Inlet nozzle assembly

DOEpatents

Christiansen, D.W.; Karnesky, R.A.; Knight, R.C.; Precechtel, D.R.; Smith, B.G.

1985-09-09

An inlet nozzle assembly for directing coolant into the duct tube of a fuel assembly attached thereto. The nozzle assembly includes a shell for housing separable components including an orifice plate assembly, a neutron shield block, a neutron shield plug, and a diffuser block. The orifice plate assembly includes a plurality of stacked plates of differently configurated and sized openings for directing coolant therethrough in a predesigned flow pattern.

Cryogenic support member

DOEpatents

Niemann, Ralph C.; Gonczy, John D.; Nicol, Thomas H.

1987-01-01

A cryogenic support member is comprised of a non-metallic rod having a depression in at least one end and a metallic end connection assembled to the rod. The metallic end connection comprises a metallic plug which conforms to the shape and is disposed in the depression and a metallic sleeve is disposed over the rod and plug. The plug and the sleeve are shrink-fitted to the depression in the rod to form a connection good in compression, tension and bending.

Dust-tolerant electrical connector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadick, Shazad (Inventor); Herman, Jason (Inventor); Roberts, Dustyn (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A connector assembly includes releasably mateable plug and receptacle units. At least one socket is enclosed within the receptacle unit and is aligned with at least one permeable membrane disposed in the front end of the receptacle unit. The plug unit includes a body slidably mounted within a longitudinal bore therein. At least one pin extends from the front end of the body and is aligned with at least one permeable membrane disposed in the front end of the plug unit. The plug unit is biased toward a first, de-mate position in which the body is extended rearwardly such that the pin is enclosed with the plug unit and is slidable to a second, mate position in which the body is compressed forwardly such that the pin projects through the permeable membranes of the plug and receptacle units to electrically connect with the socket.

INGOT MOLD

DOEpatents

Mangold, A.J. Jr.; MaHaffey, J.W.; Reese, S.L.

1958-04-29

An improved ingot-mold assembly is described, consisting of a body having a cavity and a recess extending through to the bottom of the body from the cavity, and the bottom of the cavity having an internal shoulder extending downward and a plug having an external shoulder. The plug extends above the shoulders and below the bottom of the body.

Domain activities of PapC usher reveal the mechanism of action of an Escherichia coli molecular machine.

PubMed

Volkan, Ender; Ford, Bradley A; Pinkner, Jerome S; Dodson, Karen W; Henderson, Nadine S; Thanassi, David G; Waksman, Gabriel; Hultgren, Scott J

2012-06-12

P pili are prototypical chaperone-usher pathway-assembled pili used by Gram-negative bacteria to adhere to host tissues. The PapC usher contains five functional domains: a transmembrane β-barrel, a β-sandwich Plug, an N-terminal (periplasmic) domain (NTD), and two C-terminal (periplasmic) domains, CTD1 and CTD2. Here, we delineated usher domain interactions between themselves and with chaperone-subunit complexes and showed that overexpression of individual usher domains inhibits pilus assembly. Prior work revealed that the Plug domain occludes the pore of the transmembrane domain of a solitary usher, but the chaperone-adhesin-bound usher has its Plug displaced from the pore, adjacent to the NTD. We demonstrate an interaction between the NTD and Plug domains that suggests a biophysical basis for usher gating. Furthermore, we found that the NTD exhibits high-affinity binding to the chaperone-adhesin (PapDG) complex and low-affinity binding to the major tip subunit PapE (PapDE). We also demonstrate that CTD2 binds with lower affinity to all tested chaperone-subunit complexes except for the chaperone-terminator subunit (PapDH) and has a catalytic role in dissociating the NTD-PapDG complex, suggesting an interplay between recruitment to the NTD and transfer to CTD2 during pilus initiation. The Plug domain and the NTD-Plug complex bound all of the chaperone-subunit complexes tested including PapDH, suggesting that the Plug actively recruits chaperone-subunit complexes to the usher and is the sole recruiter of PapDH. Overall, our studies reveal the cooperative, active roles played by periplasmic domains of the usher to initiate, grow, and terminate a prototypical chaperone-usher pathway pilus.

76 FR 53312 - Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Model A109A and A109AII Helicopters

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... disassembling the tail rotor hub and blades assembly and inspecting for damage. If the tightening torque value..., and no further action is required. If the tightening torque value is greater than 700 kgcm, the hub plug must be replaced with an airworthy part. Torque the new hub plug to the specified tightening...

Plugging micro-leaks in multi-component, ceramic tubesheets with material leached therefrom

DOEpatents

Bieler, B.H.; Tsang, F.Y.

1985-03-19

Cracks, in ceramic wall members, on the order of 1 micron or less in width are plugged helium-tight by selectively leaching a component of the wall member with a solvent, letting the resultant leach form a liquid bridge within the crack, removing the solvent and sintering the resultant residue. This method is of particular value for remedying microcracks or channels in a cell member constituting a tubesheet in a hollow fiber type, high temperature battery cell, such as a sodium/sulfur cell, for example. 1 fig.

Plugging micro-leaks in multi-component, ceramic tubesheets with material leached therefrom

DOEpatents

Bieler, Barrie H.; Tsang, Floris Y.

1985-03-19

Cracks, in ceramic wall members, on the order of 1 micron or less in width are plugged helium-tight by selectively leaching a component of the wall member with a solvent, letting the resultant leach form a liquid bridge within the crack, removing the solvent and sintering the resultant residue. This method is of particular value for remedying microcracks or channels in a cell member constituting a tubesheet in a hollow fiber type, high temperature battery cell, such as a sodium/sulfur cell, for example.

Multiple-port valve

DOEpatents

Doody, Thomas J.

1978-08-22

A multiple-port valve assembly is designed to direct flow from a primary conduit into any one of a plurality of secondary conduits as well as to direct a reverse flow. The valve includes two mating hemispherical sockets that rotatably receive a spherical valve plug. The valve plug is attached to the primary conduit and includes diverging passageways from that conduit to a plurality of ports. Each of the ports is alignable wih one or more of a plurality of secondary conduits fitted into one of the hemispherical sockets. The other hemispherical socket includes a slot for the primary conduit such that the conduit's motion along that slot with rotation of the spherical plug about various axes will position the valve-plug ports in respect to the secondary conduits.

Steel pin and hanger assembly replacement options : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

A number of steel beam bridges exist in the United States that contain pin and hanger assemblies. Pin and hanger assemblies are fracture critical members whose failure would result in collapse of the bridge or render it unable to perform its expected...

30 CFR 250.1616 - Supervision, surveillance, and training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Supervision, surveillance, and training. 250... Operations § 250.1616 Supervision, surveillance, and training. (a) The lessee shall provide onsite...-floor surveillance continuously, unless the well is secured with BOP's, bridge plugs, packers, or cement...

30 CFR 250.1616 - Supervision, surveillance, and training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Supervision, surveillance, and training. 250... Operations § 250.1616 Supervision, surveillance, and training. (a) The lessee shall provide onsite...-floor surveillance continuously, unless the well is secured with BOP's, bridge plugs, packers, or cement...

30 CFR 250.1616 - Supervision, surveillance, and training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Supervision, surveillance, and training. 250... Operations § 250.1616 Supervision, surveillance, and training. (a) The lessee shall provide onsite...-floor surveillance continuously, unless the well is secured with BOP's, bridge plugs, packers, or cement...

Numerical Simulation of Sediment Plug Formation in Alluvial Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posner, A. J.; Duan, J. G.

