Kim, Hee Jin; Li, Ping; Thyssen, Gregory; Tang, Yuhong; Delhom, Christopher D; Naoumkina, Marina; Fang, David D

    2013-06-17

    Cotton fiber length is very important to the quality of textiles. Understanding the genetics and physiology of cotton fiber elongation can provide valuable tools to the cotton industry by targeting genes or other molecules responsible for fiber elongation. Ligon Lintless-1 (Li1) is a monogenic mutant in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) which exhibits an early cessation of fiber elongation resulting in very short fibers (< 6 mm) at maturity. This presents an excellent model system for studying the underlying molecular and cellular processes involved with cotton fiber elongation. Previous reports have characterized Li1 at early cell wall elongation and during later secondary cell wall synthesis, however there has been very limited analysis of the transition period between these developmental time points. Physical and morphological measurements of the Li1 mutant fibers were conducted, including measurement of the cellulose content during development. Affymetrix microarrays were used to analyze transcript profiles at the critical developmental time points of 3 days post anthesis (DPA), the late elongation stage of 12 DPA and the early secondary cell wall synthesis stage of 16 DPA. The results indicated severe disruption to key hormonal and other pathways related to fiber development, especially pertaining to the transition stage from elongation to secondary cell wall synthesis. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis identified several key pathways at the transition stage that exhibited altered regulation. Genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis and primary cell wall rearrangement were affected, and a primary cell wall-related cellulose synthase was transcriptionally repressed. Linkage mapping using a population of 2,553 F2 individuals identified SSR markers associated with the Li1 genetic locus on chromosome 22. Linkage mapping in combination with utilizing the diploid G. raimondii genome sequences permitted additional analysis of the region containing the Li1 gene. The

  15. Characterization of hot-pressed short ZrO{sub 2} fiber toughened ZrB{sub 2}-based ultra-high temperature ceramics

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

    Lin, Jia, E-mail: 2013113205@xmut.edu.cn; Huang, Yu; Zhang, Houan

    2014-09-15

    Two different ZrB{sub 2}-based ultra-high temperature ceramics were produced by hot pressing: ZrB{sub 2} + 20 vol.% SiC particle + 15 vol.% ZrO{sub 2} fiber and ZrB{sub 2} + 20 vol.% SiC whisker + 15 vol.% ZrO{sub 2} fiber. The microstructures were analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that a clean interface without any impurities was identified in ZrB{sub 2}-based hybrid ceramics with SiC whiskers and ZrO{sub 2} fibers, which would significantly improve the toughening mechanism. The results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that stacking faults in SiC whiskers resulted frommore » an insertion of a (111) layer, which would be one of the main reasons for material anisotropy. However, the interface between the SiC particle and ZrO{sub 2} fiber was found to be ambiguous in ZrB{sub 2}-based hybrid ceramics with SiC particles and ZrO{sub 2} fibers due to the slight reaction. The orientation relationship between t-ZrO{sub 2} and m-ZrO{sub 2} phases obeyed the classical correspondence: (100){sub m}//(100){sub t} and [001]{sub m}//〈001〉{sub t}, which further verified the feasibility of phase transformation toughening mechanism. - Highlights: • ZrB{sub 2}-based ceramics toughened by short ZrO{sub 2} fiber are characterized by TEM and HRTEM. • The orientation relationship of t- and m-ZrO{sub 2} are (100){sub m}//(100){sub t}, [001]{sub m}//〈001〉{sub t} • The clean interface without any impurities leads to improve the toughening mechanism.« less

  16. Analysis and experimental demonstration of conformal adaptive phase-locked fiber array for laser communications and beam projection applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Ling

    The primary goal of this research is the analysis, development, and experimental demonstration of an adaptive phase-locked fiber array system for free-space optical communications and laser beam projection applications. To our knowledge, the developed adaptive phase-locked system composed of three fiber collimators (subapertures) with tip-tilt wavefront phase control at each subaperture represents the first reported fiber array system that implements both phase-locking control and adaptive wavefront tip-tilt control capabilities. This research has also resulted in the following innovations: (a) The first experimental demonstration of a phase-locked fiber array with tip-tilt wave-front aberration compensation at each fiber collimator; (b) Development and demonstration of the fastest currently reported stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) system capable of operation at 180,000 iterations per second; (c) The first experimental demonstration of a laser communication link based on a phase-locked fiber array; (d) The first successful experimental demonstration of turbulence and jitter-induced phase distortion compensation in a phase-locked fiber array optical system; (e) The first demonstration of laser beam projection onto an extended target with a randomly rough surface using a conformal adaptive fiber array system. Fiber array optical systems, the subject of this study, can overcome some of the draw-backs of conventional monolithic large-aperture transmitter/receiver optical systems that are usually heavy, bulky, and expensive. The primary experimental challenges in the development of the adaptive phased-locked fiber-array included precise (<5 microrad) alignment of the fiber collimators and development of fast (100kHz-class) phase-locking and wavefront tip-tilt control systems. The precise alignment of the fiber collimator array is achieved through a specially developed initial coarse alignment tool based on high precision piezoelectric picomotors and a

  17. Innovative design of composite structures: The use of curvilinear fiber format in structural design of composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Charette, R. F.; Hyer, M. W.

    1990-01-01

    The influence is investigated of a curvilinear fiber format on load carrying capacity of a layered fiber reinforced plate with a centrally located hole. A curvilinear fiber format is descriptive of layers in a laminate having fibers which are aligned with the principal stress directions in those layers. Laminates of five curvilinear fiber format designs and four straightline fiber format designs are considered. A quasi-isotropic laminate having a straightline fiber format is used to define a baseline design for comparison with the other laminate designs. Four different plate geometries are considered and differentiated by two values of hole diameter/plate width equal to 1/6 and 1/3, and two values of plate length/plate width equal to 2 and 1. With the plates under uniaxial tensile loading on two opposing edges, alignment of fibers in the curvilinear layers with the principal stress directions is determined analytically by an iteration procedure. In-plane tensile load capacity is computed for all of the laminate designs using a finite element analysis method. A maximum strain failure criterion and the Tsai-Wu failure criterion are applied to determine failure loads and failure modes. Resistance to buckling of the laminate designs to uniaxial compressive loading is analyzed using the commercial code Engineering Analysis Language. Results indicate that the curvilinear fiber format laminates have higher in-plane tensile load capacity and comparable buckling resistance relative to the straightline fiber format laminates.

  18. Super-Strong, Super-Stiff Macrofibers with Aligned, Long Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers.

    PubMed

    Wang, Sha; Jiang, Feng; Xu, Xu; Kuang, Yudi; Fu, Kun; Hitz, Emily; Hu, Liangbing

    2017-09-01

    With their impressive properties such as remarkable unit tensile strength, modulus, and resistance to heat, flame, and chemical agents that normally degrade conventional macrofibers, high-performance macrofibers are now widely used in various fields including aerospace, biomedical, civil engineering, construction, protective apparel, geotextile, and electronic areas. Those macrofibers with a diameter of tens to hundreds of micrometers are typically derived from polymers, gel spun fibers, modified carbon fibers, carbon-nanotube fibers, ceramic fibers, and synthetic vitreous fibers. Cellulose nanofibers are promising building blocks for future high-performance biomaterials and textiles due to their high ultimate strength and stiffness resulting from a highly ordered orientation along the fiber axis. For the first time, an effective fabrication method is successfully applied for high-performance macrofibers involving a wet-drawing and wet-twisting process of ultralong bacterial cellulose nanofibers. The resulting bacterial cellulose macrofibers yield record high tensile strength (826 MPa) and Young's modulus (65.7 GPa) owing to the large length and the alignment of nanofibers along fiber axis. When normalized by weight, the specific tensile strength of the macrofiber is as high as 598 MPa g -1 cm 3 , which is even substantially stronger than the novel lightweight steel (227 MPa g -1 cm 3 ). © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. A novel anatomical short glass fiber reinforced post in an endodontically treated premolar mechanical resistance evaluation using acoustic emission under fatigue testing.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hsuan-Wen; Chang, Yen-Hsiang; Lin, Chun-Li

    2017-01-01

    This study evaluates the fracture resistance in an endodontically treated tooth using circular fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) and innovated anatomical short glass fiber reinforced (SGFR) posts under fatigue testing, monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. An anatomical SGFR fiber post with an oval shape and slot/notch design was manufactured using an injection-molding machine. Crown/core maxillary second premolar restorations were executed using the anatomical SGFR and commercial cylindrical fiber posts under fatigue test to understand the mechanical resistances. The load versus AE signals in the fracture and fatigue tests were recorded to evaluate the restored tooth failure resistance. The static fracture resistance results showed that teeth restored using the anatomical SGFR post presented higher resistance than teeth restored using the commercial FRC post. The fatigue test endurance limitation (1.2×10 6 cycles) was 207.1N for the anatomical SGFR fiber post, higher than the 185.3N found with the commercial FRC post. The average accumulated number of AE signals and corresponding micro cracks for the anatomical SGFR fiber post (153.0 hits and 2.44 cracks) were significantly lower than those for the commercial FRC post (194.7 hits and 4.78 cracks) under 40% of the static maximum resistance fatigue test load (pass 1.2×10 6 cycles). This study concluded that the anatomical SGFR fiber post with surface slot/notch design made using precise injection molding presented superior static fracture resistance and fatigue endurance limitation than those for the commercial FRC post in an endodontically treated premolar. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Aligned fibers direct collective cell migration to engineer closing and nonclosing wound gaps

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Puja; Ng, Colin; Jana, Aniket; Padhi, Abinash; Szymanski, Paige; Lee, Jerry S. H.; Behkam, Bahareh; Nain, Amrinder S.

    2017-01-01

    Cell emergence onto damaged or organized fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) is a crucial precursor to collective cell migration in wound closure and cancer metastasis, respectively. However, there is a fundamental gap in our quantitative understanding of the role of local ECM size and arrangement in cell emergence–based migration and local gap closure. Here, using ECM-mimicking nanofibers bridging cell monolayers, we describe a method to recapitulate and quantitatively describe these in vivo behaviors over multispatial (single cell to cell sheets) and temporal (minutes to weeks) scales. On fiber arrays with large interfiber spacing, cells emerge (invade) either singularly by breaking cell–cell junctions analogous to release of a stretched rubber band (recoil), or in groups of few cells (chains), whereas on closely spaced fibers, multiple chains emerge collectively. Advancing cells on fibers form cell streams, which support suspended cell sheets (SCS) of various sizes and curvatures. SCS converge to form local gaps that close based on both the gap size and shape. We document that cell stream spacing of 375 µm and larger hinders SCS advancement, thus providing abilities to engineer closing and nonclosing gaps. Altogether we highlight the importance of studying cell-fiber interactions and matrix structural remodeling in fundamental and translational cell biology. PMID:28747440

  1. Preparation of silicon carbide fibers

    DOEpatents

    Wei, G.C.

    1983-10-12

    Silicon carbide fibers suitable for use in the fabrication of dense, high-strength, high-toughness SiC composites or as thermal insulating materials in oxidizing environments are fabricated by a new, simplified method wherein a mixture of short-length rayon fibers and colloidal silica is homogenized in a water slurry. Water is removed from the mixture by drying in air at 120/sup 0/C and the fibers are carbonized by (pyrolysis) heating the mixture to 800 to 1000/sup 0/C in argon. The mixture is subsequently reacted at 1550 to 1900/sup 0/C in argon to yield pure ..beta..-SiC fibers.

  2. Quartz and E-glass fiber self-sensing composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zolfaghar, K.; Khan, N. A.; Brooks, David; Hayes, Simon A.; Liu, Tonguy; Roca, J.; Lander, J.; Fernando, Gerard F.

    1998-04-01

    This paper reports on developments in the field of self- sensing fiber reinforced composites. The reinforcing fibers have been surface treated to enable them to act as light guides for short distances. The reinforcing fiber light guides were embedded in carbon fiber reinforced epoxy prepregs and processed into composites. The resultant composite was termed the self-sensing composite as any damage to these fibers or its interface would result in the attenuation of the transmitted light. The self-sensing fibers were capable of detecting a 2 J impact.

  3. Dual-Frequency Operation in a Short-Cavity Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser

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

    Guan, W.; Maricante, J.R.

    2007-02-15

    A dual-frequency 2-cm silica fiber laser with a wavelength spacing of 0.3 nm has been demonstrated using a polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber-Bragg-grating (FBG) reflector. The birefringence of the PM FBG was used to generate the two single-mode (SM) lasing frequencies of orthogonal polarizations. The SM operation in each wavelength has been verified.

  4. Large-Scale Direct-Writing of Aligned Nanofibers for Flexible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Ye, Dong; Ding, Yajiang; Duan, Yongqing; Su, Jiangtao; Yin, Zhouping; Huang, Yong An

    2018-05-01

    Nanofibers/nanowires usually exhibit exceptionally low flexural rigidities and remarkable tolerance against mechanical bending, showing superior advantages in flexible electronics applications. Electrospinning is regarded as a powerful process for this 1D nanostructure; however, it can only be able to produce chaotic fibers that are incompatible with the well-patterned microstructures in flexible electronics. Electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) direct-writing technology enables large-scale deposition of highly aligned nanofibers in an additive, noncontact, real-time adjustment, and individual control manner on rigid or flexible, planar or curved substrates, making it rather attractive in the fabrication of flexible electronics. In this Review, the ground-breaking research progress in the field of EHD direct-writing technology is summarized, including a brief chronology of EHD direct-writing techniques, basic principles and alignment strategies, and applications in flexible electronics. Finally, future prospects are suggested to advance flexible electronics based on orderly arranged EHD direct-written fibers. This technology overcomes the limitations of the resolution of fabrication and viscosity of ink of conventional inkjet printing, and represents major advances in manufacturing of flexible electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Mean Green operators of deformable fiber networks embedded in a compliant matrix and property estimates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Franciosi, Patrick; Spagnuolo, Mario; Salman, Oguz Umut

    2018-04-01

    Composites comprising included phases in a continuous matrix constitute a huge class of meta-materials, whose effective properties, whether they be mechanical, physical or coupled, can be selectively optimized by using appropriate phase arrangements and architectures. An important subclass is represented by "network-reinforced matrices," say those materials in which one or more of the embedded phases are co-continuous with the matrix in one or more directions. In this article, we present a method to study effective properties of simple such structures from which more complex ones can be accessible. Effective properties are shown, in the framework of linear elasticity, estimable by using the global mean Green operator for the entire embedded fiber network which is by definition through sample spanning. This network operator is obtained from one of infinite planar alignments of infinite fibers, which the network can be seen as an interpenetrated set of, with the fiber interactions being fully accounted for in the alignments. The mean operator of such alignments is given in exact closed form for isotropic elastic-like or dielectric-like matrices. We first exemplify how these operators relevantly provide, from classic homogenization frameworks, effective properties in the case of 1D fiber bundles embedded in an isotropic elastic-like medium. It is also shown that using infinite patterns with fully interacting elements over their whole influence range at any element concentration suppresses the dilute approximation limit of these frameworks. We finally present a construction method for a global operator of fiber networks described as interpenetrated such bundles.

  6. Improving the interfacial and mechanical properties of short glass fiber/epoxy composites by coating the glass fibers with cellulose nanocrystals

    Treesearch

    A. Asadi; M. Miller; Robert Moon; K. Kalaitzidou

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the interfacial and mechanical properties of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) coated glass fiber/epoxy composites were investigated as a function of the CNC content on the surface of glass fibers (GF). Chopped GF rovings were coated with CNC by immersing the GF in CNC (0–5 wt%) aqueous suspensions. Single fiber fragmentation (SFF) tests showed that the...