2011-12-01

A sediment plug is the aggregation of sediment in a river reach that completely blocks the original channel resulting in plug growth upstream by accretion and flooding in surrounding areas. Sediment plugs historically form over relatively short periods, in many cases a matter of weeks. Although sediment plugs are much more common in reach constrictions associated with large woody debris, the mouths of tributaries, and along coastal regions, this investigation focuses on sediment plug formation in an alluvial river. During high flows in the years 1991, 1995, 2005, and 2008, a sediment plug formed in the San Marcial reach of the Middle Rio Grande. The Bureau of Reclamation has had to spend millions of dollars dredging the channel to restore flows to Elephant Butte Reservoir. The hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes, associated with plug formation, occurring in this reach are driven by 1) a flow constriction associated with a rock outcrop, 2) a railroad bridge, and 3) the water level of the downstream reservoir. The three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, Delft3D, was implemented to determine the hydrodynamic and sediment transport parameters and variables required to simulate plug formation in an effort to identify hydro- and morphodynamic thresholds. Several variables were identified by previous studies as metrics for plug formation. These variables were used in our investigation to detect the relative magnitude of each process. Both duration and degree of high flow events were simulated, along with extent of cohesive sediment deposits, reservoir level, and percent of fines in suspended sediment distribution. Results of this analysis illustrate that this model is able to reproduce the sediment plug formation. Model calibration was based on measured water levels and changes in bathymetry using both sediment transport and morphologic change parameters. Changes to hydraulic and sediment parameters are not proportional to morphologic changes and are asymptotic in their response. These results suggest that there are thresholds to predict plug formation and that the contribution of specific variables to plug formation is not uniform. Sediment plug formation is a costly and dangerous phenomenon, especially in large alluvial rivers. This investigation yielded specific insights into the hydrodynamic and morphologic processes occurring during sediment plug formation. These insights can be used to reduce the risk of plug formation and predict the locations and times of other sediment plugs.

Joule-Thomson valves for long term service in space cryocoolers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lester, J. M.; Benedict, B.

1985-01-01

Joule-Thomson valves for small cryocoolers have throttling passages on the order of 0.1 millimeter in diameter. Consequently, they can become plugged easily and stop the operation of the cooler. Plugging can be caused by solid particles, liquids or gases. Plugging is usually caused by the freezing of contaminant gases from the process stream. In small open loop coolers and in closed loop coolers where periodic maintenance is allowed, the problem is overcome by using careful assembly techniques, pure process gases, warm filters and cold adsorbers. A more thorough approach is required for closed loop cryocoolers which must operate unattended for long periods. This paper presents the results of an effort to solve this problem. The causes of plugging are examined, and various ways to eliminate plugging are discussed. Finally, the development of a J-T defroster is explained. It is concluded that a combination of preventive measures and a defroster will reduce the chance of cooler failure by plugging to such a degree that J-T coolers can be used for long term space missions.

Core disruptive accident margin seal

DOEpatents

Garin, John; Belsick, James C.

1978-01-01

An apparatus for sealing the annulus defined between a substantially cylindrical rotatable first riser assembly and plug combination disposed in a substantially cylindrical second riser assembly and plug combination of a nuclear reactor system. The apparatus comprises a flexible member disposed between the first and second riser components and attached to a metal member which is attached to an actuating mechanism. When the actuating mechanism is not actuated, the flexible member does not contact the riser components thus allowing the free rotation of the riser components. When desired, the actuating mechanism causes the flexible member to contact the first and second riser components in a manner to block the annulus defined between the riser components, thereby sealing the annulus between the riser components.

Layer-by-Layer Molecular Assemblies for Dye-Sensitized Photoelectrosynthesis Cells Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

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

Wang, Degao; Sheridan, Matthew V.; Shan, Bing

2017-08-30

In a Dye Sensitized Photoelectrosynthesis Cell (DSPEC) the relative orientation of catalyst and chromophore play important roles. Here we introduce a new, robust, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) procedure for the preparation of assemblies on wide bandgap semiconductors. In the procedure, phosphonated metal complex precursors react with metal ion bridging to an external chromophore or catalyst to give assemblies bridged by Al(III), Sn(IV), Ti(IV), or Zr(IV) metal oxide units as bridges. The procedure has been extended to chromophore-catalyst assemblies for water oxidation catalysis. A SnO2 bridged assembly on SnO2/TiO2 core/shell electrodes undergoes water splitting with an incident photon conversion efficiency (IPCE)more » of 17.1% at 440 nm. Reduction of water at a Ni(II)-based catalyst on NiO films has been shown to give H2. Compared to conventional solution-based procedures, the ALD approach offers significant advantages in scope and flexibility for the preparation of stable surface structures.« less

Semiconductor nanocrystals covalently bound to solid inorganic surfaces using self-assembled monolayers

DOEpatents

Alivisatos, A. Paul; Colvin, Vicki L.

1998-01-01

Methods are described for attaching semiconductor nanocrystals to solid inorganic surfaces, using self-assembled bifunctional organic monolayers as bridge compounds. Two different techniques are presented. One relies on the formation of self-assembled monolayers on these surfaces. When exposed to solutions of nanocrystals, these bridge compounds bind the crystals and anchor them to the surface. The second technique attaches nanocrystals already coated with bridge compounds to the surfaces. Analyses indicate the presence of quantum confined clusters on the surfaces at the nanolayer level. These materials allow electron spectroscopies to be completed on condensed phase clusters, and represent a first step towards synthesis of an organized assembly of clusters. These new products are also disclosed.

Tamper indicating seal

DOEpatents

Romero, Juan A [Albuquerque, NM; Walker, Charles A [Albuquerque, NM; Blair, Dianna S [Albuquerque, NM; Bodmer, Connie C [Albuquerque, NM

2012-05-29

Seals have a flexible wire that can be looped through a hasp-like device. The seals include a body having a recess, a plug insertable into the recess and a snap ring for fastening the plug to the body. The plug and/or body can have access holes for inserting the wire into the recess. "Teeth" on the outer diameter and through-holes through the thickness of the snap ring allow for passing the ends of the flexible wire from the recess through the snap ring. The ends of the wire can be folded back over the snap ring and into engagement with the teeth. Assembly of the seal causes the ends of the wire to be securely fastened between the teeth of the snap ring and the sidewall of the recess. Seals can include a plug and/or body made of a frangible material such as glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic or brittle polymer.

Low inductance connector assembly

DOEpatents

Holbrook, Meghan Ann; Carlson, Douglas S

2013-07-09

A busbar connector assembly for coupling first and second terminals on a two-terminal device to first and second contacts on a power module is provided. The first terminal resides proximate the first contact and the second terminal resides proximate the second contact. The assembly comprises a first bridge having a first end configured to be electrically coupled to the first terminal, and a second end configured to be electrically coupled to the second contact, and a second bridge substantially overlapping the first bridge and having a first end electrically coupled to the first contact, and a second end electrically coupled to the second terminal.

Semiconductor nanocrystals covalently bound to solid inorganic surfaces using self-assembled monolayers

DOEpatents

Alivisatos, A.P.; Colvin, V.L.

1998-05-12

Methods are described for attaching semiconductor nanocrystals to solid inorganic surfaces, using self-assembled bifunctional organic monolayers as bridge compounds. Two different techniques are presented. One relies on the formation of self-assembled monolayers on these surfaces. When exposed to solutions of nanocrystals, these bridge compounds bind the crystals and anchor them to the surface. The second technique attaches nanocrystals already coated with bridge compounds to the surfaces. Analyses indicate the presence of quantum confined clusters on the surfaces at the nanolayer level. These materials allow electron spectroscopies to be completed on condensed phase clusters, and represent a first step towards synthesis of an organized assembly of clusters. These new products are also disclosed. 10 figs.

Portable pallet weighing apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, R. M. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

An assembly for use with several like units in weighing the mass of a loaded cargo pallet supported by its trunnions has a bridge frame for positioning the assembly on a transportation frame carrying the pallet while straddling one trunnion of the pallet and its trunnion lock, and a cradle assembly for incrementally raising the trunnion. The mass at the trunnion is carried as a static load by a slidable bracket mounted upon the bridge frame for supporting the cradle assembly. The bracket applies the static loading to an electrical load cell symmetrically positioned between the bridge frame and the bracket. The static loading compresses the load cell, causing a slight deformation and a potential difference at load cell terminals which is proportional in amplitude to the mass of the pallet at the trunnion.

Forisome performance in artificial sieve tubes.