  7. Fibered fluorescence microscopy (FFM) of intra epidermal nerve fibers--translational marker for peripheral neuropathies in preclinical research: processing and analysis of the data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cornelissen, Frans; De Backer, Steve; Lemeire, Jan; Torfs, Berf; Nuydens, Rony; Meert, Theo; Schelkens, Peter; Scheunders, Paul

    2008-08-01

    Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by diabetes or AIDS or be a side-effect of chemotherapy. Fibered Fluorescence Microscopy (FFM) is a recently developed imaging modality using a fiber optic probe connected to a laser scanning unit. It allows for in-vivo scanning of small animal subjects by moving the probe along the tissue surface. In preclinical research, FFM enables non-invasive, longitudinal in vivo assessment of intra epidermal nerve fibre density in various models for peripheral neuropathies. By moving the probe, FFM allows visualization of larger surfaces, since, during the movement, images are continuously captured, allowing to acquire an area larger then the field of view of the probe. For analysis purposes, we need to obtain a single static image from the multiple overlapping frames. We introduce a mosaicing procedure for this kind of video sequence. Construction of mosaic images with sub-pixel alignment is indispensable and must be integrated into a global consistent image aligning. An additional motivation for the mosaicing is the use of overlapping redundant information to improve the signal to noise ratio of the acquisition, because the individual frames tend to have both high noise levels and intensity inhomogeneities. For longitudinal analysis, mosaics captured at different times must be aligned as well. For alignment, global correlation-based matching is compared with interest point matching. Use of algorithms working on multiple CPU's (parallel processor/cluster/grid) is imperative for use in a screening model.

  8. Nd3+-doped soft glass double-clad fibers with a hexagonal inner cladding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Longfei; He, Dongbing; Hu, Lili; Chen, Danping

    2015-04-01

    The stack-and-draw technique was used to fabricate Nd3+-doped silicate and phosphate glass double-clad step-index fibers with a non-circular inner cladding. For the silicate fiber, a maximum output power of 7.7 W was obtained from a 94 cm fiber. An output power of 1.25 W was also realized with a short length fiber of 8 cm, confirming the application potential of this fiber in single frequency lasers and pulsed amplifiers where an efficient rare-earth-doped fiber with short length is desirable. For the phosphate fiber, a maximum output power of 2.78 W was obtained from a single-mode fiber with a core diameter of up to 35 μm.

  9. Dietary fiber in irritable bowel syndrome (Review)

    PubMed Central

    El-Salhy, Magdy; Ystad, Synne Otterasen; Mazzawi, Tarek; Gundersen, Doris

    2017-01-01

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder. It is widely believed that IBS is caused by a deficient intake of dietary fiber, and most physicians recommend that patients with IBS increase their intake of dietary fiber in order to relieve their symptoms. However, different types of dietary fiber exhibit marked differences in physical and chemical properties, and the associated health benefits are specific for each fiber type. Short-chain soluble and highly fermentable dietary fiber, such as oligosaccharides results in rapid gas production that can cause abdominal pain/discomfort, abdominal bloating/distension and flatulence in patients with IBS. By contrast, long-chain, intermediate viscous, soluble and moderately fermentable dietary fiber, such as psyllium results in a low gas production and the absence of the symptoms related to excessive gas production. The effects of type of fiber have been documented in the management of IBS, and it is known to improve the overall symptoms in patients with IBS. Dietary fiber acts on the gastrointestinal tract through several mechanisms, including increased fecal mass with mechanical stimulation/irritation of the colonic mucosa with increasing secretion and peristalsis, and the actions of fermentation byproducts, particularly short-chain fatty acids, on the intestinal microbiota, immune system and the neuroendocrine system of the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber supplementation, particularly psyllium, is both safe and effective in improving IBS symptoms globally. Dietary fiber also has other health benefits, such as lowering blood cholesterol levels, improving glycemic control and body weight management. PMID:28731144

  10. Orientation-dependent fiber-optic accelerometer based on grating inscription over fiber cladding.

    PubMed

    Rong, Qiangzhou; Qiao, Xueguang; Guo, Tuan; Bao, Weijia; Su, Dan; Yang, Hangzhou

    2014-12-01

    An orientation-sensitive fiber-optic accelerometer based on grating inscription over fiber cladding has been demonstrated. The sensor probe comprises a compact structure in which a short section of thin-core fiber (TCF) stub containing a "cladding" fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is spliced to another single-mode fiber (SMF) without any lateral offset. A femtosecond laser side-illumination technique was utilized to ensure that the grating inscription remains close to the core-cladding interface of the TCF. The core mode and the cladding mode of the TCF are coupled at the core-mismatch junction, and two well-defined resonances in reflection appear from the downstream FBG, in which the cladding resonance exhibits a strong polarization and bending dependence due to the asymmetrical distribution of the cladding FBG along the fiber cross section. Strong orientation dependence of the vibration (acceleration) measurement has been achieved by power detection of the cladding resonance. Meanwhile, the unwanted power fluctuations and temperature perturbations can be referenced out by monitoring the fundamental core resonance.

  11. Experimental and analytical studies for the NASA carbon fiber risk assessment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    Various experimental and analytical studies performed for the NASA carbon fiber risk assessment program are described with emphasis on carbon fiber characteristics, sensitivity of electrical equipment and components to shorting or arcing by carbon fibers, attenuation effect of carbon fibers on aircraft landing aids, impact of carbon fibers on industrial facilities. A simple method of estimating damage from airborne carbon fibers is presented.

  12. High-efficiency (6 + 1) × 1 pump-signal combiner based on low-deformation and high-precision alignment fabrication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Shuzhen; Chen, Han; Yu, Haijuan; Sun, Jing; Zhao, Pengfei; Lin, Xuechun

    2017-12-01

    We demonstrate a new method for fabricating a (6 + 1) × 1 pump-signal combiner based on the reduction of signal fiber diameter by corrosion. This method avoids the mismatch loss of the splice between the signal fiber and the output fiber caused by the signal fiber taper processing. The optimum radius of the corroded signal fiber was calculated according to the analysis of the influence of the cladding thickness on the laser propagating in the fiber core. Besides, we also developed a two-step splicing method to complete the high-precision alignment between the signal fiber core and the output fiber core. A high-efficiency (6 + 1) × 1 pump-signal combiner was produced with an average pump power transmission efficiency of 98.0% and a signal power transmission efficiency of 97.7%, which is well suitable for application to high-power fiber laser system.

  13. Flash Diffusivity Technique Applied to Individual Fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayeaux, Brian; Yowell, Leonard; Wang, Hsin

    2007-01-01

    A variant of the flash diffusivity technique has been devised for determining the thermal diffusivities, and thus the thermal conductivities, of individual aligned fibers. The technique is intended especially for application to nanocomposite fibers, made from narrower fibers of polyphenylene benzobisthiazole (PBZT) and carbon nanotubes. These highly aligned nanocomposite fibers could exploit the high thermal conductivities of carbon nanotubes for thermal-management applications. In the flash diffusivity technique as practiced heretofore, one or more heat pulse(s) is (are) applied to the front face of a plate or disk material specimen and the resulting time-varying temperature on the rear face is measured. Usually, the heat pulse is generated by use of a xenon flash lamp, and the variation of temperature on the rear face is measured by use of an infrared detector. The flash energy is made large enough to produce a usefully high temperature rise on the rear face, but not so large as to significantly alter the specimen material. Once the measurement has been completed, the thermal diffusivity of the specimen is computed from the thickness of the specimen and the time dependence of the temperature variation on the rear face. Heretofore, the infrared detector used in the flash diffusivity technique has been a single-point detector, which responds to a spatial average of the thermal radiation from the rear specimen surface. Such a detector cannot distinguish among regions of differing diffusivity within the specimen. Moreover, two basic assumptions of the thermaldiffusivity technique as practiced heretofore are that the specimen is homogeneous and that heat flows one-dimensionally from the front to the rear face. These assumptions are not valid for an inhomogeneous (composite) material.

  14. Directing collagen fibers using counter-rotating cone extrusion.

    PubMed

    Hoogenkamp, Henk R; Bakker, Gert-Jan; Wolf, Louis; Suurs, Patricia; Dunnewind, Bertus; Barbut, Shai; Friedl, Peter; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Daamen, Willeke F

    2015-01-01

    The bio-inspired engineering of tissue equivalents should take into account anisotropic morphology and the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. This especially applies to collagen fibrils, which have various, but highly defined, orientations throughout tissues and organs. There are several methods available to control the alignment of soluble collagen monomers, but the options to direct native insoluble collagen fibers are limited. Here we apply a controlled counter-rotating cone extrusion technology to engineer tubular collagen constructs with defined anisotropy. Driven by diverging inner and outer cone rotation speeds, collagen fibrils from bovine skin were extruded and precipitated onto mandrels as tubes with oriented fibers and bundles, as examined by second harmonic generation microscopy and quantitative image analysis. A clear correlation was found whereby the direction and extent of collagen fiber alignment during extrusion were a function of the shear forces caused by a combination of the cone rotation and flow direction. A gradual change in the fiber direction, spanning +50 to -40°, was observed throughout the sections of the sample, with an average decrease ranging from 2.3 to 2.6° every 10μm. By varying the cone speeds, the collagen constructs showed differences in elasticity and toughness, spanning 900-2000kPa and 19-35mJ, respectively. Rotational extrusion presents an enabling technology to create and control the (an)isotropic architecture of collagen constructs for application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Overcoming low-alignment signal contrast induced alignment failure by alignment signal enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Byeong Soo; Kim, Young Ha; Hwang, Hyunwoo; Lee, Jeongjin; Kong, Jeong Heung; Kang, Young Seog; Paarhuis, Bart; Kok, Haico; de Graaf, Roelof; Weichselbaum, Stefan; Droste, Richard; Mason, Christopher; Aarts, Igor; de Boeij, Wim P.

    2016-03-01

    Overlay is one of the key factors which enables optical lithography extension to 1X node DRAM manufacturing. It is natural that accurate wafer alignment is a prerequisite for good device overlay. However, alignment failures or misalignments are commonly observed in a fab. There are many factors which could induce alignment problems. Low alignment signal contrast is one of the main issues. Alignment signal contrast can be degraded by opaque stack materials or by alignment mark degradation due to processes like CMP. This issue can be compounded by mark sub-segmentation from design rules in combination with double or quadruple spacer process. Alignment signal contrast can be improved by applying new material or process optimization, which sometimes lead to the addition of another process-step with higher costs. If we can amplify the signal components containing the position information and reduce other unwanted signal and background contributions then we can improve alignment performance without process change. In this paper we use ASML's new alignment sensor (as was introduced and released on the NXT:1980Di) and sample wafers with special stacks which can induce poor alignment signal to demonstrate alignment and overlay improvement.

  16. Lithotripsy Performance of Specially Designed Laser Fiber Tips.

    PubMed

    Kronenberg, Peter; Traxer, Olivier

    2016-05-01

    We evaluated and compared a standard laser lithotripsy fiber to laser fibers claimed to have lithotripsy performance enhancing features. A special AccuMax™ 200 polished tip fiber and an AccuTrac™ ball-shaped tip fiber, each with an approximately 240 μm core, were compared to a standard 272 μm core fiber (Rocamed™). The polished and ball-shaped tip fibers were used and reused without preparation. The standard fiber was stripped and cleaved according to manufacturer instructions after each experiment. An automated laser fragmentation testing system was used to perform multiple 30-second laser lithotripsy experiments. To mimic most typical lithotripsy conditions soft and hard stone materials were used with high frequency, low pulse energy (20 Hz and 0.5 J) or with low frequency, high pulse energy (5 Hz and 2.0 J) lithotripter settings. Ablation volumes and laser fiber tip photographs before and after lithotripsy were compared. The standard and ball-shaped tip fibers did not differ in ablation volume (p = 0.72) but they ablated 174% and 188% more stone, respectively, than the polished tip fiber (p <0.0001). The ball-shaped tip showed remarkable fiber tip degradation after short-term use at low frequency, high pulse energy settings. When high pulse energy settings were applied first even for short-term use, the ablation volume achieved by the polished and ball-shaped tip fibers at high frequency, low pulse energy settings decreased more than 20%. The standard laser fiber was as good as and sometimes better than the specially designed fibers. Rapid degradation of the specially designed laser fiber tips strongly limits their general usefulness but ball-shaped tip fibers may be useful in specific situations. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Tapered GRIN fiber microsensor.

    PubMed

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

    2014-12-15

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

  18. Slab-coupled optical sensor fabrication using side-polished Panda fibers.

    PubMed

    King, Rex; Seng, Frederick; Stan, Nikola; Cuzner, Kevin; Josephson, Chad; Selfridge, Richard; Schultz, Stephen

    2016-11-01

    A new device structure used for slab-coupled optical sensor (SCOS) technology was developed to fabricate electric field sensors. This new device structure replaces the D-fiber used in traditional SCOS technology with a side-polished Panda fiber. Unlike the D-fiber SCOS, the Panda fiber SCOS is made from commercially available materials and is simpler to fabricate. The Panda SCOS interfaces easier with lab equipment and exhibits ∼3  dB less loss at link points than the D-fiber SCOS. The optical system for the D-fiber is bandwidth limited by a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) used to amplify to the electric signal. The Panda SCOS exhibits less loss than the D-fiber and, as a result, does not require as high a gain setting on the TIA, which results in an overall higher bandwidth range. Results show that the Panda sensor also achieves comparable sensitivity results to the D-fiber SCOS. Although the Panda SCOS is not as sensitive as other side-polished fiber electric field sensors, it can be fabricated much easier because the fabrication process does not require special alignment techniques, and it is made from commercially available materials.

  19. The fiber optic system for the advanced topographic laser altimeter system instrument (ATLAS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ott, Melanie N.; Thomes, W. Joe; Onuma, Eleanya; Switzer, Robert; Chuska, Richard; Blair, Diana; Frese, Erich; Matyseck, Marc

    2016-09-01

    The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument has been in integration and testing over the past 18 months in preparation for the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite - 2 (ICESat-2) Mission, scheduled to launch in 2017. ICESat-2 is the follow on to ICESat which launched in 2003 and operated until 2009. ATLAS will measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice or the "cryosphere" (as well as terrain) to provide data for assessing the earth's global climate changes. Where ICESat's instrument, the Geo-Science Laser Altimeter (GLAS) used a single beam measured with a 70 m spot on the ground and a distance between spots of 170 m, ATLAS will measure a spot size of 10 m with a spacing of 70 cm using six beams to measure terrain height changes as small as 4 mm.[1] The ATLAS pulsed transmission system consists of two lasers operating at 532 nm with transmitter optics for beam steering, a diffractive optical element that splits the signal into 6 separate beams, receivers for start pulse detection and a wavelength tracking system. The optical receiver telescope system consists of optics that focus all six beams into optical fibers that feed a filter system that transmits the signal via fiber assemblies to the detectors. Also included on the instrument is a system that calibrates the alignment of the transmitted pulses to the receiver optics for precise signal capture. The larger electro optical subsystems for transmission, calibration, and signal receive, stay aligned and transmitting sufficiently due to the optical fiber system that links them together. The robust design of the fiber optic system, consisting of a variety of multi fiber arrays and simplex assemblies with multiple fiber core sizes and types, will enable the system to maintain consistent critical alignments for the entire life of the mission. Some of the development approaches used to meet the challenging optical system requirements for ATLAS are discussed here.

  20. The fiber optic system for the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument

    PubMed Central

    Ott, Melanie N.; Thomes, Joe; Onuma, Eleanya; Switzer, Robert; Chuska, Richard; Blair, Diana; Frese, Erich; Matyseck, Marc

    2017-01-01

    The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument has been in integration and testing over the past 18 months in preparation for the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite – 2 (ICESat-2) Mission, scheduled to launch in 2017. ICESat-2 is the follow on to ICESat which launched in 2003 and operated until 2009. ATLAS will measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice or the “cryosphere” (as well as terrain) to provide data for assessing the earth’s global climate changes. Where ICESat’s instrument, the Geo-Science Laser Altimeter (GLAS) used a single beam measured with a 70 m spot on the ground and a distance between spots of 170 m, ATLAS will measure a spot size of 10 m with a spacing of 70 cm using six beams to measure terrain height changes as small as 4 mm.[1] The ATLAS pulsed transmission system consists of two lasers operating at 532 nm with transmitter optics for beam steering, a diffractive optical element that splits the signal into 6 separate beams, receivers for start pulse detection and a wavelength tracking system. The optical receiver telescope system consists of optics that focus all six beams into optical fibers that feed a filter system that transmits the signal via fiber assemblies to the detectors. Also included on the instrument is a system that calibrates the alignment of the transmitted pulses to the receiver optics for precise signal capture. The larger electro optical subsystems for transmission, calibration, and signal receive, stay aligned and transmitting sufficiently due to the optical fiber system that links them together. The robust design of the fiber optic system, consisting of a variety of multi fiber arrays and simplex assemblies with multiple fiber core sizes and types, will enable the system to maintain consistent critical alignments for the entire life of the mission. Some of the development approaches used to meet the challenging optical system requirements for ATLAS are discussed here. PMID

  1. The fiber optic system for the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument.

    PubMed

    Ott, Melanie N; Thomes, Joe; Onuma, Eleanya; Switzer, Robert; Chuska, Richard; Blair, Diana; Frese, Erich; Matyseck, Marc

    2016-08-28

    The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument has been in integration and testing over the past 18 months in preparation for the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite - 2 (ICESat-2) Mission, scheduled to launch in 2017. ICESat-2 is the follow on to ICESat which launched in 2003 and operated until 2009. ATLAS will measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice or the "cryosphere" (as well as terrain) to provide data for assessing the earth's global climate changes. Where ICESat's instrument, the Geo-Science Laser Altimeter (GLAS) used a single beam measured with a 70 m spot on the ground and a distance between spots of 170 m, ATLAS will measure a spot size of 10 m with a spacing of 70 cm using six beams to measure terrain height changes as small as 4 mm.[1] The ATLAS pulsed transmission system consists of two lasers operating at 532 nm with transmitter optics for beam steering, a diffractive optical element that splits the signal into 6 separate beams, receivers for start pulse detection and a wavelength tracking system. The optical receiver telescope system consists of optics that focus all six beams into optical fibers that feed a filter system that transmits the signal via fiber assemblies to the detectors. Also included on the instrument is a system that calibrates the alignment of the transmitted pulses to the receiver optics for precise signal capture. The larger electro optical subsystems for transmission, calibration, and signal receive, stay aligned and transmitting sufficiently due to the optical fiber system that links them together. The robust design of the fiber optic system, consisting of a variety of multi fiber arrays and simplex assemblies with multiple fiber core sizes and types, will enable the system to maintain consistent critical alignments for the entire life of the mission. Some of the development approaches used to meet the challenging optical system requirements for ATLAS are discussed here.

  2. The Fiber Optic System for the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ott, Melanie N.; Thomes, Joe; Onuma, Eleanya; Switzer, Robert; Chuska, Richard; Blair, Diana; Frese, Erich; Matyseck, Marc

    2016-01-01

    The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) Instrument has been in integration and testing over the past 18 months in preparation for the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite - 2 (ICESat-2) Mission, scheduled to launch in 2017. ICESat-2 is the follow on to ICESat which launched in 2003 and operated until 2009. ATLAS will measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice or the "cryosphere" (as well as terrain) to provide data for assessing the earth's global climate changes. Where ICESat's instrument, the Geo-Science Laser Altimeter (GLAS) used a single beam measured with a 70 m spot on the ground and a distance between spots of 170 m, ATLAS will measure a spot size of 10 m with a spacing of 70 cm using six beams to measure terrain height changes as small as 4 mm. The ATLAS pulsed transmission system consists of two lasers operating at 532 nm with transmitter optics for beam steering, a diffractive optical element that splits the signal into 6 separate beams, receivers for start pulse detection and a wavelength tracking system. The optical receiver telescope system consists of optics that focus all six beams into optical fibers that feed a filter system that transmits the signal via fiber assemblies to the detectors. Also included on the instrument is a system that calibrates the alignment of the transmitted pulses to the receiver optics for precise signal capture. The larger electro optical subsystems for transmission, calibration, and signal receive, stay aligned and transmitting sufficiently due to the optical fiber system that links them together. The robust design of the fiber optic system, consisting of a variety of multi fiber arrays and simplex assemblies with multiple fiber core sizes and types, will enable the system to maintain consistent critical alignments for the entire life of the mission. Some of the development approaches used to meet the challenging optical system requirements for ATLAS are discussed here.

  3. Stiffness and force in activated frog skeletal muscle fibers.

    PubMed Central

    Cecchi, G.; Griffiths, P. J.; Taylor, S.

    1986-01-01

    Single fibers, isolated intact from frog skeletal muscles, were held firmly very near to each end by stiff metal clasps fastened to the tendons. The fibers were then placed horizontally between two steel hooks inserted in eyelets of the tendon clasps. One hook was attached to a capacitance gauge force transducer (resonance frequency up to approximately 50 kHz) and the other was attached to a moving-coil length changer. This allowed us to impose small, rapid releases (complete in less than 0.15 ms) and high frequency oscillations (up to 13 kHz) to one end of a resting or contracting fiber and measure the consequences at the other end with fast time resolution at 4 to 6 degrees C. The stiffness of short fibers (1.8-2.6 mm) was determined directly from the ratio of force to length variations produced by the length changer. The resonance frequency of short fibers was so high (approximately 40 kHz) that intrinsic oscillations were not detectably excited. The stiffness of long fibers, on the other hand, was calculated from measurement of the mechanical resonance frequency of a fiber. Using both short and long fibers, we measured the sinusoids of force at one end of a contracting fiber that were produced by relatively small sinusoidal length changes at the other end. The amplitudes of the sinusoidal length changes were small compared with the size of step changes that produce nonlinear force-extension relations. The sinusoids of force from long fibers changed amplitude and shifted phase with changes in oscillation frequency in a manner expected of a transmission line composed of mass, compliance, and viscosity, similar to that modelled by (Ford, L. E., A. F. Huxley, and R. M. Simmons, 1981, J. Physiol. (Lond.), 311:219-249). A rapid release during the plateau of tetanic tension in short fibers caused a fall in force and stiffness, a relative change in stiffness that putatively was much smaller than that of force. Our results are, for the most part, consistent with the

  4. Design of graded refractive index profile for silica multimode optical fibers with improved effective modal bandwidth for short-distance laser-based multi-Gigabit data transmission over "O"-band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bourdine, Anton V.; Zhukov, Alexander E.

    2017-04-01

    High bit rate laser-based data transmission over silica optical fibers with enlarged core diameter in comparison with standard singlemode fibers is found variety infocommunication applications. Since IEEE 802.3z standard was ratified on 1998 this technique started to be widely used for short-range in-premises distributed multi-Gigabit networks based on new generation laser optimized multimode fibers 50/125 of Cat. OM2…OM4. Nowadays it becomes to be in demand for on-board cable systems and industrial network applications requiring 1Gps and more bit rates over fibers with extremely enlarged core diameter up to 100 μm. This work presents an alternative method for design the special refractive index profiles of silica few-mode fibers with extremely enlarged core diameter, that provides modal bandwidth enhancing under a few-mode regime of laser-based data optical transmission. Here some results are presented concerning with refractive index profile synthesis for few-mode fibers with reduced differential mode delay for "O"-band central region, as well as computed differential mode delay spectral curves corresponding to profiles for fibers 50/125 and 100/125 for in-premises and on-board/industrial cable systems.

  5. Molecular orientation in aligned electrospun polyimide nanofibers by polarized FT-IR spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Yang, Haoqi; Jiang, Shaohua; Fang, Hong; Hu, Xiaowu; Duan, Gaigai; Hou, Haoqing

    2018-07-05

    Quantitative explanation on the improved mechanical properties of aligned electrospun polyimide (PI) nanofibers as the increased imidization temperatures is highly required. In this work, polarized FT-IR spectroscopy is applied to solve this problem. Based on the polarized FT-IR spectroscopy and the molecular model in the fibers, the length of the repeat unit of PI molecule, the angle between the fiber axis and the symmetric stretching direction of carbonyl group on the imide ring, and the angle between the PI molecular axis and fiber axis are all investigated. The Mark-Howink equation is used to calculate the number-average molar mass of PI molecules. The orientation states of PI molecules in the electrospun nanofibers are studied from the number-average molar mass of PI molecules and the average fiber diameter. Quantitative analysis of the orientation factor of PI molecules in the electrospun nanofibers is performed by polarized FT-IR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Electrospun amplified fiber optics.

    PubMed

    Morello, Giovanni; Camposeo, Andrea; Moffa, Maria; Pisignano, Dario

    2015-03-11

    All-optical signal processing is the focus of much research aiming to obtain effective alternatives to existing data transmission platforms. Amplification of light in fiber optics, such as in Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, is especially important for efficient signal transmission. However, the complex fabrication methods involving high-temperature processes performed in a highly pure environment slow the fabrication process and make amplified components expensive with respect to an ideal, high-throughput, room temperature production. Here, we report on near-infrared polymer fiber amplifiers working over a band of ∼20 nm. The fibers are cheap, spun with a process entirely carried out at room temperature, and shown to have amplified spontaneous emission with good gain coefficients and low levels of optical losses (a few cm(-1)). The amplification process is favored by high fiber quality and low self-absorption. The found performance metrics appear to be suitable for short-distance operations, and the large variety of commercially available doping dyes might allow for effective multiwavelength operations by electrospun amplified fiber optics.

  7. Effect of fiber distribution and realignment on the nonlinear and inhomogeneous mechanical properties of human supraspinatus tendon under longitudinal tensile loading.

    PubMed

    Lake, Spencer P; Miller, Kristin S; Elliott, Dawn M; Soslowsky, Louis J

    2009-12-01

    Tendon exhibits nonlinear stress-strain behavior that may be partly due to movement of collagen fibers through the extracellular matrix. While a few techniques have been developed to evaluate the fiber architecture of other soft tissues, the organizational behavior of tendon under load has not been determined. The supraspinatus tendon (SST) of the rotator cuff is of particular interest for investigation due to its complex mechanical environment and corresponding inhomogeneity. In addition, SST injury occurs frequently with limited success in treatment strategies, illustrating the need for a better understanding of SST properties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the inhomogeneous tensile mechanical properties, fiber organization, and fiber realignment under load of human SST utilizing a novel polarized light technique. Fiber distributions were found to become more aligned under load, particularly during the low stiffness toe-region, suggesting that fiber realignment may be partly responsible for observed nonlinear behavior. Fiber alignment was found to correlate significantly with mechanical parameters, providing evidence for strong structure-function relationships in tendon. Human SST exhibits complex, inhomogeneous mechanical properties and fiber distributions, perhaps due to its complex loading environment. Surprisingly, histological grade of degeneration did not correlate with mechanical properties.

  8. Microfluidic-enhanced 3D bioprinting of aligned myoblast-laden hydrogels leads to functionally organized myofibers in vitro and in vivo.

    PubMed

    Costantini, Marco; Testa, Stefano; Mozetic, Pamela; Barbetta, Andrea; Fuoco, Claudia; Fornetti, Ersilia; Tamiro, Francesco; Bernardini, Sergio; Jaroszewicz, Jakub; Święszkowski, Wojciech; Trombetta, Marcella; Castagnoli, Luisa; Seliktar, Dror; Garstecki, Piotr; Cesareni, Gianni; Cannata, Stefano; Rainer, Alberto; Gargioli, Cesare

    2017-07-01

    We present a new strategy for the fabrication of artificial skeletal muscle tissue with functional morphologies based on an innovative 3D bioprinting approach. The methodology is based on a microfluidic printing head coupled to a co-axial needle extruder for high-resolution 3D bioprinting of hydrogel fibers laden with muscle precursor cells (C2C12). To promote myogenic differentiation, we formulated a tailored bioink with a photocurable semi-synthetic biopolymer (PEG-Fibrinogen) encapsulating cells into 3D constructs composed of aligned hydrogel fibers. After 3-5 days of culture, the encapsulated myoblasts started migrating and fusing, forming multinucleated myotubes within the 3D bioprinted fibers. The obtained myotubes showed high degree of alignment along the direction of hydrogel fiber deposition, further revealing maturation, sarcomerogenesis, and functionality. Following subcutaneous implantation in the back of immunocompromised mice, bioprinted constructs generated organized artificial muscle tissue in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that our microfluidic printing head allows to design three dimensional multi-cellular assemblies with an exquisite compartmentalization of the encapsulated cells. Our results demonstrate an enhanced myogenic differentiation with the formation of parallel aligned long-range myotubes. The approach that we report here represents a robust and valid candidate for the fabrication of macroscopic artificial muscle to scale up skeletal muscle tissue engineering for human clinical application. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  9. Polarized emission from CsPbBr3 nanowire embedded-electrospun PU fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Güner, Tuğrul; Topçu, Gökhan; Savacı, Umut; Genç, Aziz; Turan, Servet; Sari, Emre; Demir, Mustafa M.

    2018-04-01

    Interest in all-inorganic halide perovskites has been increasing dramatically due to their high quantum yield, band gap tunability, and ease of fabrication in compositional and geometric diversity. In this study, we synthesized several hundreds of nanometer long and ˜4 nm thick CsPbBr 3 nanowires (NWs). They were then integrated into electrospun polyurethane (PU) fibers to examine the polarization behavior of the composite fiber assembly. Aligned electrospun fibers containing CsPbBr 3 NWs showed a remarkable increase in the degree of polarization from 0.17-0.30. This combination of NWs and PU fibers provides a promising composite material for various applications such as optoelectronic devices and solar cells.

  10. A novel method for preparing microplastic fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cole, Matthew

    2016-10-01

    Microscopic plastic (microplastic, 0.1 µm-5 mm) is a widespread pollutant impacting upon aquatic ecosystems across the globe. Environmental sampling has revealed synthetic fibers are prevalent in seawater, sediments and biota. However, microplastic fibers are rarely used in laboratory studies as they are unavailable for purchase and existing preparation techniques have limited application. To facilitate the incorporation of environmentally relevant microplastic fibers into future studies, new methods are required. Here, a novel cryotome protocol has been developed. Nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fibers (10-28 μm diameter) were aligned, embedded in water-soluble freezing agent, and sectioned (40-100 μm length) using a cryogenic microtome. Microplastic fibers were prepared to specified lengths (P < 0.05, ANOVA) and proved consistent in size. Fluorescent labelling of Nylon microfibers with Nile Red facilitated imaging. A 24 h feeding experiment confirmed bioavailability of 10 × 40 μm Nylon fibers to brine shrimp (Artemia sp). This protocol provides a consistent method for preparing standardised fibrous microplastics, with widths similar to those observed in the natural environment, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the biological and ecological effects of microplastic debris in the environment.

  11. A novel method for preparing microplastic fibers

    PubMed Central

    Cole, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    Microscopic plastic (microplastic, 0.1 µm–5 mm) is a widespread pollutant impacting upon aquatic ecosystems across the globe. Environmental sampling has revealed synthetic fibers are prevalent in seawater, sediments and biota. However, microplastic fibers are rarely used in laboratory studies as they are unavailable for purchase and existing preparation techniques have limited application. To facilitate the incorporation of environmentally relevant microplastic fibers into future studies, new methods are required. Here, a novel cryotome protocol has been developed. Nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fibers (10–28 μm diameter) were aligned, embedded in water-soluble freezing agent, and sectioned (40–100 μm length) using a cryogenic microtome. Microplastic fibers were prepared to specified lengths (P < 0.05, ANOVA) and proved consistent in size. Fluorescent labelling of Nylon microfibers with Nile Red facilitated imaging. A 24 h feeding experiment confirmed bioavailability of 10 × 40 μm Nylon fibers to brine shrimp (Artemia sp). This protocol provides a consistent method for preparing standardised fibrous microplastics, with widths similar to those observed in the natural environment, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the biological and ecological effects of microplastic debris in the environment. PMID:27694820

  12. A novel method for preparing microplastic fibers.

    PubMed

    Cole, Matthew

    2016-10-03

    Microscopic plastic (microplastic, 0.1 µm-5 mm) is a widespread pollutant impacting upon aquatic ecosystems across the globe. Environmental sampling has revealed synthetic fibers are prevalent in seawater, sediments and biota. However, microplastic fibers are rarely used in laboratory studies as they are unavailable for purchase and existing preparation techniques have limited application. To facilitate the incorporation of environmentally relevant microplastic fibers into future studies, new methods are required. Here, a novel cryotome protocol has been developed. Nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fibers (10-28 μm diameter) were aligned, embedded in water-soluble freezing agent, and sectioned (40-100 μm length) using a cryogenic microtome. Microplastic fibers were prepared to specified lengths (P < 0.05, ANOVA) and proved consistent in size. Fluorescent labelling of Nylon microfibers with Nile Red facilitated imaging. A 24 h feeding experiment confirmed bioavailability of 10 × 40 μm Nylon fibers to brine shrimp (Artemia sp). This protocol provides a consistent method for preparing standardised fibrous microplastics, with widths similar to those observed in the natural environment, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the biological and ecological effects of microplastic debris in the environment.