PubMed

Knoblauch, Michael; Stubenrauch, Mike; van Bel, Aart J E; Peters, Winfried S

2012-08-01

In the legume phloem, sieve element occlusion (SEO) proteins assemble into Ca(2+)-dependent contractile bodies. These forisomes presumably control phloem transport by forming reversible sieve tube plugs. This function, however, has never been directly demonstrated, and appears questionable as forisomes were reported to be too small to plug sieve tubes, and failed to block flow efficiently in artificial microchannels. Moreover, plugs of SEO-related proteins in Arabidopsis sieve tubes do not affect phloem translocation. We improved existing procedures for forisome isolation and storage, and found that the degree of Ca(2+)-driven deformation that is possible in forisomes of Vicia faba, the standard object of earlier research, has been underestimated substantially. Forisomes deform particularly strongly under reducing conditions and high sugar concentrations, as typically found in sieve tubes. In contrast to our previous inference, Ca(2+)-inducible forisome swelling certainly seems sufficient to plug sieve tubes. This conclusion was supported by 3D-reconstructions of forisome plugs in Canavalia gladiata. For a direct test, we built microfluidics chips with artificial sieve tubes. Using fluorescent dyes to visualize flow, we demonstrated the complete blockage of these biomimetic microtubes by Ca(2+)-induced forisome plugs, and concluded by analogy that forisomes are capable of regulating phloem flow in vivo. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

78 FR 70321 - Petitions for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-25

.... (9) Keep the working place free from accumulations of coal dust and coal spillages, and place rock... been intersected and the working place determined safe, continue mining inby the well at a distance... perforating multiple strings. (3) Place a mechanical bridge plug in the well if a cleaned-out well emits...

Method for making an elastomeric member with end pieces

DOEpatents

Hoppie, L.O.; McNinch, J.H. Jr.; Nowell, G.C.

1984-10-23

A molding process is described for molding an elongated elastomeric member with wire mesh sleeves bonded to the ends. A molding preform of elastomeric material is positioned within a seamless mold cylinder, and the open ends of the wire mesh sleeves are mounted to end plug assemblies slidably received into the mold cylinder and positioned against the ends of the preform. A specialized profile is formed into surfaces of the respective end plug assemblies and by heating of the mold, the ends of the elastomeric preform are molded to the profile, as well as bonded to the reinforcing wire mesh sleeves. Vacuum is applied to the interior of the mold to draw outgassing vapors through relief spaces there through. The completed elastomeric member is removed from the mold cylinder by stretching, the consequent reduction in diameter enabling ready separation from the mold cylinder and removal thereof. 9 figs.

Wind-instrument reflection function measurements in the time domain.

PubMed

Keefe, D H

1996-04-01

Theoretical and computational analyses of wind-instrument sound production in the time domain have emerged as useful tools for understanding musical instrument acoustics, yet there exist few experimental measurements of the air-column response directly in the time domain. A new experimental, time-domain technique is proposed to measure the reflection function response of woodwind and brass-instrument air columns. This response is defined at the location of sound regeneration in the mouthpiece or double reed. A probe assembly comprised of an acoustic source and microphone is inserted directly into the air column entryway using a foam plug to ensure a leak-free fit. An initial calibration phase involves measurements on a single cylindrical tube of known dimensions. Measurements are presented on an alto saxophone and euphonium. The technique has promise for testing any musical instrument air columns using a single probe assembly and foam plugs over a range of diameters typical of air-column entryways.

Closure head for a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Wade, Elman E.

1980-01-01

A closure head for a nuclear reactor includes a stationary outer ring integral with the reactor vessel with a first rotatable plug disposed within the stationary outer ring and supported from the stationary outer ring by a bearing assembly. A sealing system is associated with the bearing assembly to seal the annulus defined between the first rotatable plug and the stationary outer ring. The sealing system comprises tubular seal elements disposed in the annulus with load springs contacting the tubular seal elements so as to force the tubular seal elements against the annulus in a manner to seal the annulus. The sealing system also comprises a sealing fluid which is pumped through the annulus and over the tubular seal elements causing the load springs to compress thereby reducing the friction between the tubular seal elements and the rotatable components while maintaining a gas-tight seal therebetween.

Suspension Bridge Structural Systems: Cable Suspension & Anchorage; Warren Stiffening ...

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

Suspension Bridge Structural Systems: Cable Suspension & Anchorage; Warren Stiffening Truss; Upper & Lower Decks; Assembled System - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Dual-bridge LLC-SRC with extended voltage range for deeply depleted PEV battery charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, M. Imran; Iqbal, Shahid; Taib, Soib

2017-11-01

This paper proposes a dual-bridge LLC series resonant converter with hybrid-rectifier for achieving extended charging voltage range of 50-420 V for on-board battery charger of plug-in electric vehicle for normal and deeply depleted battery charging. Depending upon the configuration of primary switching network and secondary rectifier, the proposed topology has three operating modes as half-bridge with bridge rectifier (HBBR), full-bridge with bridge rectifier (FBBR) and full-bridge with voltage doubler (FBVD). HBBR, FBBR and FBVD operating modes of converter achieve 50-125, 125-250 and 250-420 V voltage ranges, respectively. For voltage above 62 V, the converter operates below resonance frequency zero voltage switching region with narrow switching frequency range for soft commutation of secondary diodes and low turn-off current of MOSFETs to reduce switching losses. The proposed converter is simulated using MATLAB Simulink and a 1.5 kW laboratory prototype is also built to validate the operation of proposed topology. Simulation and experimental results show that the converter meets all the charging requirements for deeply depleted to fully charged battery using constant current-constant voltage charging method with fixed 400 V DC input and achieves 96.22% peak efficiency.

Spherical primary optical telescope (SPOT) segments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Christopher; Hagopian, John; DeMarco, Michael

2012-09-01

The spherical primary optical telescope (SPOT) project is an internal research and development program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The goals of the program are to develop a robust and cost effective way to manufacture spherical mirror segments and demonstrate a new wavefront sensing approach for continuous phasing across the segmented primary. This paper focuses on the fabrication of the mirror segments. Significant cost savings were achieved through the design, since it allowed the mirror segments to be cast rather than machined from a glass blank. Casting was followed by conventional figuring at Goddard Space Flight Center. After polishing, the mirror segments were mounted to their composite assemblies. QED Technologies used magnetorheological finishing (MRF®) for the final figuring. The MRF process polished the mirrors while they were mounted to their composite assemblies. Each assembly included several magnetic invar plugs that extended to within an inch of the face of the mirror. As part of this project, the interaction between the MRF magnetic field and invar plugs was evaluated. By properly selecting the polishing conditions, MRF was able to significantly improve the figure of the mounted segments. The final MRF figuring demonstrates that mirrors, in the mounted configuration, can be polished and tested to specification. There are significant process capability advantes due to polishing and testing the optics in their final, end-use assembled state.

Non-Seismology Seismology: Using QuakeCatchers to Analyze the Frequency of Bridge Vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtier, A. M.; Constantin, C.; Wilson, C. F.

2013-12-01

We conducted an experiment to test the feasibility of measuring seismic waves generated by traffic near James Madison University. We used QuakeCatcher seismometers (originally designed for passive seismic measurement) to measure vibrations associated with traffic on a wooden bridge as well as a nearby concrete bridge. This experiment was a signal processing exercise for a student research project and did not draw any conclusions regarding bridge safety or security. The experiment consisted of two temporary measurement stations comprised of a laptop computer and a QuakeCatcher - a small seismometer that plugs directly into the laptop via a USB cable. The QuakeCatcher was taped to the ground at the edge of the bridge to achieve good coupling, and vibrational events were triggered repeatedly with a control vehicle to accumulate a consistent dataset of the bridge response. For the wooden bridge, the resulting 'seismograms' were converted to Seismic Analysis Code (SAC) format and analyzed in MATLAB. The concrete bridge did not generate vibrations significant enough to trigger the recording mechanism on the QuakeCatchers. We will present an overview of the experimental design and frequency content of the traffic patterns, as well as a discussion of the instructional benefits of using the QuakeCatcher sensors in this non-traditional setting.

Electronics technician Bill Clark assembling a cannon plug with the help of Jim Lewis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

There is always something needed for a NASA aircraft before a research flight can take place. This photo shows William J. Clark working on one of those 'somethings' while Jimmie C. Lewis watches ready to help. Working on a research project is a challenge, for there is no set pattern to follow. From the drawings to the final product there are many people who contribute to that final product -- the flight. The electronic technicians in the Instrumentation Laboratory at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility are no exception. Bill Clark is busy creating a cannon plug to be used on the CV-990. He is soldering wires in the appropriate order so the plug will transmit electrical currents correctly when installed in the airplane. Jim stands by to give help and support on the project.

Hillsboro Canal bridge monitoring : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Floridas inventory of 148 moveable bridges is : the largest in the nation. Most employ open grid : steel decks, which have important advantages : over solid bridge decks: they can be assembled in : the factory, are lightweight and easy to install;...

Characterization of the Mechanical Strength, Resorption Properties, and Histologic Characteristics of a Fully Absorbable Material (Poly-4-hydroxybutyrate—PHASIX Mesh) in a Porcine Model of Hernia Repair

PubMed Central

Deeken, Corey R.; Matthews, Brent D.