  13. Engineering-Aligned 3D Neural Circuit in Microfluidic Device.

    PubMed

    Bang, Seokyoung; Na, Sangcheol; Jang, Jae Myung; Kim, Jinhyun; Jeon, Noo Li

    2016-01-07

    The brain is one of the most important and complex organs in the human body. Although various neural network models have been proposed for in vitro 3D neuronal networks, it has been difficult to mimic functional and structural complexity of the in vitro neural circuit. Here, a microfluidic model of a simplified 3D neural circuit is reported. First, the microfluidic device is filled with Matrigel and continuous flow is delivered across the device during gelation. The fluidic flow aligns the extracellular matrix (ECM) components along the flow direction. Following the alignment of ECM fibers, neurites of primary rat cortical neurons are grown into the Matrigel at the average speed of 250 μm d(-1) and form axon bundles approximately 1500 μm in length at 6 days in vitro (DIV). Additionally, neural networks are developed from presynaptic to postsynaptic neurons at 14 DIV. The establishment of aligned 3D neural circuits is confirmed with the immunostaining of PSD-95 and synaptophysin and the observation of calcium signal transmission. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Does Topology Drive Fiber Polymerization?

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    We have developed new procedures to examine the early steps in fibrin polymerization. First, we isolated fibrinogen monomers from plasma fibrinogen by gel filtration. Polymerization of fibrinogen monomers differed from that of plasma fibrinogen. The formation of protofibrils was slower and the transformation of protofibrils to fibers faster for the fibrinogen monomers. Second, we used formaldehyde to terminate the polymerization reactions. The formaldehyde-fixed products obtained at each time point were examined by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The data showed the formaldehyde-fixed products were stable and representative of the reaction intermediates. TEM images showed monomers, short oligomers, protofibrils, and thin fibers. The amount and length of these species varied with time. Short oligomers were less than 5% of the molecules at all times. Third, we developed models that recapitulate the TEM images. Fibrin monomer models were assembled into protofibrils, and protofibrils were assembled into two-strand fibers using Chimera software. Monomers were based on fibrinogen crystal structures, and the end-to-end interactions between monomers were based on D-dimer crystal structures. Protofibrils assembled from S-shaped monomers through asymmetric D:D interactions were ordered helical structures. Fibers were modeled by duplicating a protofibril and rotating the duplicate 120° around its long axis. No specific interactions were presumed. The two protofibrils simply twisted around one another to form a fiber. This model suggests that the conformation of the protofibril per se promotes the assembly into fibers. These findings introduce a novel mechanism for fibrin assembly that may be relevant to other biopolymers. PMID:25419972

  15. No difference in fecal levels of bacteria or short chain fatty acids in humans, when consuming fruit juice beverages containing fruit fiber, fruit polyphenols, and their combination.

    PubMed

    Wallace, Alison J; Eady, Sarah L; Hunter, Denise C; Skinner, Margot A; Huffman, Lee; Ansell, Juliet; Blatchford, Paul; Wohlers, Mark; Herath, Thanuja D; Hedderley, Duncan; Rosendale, Douglas; Stoklosinski, Halina; McGhie, Tony; Sun-Waterhouse, Dongxiao; Redman, Claire

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the effect of a Boysenberry beverage (750 mg polyphenols), an apple fiber beverage (7.5 g dietary fiber), and a Boysenberry plus apple fiber beverage (750 mg polyphenols plus 7.5 g dietary fiber) on gut health. Twenty-five individuals completed the study. The study was a placebo-controlled crossover study, where every individual consumed 1 of the 4 treatments in turn. Each treatment phase was 4-week long and was followed by a 2-week washout period. The trial beverages were 350 g taken in 2 doses every day (ie, 175 mL taken twice daily). The hypothesis for the study was that the combination of polyphenols and fiber would have a greater benefit on gut health than the placebo product or the fiber or polyphenols on their own. There were no differences in fecal levels of total bacteria, Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas group, Bifidobacteriumspecies, Clostridium perfringens, or Lactobacillus species among any of the treatment groups. Fecal short chain fatty acid concentrations did not vary among treatment groups, although prostaglandin E2 concentrations were higher after consumption of the Boysenberry juice beverage. No significant differences were found in quantitative measures of gut health between the Boysenberry juice beverage, the apple fiber beverage, the Boysenberry juice plus apple fiber beverage, and the placebo beverage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Quantitative regulation of bone-mimetic, oriented collagen/apatite matrix structure depends on the degree of osteoblast alignment on oriented collagen substrates.

    PubMed

    Matsugaki, Aira; Isobe, Yoshihiro; Saku, Taro; Nakano, Takayoshi

    2015-02-01

    Bone tissue has a specific anisotropic morphology derived from collagen fiber alignment and the related apatite crystal orientation as a bone quality index. However, the precise mechanism of cellular regulation of the crystallographic orientation of apatite has not been clarified. In this study, anisotropic construction of cell-produced mineralized matrix in vitro was established by initiating organized cellular alignment and subsequent oriented bone-like matrix (collagen/apatite) production. The oriented collagen substrates with three anisotropic levels were prepared by a hydrodynamic method. Primary osteoblasts were cultured on the fabricated substrates until mineralized matrix formation is confirmed. Osteoblast alignment was successfully regulated by the level of substrate collagen orientation, with preferential alignment along the direction of the collagen fibers. Notably, both fibrous orientation of newly synthesized collagen matrix and c-axis of produced apatite crystals showed preferential orientation along the cell direction. Because the degree of anisotropy of the deposited apatite crystals showed dependency on the directional distribution of osteoblasts cultured on the oriented collagen substrates, the cell orientation determines the crystallographic anisotropy of produced apatite crystals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that bone tissue anisotropy, even the alignment of apatite crystals, is controllable by varying the degree of osteoblast alignment via regulating the level of substrate orientation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Optical fiber sensors measurement system and special fibers improvement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jelinek, Michal; Hrabina, Jan; Hola, Miroslava; Hucl, Vaclav; Cizek, Martin; Rerucha, Simon; Lazar, Josef; Mikel, Bretislav

    2017-06-01

    We present method for the improvement of the measurement accuracy in the optical frequency spectra measurements based on tunable optical filters. The optical filter was used during the design and realization of the measurement system for the inspection of the fiber Bragg gratings. The system incorporates a reference block for the compensation of environmental influences, an interferometric verification subsystem and a PC - based control software implemented in LabView. The preliminary experimental verification of the measurement principle and the measurement system functionality were carried out on a testing rig with a specially prepared concrete console in the UJV Řež. The presented system is the laboratory version of the special nuclear power plant containment shape deformation measurement system which was installed in the power plant Temelin during last year. On the base of this research we started with preparation other optical fiber sensors to nuclear power plants measurement. These sensors will be based on the microstructured and polarization maintaining optical fibers. We started with development of new methods and techniques of the splicing and shaping optical fibers. We are able to made optical tapers from ultra-short called adiabatic with length around 400 um up to long tapers with length up to 6 millimeters. We developed new techniques of splicing standard Single Mode (SM) and Multimode (MM) optical fibers and splicing of optical fibers with different diameters in the wavelength range from 532 to 1550 nm. Together with development these techniques we prepared other techniques to splicing and shaping special optical fibers like as Polarization-Maintaining (PM) or hollow core Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) and theirs cross splicing methods with focus to minimalize backreflection and attenuation. The splicing special optical fibers especially PCF fibers with standard telecommunication and other SM fibers can be done by our developed techniques. Adjustment

  18. Development of braided fiber seals for engine applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cai, Zhong; Mutharasan, Rajakkannu; Ko, Frank K.; Du, Guang-Wu; Steinetz, Bruce M.

    1993-01-01

    A new type of braided fiber seal was developed for high temperature engine applications. Development work performed includes seal design, fabrication, leakage flow testing, and flow resistance modeling. This new type of seal utilizes the high flow resistance of tightly packed fibers and the conformability of textile structures. The seal contains a core part with aligned fibers, and a sheath with braided fiber layers. Seal samples are made by using the conventional braiding process. Leakage flow measurements are then performed. Mass flow rate versus the simulated engine pressure and preload pressure is recorded. The flow resistance of the seal is analyzed using the Ergun equation for flow through porous media, including both laminar and turbulent effects. The two constants in the Ergun equation are evaluated for the seal structures. Leakage flow of the seal under the test condition is found to be in the transition flow region. The analysis is used to predict the leakage flow performance of the seal with the determined design parameters.

  19. Fiber optic light collection system for scanning-tunneling-microscope-induced light emission.

    PubMed

    Watkins, Neil J; Long, James P; Kafafi, Zakya H; Mäkinen, Antti J

    2007-05-01

    We report a compact light collection scheme suitable for retrofitting a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for STM-induced light emission experiments. The approach uses a pair of optical fibers with large core diameters and high numerical apertures to maximize light collection efficiency and to moderate the mechanical precision required for alignment. Bench tests indicate that efficiency reduction is almost entirely due to reflective losses at the fiber ends, while losses due to fiber misalignment have virtually been eliminated. Photon-map imaging with nanometer features is demonstrated on a stepped Au(111) surface with signal rates exceeding 10(4) counts/s.

  20. Production of aligned microfibers and nanofibers and derived functional monoliths

    DOEpatents

    Hu, Michael Z [Knoxville, TN; DePaoli, David W [Knoxville, TN; Kuritz, Tanya [Kingston, TN; Omatete, Ogbemi [New Port Richey, FL

    2007-08-14

    The present invention comprises a method for producing microfibers and nanofibers and further fabricating derived solid monolithic materials having aligned uniform micro- or nanofibrils. A method for producing fibers ranging in diameter from micrometer-sized to nanometer-sized comprises the steps of producing an electric field and preparing a solid precipitative reaction media wherein the media comprises at least one chemical reactive precursor and a solvent having low electrical conductivity and wherein a solid precipitation reaction process for nucleation and growth of a solid phase occurs within the media. Then, subjecting the media to the electric field to induce in-situ growth of microfibers or nanofibers during the reaction process within the media causing precipitative growth of solid phase particles wherein the reaction conditions and reaction kinetics control the size, morphology and composition of the fibers. The fibers can then be wet pressed while under electric field into a solid monolith slab, dried and consolidated.

  1. Fabrication process for polymer PLC platforms with V-grooves for passive alignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Suntak; Lee, Jong-Moo; Ahn, Joon Tae; Baek, Yong-Soon

    2005-12-01

    A method for polymer planar lightwave circuit (PLC) devices fabricated on a substrate with V-grooves is developed for passive alignment of an optical fiber to a polymer waveguide. In order to minimize thickness nonuniformity of polymer layers caused by the V-grooves, dry film resist (DFR) is used. The V-grooves are covered with the DFR before the polymer layers are spin-coated on the substrate. The DFR prevents the polymer from being filled in the V-grooves as well as from being spin-coated nonuniformly on the substrate. This process provides a simple and cost-effective fabrication method of polymer PLCs or platforms for passive alignment.

  2. Effects of Schwann cell alignment along the oriented electrospun chitosan nanofibers on nerve regeneration.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei; Itoh, Soichiro; Konno, Katsumi; Kikkawa, Takeshi; Ichinose, Shizuko; Sakai, Katsuyoshi; Ohkuma, Tsuneo; Watabe, Kazuhiko

    2009-12-15

    We have constructed a chitosan nonwoven nanofiber mesh tube consisting of oriented fibers by the electrospinning method. The efficacy of oriented nanofibers on Schwann cell alignment and positive effect of this tube on peripheral nerve regeneration were confirmed. The physical properties of the chitosan nanofiber mesh sheets prepared by electrospinning with or without fiber orientation were characterized. Then, immortalized Schwann cells were cultured on these sheets. Furthermore, the chitosan nanofiber mesh tubes with or without orientation, and bilayered chitosan mesh tube with an inner layer of oriented nanofibers and an outer layer of randomized nanofibers were bridgegrafted into rat sciatic nerve defect. As a result of fiber orientation, the tensile strength along the axis of the sheet increased. Because Schwann cells aligned along the nanofibers, oriented fibrous sheets could exhibit a Schwann cell column. Functional recovery and electrophysiological recovery occurred in time in the oriented group as well as in the bilayered group, and approximately matched those in the isograft. Furthermore, histological analysis revealed that the sprouting of myelinated axons occurred vigorously followed by axonal maturation in the isograft, oriented, and bilayered group in the order. The oriented chitosan nanofiber mesh tube may be a promising substitute for autogenous nerve graft.

  3. Fiber optic sensor system for detecting movement or position of a rotating wheel bearing

    DOEpatents

    Veeser, Lynn R.; Rodriguez, Patrick J.; Forman, Peter R.; Monahan, Russell E.; Adler, Jonathan M.

    1997-01-01

    An improved fiber optic sensor system and integrated sensor bearing assembly for detecting movement or position of a rotating wheel bearing having a multi-pole tone ring which produces an alternating magnetic field indicative of movement and position of the rotating member. A magneto-optical material, such as a bismuth garnet iron (B.I.G.) crystal, having discrete magnetic domains is positioned in the vicinity of the tone ring so that the domains align themselves to the magnetic field generated by the tone ring. A single fiber optic cable, preferably single mode fiber, carries light generated by a source of light to the B.I.G. crystal. The light passes through the B.I.G. crystal and is refracted at domain boundaries in the crystal. The intensity of the refracted light is indicative of the amount of alignment of the domains and therefore the strength of the magnetic field. The refracted light is carried by the fiber optic cable to an optic receiver where the intensity is measured and an electrical signal is generated and sent to a controller indicating the frequency of the changes in light intensity and therefore the rotational speed of the rotating wheel bearing.

  4. Ultrasonic alignment of microparticles in nozzle-like geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whittaker, Molly A.; Dauson, Erin R.; Parra-Raad, Jaime; Heard, Robert A.; Oppenheim, Irving J.

    2018-03-01

    Additive manufacturing (3-D printing) is presently limited by the mechanical properties of the materials, such as polymer resins, that are otherwise efficient and economical for part-forming. Reinforcing the resin with microscale fibers and/or particles would be an effective mechanism to achieve desired mechanical properties such as strength and ductility. Our work combines standing wave ultrasonics and microfluidics to align microparticles in devices that can act as print nozzles, based in part on our prior work with cell sorting. In this paper three different approaches are presented illustrating different engineering tradeoffs, and demonstrating laboratory results of particle alignment. First acoustic resonators are discussed, in which the ultrasonic standing waves result mostly from the mechanical properties of the microfluidic structure, excited by a piezoceramic transducer. Next non-resonant microfluidic structures are discussed, in which ultrasonic standing waves are produced directly by symmetrical transducer deployment. Finally, devices that combine nozzle-like structures, which themselves are suitable acoustic resonators, subjected to symmetrical ultrasonic excitation are presented. We will show that all three configurations will align microparticles, and discuss the tradeoffs among them for subsequent configuration of a print nozzle.

  5. Toward a compact fibered squeezing parametric source.

    PubMed

    Brieussel, Alexandre; Ott, Konstantin; Joos, Maxime; Treps, Nicolas; Fabre, Claude

    2018-03-15

    In this work, we investigate three different compact fibered systems generating vacuum squeezing that involve optical cavities limited by the end surface of a fiber and by a curved mirror and containing a thin parametric crystal. These systems have the advantage to couple squeezed states directly to a fiber, allowing the user to benefit from the flexibility of fibers in the use of squeezing. Three types of fibers are investigated: standard single-mode fibers, photonic-crystal large-mode-area single-mode fibers, and short multimode fibers taped to a single-mode fiber. The observed squeezing is modest (-0.56  dB, -0.9  dB, -1  dB), but these experiments open the way for miniaturized squeezing devices that could be a very interesting advantage in scaling up quantum systems for quantum processing, opening new perspectives in the domain of integrated quantum optics.

  6. Environmental Aspects of Use of Recycled Carbon Fiber Composites in Automotive Applications.

    PubMed

    Meng, Fanran; McKechnie, Jon; Turner, Thomas; Wong, Kok H; Pickering, Stephen J

    2017-11-07

    The high cost and energy intensity of virgin carbon fiber manufacture provides an opportunity to recover substantial value from carbon fiber reinforced plastic wastes. In this study, we assess the life cycle environmental implications of recovering carbon fiber and producing composite materials as substitutes for conventional and proposed lightweight materials in automotive applications (e.g., steel, aluminum, virgin carbon fiber). Key parameters for the recycled carbon fiber materials, including fiber volume fraction and fiber alignment, are investigated to identify beneficial uses of recycled carbon fiber in the automotive sector. Recycled carbon fiber components can achieve the lowest life cycle environmental impacts of all materials considered, although the actual impact is highly dependent on the design criteria (λ value) of the specific component. Low production impacts associated with recycled carbon fiber components are observed relative to lightweight competitor materials (e.g., aluminum, virgin carbon fiber reinforced plastic). In addition, recycled carbon fiber components have low in-use energy use due to mass reductions and associated reduction in mass-induced fuel consumption. The results demonstrate environmental feasibility of the CFRP recycling materials, supporting the emerging commercialization of CF recycling technologies and identifying significant potential market opportunities in the automotive sector.

  7. Mallow Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites in Multilayered Armor for Personal Ballistic Protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nascimento, Lucio Fábio Cassiano; Louro, Luis Henrique Leme; Monteiro, Sergio Neves; Lima, Édio Pereira; da Luz, Fernanda Santos

    2017-10-01

    Lighter and less expensive polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers have been investigated as possible components of a multilayered armor system (MAS) for personal protection against high-velocity ammunition. Their ballistic performance was consistently found comparable with that of conventional Kevlar® synthetic aramid fiber. Among the numerous existing natural fibers with the potential for reinforcing polymer composites to replace Kevlar® in MAS, mallow fiber has not been fully investigated. Thus, the objective of this work is to evaluate the ballistic performance of epoxy composites reinforced with 30 vol.% of aligned mallow fibers as a second MAS layer backing a front ceramic plate. The results using high-velocity 7.62 ammunition show a similar indentation to a Kevlar® layer with the same thickness. An impedance matching calculation supports the similar ballistic performance of mallow fiber composite and Kevlar®. Reduced MAS costs associated with the mallow fiber composite are practical advantages over Kevlar®.

  8. Universal fiber-optic C.I.E. colorimeter

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, James W.

    1992-01-01

    Apparatus for color measurements according to the C.I.E. system comprises a first fiber optic cable for receiving and linearizing light from a light source, a lens system for spectrally displaying the linearized light and focusing the light on one end of a trifurcated fiber optic assembly that integrates and separates the light according to the three C.I.E. tristimulus functions. The separated light is received by three photodiodes and electronically evaluated to determine the magnitude of the light corresponding to the tristimulus functions. The fiber optic assembly is made by forming, at one end, a bundle of optic fibers to match the contours of one of the tristimulus functions, encapsulating that bundle, adding a second bundle that, together with the first bundle, will match the contours of the first plus one other tristimulus function, encapsulating that second bundle, then adding a third bundle which together with the first and second bundles, has contours matching the sum of all three tristimulus functions. At the other end of the assembly the three bundles are separated and aligned with their respective photodiodes.

  9. Holograms for laser diode: Single mode optical fiber coupling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fuhr, P. L.

    1982-01-01

    The low coupling efficiency of semiconductor laser emissions into a single mode optical fibers place a severe restriction on their use. Associated with these conventional optical coupling techniques are stringent alignment sensitivities. Using holographic elements, the coupling efficiency may be increased and the alignment sensitivity greatly reduced. Both conventional and computer methods used in the generation of the holographic couplers are described and diagrammed. The reconstruction geometries used are shown to be somewhat restrictive but substantially less rigid than their conventional optical counterparts. Single and double hologram techniques are examined concerning their respective ease of fabrication and relative merits.

  10. Topography on a subcellular scale modulates cellular adhesions and actin stress fiber dynamics in tumor associated fibroblasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azatov, Mikheil; Sun, Xiaoyu; Suberi, Alexandra; Fourkas, John T.; Upadhyaya, Arpita

    2017-12-01

    Cells can sense and adapt to mechanical properties of their environment. The local geometry of the extracellular matrix, such as its topography, has been shown to modulate cell morphology, migration, and proliferation. Here we investigate the effect of micro/nanotopography on the morphology and cytoskeletal dynamics of human pancreatic tumor-associated fibroblast cells (TAFs). We use arrays of parallel nanoridges with variable spacings on a subcellular scale to investigate the response of TAFs to the topography of their environment. We find that cell shape and stress fiber organization both align along the direction of the nanoridges. Our analysis reveals a strong bimodal relationship between the degree of alignment and the spacing of the nanoridges. Furthermore, focal adhesions align along ridges and form preferentially on top of the ridges. Tracking actin stress fiber movement reveals enhanced dynamics of stress fibers on topographically patterned surfaces. We find that components of the actin cytoskeleton move preferentially along the ridges with a significantly higher velocity along the ridges than on a flat surface. Our results suggest that a complex interplay between the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions coordinates the cellular response to micro/nanotopography.

  11. Hydroxyapatite fiber reinforced poly(alpha-hydroxy ester) foams for bone regeneration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thomson, R. C.; Yaszemski, M. J.; Powers, J. M.; Mikos, A. G.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

    1998-01-01

    A process has been developed to manufacture biodegradable composite foams of poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and hydroxyapatite short fibers for use in bone regeneration. The processing technique allows the manufacture of three-dimensional foam scaffolds and involves the formation of a composite material consisting of a porogen material (either gelatin microspheres or salt particles) and hydroxyapatite short fibers embedded in a PLGA matrix. After the porogen is leached out, an open-cell composite foam remains which has a pore size and morphology defined by the porogen. By changing the weight fraction of the leachable component it was possible to produce composite foams with controlled porosities ranging from 0.47 +/- 0.02 to 0.85 +/- 0.01 (n = 3). Up to a polymer:fiber ratio of 7:6, short hydroxyapatite fibers served to reinforce low-porosity PLGA foams manufactured using gelatin microspheres as a porogen. Foams with a compressive yield strength up to 2.82 +/- 0.63 MPa (n = 3) and a porosity of 0.47 +/- 0.02 (n = 3) were manufactured using a polymer:fiber weight ratio of 7:6. In contrast, high-porosity composite foams (up to 0.81 +/- 0.02, n = 3) suitable for cell seeding were not reinforced by the introduction of increasing quantities of hydroxyapatite short fibers. We were therefore able to manufacture high-porosity foams which may be seeded with cells but which have minimal compressive yield strength, or low porosity foams with enhanced osteoconductivity and compressive yield strength.

  12. Q-Switched and Mode Locked Short Pulses from a Diode Pumped, YB-Doped Fiber Laser

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-26

    a rod-type photonic crystal fiber [14]. Commercial pulsed fiber laser systems currently offered by Polar Onyx range from 1-10 W, with pulse... Onyx , Fiber laser products http://www.polaronyx.com/Uranus_introduction.htm . 20. Business Wire Press Release, “SPI Lasers 30W pulsed fiber laser

  13. Fiber Angle and Aspect Ratio Influence the Shear Mechanics of Oriented Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds

    PubMed Central

    Driscoll, Tristan P.; Nerurkar, Nandan L.; Jacobs, Nathan T.; Elliott, Dawn M.; Mauck, Robert L.

    2011-01-01

    Fibrocartilages, including the knee meniscus and the annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc, play critical mechanical roles in load transmission across joints and their function is dependent upon well-defined structural hierarchies, organization, and composition. All, however, are compromised in the pathologic transformations associated with tissue degeneration. Tissue engineering strategies that address these key features, for example, aligned nanofibrous scaffolds seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), represent a promising approach for the regeneration of these fibrous structures. While such engineered constructs can replicate native tissue structure and uniaxial tensile properties, the multidirectional loading encountered by these tissues in vivo necessitates that they function adequately in other loading modalities as well, including shear. As previous findings have shown that native tissue tensile and shear properties are dependent on fiber angle and sample aspect ratio, respectively, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a changing fiber angle and sample aspect ratio on the shear properties of aligned electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds, and to determine how extracellular matrix deposition by resident MSCs modulates the measured shear response. Results show that fiber orientation and sample aspect ratio significantly influence the response of scaffolds in shear, and that measured shear strains can be predicted by finite element models. Furthermore, acellular PCL scaffolds possessed a relatively high shear modulus, 2–4 fold greater than native tissue, independent of fiber angle and aspect ratio. It was further noted that under testing conditions that engendered significant fiber stretch, the aggregate resistance to shear was higher, indicating a role for fiber stretch in the overall shear response. Finally, with time in culture, the shear modulus of MSC laden constructs increased, suggesting that

  14. Investigation of synthetic spider silk crystallinity and alignment via electrothermal, pyroelectric, literature XRD, and tensile techniques.

    PubMed

    Munro, Troy; Putzeys, Tristan; Copeland, Cameron G; Xing, Changhu; Lewis, Randolph V; Ban, Heng; Glorieux, Christ; Wubbenhorst, Michael

    2017-04-01

    The processes used to create synthetic spider silk greatly affect the properties of the produced fibers. This paper investigates the effect of process variations during artificial spinning on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced silk. Property values are also compared to the ones of the natural dragline silk of the N. clavipes spider, and to unprocessed (as-spun) synthetic silk. Structural characterization by scanning pyroelectric microscopy is employed to provide insight into the axial orientation of the crystalline regions of the fiber and is supported by XRD data. The results show that stretching and passage through liquid baths induce crystal formation and axial alignment in synthetic fibers, but with different structural organization than natural silks. Furthermore, an increase in thermal diffusivity and elastic modulus is observed with decreasing fiber diameter, trending towards properties of natural fiber. This effect seems to be related to silk fibers being subjected to a radial gradient during production.

  15. Investigation of synthetic spider silk crystallinity and alignment via electrothermal, pyroelectric, literature XRD, and tensile techniques

    PubMed Central

    Munro, Troy; Putzeys, Tristan; Copeland, Cameron G.; Xing, Changhu; Lewis, Randolph V; Ban, Heng; Glorieux, Christ; Wubbenhorst, Michael

    2018-01-01

    The processes used to create synthetic spider silk greatly affect the properties of the produced fibers. This paper investigates the effect of process variations during artificial spinning on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced silk. Property values are also compared to the ones of the natural dragline silk of the N. clavipes spider, and to unprocessed (as-spun) synthetic silk. Structural characterization by scanning pyroelectric microscopy is employed to provide insight into the axial orientation of the crystalline regions of the fiber and is supported by XRD data. The results show that stretching and passage through liquid baths induce crystal formation and axial alignment in synthetic fibers, but with different structural organization than natural silks. Furthermore, an increase in thermal diffusivity and elastic modulus is observed with decreasing fiber diameter, trending towards properties of natural fiber. This effect seems to be related to silk fibers being subjected to a radial gradient during production. PMID:29430211

  16. Few-mode fiber based distributed curvature sensor through quasi-single-mode Brillouin frequency shift.

    PubMed

    Wu, Hao; Wang, Ruoxu; Liu, Deming; Fu, Songnian; Zhao, Can; Wei, Huifeng; Tong, Weijun; Shum, Perry Ping; Tang, Ming

    2016-04-01

    We proposed and demonstrated a few-mode fiber (FMF) based optical-fiber sensor for distributed curvature measurement through quasi-single-mode Brillouin frequency shift (BFS). By central-alignment splicing FMF and single-mode fiber (SMF) with a fusion taper, a SMF-components-compatible distributed curvature sensor based on FMF is realized using the conventional Brillouin optical time-domain analysis system. The distributed BFS change induced by bending in FMF has been theoretically and experimentally investigated. The precise BFS response to the curvature along the fiber link has been calibrated. A proof-of-concept experiment is implemented to validate its effectiveness in distributed curvature measurement.

  17. New method of writing long-period fiber gratings using high-frequency CO2 laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Gao-Ran; Song, Ying; Zhang, Wen-Tao; Jiang, Yue; Li, Fang

    2016-11-01

    In the paper, the Long period fiber gratings (LPFG) were fabricated in a single-mode fiber using a high frequency CO2 laser system with the point-to-point technique. The experimental setup consists of a CO2 laser controlling system, a focusing system located at a motorized linear stage, a fiber alignment stage, and an optical spectrum analyzer to monitor the transmission spectrum of the LPFG. The period of the LPFG is precisely inscribed by periodically turning on/off the laser shutter while the motorized linear stage is driven to move at a constant speed. The efficiency of fiber writing process is improved.

  18. Experimental approaches for exposure to sized glass fibers.

    PubMed Central

    Bernstein, D M; Drew, R T; Kuschner, M

    1980-01-01

    A number of studies have shown that glass fibers induce both malignant mesothelioma and fibrosis in rats and that these reactions may be primarily a function of the physical properties of the fiber. However, these studies were carried out with fibers having broad size distributions and used methods of administration which bear little resemblance to the way man is exposed. To better characterize the health effects of glass fibers, techniques have been developed to expose rats to glass fibers of defined sizes by intratracheal instillation of aqueous suspensions and by "nose only" inhalation exposure, and to determine the deposition, translocation, and ultimate fate of these fibers in the rat. The fibers have known size distributions with geometric mean diameters of 1.5 micrometers (sigma g = 1.1) and lengths of either 5 micrometers (sigma g = 1.49) or 60 micrometers (sigma g = 3.76). The fibers have been activated with neutron irradiation. Of the several resulting radionuclides, 65Zn appeared to be the most suitable for long-term clearance studies by use of in vivo whole body radioassay techniques. A fluidized bed aerosol generator has been developed to expose rats by "nose only" inhalation to approximately 500 fibers/cm3. The generator and exposure system permits reuse of fibers which pass through the exposure chamber and produces no significant alteration of the fiber size distribution. Rats were exposed by intratracheal instillations to 20 mg of the longer fibers and to equal numbers (2 mg) and equal mass (20 mg) of the shorter fibers. Through approximately 19 weeks little difference was observed in the whole rat clearance rate of long versus short fibers in the initial exposure group. Histopathology, however, showed differences at this time with the short fibers apparently successfully phagocytized by alveolar macrophages and cleared to the lymph nodes, while the long fibers were not. Images FIGURE 3. FIGURE 6. FIGURE 7. FIGURE 8. FIGURE 9. FIGURE 10. PMID

  19. Effects of mold geometry on fiber orientation of powder injection molded metal matrix composites

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

    Ahmad, Faiz, E-mail: faizahmad@petronas.com.my; Aslam, Muhammad, E-mail: klaira73@gmail.com; Altaf, Khurram, E-mail: khurram.altaf@petronas.com.my

    2015-07-22

    Fiber orientations in metal matrix composites have significant effect on improving tensile properties. Control of fiber orientations in metal injection molded metal composites is a difficult task. In this study, two mold cavities of dimensions 6x6x90 mm and 10x20x180 mm were used for comparison of fiber orientation in injection molded metal composites test parts. In both mold cavities, convergent and divergent flows were developed by modifying the sprue dimensions. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the fiber orientations within the test samples. The results showed highly aligned fiber in injection molded test bars developed from the convergent melt flow. Randommore » orientation of fibers was noted in the composites test bars produced from divergent melt flow.« less

  20. High-voltage spark carbon-fiber sticky-tape data analyzer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, L. C.; Hull, G. G.