2013-01-01

Purpose. Poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) is a naturally derived, absorbable polymer. P4HB has been manufactured into PHASIX Mesh and P4HB Plug designs for soft tissue repair. The objective of this study was to evaluate mechanical strength, resorption properties, and histologic characteristics in a porcine model. Methods. Bilateral defects were created in the abdominal wall of n = 20 Yucatan minipigs and repaired in a bridged fashion with PHASIX Mesh or P4HB Plug fixated with SorbaFix or permanent suture, respectively. Mechanical strength, resorption properties, and histologic characteristics were evaluated at 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks (n = 5 each). Results. PHASIX Mesh and P4HB Plug repairs exhibited similar burst strength, stiffness, and molecular weight at all time points, with no significant differences detected between the two devices (P > 0.05). PHASIX Mesh and P4HB Plug repairs also demonstrated significantly greater burst strength and stiffness than native abdominal wall at all time points (P < 0.05), and material resorption increased significantly over time (P < 0.001). Inflammatory infiltrates were mononuclear, and both devices exhibited mild to moderate granulation tissue/vascularization. Conclusions. PHASIX Mesh and P4HB Plug demonstrated significant mechanical strength compared to native abdominal wall, despite significant material resorption over time. Histological assessment revealed a comparable mild inflammatory response and mild to moderate granulation tissue/vascularization. PMID:23781348

Connection details for prefabricated bridge elements and systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-03-30

Prefabricated components of a bridge produced off-site can be assembled quickly, and can reduce design time and cost, minimizing forming, minimize lane closure time and/or possibly eliminate the need for a temporary bridge. This document has been dev...

The Development of Expansion Plug Wedge Test for Clad Tubing Structure Mechanical Property Evaluation

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

Wang, Jy-An John; Jiang, Hao

2016-01-12

To determine the tensile properties of irradiated fuel cladding in a hot cell, a simple test was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and is described fully in US Patent Application 20060070455, “Expanded plug method for developing circumferential mechanical properties of tubular materials.” This method is designed for testing fuel rod cladding ductility in a hot cell using an expandable plug to stretch a small ring of irradiated cladding material. The specimen strain is determined using the measured diametrical expansion of the ring. This method removes many complexities associated with specimen preparation and testing. The advantages are themore » simplicity of measuring the test component assembly in the hot cell and the direct measurement of the specimen’s strain. It was also found that cladding strength could be determined from the test results.« less

Silicon Carbide High Temperature Anemometer and Method for Assembling the Same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okojie, Robert S. (Inventor); Fralick, Gustave C. (Inventor); Saad, George J. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A high temperature anemometer includes a pair of substrates. One of the substrates has a plurality of electrodes on a facing surface, while the other of the substrates has a sensor cavity on a facing surface. A sensor is received in the sensor cavity, wherein the sensor has a plurality of bondpads, and wherein the bond pads contact the plurality of electrodes when the facing surfaces are mated with one another. The anemometer further includes a plurality of plug-in pins, wherein the substrate with the cavity has a plurality of trenches with each one receiving a plurality of plug-in pins. The plurality of plug-in pins contact the plurality of electrodes when the substrates are mated with one another. The sensor cavity is at an end of one of the substrates such that the sensor partially extends from the substrate. The sensor and the substrates are preferably made of silicon carbide.

Technical trends in industrial lead/acid batteries in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwata, Masashi; Tagawa, Yahachiro

1994-02-01

Although there have been only a few major technological changes in stationary lead/acid batteries in the past, some rapid and remarkable developments have occurred recently. The latter have included the introduction of catalyst plugs and valve-regulated lead/acid batteries (VRBs). Catalyst plugs have been used to avoid water addition with stationary lead/acid batteries. By virtue of their advantages (i.e., the elements retain electrolyte and equalizing charging and water addition are unnecessary), VRBs are being developed up to a maximum capacity of 3000 Ah. These designs have now captured about 50% of the stationary lead/acid battery market. The VRB technology has excellent characteristics, such as plate construction that can accommodate grid growth, explosion-resistant plugs, good discharge characteristics, and minimal electrolyte stratification. In addition, by utilizing the benefits of VRBs, horizontal and multistoried systems can be assembled, though in early stages of development the construction was only for interchangeability with flooded-electrolyte type batteries.

Decision support model for assessing archaeological survey needs for bridge replacement projects in Iowa.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

The Bridges Decision Support Model is a geographic information system (GIS) that assembles existing : data on archaeological sites, surveys, and their geologic contexts to assess the risk of bridge replacement : projects encountering 13,000- to 150-y...

Improved fabrication of electrolytic capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gamari, F. J.; Moresi, J. L.

1975-01-01

After processing parts for assembly, insulative cup is fitted to bottom of can, then electrolytic solution consisting of white sulfuric acid gel is inserted into can. Pellet is put in can and is fitted tightly into cup. Finally, bead weld is formed between can and header plug.

Method for making an elastomeric member with end pieces

DOEpatents

Hoppie, Lyle O.; McNinch, Jr., Joseph H.; Nowell, Gregory C.

1984-01-01

A molding process for molding an elongated elastomeric member (60) with wire mesh sleeves (16) bonded to the ends (14). A molding preform (10) of elastomeric material is positioned within a seamless mold cylinder (26), and the open ends of the wire mesh sleeves (16) are mounted to end plug assemblies (30) slidably received into the mold cylinder (26) and positioned against the ends (14) of the preform (10). A specialized profile is formed into surfaces (44) of the respective end plug assemblies (30) and by heating of the mold (26), the ends (14) of the elastomeric preform (10) are molded to the profile, as well as bonded to the reinforcing wire mesh sleeves (16). Vacuum is applied to the interior of the mold to draw outgassing vapors through relief spaces therethrough. The completed elastomeric member (60) is removed from the mold cylinder (26) by stretching, the consequent reduction in diameter enabling ready separation from the mold cylinder (26) and removal thereof.

Modular radiochemistry synthesis system

DOEpatents

Satyamurthy, Nagichettiar; Barrio, Jorge R.; Amarasekera, Bernard; Van Dam, Michael R.; Olma, Sebastian; Williams, Dirk; Eddings, Mark; Shen, Clifton Kwang-Fu

2016-11-01

A modular chemical production system includes multiple modules for performing a chemical reaction, particularly of radiochemical compounds, from a remote location. One embodiment comprises a reaction vessel including a moveable heat source with the position thereof relative to the reaction vessel being controllable from a remote position. Alternatively the heat source may be fixed in location and the reaction vial is moveable into and out of the heat source. The reaction vessel has one or more sealing plugs, the positioning of which in relationship to the reaction vessel is controllable from a remote position. Also the one or more reaction vessel sealing plugs can include one or more conduits there through for delivery of reactants, gases at atmospheric or an elevated pressure, inert gases, drawing a vacuum and removal of reaction end products to and from the reaction vial, the reaction vial with sealing plug in position being operable at elevated pressures. The modular chemical production system is assembled from modules which can each include operating condition sensors and controllers configured for monitoring and controlling the individual modules and the assembled system from a remote position. Other modules include, but are not limited to a Reagent Storage and Delivery Module, a Cartridge Purification Module, a Microwave Reaction Module, an External QC/Analysis/Purification Interface Module, an Aliquotting Module, an F-18 Drying Module, a Concentration Module, a Radiation Counting Module, and a Capillary Reactor Module.

Modular radiochemistry synthesis system

DOEpatents

Satyamurthy, Nagichettiar; Barrio, Jorge R.; Amarasekera, Bernard; Van Dam, R. Michael; Olma, Sebastian; Williams, Dirk; Eddings, Mark; Shen, Clifton Kwang-Fu

2015-12-15

A modular chemical production system includes multiple modules for performing a chemical reaction, particularly of radiochemical compounds, from a remote location. One embodiment comprises a reaction vessel including a moveable heat source with the position thereof relative to the reaction vessel being controllable from a remote position. Alternatively the heat source may be fixed in location and the reaction vial is moveable into and out of the heat source. The reaction vessel has one or more sealing plugs, the positioning of which in relationship to the reaction vessel is controllable from a remote position. Also the one or more reaction vessel sealing plugs can include one or more conduits there through for delivery of reactants, gases at atmospheric or an elevated pressure, inert gases, drawing a vacuum and removal of reaction end products to and from the reaction vial, the reaction vial with sealing plug in position being operable at elevated pressures. The modular chemical production system is assembled from modules which can each include operating condition sensors and controllers configured for monitoring and controlling the individual modules and the assembled system from a remote position. Other modules include, but are not limited to a Reagent Storage and Delivery Module, a Cartridge Purification Module, a Microwave Reaction Module, an External QC/Analysis/Purification Interface Module, an Aliquotting Module, an F-18 Drying Module, a Concentration Module, a Radiation Counting Module, and a Capillary Reactor Module.