    1980-01-01

    An efficient method for detecting carbon fibers collected on a stick tape monitor was developed. The fibers were released from a simulated crash fire situation containing carbon fiber composite material. The method utilized the ability of the fiber to initiate a spark across a set of alternately biased high voltage electrodes to electronically count the number of fiber fragments collected on the tape. It was found that the spark, which contains high energy and is of very short duration, is capable of partially damaging or consuming the fiber fragments. It also creates a mechanical disturbance which ejects the fiber from the grid. Both characteristics were helpful in establishing a single discharge pulse for each fiber segment.

  1. The preparation and investigation into properties of ionomer fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ejigiri, Everest Emmanuel

    The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the preparation and characterization of ionomer fiber. Two outstanding features of oriented-fiber composites are their high strength-to- weight ratio and controlled anisotropy which is because fibers are formed when polymer chains (in case of polymeric materials) are all lined up in the same direction. And the chains can pack together tightly. Materials can be made into fiber for the purpose of getting better properties and to make the application flexible. In this study, ionomer fiber was prepared. The physical and mechanical properties were examined through a variety of tests- including tensile test, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), free shape recovery test, and constrained stress recovery test. The ionomer fibers were made into muscles fiber, and the tensile actuation behavior of the muscle was studied. From the DMA, Storage modulus, loss modulus, tan delta and glass transition temperature were obtained. DSC was also used to obtain the glass transition temperature which also closely aligned with glass transition obtained from DMA. Also according to the test results, ionomer fiber (filament) demonstrated considerable stress recovery, high ductility and however, the filament did not produce high recovery ratio. The fiber was made into artificial muscle and actuation test was also carried out, which indicated that because the fiber being too much elastic - the fiber was not able to expand and contract when heat was applied to it. Instead it showed continuous expansion.

  2. Development and characterization of sugarcane bagasse fiber and nano-silica reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fong, A. L.; Khandoker, N. A. N.; Debnath, S.

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents an experimental study on the mechanical performance of sugarcane bagasse fiber reinforced epoxy composite. Tensile and flexural properties of the composites were investigated in this research. Different weightage of short fiber and fiber particulates were utilized to study their effects on the mechanical performance of the composites in terms of tensile and flexural properties. 1% of nano-silica was reinforced to investigate its effect on the mechanical performance of the composites. Hand lay-up composite molding process was used to fabricate the composite samples. During fabrication, ultrasonic mixing was carried out to study the effects on mechanical performance of the fiber particulate reinforced composites. In overall, ultrasonic mixing and addition of nano-silica particles has improved the mechanical performance of the fiber particulate composites. Morphology analysis on surface of composites has shown the removal of air bubbles and deagglomeration. 1wt% of short fiber reinforced composite exhibits the highest tensile and flexural properties among all the samples. Sugarcane bagasse particulates reinforced composites were shown to have better performance compared to short fiber reinforced composites when the wt% of the fiber increase.

  3. Short-term volunteer health trips: aligning host community preferences and organizer practices

    PubMed Central

    Rozier, Michael D.; Lasker, Judith N.; Compton, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Short-term medical missions (STMMs) are quite common and largely understood to be a response to health needs in low-income countries. Yet most information about STMM practices is anecdotal. Even less is known about the preferences of in-country host communities regarding STMMs. Objective: We aimed to gather enough quantitative and qualitative information from both STMM organizers and host community staff to compare dominant practices of organizers as well as preferences of host community staff. We use these data to discover differences between practices and preferences and suggest ways in which STMMs can be more responsive to the communities they serve. Methods: Researchers gathered online survey responses from 334 STMM organizers and conducted interviews to determine existing practices. Similar methods were used to collect 49 online survey responses from, and conduct 75 interviews with, host community staff. Results: Organizer practices and host community staff preferences are different in several areas. Organizers admit to minimal screening and preparation of volunteers whereas host staff have clear ideas of topics that should be covered in preparation, including culture and basic language skills. Organizers prioritize provision of clinical care during trips whereas host staff prioritize capacity building. Practices and preferences also differ in relation to the length of STMMs, the nature of the partnership itself, and the type of assessment and evaluation that is needed. Conclusions: The large amount of data gathered for this study allows us to confidently say that organizer practices are often not aligned with host community staff preferences. Several concrete changes can be made to STMMs to bring practices more in line with the desires of the communities they serve. PMID:28218547

  4. Matt: local flexibility aids protein multiple structure alignment.

    PubMed

    Menke, Matthew; Berger, Bonnie; Cowen, Lenore

    2008-01-01

    Even when there is agreement on what measure a protein multiple structure alignment should be optimizing, finding the optimal alignment is computationally prohibitive. One approach used by many previous methods is aligned fragment pair chaining, where short structural fragments from all the proteins are aligned against each other optimally, and the final alignment chains these together in geometrically consistent ways. Ye and Godzik have recently suggested that adding geometric flexibility may help better model protein structures in a variety of contexts. We introduce the program Matt (Multiple Alignment with Translations and Twists), an aligned fragment pair chaining algorithm that, in intermediate steps, allows local flexibility between fragments: small translations and rotations are temporarily allowed to bring sets of aligned fragments closer, even if they are physically impossible under rigid body transformations. After a dynamic programming assembly guided by these "bent" alignments, geometric consistency is restored in the final step before the alignment is output. Matt is tested against other recent multiple protein structure alignment programs on the popular Homstrad and SABmark benchmark datasets. Matt's global performance is competitive with the other programs on Homstrad, but outperforms the other programs on SABmark, a benchmark of multiple structure alignments of proteins with more distant homology. On both datasets, Matt demonstrates an ability to better align the ends of alpha-helices and beta-strands, an important characteristic of any structure alignment program intended to help construct a structural template library for threading approaches to the inverse protein-folding problem. The related question of whether Matt alignments can be used to distinguish distantly homologous structure pairs from pairs of proteins that are not homologous is also considered. For this purpose, a p-value score based on the length of the common core and average root

  5. Modal noise impact in radio over fiber multimode fiber links.

    PubMed

    Gasulla, I; Capmany, J

    2008-01-07

    A novel analysis is given on the statistics of modal noise for a graded-index multimode fiber (MMF) link excited by an analog intensity modulated laser diode. We present the speckle contrast as a function of the power spectrum of the modulated source and the transfer function of the MMF which behaves as an imperfect transversal microwave photonic filter. The theoretical results confirm that the modal noise is directly connected with the coherence properties of the optical source and show that the performance of high-frequency Radio Over Fiber (ROF) transmission through MMF links for short and middle reach distances is not substantially degraded by modal noise.

  6. Aligning the unalignable: bacteriophage whole genome alignments.

    PubMed

    Bérard, Sèverine; Chateau, Annie; Pompidor, Nicolas; Guertin, Paul; Bergeron, Anne; Swenson, Krister M

    2016-01-13

    In recent years, many studies focused on the description and comparison of large sets of related bacteriophage genomes. Due to the peculiar mosaic structure of these genomes, few informative approaches for comparing whole genomes exist: dot plots diagrams give a mostly qualitative assessment of the similarity/dissimilarity between two or more genomes, and clustering techniques are used to classify genomes. Multiple alignments are conspicuously absent from this scene. Indeed, whole genome aligners interpret lack of similarity between sequences as an indication of rearrangements, insertions, or losses. This behavior makes them ill-prepared to align bacteriophage genomes, where even closely related strains can accomplish the same biological function with highly dissimilar sequences. In this paper, we propose a multiple alignment strategy that exploits functional collinearity shared by related strains of bacteriophages, and uses partial orders to capture mosaicism of sets of genomes. As classical alignments do, the computed alignments can be used to predict that genes have the same biological function, even in the absence of detectable similarity. The Alpha aligner implements these ideas in visual interactive displays, and is used to compute several examples of alignments of Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium bacteriophages, involving up to 29 genomes. Using these datasets, we prove that Alpha alignments are at least as good as those computed by standard aligners. Comparison with the progressive Mauve aligner - which implements a partial order strategy, but whose alignments are linearized - shows a greatly improved interactive graphic display, while avoiding misalignments. Multiple alignments of whole bacteriophage genomes work, and will become an important conceptual and visual tool in comparative genomics of sets of related strains. A python implementation of Alpha, along with installation instructions for Ubuntu and OSX, is available on bitbucket (https://bitbucket.org/thekswenson/alpha).

  7. Inclined Fiber Pullout from a Cementitious Matrix: A Numerical Study

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Hui; Yu, Rena C.

    2016-01-01

    It is well known that fibers improve the performance of cementitious composites by acting as bridging ligaments in cracks. Such bridging behavior is often studied through fiber pullout tests. The relation between the pullout force vs. slip end displacement is characteristic of the fiber-matrix interface. However, such a relation varies significantly with the fiber inclination angle. In the current work, we establish a numerical model to simulate the entire pullout process by explicitly representing the fiber, matrix and the interface for arbitrary fiber orientations. Cohesive elements endorsed with mixed-mode fracture capacities are implemented to represent the bond-slip behavior at the interface. Contact elements with Coulomb’s friction are placed at the interface to simulate frictional contact. The bond-slip behavior is first calibrated through pull-out curves for fibers aligned with the loading direction, then validated against experimental results for steel fibers oriented at 30∘ and 60∘. Parametric studies are then performed to explore the influences of both material properties (fiber yield strength, matrix tensile strength, interfacial bond) and geometric factors (fiber diameter, embedment length and inclination angle) on the overall pullout behavior, in particular on the maximum pullout load. The proposed methodology provides the necessary pull-out curves for a fiber oriented at a given angle for multi-scale models to study fracture in fiber-reinforced cementitious materials. The novelty lies in its capacity to capture the entire pullout process for a fiber with an arbitrary inclination angle. PMID:28773921

  8. Inclined Fiber Pullout from a Cementitious Matrix: A Numerical Study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hui; Yu, Rena C

    2016-09-26

    It is well known that fibers improve the performance of cementitious composites by acting as bridging ligaments in cracks. Such bridging behavior is often studied through fiber pullout tests. The relation between the pullout force vs. slip end displacement is characteristic of the fiber-matrix interface. However, such a relation varies significantly with the fiber inclination angle. In the current work, we establish a numerical model to simulate the entire pullout process by explicitly representing the fiber, matrix and the interface for arbitrary fiber orientations. Cohesive elements endorsed with mixed-mode fracture capacities are implemented to represent the bond-slip behavior at the interface. Contact elements with Coulomb's friction are placed at the interface to simulate frictional contact. The bond-slip behavior is first calibrated through pull-out curves for fibers aligned with the loading direction, then validated against experimental results for steel fibers oriented at 30 ∘ and 60 ∘ . Parametric studies are then performed to explore the influences of both material properties (fiber yield strength, matrix tensile strength, interfacial bond) and geometric factors (fiber diameter, embedment length and inclination angle) on the overall pullout behavior, in particular on the maximum pullout load. The proposed methodology provides the necessary pull-out curves for a fiber oriented at a given angle for multi-scale models to study fracture in fiber-reinforced cementitious materials. The novelty lies in its capacity to capture the entire pullout process for a fiber with an arbitrary inclination angle.

  9. Electrospun meshes possessing region-wise differences in fiber orientation, diameter, chemistry and mechanical properties for engineering bone-ligament-bone tissues.

    PubMed

    Samavedi, Satyavrata; Vaidya, Prasad; Gaddam, Prudhvidhar; Whittington, Abby R; Goldstein, Aaron S

    2014-12-01

    Although bone-patellar tendon-bone (B-PT-B) autografts are the gold standard for repair of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, they suffer from drawbacks such as donor site morbidity and limited supply. Engineered tissues modeled after B-PT-B autografts are promising alternatives because they have the potential to regenerate connective tissue and facilitate osseointegration. Towards the long-term goal of regenerating ligaments and their bony insertions, the objective of this study was to construct 2D meshes and 3D cylindrical composite scaffolds - possessing simultaneous region-wise differences in fiber orientation, diameter, chemistry and mechanical properties - by electrospinning two different polymers from off-set spinnerets. Using a dual drum collector, 2D meshes consisting of an aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber region, randomly oriented poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) fiber region and a transition region (comprised of both PCL and PLGA fibers) were prepared, and region-wise differences were confirmed by microscopy and tensile testing. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured on these meshes exhibited random orientations and low aspect ratios on the random PLGA regions, and high aspect ratios and alignment on the aligned PCL regions. Next, meshes containing an aligned PCL region flanked by two transition regions and two randomly oriented PLGA regions were prepared and processed into 3D cylindrical composite scaffolds using an interpenetrating photo-crosslinkable polyethylene glycol diacrylate hydrogel to recapitulate the shape of B-PT-B autografts. Tensile testing indicated that cylindrical composites were mechanically robust, and eventually failed due to stress concentration in the aligned PCL region. In summary, this study demonstrates a process to fabricate electrospun meshes possessing region-wise differences in properties that can elicit region-dependent cell responses, and be readily processed into scaffolds with the shape of B-PT-B autografts.

  10. Mechanical behavior and fatigue performance of SMA short fiber reinforced MMC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Matar, Basem Jawad

    The mechanical behavior and performance of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) short fiber NiTi reinforced Al was experimentally investigated for monotonic and fatigue test Al 6061 NiTi-SiC T6 was superior to unreinforced materials as well as to the reinforced Al T4. Taya three-dimensional model was performed on the monotonic tensile test at room temperature. It showed good agreement with experimental results. In order to utilize the compressive criterion for SMA, the NiTi reinforced Al composite was cooled at -10°C and prestrained at 1.2%. Beyond this limit composite suffered from damage. The net enhancement of SMA effect was around 10 MPa on composite yield stress. Results showed that the elastic constant for the composite did not change with loading and unloading suggesting that the inelastic behavior is plasticity. Further investigation on the inelastic behavior model as damage and/or plasticity by evaluating Poisson's ratio during loading was carried out by Adaptive Image Correlation Technique for Full-Field Strain Measurement. Poisson's ratio increased from around 0.33 to 0.5 demonstrating that it is plasticity that is responsible for the inelastic behavior. Scanning electron microscopy was also used and confirmed model results. The overall damage-behavior was quantified in terms of the post fatigue failure strength for low-cycle fatigue tests. Power law model was best to fit experimental findings.

  11. Delamination toughness characterization of out-of-autoclave vacuum-bag-only polymer matrix composites enhanced by z-aligned carbon nanofibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brewer, John S.

    Brewer, John S., M. S., University of South Alabama, May 2015. Delamination Toughness Characterization of Out-of-Autoclave Vacuum-Bag-Only Polymer Matrix Composites Enhanced by z-aligned Carbon Nanofibers. Chair of Committee: Kuang-Ting Hsiao, Ph.D. In the last few decades, the use of composite materials has revolutionized materials manufacturing. Now, carbon fiber materials are at the forefront of engineering and manufacturing technology. One of the chief failure modes of composite materials is delamination. For this reason, this study employed the Mode-I Interlaminar Fracture Toughness Test (ASTM D 5528-01) to characterize how the inclusion of z-aligned carbon nanofibers (CNF) in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) affects delamination strength. CFRP with z-aligned CNF in concentrations of 0.3% and 0.6% by weight were compared to control CFRP samples and CFRP samples modified with 0.3 weight percent unaligned CNF. The largest improvement was seen in the 0.3 weight percent aligned composite with a mean interlaminar fracture toughness increase of over 35%, while the uncertainty was decreased. A standard deviation of 3.3% was observed which equates to an uncertainty value 30% better than the control samples. Data and microscopy are included and discussed.

  12. MaxAlign: maximizing usable data in an alignment.

    PubMed

    Gouveia-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Sackett, Peter W; Pedersen, Anders G

    2007-08-28

    The presence of gaps in an alignment of nucleotide or protein sequences is often an inconvenience for bioinformatical studies. In phylogenetic and other analyses, for instance, gapped columns are often discarded entirely from the alignment. MaxAlign is a program that optimizes the alignment prior to such analyses. Specifically, it maximizes the number of nucleotide (or amino acid) symbols that are present in gap-free columns - the alignment area - by selecting the optimal subset of sequences to exclude from the alignment. MaxAlign can be used prior to phylogenetic and bioinformatical analyses as well as in other situations where this form of alignment improvement is useful. In this work we test MaxAlign's performance in these tasks and compare the accuracy of phylogenetic estimates including and excluding gapped columns from the analysis, with and without processing with MaxAlign. In this paper we also introduce a new simple measure of tree similarity, Normalized Symmetric Similarity (NSS) that we consider useful for comparing tree topologies. We demonstrate how MaxAlign is helpful in detecting misaligned or defective sequences without requiring manual inspection. We also show that it is not advisable to exclude gapped columns from phylogenetic analyses unless MaxAlign is used first. Finally, we find that the sequences removed by MaxAlign from an alignment tend to be those that would otherwise be associated with low phylogenetic accuracy, and that the presence of gaps in any given sequence does not seem to disturb the phylogenetic estimates of other sequences. The MaxAlign web-server is freely available online at http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/MaxAlign where supplementary information can also be found. The program is also freely available as a Perl stand-alone package.

  13. Integrating alignment-based and alignment-free sequence similarity measures for biological sequence classification.

    PubMed

    Borozan, Ivan; Watt, Stuart; Ferretti, Vincent

    2015-05-01

    Alignment-based sequence similarity searches, while accurate for some type of sequences, can produce incorrect results when used on more divergent but functionally related sequences that have undergone the sequence rearrangements observed in many bacterial and viral genomes. Here, we propose a classification model that exploits the complementary nature of alignment-based and alignment-free similarity measures with the aim to improve the accuracy with which DNA and protein sequences are characterized. Our model classifies sequences using a combined sequence similarity score calculated by adaptively weighting the contribution of different sequence similarity measures. Weights are determined independently for each sequence in the test set and reflect the discriminatory ability of individual similarity measures in the training set. Because the similarity between some sequences is determined more accurately with one type of measure rather than another, our classifier allows different sets of weights to be associated with different sequences. Using five different similarity measures, we show that our model significantly improves the classification accuracy over the current composition- and alignment-based models, when predicting the taxonomic lineage for both short viral sequence fragments and complete viral sequences. We also show that our model can be used effectively for the classification of reads from a real metagenome dataset as well as protein sequences. All the datasets and the code used in this study are freely available at https://collaborators.oicr.on.ca/vferretti/borozan_csss/csss.html. ivan.borozan@gmail.com Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  14. Integrating alignment-based and alignment-free sequence similarity measures for biological sequence classification

    PubMed Central

    Borozan, Ivan; Watt, Stuart; Ferretti, Vincent

    2015-01-01

    Motivation: Alignment-based sequence similarity searches, while accurate for some type of sequences, can produce incorrect results when used on more divergent but functionally related sequences that have undergone the sequence rearrangements observed in many bacterial and viral genomes. Here, we propose a classification model that exploits the complementary nature of alignment-based and alignment-free similarity measures with the aim to improve the accuracy with which DNA and protein sequences are characterized. Results: Our model classifies sequences using a combined sequence similarity score calculated by adaptively weighting the contribution of different sequence similarity measures. Weights are determined independently for each sequence in the test set and reflect the discriminatory ability of individual similarity measures in the training set. Because the similarity between some sequences is determined more accurately with one type of measure rather than another, our classifier allows different sets of weights to be associated with different sequences. Using five different similarity measures, we show that our model significantly improves the classification accuracy over the current composition- and alignment-based models, when predicting the taxonomic lineage for both short viral sequence fragments and complete viral sequences. We also show that our model can be used effectively for the classification of reads from a real metagenome dataset as well as protein sequences. Availability and implementation: All the datasets and the code used in this study are freely available at https://collaborators.oicr.on.ca/vferretti/borozan_csss/csss.html. Contact: ivan.borozan@gmail.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:25573913

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

    PubMed

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

    2016-02-01

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

  16. Increased dermal collagen bundle alignment in systemic sclerosis is associated with a cell migration signature and role of Arhgdib in directed fibroblast migration on aligned ECMs

    PubMed Central

    Lafyatis, Robert; Burkly, Linda C.

    2017-01-01

    Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating disease affecting the skin and internal organs. Dermal fibrosis manifests early and Modified Rodnan Skin Scores (MRSS) correlate with disease progression. Transcriptomics of SSc skin biopsies suggest the role of the in vivo microenvironment in maintaining the pathological myofibroblasts. Therefore, defining the structural changes in dermal collagen in SSc patients could inform our understanding of fibrosis pathogenesis. Here, we report a method for quantitative whole-slide image analysis of dermal collagen from SSc patients, and our findings of more aligned dermal collagen bundles in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) patients. Using the bleomycin-induced mouse model of SSc, we identified a distinct high dermal collagen bundle alignment gene signature, characterized by a concerted upregulation in cell migration, adhesion, and guidance pathways, and downregulation of spindle, replication, and cytokinesis pathways. Furthermore, increased bundle alignment induced a cell migration gene signature in fibroblasts in vitro, and these cells demonstrated increased directed migration on aligned ECM fibers that is dependent on expression of Arhgdib (Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2). Our results indicate that increased cell migration is a cellular response to the increased collagen bundle alignment featured in fibrotic skin. Moreover, many of the cell migration genes identified in our study are shared with human SSc skin and may be new targets for therapeutic intervention. PMID:28662216

  17. Construction of an automated fiber pigtailing machine

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

    Strand, O.T.

    1996-01-01

    At present, the high cost of optoelectronic (OE) devices is caused in part by the labor-intensive processes involved with packaging. Automating the packaging processes should result in a significant cost reduction. One of the most labor-intensive steps is aligning and attaching the fiber to the OE device, the so-called pigtailing process. Therefore, the goal of this 2-year ARPA-funded project is to design and build 3 low-cost machines to perform sub-micron alignments and attachments of single-mode fibers to different OE devices. These Automated Fiber Pigtailing Machines (AFPMS) are intended to be compatible with a manufacturing environment and have a modular designmore » for standardization of parts and machine vision for maximum flexibility. This work is a collaboration among Uniphase Telecommunications Products (formerly United Technologies Photonics, UTP), Ortel, Newport/Klinger, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Manufacturing Institute (MIT), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). UTP and Ortel are the industrial partners for whom two of the AFPMs are being built. MIT and LLNL make up the design and assembly team of the project, while Newport/Klinger is a potential manufacturer of the AFPM and provides guidance to ensure that the design of the AFPM is marketable and compatible with a manufacturing environment. The AFPM for UTP will pigtail LiNbO{sub 3} waveguide devices and the AFPM for Ortel will pigtail photodiodes. Both of these machines will contain proprietary information, so the third AFPM, to reside at LLNL, will pigtail a non-proprietary waveguide device for demonstrations to US industry.« less

  18. YAHA: fast and flexible long-read alignment with optimal breakpoint detection.

    PubMed

    Faust, Gregory G; Hall, Ira M

    2012-10-01

    With improved short-read assembly algorithms and the recent development of long-read sequencers, split mapping will soon be the preferred method for structural variant (SV) detection. Yet, current alignment tools are not well suited for this. We present YAHA, a fast and flexible hash-based aligner. YAHA is as fast and accurate as BWA-SW at finding the single best alignment per query and is dramatically faster and more sensitive than both SSAHA2 and MegaBLAST at finding all possible alignments. Unlike other aligners that report all, or one, alignment per query, or that use simple heuristics to select alignments, YAHA uses a directed acyclic graph to find the optimal set of alignments that cover a query using a biologically relevant breakpoint penalty. YAHA can also report multiple mappings per defined segment of the query. We show that YAHA detects more breakpoints in less time than BWA-SW across all SV classes, and especially excels at complex SVs comprising multiple breakpoints. YAHA is currently supported on 64-bit Linux systems. Binaries and sample data are freely available for download from http://faculty.virginia.edu/irahall/YAHA. imh4y@virginia.edu.

  19. On crystal versus fiber formation in dipeptide hydrogelator systems.

    PubMed

    Houton, Kelly A; Morris, Kyle L; Chen, Lin; Schmidtmann, Marc; Jones, James T A; Serpell, Louise C; Lloyd, Gareth O; Adams, Dave J

    2012-06-26

    Naphthalene dipeptides have been shown to be useful low-molecular-weight gelators. Here we have used a library to explore the relationship between the dipeptide sequence and the hydrogelation efficiency. A number of the naphthalene dipeptides are crystallizable from water, enabling us to investigate the comparison between the gel/fiber phase and the crystal phase. We succeeded in crystallizing one example directly from the gel phase. Using X-ray crystallography, molecular modeling, and X-ray fiber diffraction, we show that the molecular packing of this crystal structure differs from the structure of the gel/fiber phase. Although the crystal structures may provide important insights into stabilizing interactions, our analysis indicates a rearrangement of structural packing within the fibers. These observations are consistent with the fibrillar interactions and interatomic separations promoting 1D assembly whereas in the crystals the peptides are aligned along multiple axes, allowing 3D growth. This observation has an impact on the use of crystal structures to determine supramolecular synthons for gelators.

  20. Use of polarized spectroscopy as a tool for examining the microstructure of cellulosic textile fibers.

    PubMed

    Garside, Paul; Wyeth, Paul

    2007-05-01

    Textile artifacts form a vital part of our cultural heritage. In order to determine appropriate methods of conservation, storage, and display, it is important to understand the current physical state of an artifact, as effected by the microstructure of the component fibers. The semi-crystalline nature of the constituent polymer aggregates, the degree of crystallinity, and the crystallite orientation have a significant influence on mechanical properties. The value of polarized Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in probing these aspects of cellulosic fibers has been assessed. A variety of representative fibers (both natural plant fibers and regenerated materials) were examined by polarized attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (Pol-ATR) and polarized infrared microspectroscopy (Pol-microIR); the former is a surface sampling technique and the latter is a transmission technique. The introduction of a polarizer into the system allows the alignment as well as the nature of bonds to be determined, and thus the presence and extent of crystallinity or long range ordering can be investigated. Using the data from the Pol-ATR experiments, it was found to be possible to derive the principle alignment of the cellulose polymer with respect to the fiber axis, along with an indication of the total cellulose crystallinity of the material, as measured by a crystallinity parameter, Chi. The Pol-microIR spectra, on the other hand, yielded more limited information, particularly when considering plant fibers with more complex microstructures.

  1. Fire test method for graphite fiber reinforced plastics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bowles, K. J.

    1980-01-01

    A potential problem in the use of graphite fiber reinforced resin matrix composites is the dispersal of graphite fibers during accidential fires. Airborne, electrically conductive fibers originating from the burning composites could enter and cause shorting in electrical equipment located in surrounding areas. A test method for assessing the burning characteristics of graphite fiber reinforced composites and the effectiveness of the composites in retaining the graphite fibers has been developed. The method utilizes a modified rate of heat release apparatus. The equipment and the testing procedure are described. The application of the test method to the assessment of composite materials is illustrated for two resin matrix/graphite composite systems.

  2. A tissue engineering approach to anterior cruciate ligament regeneration using novel shaped capillary channel polymer fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinclair, Kristofer D.

    2009-12-01

    Ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are the most frequent of injuries to the knee due to its role in preventing anterior translation of the tibia. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 Americans per year will suffer from a ruptured ACL, resulting in management costs on the order of 5 billion dollars. Without treatment these patients are unable to return to normal activity, as a consequence of the joint instability found within the ACL deficient knee. Over the last thirty years, a variety of non-degradable, synthetic fibers have been evaluated for their use in ACL reconstruction; however, a widely accepted prosthesis has been unattainable due to differences in mechanical properties of the synthetic graft relative to the native tissue. Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field charged with the task of developing therapeutic solutions for tissue and organ failure by enhancing the natural wound healing process through the use of cellular transplants, biomaterials, and the delivery of bioactive molecules. The capillary channel polymer (CC-P) fibers used in this research were fabricated by melt extrusion from polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate. These fibers possess aligned micrometer scale surface channels that may serve as physical templates for tissue growth and regeneration. This inherent surface topography offers a unique and industrially viable approach for cellular contact guidance on three dimensional constructs. In this fundamental research the ability of these fiber channels to support the adhesion, alignment, and organization of fibroblasts was demonstrated and found to be superior to round fiber controls. The results demonstrated greater uniformity of seeding and accelerated formation of multi-layered three-dimensional biomass for the CC-P fibers relative to those with a circular cross-section. Furthermore, the CC-P geometry induced nuclear elongation consistent with that observed in native ACL tissue. Through the

  3. Alignment Test Results of the JWST Pathfinder Telescope Mirrors in the Cryogenic Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitman, Tony L.; Wells, Conrad; Hadaway, James; Knight, J. Scott; Lunt, Sharon

    2016-01-01

    After integration of the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) to the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) to become the OTIS, the James Webb Space Telescope OTIS is tested at NASAs Johnson Space Center (JSC) in the cryogenic vacuum Chamber A for alignment and optical performance. The alignment of the mirrors comprises a sequence of steps as follows: The mirrors are coarsely aligned using photogrammetry cameras with reflective targets attached to the sides of the mirrors. Then a multi-wavelength interferometer is aligned to the 18-segment primary mirror using cameras at the center of curvature to align reflected light from the segments and using fiducials at the edge of the primary mirror. Once the interferometer is aligned, the 18 primary mirror segments are then adjusted to optimize wavefront error of the aggregate mirror. This process phases the piston and tilt positions of all the mirror segments. An optical fiber placed at the Cassegrain focus of the telescope then emits light towards the secondary mirror to create a collimated beam emitting from the primary mirror. Portions of the collimated beam are retro-reflected from flat mirrors at the top of the chamber to pass through the telescope to the SI detector. The image on the detector is used for fine alignment of the secondary mirror and a check of the primary mirror alignment using many of the same analysis techniques used in the on-orbit alignment. The entire process was practiced and evaluated in 2015 at cryogenic temperature with the Pathfinder telescope.

  4. Alignment test results of the JWST Pathfinder Telescope mirrors in the cryogenic environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitman, Tony L.; Wells, Conrad; Hadaway, James B.; Knight, J. Scott; Lunt, Sharon

    2016-07-01

    After integration of the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) to the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) to become the OTIS, the James Webb Space Telescope OTIS is tested at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in the cryogenic vacuum Chamber A for alignment and optical performance. The alignment of the mirrors comprises a sequence of steps as follows: The mirrors are coarsely aligned using photogrammetry cameras with reflective targets attached to the sides of the mirrors. Then a multi-wavelength interferometer is aligned to the 18-segment primary mirror using cameras at the center of curvature to align reflected light from the segments and using fiducials at the edge of the primary mirror. Once the interferometer is aligned, the 18 primary mirror segments are then adjusted to optimize wavefront error of the aggregate mirror. This process phases the piston and tilt positions of all the mirror segments. An optical fiber placed at the Cassegrain focus of the telescope then emits light towards the secondary mirror to create a collimated beam emitting from the primary mirror. Portions of the collimated beam are retro-reflected from flat mirrors at the top of the chamber to pass through the telescope to the Science Instrument (SI) detector. The image on the detector is used for fine alignment of the secondary mirror and a check of the primary mirror alignment using many of the same analysis techniques used in the on-orbit alignment. The entire process was practiced and evaluated in 2015 at cryogenic temperature with the Pathfinder telescope.

  5. Apparatus for injecting high power laser light into a fiber optic cable

    DOEpatents

    Sweatt, William C.

    1997-01-01

    High intensity laser light is evenly injected into an optical fiber by the combination of a converging lens and a multisegment kinoform (binary optical element). The segments preferably have multi-order gratings on each which are aligned parallel to a radial line emanating from the center of the kinoform and pass through the center of the element. The grating in each segment causes circumferential (lateral) dispersion of the light, thereby avoiding detrimental concentration of light energy within the optical fiber.