Modular radiochemistry synthesis system

DOEpatents

Satyamurthy, Nagichettiar; Barrio, Jorge R; Amarasekera, Bernard; Van Dam, R. Michael; Olma, Sebastian; Williams, Dirk; Eddings, Mark A; Shen, Clifton Kwang-Fu

2015-02-10

A modular chemical production system includes multiple modules for performing a chemical reaction, particularly of radiochemical compounds, from a remote location. One embodiment comprises a reaction vessel including a moveable heat source with the position thereof relative to the reaction vessel being controllable from a remote position. Alternatively the heat source may be fixed in location and the reaction vial is moveable into and out of the heat source. The reaction vessel has one or more sealing plugs, the positioning of which in relationship to the reaction vessel is controllable from a remote position. Also the one or more reaction vessel sealing plugs can include one or more conduits there through for delivery of reactants, gases at atmospheric or an elevated pressure, inert gases, drawing a vacuum and removal of reaction end products to and from the reaction vial, the reaction vial with sealing plug in position being operable at elevated pressures. The modular chemical production system is assembled from modules which can each include operating condition sensors and controllers configured for monitoring and controlling the individual modules and the assembled system from a remote position. Other modules include, but are not limited to a Reagent Storage and Delivery Module, a Cartridge Purification Module, a Microwave Reaction Module, an External QC/Analysis/Purification Interface Module, an Aliquotting Module, an F-18 Drying Module, a Concentration Module, a Radiation Counting Module, and a Capillary Reactor Module.

Programmable full-adder computations in communicating three-dimensional cell cultures.

PubMed

Ausländer, David; Ausländer, Simon; Pierrat, Xavier; Hellmann, Leon; Rachid, Leila; Fussenegger, Martin

2018-01-01

Synthetic biologists have advanced the design of trigger-inducible gene switches and their assembly into input-programmable circuits that enable engineered human cells to perform arithmetic calculations reminiscent of electronic circuits. By designing a versatile plug-and-play molecular-computation platform, we have engineered nine different cell populations with genetic programs, each of which encodes a defined computational instruction. When assembled into 3D cultures, these engineered cell consortia execute programmable multicellular full-adder logics in response to three trigger compounds.

78 FR 37785 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 196-Fort Worth, Texas; Notification of Proposed Production Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

... carrying cases, wrist straps, screws, power supplies, nickel/ cadmium batteries, lithium/ion batteries, other batteries, antenna assemblies, audio flex assemblies, bridge flex assemblies, interplex assembly... components and materials sourced from abroad include: labels, battery adhesives, decals, Kevlar protective...

In-Space Structural Assembly: Applications and Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. Keith; Doggett, Bill R.; Watson, Judith J.; Dorsey, John T.; Warren, Jay; Jones, Thomas C.; Komendera, Erik E.; Mann, Troy O.; Bowman, Lynn

2016-01-01

As NASA exploration moves beyond earth's orbit, the need exists for long duration space systems that are resilient to events that compromise safety and performance. Fortunately, technology advances in autonomy, robotic manipulators, and modular plug-and-play architectures over the past two decades have made in-space vehicle assembly and servicing possible at acceptable cost and risk. This study evaluates future space systems needed to support scientific observatories and human/robotic Mars exploration to assess key structural design considerations. The impact of in-space assembly is discussed to identify gaps in structural technology and opportunities for new vehicle designs to support NASA's future long duration missions.

Core disruptive accident margin seal

DOEpatents

Golden, Martin P.

1979-01-01

Apparatus for sealing the annulus defined within a substantially cylindrical rotatable riser assembly and plug combination of a nuclear reactor closure head. The apparatus comprises an inflatable sealing mechanism disposed in one portion of the riser assembly near the annulus such that upon inflation the sealing mechanism is radially actuated against the other portion of the riser assembly thereby sealing the annulus. The apparatus further comprises a connecting mechanism which places one end of the sealing mechanism in fluid communication with the reactor cover gas so that overpressurization of the reactor cover gas will increase the radial actuation of the sealing mechanism thus enhancing sealing of the annulus.

Vein-style air pumping tube and tire system and method of assembly

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

Benedict, Robert Leon; Gobinath, Thulasiram; Lin, Cheng-Hsiung

An air pumping tube and tire system and method of assembling is provided in which a tire groove is formed to extend into a flexing region of a tire sidewall and a complementary air pumping tube inserts into the tire groove. In the green, uncured air pumping tube condition, one or more check valves are assembled into the air pumping tube through access shafts and align with an internal air passageway of the air pumping tube. Plug components of the system enclose the check valves in the air pumping tube and the check valve-containing green air pumping tube is thenmore » cured.« less

Chlorine-induced assembly of a cationic coordination cage with a μ5-carbonato-bridged Mn(II)24 core.

PubMed

Xiong, Ke-Cai; Jiang, Fei-Long; Gai, Yan-Li; Yuan, Da-Qiang; Han, Dong; Ma, Jie; Zhang, Shu-Quan; Hong, Mao-Chun

2012-04-27

Chlorine caged in! The chlorine-induced assembly of six shuttlecock-like tetranuclear Mn(II) building blocks generated in situ based on p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene and facial anions gave rise to a novel truncated distorted octahedral cationic coordination cage with a μ(5)-carbonato-bridged Mn(II)(24) core. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

75 FR 18055 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Mermentau River, Grand Chenier, LA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

... electrical and mechanical repairs pertaining to the bridge's main span drive assembly and system components... in order to perform electrical and mechanical repairs pertaining to the bridge's main span drive...

50. Neg. No. F176B, Jun 5, 1936, EXTERIORFORD ASSEMBLY PLANT ...

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

50. Neg. No. F-176B, Jun 5, 1936, EXTERIOR-FORD ASSEMBLY PLANT AT LONG BEACH, OVERALL VIEW OF PLANT FROM THE HENRY FORD BRIDGE, CERRITOS CHANNEL IN THE FOREGROUND - Ford Motor Company Long Beach Assembly Plant, Assembly Building, 700 Henry Ford Avenue, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA

Unique self-assembly properties of a bridge-shaped protein dimer with quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianhao; Jiang, Pengju; Gao, Liqian; Yu, Yongsheng; Lu, Yao; Qiu, Lin; Wang, Cheli; Xia, Jiang

2013-09-01

How protein-protein interaction affects protein-nanoparticle self-assembly is the key to the understanding of biomolecular coating of nanoparticle in biological fluids. However, the relationship between protein shape and its interaction with nanoparticles is still under-exploited because of lack of a well-conceived binding system and a method to detect the subtle change in the protein-nanoparticle assemblies. Noticing this unresolved need, we cloned and expressed a His-tagged SpeA protein that adopts a bridge-shaped dimer structure, and utilized a high-resolution capillary electrophoresis method to monitor assembly formation between the protein and quantum dots (QDs, 5 nm in diameter). We observed that the bridge-shaped structure rendered a low SpeA:QD stoichiometry at saturation. Also, close monitoring of imidazole (Im) displacement of surface-bound protein revealed a unique two-step process. High-concentration Im could displace surface-bound SpeA protein and form a transient QD-protein intermediate, through a kinetically controlled displacement process. An affinity-driven equilibrium step then followed, resulting in re-assembling of the QD-protein complex in about 1 h. Through a temporarily formed intermediate, Im causes a rearrangement of His-tagged proteins on the surface. Thus, our work showcases that the synergistic interplay between QD-His-tag interaction and protein-protein interaction can result in unique properties of protein-nanoparticle assembly for the first time.

Wavelength-addressed intra-board optical interconnection by plug-in alignment with a micro hole array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakama, Kenichi; Tokiwa, Yuu; Mikami, Osamu

2010-09-01

Intra-board interconnection between optical waveguide channels is suitable for assembling high-speed optoelectronic printed wiring boards (OE-PWB). Here, we propose a novel optical interconnection method combining techniques for both wavelength-based optical waveguide addressing and plug-in optical waveguide alignment with a micro-hole array (MHA). This array was fabricated by the mask transfer method. For waveguide addressing, we used a micro passive wavelength selector (MPWS) module, which is a type of Littrow mount monochromator consisting of an optical diffraction grating, a focusing lens, and the MHA. From the experimental results, we found that the wavelength addressing operation of the MPWS module was effective for intra-board optical interconnection.

Photoinduced triplet-triplet energy transfer in a 2-ureido-4(1H)-pyrimidinone-bridged, quadruply hydrogen-bonded ferrocene-fullerene assembly.

PubMed

Feng, Ke; Yu, Mao-Lin; Wang, Su-Min; Wang, Ge-Xia; Tung, Chen-Ho; Wu, Li-Zhu

2013-01-14

2-Ureido-4(1H)-pyrimidinone-bridged ferrocene-fullerene assembly I is designed and synthesized for elaborating the photoinduced electron-transfer processes in self-complementary quadruply hydrogen-bonded modules. Unexpectedly, steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy reveal an inefficient electron-transfer process from the ferrocene to the singlet or triplet excited state of the fullerene, although the electron-transfer reactions are thermodynamically feasible. Instead, an effective intra-assembly triplet-triplet energy-transfer process is found to be operative in assembly I with a rate constant of 9.2×10(5) s(-1) and an efficiency of 73% in CH(2)Cl(2) at room temperature. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

78 FR 38728 - Notice of Issuance of Final Determination Concerning Valves

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-27

.... The DBB expanding plug valve is designed for applications where positive shut-off, verifiable zero... product of a country or instrumentality only if (i) it is wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of..., facts such as resources expended on product design and development, extent and nature of post-assembly...

A plug-and-play pathway refactoring workflow for natural product research in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Ren, Hengqian; Hu, Pingfan; Zhao, Huimin

2017-08-01

Pathway refactoring serves as an invaluable synthetic biology tool for natural product discovery, characterization, and engineering. However, the complicated and laborious molecular biology techniques largely hinder its application in natural product research, especially in a high-throughput manner. Here we report a plug-and-play pathway refactoring workflow for high-throughput, flexible pathway construction, and expression in both Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biosynthetic genes were firstly cloned into pre-assembled helper plasmids with promoters and terminators, resulting in a series of expression cassettes. These expression cassettes were further assembled using Golden Gate reaction to generate fully refactored pathways. The inclusion of spacer plasmids in this system would not only increase the flexibility for refactoring pathways with different number of genes, but also facilitate gene deletion and replacement. As proof of concept, a total of 96 pathways for combinatorial carotenoid biosynthesis were built successfully. This workflow should be generally applicable to different classes of natural products produced by various organisms. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1847-1854. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and production integration of a planarized AlCu interconnect process for submicron CMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Kevin C.; Hill, Rodney; Reddy, Krishna; Gadepally, Kamesh

1995-09-01

A planarized aluminum alloy interconnect has been developed as an alternative to tungsten plugs for a 0.65 (mu) CMOS technology. Contact resistance can increase with either an inadequate RF sputter clean or titanium that is too thin to reduce the native oxide. Diffusion barrier results show that a minimum amount of titanium nitride, whether deposited conventionally or with collimation, is necessary for low junction leakage and good sort yield. Stacked contacts and vias are supported while via resistance and defect density are improved. Electrical bridging due to silicon residues from AlSiCu can be minimized with metal overetching, but not to the extent of AlCu. Sidewall pitting was observed to be due to galvanic corrosion from copper precipitate formation. Overall yield has been improved along with decreased wafer cost compared to conventional tungsten plug technology.

39. Photocopy of photograph, R.A. Hoffman, Bridge Engineer, Arizona Highway ...

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

39. Photocopy of photograph, R.A. Hoffman, Bridge Engineer, Arizona Highway Department, photographer, ca. July 1928 (original print located at Arizona Department of Transportation, Phoenix AZ). ASSEMBLY OF TRAVELER ON NORTH ARM, SHOWING TEMPORARY TIEBACKS AND ANCHORAGE ARMS. - Navajo Bridge, Spanning Colorado River at U.S. Highway 89 Alternate, Page, Coconino County, AZ

In Situ Repair of Deteriorated Concrete in Hydraulic Structures: Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-05-01

because of its severe deterioration. Examination of the structure had revealed extensive cracking in the beams , columns , and walls as well as pockets of...used extensively in hydraulic structures, such as dams, spill- ways, lock chambers, and bridge support columns and piers. The Corps of Engineers...Figure 6. Repair of crack by post reinforcement. lli FORM KEY WITH PRECAST CONCRETE OR MORTAR PLUGS SET IN BITI.MEN, HoLE DRILLED IN STEM OF WALL

APPLICATION OF STEEL PIPE PILE LOADING TESTS TO DESIGN VERIFICATION OF FOUNDATION OF THE TOKYO GATE BRIDGE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saitou, Yutaka; Kikuchi, Yoshiaki; Kusakabe, Osamu; Kiyomiya, Osamu; Yoneyama, Haruo; Kawakami, Taiji

Steel sheet pipe pile foundations with large diameter steel pipe sheet pile were used for the foundation of the main pier of the Tokyo Gateway bridge. However, as for the large diameter steel pipe pile, the bearing mechanism including a pile tip plugging effect is still unclear due to lack of the practical examinations even though loading tests are performed on Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway. In the light of the foregoing problems, static pile loading tests both vertical and horizontal directions, a dynamic loading test, and cone penetration tests we re conducted for determining proper design parameters of the ground for the foundations. Design parameters were determined rationally based on the tests results. Rational design verification was obtained from this research.

"Plug and play" logic gates based on fluorescence switching regulated by self-assembly of nucleotide and lanthanide ions.

PubMed

Pu, Fang; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2014-06-25

Molecular logic gates in response to chemical, biological, or optical input signals at a molecular level have received much interest over the past decade. Herein, we construct "plug and play" logic systems based on the fluorescence switching of guest molecules confined in coordination polymer nanoparticles generated from nucleotide and lanthanide ions. In the system, the addition of new modules directly enables new logic functions. PASS 0, YES, PASS 1, NOT, IMP, OR, and AND gates are successfully constructed in sequence. Moreover, different logic gates (AND, INH, and IMP) can be constructed using different guest molecules and the same input combinations. The work will be beneficial to the future logic design and expand the applications of coordination polymers.

An industrialized construction approach to concrete superstructures for bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop drawings for a specific site or sites that incorporated the best concepts of industrialized bridge superstructure construction, that is, great emphasis was placed upon the use of modular design and assembly ...

GENERAL VIEW OF THE BRIDGE CRANE USED IN HB3 AND ...

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

GENERAL VIEW OF THE BRIDGE CRANE USED IN HB-3 AND HB-4, FACING SOUTHEAST - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 39, Vehicle Assembly Building, VAB Road, East of Kennedy Parkway North, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

High slot utilization systems for electric machines

DOEpatents

Hsu, John S

2009-06-23

Two new High Slot Utilization (HSU) Systems for electric machines enable the use of form wound coils that have the highest fill factor and the best use of magnetic materials. The epoxy/resin/curing treatment ensures the mechanical strength of the assembly of teeth, core, and coils. In addition, the first HSU system allows the coil layers to be moved inside the slots for the assembly purpose. The second system uses the slided-in teeth instead of the plugged-in teeth. The power density of the electric machine that uses either system can reach its highest limit.

49. Neg. No. 7268C, ca. 1930, PhotographerUnknown, OVERALL VIEW OF ...

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

49. Neg. No. 7268C, ca. 1930, Photographer-Unknown, OVERALL VIEW OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM THE HENRY FORD BRIDGE, PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION OF THE PRESSED STEEL BUILDING - Ford Motor Company Long Beach Assembly Plant, Assembly Building, 700 Henry Ford Avenue, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA

DETAIL VIEW OF THE BRIDGE CRANE HOOKS USED IN HB3 ...

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

DETAIL VIEW OF THE BRIDGE CRANE HOOKS USED IN HB-3 AND HB-4, FACING SOUTHWEST - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 39, Vehicle Assembly Building, VAB Road, East of Kennedy Parkway North, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the assembly mechanism of polysaccharides in marine aerosols.