  6. Thermally Drawn Fibers as Nerve Guidance Scaffolds

    PubMed Central

    Koppes, Ryan A.; Park, Seongjun; Hood, Tiffany; Jia, Xiaoting; Poorheravi, Negin Abdolrahim; Achyuta, Anilkumar Harapanahalli; Fink, Yoel; Anikeeva, Polina

    2016-01-01

    Synthetic neural scaffolds hold promise to eventually replace nerve autografts for tissue repair following peripheral nerve injury. Despite substantial evidence for the influence of scaffold geometry and dimensions on the rate of axonal growth, systematic evaluation of these parameters remains a challenge due to limitations in materials processing. We have employed fiber drawing to engineer a wide spectrum of polymer-based neural scaffolds with varied geometries and core sizes. Using isolated whole dorsal root ganglia as an in vitro model system we have identified key features enhancing nerve growth within these fiber scaffolds. Our approach enabled straightforward integration of microscopic topography at the scale of nerve fascicles within the scaffold cores, which led to accelerated Schwann cell migration, as well as neurite growth and alignment. Our findings indicate that fiber drawing provides a scalable and versatile strategy for producing nerve guidance channels capable of controlling direction and accelerating the rate of axonal growth. PMID:26717246

  7. Early functional outcome after lateral UKA is sensitive to postoperative lower limb alignment.

    PubMed

    van der List, J P; Chawla, H; Villa, J C; Zuiderbaan, H A; Pearle, A D

    2017-03-01

    The predictive role of patient-specific characteristics and radiographic parameters on medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) outcomes is well known, but knowledge of these predictors is lacking in lateral UKA. Therefore, purpose of this study was to assess the predictive role of these parameters on short-term functional outcomes of lateral UKA. In this retrospective cohort study, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index scores were collected at 2-year follow-up (median 2.2 years, range 2.0-4.0 years) in 39 patients who underwent lateral UKA. Patient-specific characteristics included age, BMI and gender, while radiographic parameters included osteoarthritis severity of all three compartments and both preoperative and postoperative hip-knee-ankle alignment. BMI, gender, age and preoperative valgus alignment were not correlated with functional outcomes, while postoperative valgus alignment was correlated with functional outcomes (0.561; p = 0.001). Postoperative valgus of 3°-7° was correlated with better outcomes than more neutral (-2° to 3° valgus) alignment (96.7 vs. 85.6; p = 0.011). Postoperative alignment was a predictor when corrected for patient-specific characteristics (regression coefficient 4.1; p < 0.001) and radiological parameters (regression coefficient 3.8; p = 0.002). Postoperative valgus alignment of 3°-7° was correlated with the best short-term functional outcomes in lateral UKA surgery, while patient-specific parameters and preoperative alignment were not correlated with functional outcomes. Based on these findings, a surgeon should aim for valgus alignment of 3°-7° when performing lateral UKA surgery for optimal functional outcomes. Prognostic study, Level II.

  8. A Study of Array Direction HDPE Fiber Reinforced Mortar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamsuwan, Trithos

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents the effect of array direction HDPE fiber using as the reinforced material in cement mortar. The experimental data were created reference to the efficiency of using HDPE fiber reinforced on the tensile properties of cement mortar with different high drawn ratio of HDPE fibers. The fiber with the different drawn ratio 25x (d25 with E xx), and 35x (d35 with E xx) fiber volume fraction (0%, 1.0%, 1.5%) and fiber length 20 mm. were used to compare between random direction and array direction of HDPE fibers and the stress - strain displacement relationship behavior of HDPE short fiber reinforced cement mortar were investigated. It was found that the array direction with HDPE fibers show more improved in tensile strength and toughness when reinforced in cement mortar.

  9. 200-W single frequency laser based on short active double clad tapered fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierre, Christophe; Guiraud, Germain; Yehouessi, Jean-Paul; Santarelli, Giorgio; Boullet, Johan; Traynor, Nicholas; Vincont, Cyril

    2018-02-01

    High power single frequency lasers are very attractive for a wide range of applications such as nonlinear conversion, gravitational wave sensing or atom trapping. Power scaling in single frequency regime is a challenging domain of research. In fact, nonlinear effect as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is the primary power limitation in single frequency amplifiers. To mitigate SBS, different well-known techniques has been improved. These techniques allow generation of several hundred of watts [1]. Large mode area (LMA) fibers, transverse acoustically tailored fibers [2], coherent beam combining and also tapered fiber [3] seem to be serious candidates to continue the power scaling. We have demonstrated the generation of stable 200W output power with nearly diffraction limited output, and narrow linewidth (Δν<30kHz) by using a tapered Yb-doped fiber which allow an adiabatic transition from a small purely single mode input to a large core output.

  10. MAS Bulletin. GY-90 Fiber Optic Gyro

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-07-20

    487 GY.9O Fiber Optic Gyro Background. Elettronica San Giorgio ELSAG S.p.A., Genoa, Italy, has developed a fiber optic gyro (FOG) for use on short...to the length of ELSAG S.p.A., Naval Systems Division, Via G. Puccini, 2-16154 the optical path and an extremely long optical path can be Genoa, Italy...Telephone 39 10/60011, Fax 39 10/607329, Telex achieved in a small size by using a many-turn coil of optical fiber. 270660/213847 ELSAG 1. There are

  11. Epitaxial Growth of Aligned and Continuous Carbon Nanofibers from Carbon Nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xiaoyang; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Wenbin; Liu, Peng; Luo, Shu; Wei, Haoming; Yang, Guangzhi; Yang, Junhe; Cui, Jie; Yu, Richeng; Zhang, Lina; Wang, Jiaping; Li, Qunqing; Zhou, Weiya; Zhao, Weisheng; Fan, Shoushan; Jiang, Kaili

    2017-02-28

    Exploiting the superior properties of nanomaterials at macroscopic scale is a key issue of nanoscience. Different from the integration strategy, "additive synthesis" of macroscopic structures from nanomaterial templates may be a promising choice. In this paper, we report the epitaxial growth of aligned, continuous, and catalyst-free carbon nanofiber thin films from carbon nanotube films. The fabrication process includes thickening of continuous carbon nanotube films by gas-phase pyrolytic carbon deposition and further graphitization of the carbon layer by high-temperature treatment. As-fabricated nanofibers in the film have an "annual ring" cross-section, with a carbon nanotube core and a graphitic periphery, indicating the templated growth mechanism. The absence of a distinct interface between the carbon nanotube template and the graphitic periphery further implies the epitaxial growth mechanism of the fiber. The mechanically robust thin film with tunable fiber diameters from tens of nanometers to several micrometers possesses low density, high electrical conductivity, and high thermal conductivity. Further extension of this fabrication method to enhance carbon nanotube yarns is also demonstrated, resulting in yarns with ∼4-fold increased tensile strength and ∼10-fold increased Young's modulus. The aligned and continuous features of the films together with their outstanding physical and chemical properties would certainly promote the large-scale applications of carbon nanofibers.

  12. Erbium/ytterbium co-doped double clad fiber amplifier, its applications and effects in fiber optic communication systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dua, Puneit

    Increased demand for larger bandwidth and longer inter-amplifiers distances translates to higher power budgets for fiber optic communication systems in order to overcome large splitting losses and achieve acceptable signal-to-noise ratios. Due to their unique design ytterbium sensitized erbium doped, double clad fiber amplifiers; offer significant increase in the output powers that can be obtained. In this thesis we investigate, a one-stage, high power erbium and ytterbium co-doped double clad fiber amplifier (DCFA) with output power of 1.4W, designed and built in our lab. Experimental demonstration and numerical simulation techniques have been used to systematically study the applications of such an amplifier and the effects of incorporating it in various fiber optic communication systems. Amplitude modulated subcarrier multiplexed (AM-SCM) CATV distribution experiment has been performed to verify the feasibility of using this amplifier in an analog/digital communication system. The applications of the amplifier as a Fabry-Perot and ring fiber laser with an all-fiber cavity, a broadband supercontinuum source and for generation of high power, short pulses at 5GHz have been experimentally demonstrated. A variety of observable nonlinear effects occur due to the high intensity of the optical powers confined in micron-sized cores of the fibers, this thesis explores in detail some of these effects caused by using the high power Er/Yb double clad fiber amplifier. A fiber optic based analog/digital CATV system experiences composite second order (CSO) distortion due to the interaction between the gain tilt---the variation of gain with wavelength, of the doped fiber amplifier and the wavelength chirp of the directly modulated semiconductor laser. Gain tilt of the Er/Yb co-doped fiber amplifier has been experimentally measured and its contribution to the CSO of the system calculated. Theoretical analysis of a wavelength division multiplexed system with closely spaced

  13. Novel spot size converter for coupling standard single mode fibers to SOI waveguides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sisto, Marco Michele; Fisette, Bruno; Paultre, Jacques-Edmond; Paquet, Alex; Desroches, Yan

    2016-03-01

    We have designed and numerically simulated a novel spot size converter for coupling standard single mode fibers with 10.4μm mode field diameter to 500nm × 220nm SOI waveguides. Simulations based on the eigenmode expansion method show a coupling loss of 0.4dB at 1550nm for the TE mode at perfect alignment. The alignment tolerance on the plane normal to the fiber axis is evaluated at +/-2.2μm for <=1dB excess loss, which is comparable to the alignment tolerance between two butt-coupled standard single mode fibers. The converter is based on a cross-like arrangement of SiOxNy waveguides immersed in a 12μm-thick SiO2 cladding region deposited on top of the SOI chip. The waveguides are designed to collectively support a single degenerate mode for TE and TM polarizations. This guided mode features a large overlap to the LP01 mode of standard telecom fibers. Along the spot size converter length (450μm), the mode is first gradually confined in a single SiOxNy waveguide by tapering its width. Then, the mode is adiabatically coupled to a SOI waveguide underneath the structure through a SOI inverted taper. The shapes of SiOxNy and SOI tapers are optimized to minimize coupling loss and structure length, and to ensure adiabatic mode evolution along the structure, thus improving the design robustness to fabrication process errors. A tolerance analysis based on conservative microfabrication capabilities suggests that coupling loss penalty from fabrication errors can be maintained below 0.3dB. The proposed spot size converter is fully compliant to industry standard microfabrication processes available at INO.

  14. Synthesis of high crystallinity ZnO nanowire array on polymer substrate and flexible fiber-based sensor.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jinmei; Wu, Weiwei; Bai, Suo; Qin, Yong

    2011-11-01

    Well aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays are grown on Kevlar fiber and Kapton film via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. These NWs have better crystallinity than those synthesized through the low-temperature hydrothermal method. The average length and diameter of ZnO NWs grown on Kevlar fiber can be controlled from 0.5 to 2.76 μm and 30 to 300 nm, respectively. A flexible ultraviolet (UV) sensor based on Kevlar fiber/ZnO NWs hybrid structure is made to detect UV illumination quantificationally.

  15. Polarization variations in installed fibers and their influence on quantum key distribution systems.

    PubMed

    Ding, Yu-Yang; Chen, Hua; Wang, Shuang; He, De-Yong; Yin, Zhen-Qiang; Chen, Wei; Zhou, Zheng; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu

    2017-10-30

    Polarization variations in the installed fibers are complex and volatile, and would severely affect the performances of polarization-sensitive quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. Based on the recorded data about polarization variations of different installed fibers, we establish an analytical methodology to quantitatively evaluate the influence of polarization variations on polarization-sensitive QKD systems. Using the increased quantum bit error rate induced by polarization variations as a key criteria, we propose two parameters - polarization drift time and required tracking speed - to characterize polarization variations. For field buried and aerial fibers with different length, we quantitatively evaluate the influence of polarization variations, and also provide requirements and suggestions for polarization basis alignment modules of QKD systems deployed in different kind of fibers.

  16. A prototype harvester for short-rotation plantations

    Treesearch

    James A. Mattson; Michael A. Wehr

    1983-01-01

    A promising approach to increasing the supply of wood fiber for pulp and energy is short-rotation intensively cultured (SRIC) forestry. To apply the principles of agriculture to the growing of wood fiber, designers of harvesting equipment must consider a unique set of operating criteria. This paper summarizes the design criteria relevant to the SRIC concept and...

  17. Fiber-optic projected-fringe digital interferometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mercer, Carolyn R.; Beheim, Glenn

    1990-01-01

    A phase-stepped projected-fringe interferometer was developed which uses a closed-loop fiber-optic phase-control system to make very accurate surface profile measurements. The closed-loop phase-control system greatly reduces phase-stepping error, which is frequently the dominant source of error in digital interferometers. Two beams emitted from a fiber-optic coupler are combined to form an interference fringe pattern on a diffusely reflecting object. Reflections off of the fibers' output faces are used to create a phase-indicating signal for the closed-loop optical phase controller. The controller steps the phase difference between the two beams by pi/2 radians in order to determine the object's surface profile using a solid-state camera and a computer. The system combines the ease of alignment and automated data reduction of phase-stepping projected-fringe interferometry with the greatly improved phase-stepping accuracy of our closed-loop phase-controller. The system is demonstrated by measuring the profile of a plate containing several convex surfaces whose heights range from 15 to 25 micron high.

  18. Validity of a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire Assessing Macronutrient and Fiber Intakes in Patients of Han Chinese Descent with Type 2 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Huang, Meng-Chuan; Lin, Kun-Der; Chen, Hung-Jiun; Wu, Yu-Ju; Chang, Chiao-I; Shin, Shyi-Jang; Hung, Hsin-Chia; Lee, Chien-Hung; Huang, Ya-Fang; Hsu, Chih-Cheng

    2018-06-01

    Few food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been developed to assess diet in diabetes patients. This cross-sectional study examined the validity of a 45-item FFQ assessing the intake of macronutrients against three 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDRs) in Taiwan, and compared vegetable and fruit intakes with carotenoid biomarkers. We recruited 126 adults with type 2 diabetes who completed the FFQ and three 24-HDRs administered by a registered dietitian. We measured plasma carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene and lutein) in 71 subjects. Partial Pearson correlation coefficients derived from the FFQs and three 24-HDRs and adjusted for energy were of 0.651, 0.587, 0.639 and 0.664 for protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber, respectively. Cross-classification analysis revealed that 71.5⁻81% of the macronutrients and fiber were categorized into the same or adjacent quartiles by the FFQ and 24-HDRs. Bland⁻Altman plots revealed good agreement for energy/macronutrients/fiber across the range of intakes. Multiple linear regression of backward elimination revealed that tertile levels of dark- or light-colored vegetables obtained by the FFQ were significantly associated with plasma α-carotene and β-carotene, but not lutein. Fruit consumption did not correlate with carotenoid biomarkers. In conclusion, this short FFQ provided a valid assessment of macronutrients and fiber intake in type 2 diabetes patients. Vegetable consumption estimated by the FFQ corresponded to plasma α-carotene and β-carotene concentrations.

  19. Alignment of the femoral component in a mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a study in 10 cadaver femora.

    PubMed

    Kort, N P; van Raay, J J A M; Thomassen, B J W

    2007-08-01

    Use of an intramedullary rod is advised for the alignment of the femoral component of an Oxford phase-III prosthesis. There are users moving toward extramedullary alignment, which is merely an indicator of frustration with accuracy of intramedullary alignment. The results of our study with 10 cadaver femora demonstrate that use of a short and long intramedullary femoral rod may result in excessive flexion alignment error of the femoral component. Understanding of the extramedullary alignment possibility and experience with the visual alignment of the femoral drill guide is essential toward minimizing potential errors in the alignment of the femoral component.

  20. All-optical, thermo-optical path length modulation based on the vanadium-doped fibers.

    PubMed

    Matjasec, Ziga; Campelj, Stanislav; Donlagic, Denis

    2013-05-20

    This paper presents an all-fiber, fully-optically controlled, optical-path length modulator based on highly absorbing optical fiber. The modulator utilizes a high-power 980 nm pump diode and a short section of vanadium-co-doped single mode fiber that is heated through absorption and a non-radiative relaxation process. The achievable path length modulation range primarily depends on the pump's power and the convective heat-transfer coefficient of the surrounding gas, while the time response primarily depends on the heated fiber's diameter. An absolute optical length change in excess of 500 µm and a time-constant as short as 11 ms, were demonstrated experimentally. The all-fiber design allows for an electrically-passive and remote operation of the modulator. The presented modulator could find use within various fiber-optics systems that require optical (remote) path length control or modulation.