PubMed

Sun, Lu; Li, Xin; Hede, Thomas; Tu, Yaoquan; Leck, Caroline; Ågren, Hans

2014-12-21

The high Arctic marine environment has recently detected polymer gels in atmospheric aerosol particles and cloud water originating from the surface microlayer of the open leads within the pack ice area. These polysaccharide molecules are water insoluble but water solvated, highly surface-active and highly hydrated (99% water). In order to add to the understanding and to complement missing laboratory characterization of marine polymer gels we have in this work performed an atomistic study of the assembly process and interfacial properties of polysaccharides. Our study reveals a number of salient features of the microscopic process behind polysaccharide assembly into nanogels. With three- and four-repeating units the polysaccharides assemble into a cluster in 50 ns. The aggregates grow quicker by absorbing one or two polymers each time, depending on the unit length and the type of inter-bridging cation. Although both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains are contracted, the latter dominates distinctly upon the contraction of solvent accessible surface areas. The establishment of inter-chain hydrogen-bonds is the key to the assembly while ionic bridges can further promote aggregation. During the assembly of the more bent four-unit polymers, intra-chain hydrogen bonds are significantly diminished by Ca(2+). Meanwhile, the percentage of Ca(2+) acting as an ionic bridge is more eminent, highlighting the significance of Ca(2+) ions for longer-chain polysaccharides. The aggregates are able to enhance surface tension more in the presence of Ca(2+) than in the presence of Na(+) owing to their more compact structure. These conclusions all demonstrate that studies of the present kind provide insight into the self-assembly process and interfacial properties of marine gels. We hope this understanding will keep up the interest in the complex and the fascinating relationship between marine microbiology, atmospheric aerosols, clouds and climate.

Spontaneous Self-Organization Enables Dielectrophoresis of Small Nanoparticles and Formation of Photoconductive Microbridges

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

Jung, Seung-Ho; Chen, Chen; Cha, Sang-Ho

Detailed understanding of the mechanism of dielectrophoresis (DEP) and the drastic improvement of its efficiency for small size-quantized nanoparticles (NPs) open the door for the convergence of microscale and nanoscale technologies. It is hindered, however, by the severe reduction of DEP force in particles with volumes below a few hundred cubic nanometers. We report here DEP assembly of size-quantized CdTe nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of 4.2 nm under AC voltage of 4–10 V. Calculations of the nominal DEP force for these NPs indicate that it is several orders of magnitude smaller than the force of the Brownian motion destroyingmore » the assemblies even for the maximum applied AC voltage. Despite this, very efficient formation of NP bridges between electrodes separated by a gap of 2 μm was observed even for AC voltages of 6 V and highly diluted NP dispersions. The resolution of this conundrum was found in the intrinsic ability of CdTe NPs to self-assemble. The species being assembled by DEP are substantially bigger than the individual NPs. DEP assembly should be treated as a process taking place for NP chains with a length of ~140 nm. The self-assembled chains increase the nominal volume where the polarization of the particles takes place, while retaining the size-quantized nature of the material. The produced NP bridges were found to be photoactive, producing photocurrent upon illumination. DEP bridges of quantum confined NPs can be used in fast parallel manufacturing of novel MEMS components, sensors, and optical and optoelectronic devices. Purposeful engineering of self-assembling properties of NPs makes possible further facilitation of the DEP and increase of complexity of the produced nano- and microscale structures.« less

Characterization of Chloride thresholds in Florida coastal concrete bridge substructures : final report, February 11, 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-02-11

Sea water induced reinforcing steel corrosion often results in high maintenance costs and can be service life limiting for concrete bridge substructure elements in marine environments. In the present research, a novel piling type specimen assembly an...

28. WWP, 28 June 1945 'NO. 4 TURBINE ASSEMBLY,' SHOWING ...

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

28. WWP, 28 June 1945 'NO. 4 TURBINE ASSEMBLY,' SHOWING CUTAWAY ELEVATION OF THE TURBINE - Washington Water Power Company Monroe Street Plant, Units 4 & 5, South Bank Spokane River, below Monroe Street Bridge, Spokane, Spokane County, WA

Assembly of the MHC I peptide-loading complex determined by a conserved ionic lock-switch

PubMed Central

Blees, Andreas; Reichel, Katrin; Trowitzsch, Simon; Fisette, Olivier; Bock, Christoph; Abele, Rupert; Hummer, Gerhard; Schäfer, Lars V.; Tampé, Robert

2015-01-01

Salt bridges in lipid bilayers play a decisive role in the dynamic assembly and downstream signaling of the natural killer and T-cell receptors. Here, we describe the identification of an inter-subunit salt bridge in the membrane within yet another key component of the immune system, the peptide-loading complex (PLC). The PLC regulates cell surface presentation of self-antigens and antigenic peptides via molecules of the major histocompatibility complex class I. We demonstrate that a single salt bridge in the membrane between the transporter associated with antigen processing TAP and the MHC I-specific chaperone tapasin is essential for the assembly of the PLC and for efficient MHC I antigen presentation. Molecular modeling and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations suggest an ionic lock-switch mechanism for the binding of TAP to tapasin, in which an unfavorable uncompensated charge in the ER-membrane is prevented through complex formation. Our findings not only deepen the understanding of the interaction network within the PLC, but also provide evidence for a general interaction principle of dynamic multiprotein membrane complexes in immunity. PMID:26611325

3-D Packaging: A Technology Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strickland, Mark; Johnson, R. Wayne; Gerke, David

2005-01-01

Traditional electronics are assembled as a planar arrangement of components on a printed circuit board (PCB) or other type of substrate. These planar assemblies may then be plugged into a motherboard or card cage creating a volume of electronics. This architecture is common in many military and space electronic systems as well as large computer and telecommunications systems and industrial electronics. The individual PCB assemblies can be replaced if defective or for system upgrade. Some applications are constrained by the volume or the shape of the system and are not compatible with the motherboard or card cage architecture. Examples include missiles, camcorders, and digital cameras. In these systems, planar rigid-flex substrates are folded to create complex 3-D shapes. The flex circuit serves the role of motherboard, providing interconnection between the rigid boards. An example of a planar rigid - flex assembly prior to folding is shown. In both architectures, the interconnection is effectively 2-D.

Fuel rod with annular nuclear fuel pellets having same U-235 enrichment and different annulus sizes for graduated enrichment loading

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

Mildrum, C.M.

1987-08-18

A fuel rod is described for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly, comprising: (a) a hollow cladding tube; (b) a pair of end plugs connected to and sealing the cladding tube at opposite ends thereof; (c) a plurality of fuel pellets contained on the tube and being composed of fissile material having a single enrichment the value of which is at the level of the maximum enrichment loading of the rod, the pellets having provided in a stack having one end disposed adjacent to one of the end plugs and an opposite end disposed remote from the other of the endmore » plugs; and (d) a plenum spring disposed in the tube between the other end plug and the opposite end of the pellet stack for retaining the pellets in a stack form; (e) at least some of the fuel pellets having an annular configuration and at least other of the fuel pellets having a solid configuration; (f) each of some of the annular fuel pellets having an annulus of a first size; (e) each of other of the annual fuel pellets having an annulus of a second size different from the first size, whereby graduation of axial enrichment loading is provided between the annual fuel pellets of the fuel rod.« less

The introduction of modern timber bridges in Virginia : a final report on the Virginia timber bridge initiative.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

In 1990, the Virginia General Assembly established a commission to propose and enhance the economic development of the Southside region of the Commonwealth, the tier of largely rural counties across the southern border. The commission's 1991 report, ...

Valve stem and packing assembly

DOEpatents

Wordin, J.J.

1991-09-03

A valve stem and packing assembly is provided in which a rotatable valve stem includes a first tractrix surface for sliding contact with a stem packing and also includes a second tractrix surface for sliding contact with a bonnet. Force is applied by means of a spring, gland flange, and gland on the stem packing so the stem packing seals to the valve stem and bonnet. This configuration serves to create and maintain a reliable seal between the stem packing and the valve stem. The bonnet includes a second complementary tractrix surface for contacting the second sliding tractrix surface, the combination serving as a journal bearing for the entire valve stem and packing assembly. The journal bearing so configured is known as a Schiele's pivot. The Schiele's pivot also serves to maintain proper alignment of the valve stem with respect to the bonnet. Vertical wear between the surfaces of the Schiele's pivot is uniform at all points of contact between the second sliding tractrix surface and the second complementary tractrix surface of a bonnet. The valve stem is connected to a valve plug by means of a slip joint. The valve is opened and closed by rotating the valve stem. The slip joint compensates for wear on the Schiele's pivot and on the valve plug. A ledge is provided on the valve bonnet for the retaining nut to bear against. The ledge prevents over tightening of the retaining nut and the resulting excessive friction between stem and stem packing. 2 figures.

Valve stem and packing assembly

DOEpatents

Wordin, John J.

1991-01-01

A valve stem and packing assembly is provided in which a rotatable valve stem includes a first tractrix surface for sliding contact with a stem packing and also includes a second tractrix surface for sliding contact with a bonnet. Force is applied by means of a spring, gland flange, and gland on the stem packing so the stem packing seals to the valve stem and bonnet. This configuration serves to create and maintain a reliable seal between the stem packing and the valve stem. The bonnet includes a second complementary tractrix surface for contacting the second sliding tractrix surface, the combination serving as a journal bearing for the entire valve stem and packing assembly. The journal bearing so configured is known as a Schiele's pivot. The Schiele's pivot also serves to maintain proper alignment of the valve stem with respect to the bonnet. Vertical wear between the surfaces of the Schiele's pivot is uniform at all points of contact between the second sliding tractrix surface and the second complementary tractrix surface of a bonnet. The valve stem is connected to a valve plug by means of a slip joint. The valve is opened and closed by rotating the valve stem. The slip joint compensates for wear on the Schiele's pivot and on the valve plug. A ledge is provided on the valve bonnet for the retaining nut to bear against. The ledge prevents overtightening of the retaining nut and the resulting excessive friction between stem and stem packing.

7. UNIT 4, VIEW TO SOUTHEAST, SHOWING GATE MOTOR ASSEMBLY ...

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

7. UNIT 4, VIEW TO SOUTHEAST, SHOWING GATE MOTOR ASSEMBLY (CENTER), TURBINE (LEFT FOREGROUND), AND GENERATOR (BACKGROUND) - Washington Water Power Company Monroe Street Plant, Units 4 & 5, South Bank Spokane River, below Monroe Street Bridge, Spokane, Spokane County, WA

6. UNIT 5, VIEW TO SOUTHWEST, SHOWING GATE MOTOR ASSEMBLY ...

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

6. UNIT 5, VIEW TO SOUTHWEST, SHOWING GATE MOTOR ASSEMBLY (CENTER), TURBINE (RIGHT FOREGROUND), AND GENERATOR (BACKGROUND) - Washington Water Power Company Monroe Street Plant, Units 4 & 5, South Bank Spokane River, below Monroe Street Bridge, Spokane, Spokane County, WA

Low inductance busbar assembly

DOEpatents

Holbrook, Meghan Ann

2010-09-21

A busbar assembly for electrically coupling first and second busbars to first and second contacts, respectively, on a power module is provided. The assembly comprises a first terminal integrally formed with the first busbar, a second terminal integrally formed with the second busbar and overlapping the first terminal, a first bridge electrode having a first tab electrically coupled to the first terminal and overlapping the first and second terminals, and a second tab electrically coupled to the first contact, a second bridge electrode having a third tab electrically coupled to the second terminal, and overlapping the first and second terminals and the first tab, and a fourth tab electrically coupled to the second contact, and a fastener configured to couple the first tab to the first terminal, and the third tab to the second terminal.

Suction and cohesion demise in desaturating granular medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hueckel, T.; Mielniczuk, B.; El-Youssoufi, S. M.

2017-12-01

Continuum mechanics for unsaturated soils is based on the assumption of a one-to-one relationship betwee saturation degree and suction represented by the characteristic curve. Such curve commonly shows exceedingly high values of suction at saturation decreasing below 10%. We have performed a series of experiments on physical micro-structural models of 8-, 5, 4, 3, and 2-grain assemblies filled with water forming capillary, funicular and pendular bridges. Dynamic variables characterizing the evolution include: Laplace pressure, surface tension force, total intergralular force, contact angle and contact perimeter length. The Laplace pressure was calculated from the directly measured curvatures of interface surface for 2-grain bridges, and estimated from tomography stills for 3 grain bridges. The initial negative Laplace pressure (suction) as well as total intergranular force increase modestly at the begining of evaporation, but undergo an unstable decrease at the advanced stage, often with a jump in the force known as a Haines jumps since 1925. Laplace pressure turns into positive values prior to rupture for 2-grain bodies. For 3-grain bridges there is never an exceedingly high intergranular force of suction, reported in macro-scale experiments. For multiple-grain bodies there are two types of instabilities, depending on densitiy of the assembly and the Gaussian curvature (GC): at positive GC points it is thin-sheet instability, while at negative GC points instability is linked with air entry fingers, all associated with the split of assemblies into smaller isolated funicular, and eventually pendular bodies. The multi-grain bridges instabilities are linked to material drying cracking, the instabilities in 2 grain systems mean eventual loss of cohesion.

29 CFR 1926.754 - Structural steel assembly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... connectors on composite floors, roofs and bridge decks. When shear connectors are used in construction of composite floors, roofs and bridge decks, employees shall lay out and install the shear connectors after the... requirements of paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section. (4) Decking gaps around columns. Wire mesh, exterior...

29 CFR 1926.754 - Structural steel assembly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... connectors on composite floors, roofs and bridge decks. When shear connectors are used in construction of composite floors, roofs and bridge decks, employees shall lay out and install the shear connectors after the... requirements of paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section. (4) Decking gaps around columns. Wire mesh, exterior...

29 CFR 1926.754 - Structural steel assembly.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... connectors on composite floors, roofs and bridge decks. When shear connectors are used in construction of composite floors, roofs and bridge decks, employees shall lay out and install the shear connectors after the... requirements of paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section. (4) Decking gaps around columns. Wire mesh, exterior...

49 CFR 213.353 - Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on moveable bridges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or... SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.353 Turnouts, crossovers, and lift... shall be at least 11/2 inches wide. (d) For all turnouts and crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or...

49 CFR 213.353 - Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on moveable bridges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or... SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.353 Turnouts, crossovers, and lift... shall be at least 11/2 inches wide. (d) For all turnouts and crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or...

32. Another type of upper superstructure assembly found on the ...

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

32. Another type of upper superstructure assembly found on the 1st and 4th spans. View is of north side of 4th span. - Cleves Bridge, Spanning Great Miami River on U.S. Highway 50, Cleves, Hamilton County, OH

Lithosphere-to-Ionosphere Plug-and-Play Architecture (LION-PNP): Networking the Physical World Made Cheap and Easy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, N. T.; Mendez, J. S.; Fritz, T. A.; Hoffman, C.

2012-12-01

The lack of rapidly reconfigurable and easily deployable instrumentation packages often results in information loss during unannounced or time-critical geophysical events such as spaceweather flare-ups, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. While increasingly powerful and sensitive sensor technologies have been created in the last years to study our planet, robust, yet simple and cost-effective, mechanical, electrical, and data interfaces between these devices and the user (scientist) have yet to be developed. Non-standardized interfaces make instrument integration and field operation cumbersome and error-prone. Indeed, the assembly and deployment of some systems can take months and incur high costs. To address this problem, we present the LIthosphere-to-IOnosphere Plug-aNd-Play architecture (LION-PNP), a complete, low cost integration protocol for space, atmospheric, and terrestrial sensor networks. Similar to the USB plug-and-play protocols created for personal computers, LION-PNP offers geophysicists and space scientists the ability to assemble and operate complex sensor packages by simply "plugging" devices (magnetometers, seismometers, GPS, spectrometers, etc) into a centralized Command and Data Handling unit (CDH). LION-PNP accomplishes this by inserting a Generic Sensor Interpreter (GSI) between the back-end of a device and the CDH. The GSI allows the CDH to automatically configure a sensor without requiring the user to manually install drivers. Mechanical integration is also accelerated by repackaging instruments according to the CubeSAT form-factor (multiples of 10 x 10 x 10 cm cubes). In the following work, we report on the development of LION-PNP. To demonstrate our initial success, we first discuss the Boston University Student-satellite for Applications and Training (BUSAT), a low-cost, modular, spaceweather satellite running LION-PNP. BUSAT is a completely student-driven project meant for magnetospheric-ionospheric research incorporating 4 scientific payloads. To further stress the broad applicability of LION-PNP we also present VolcanoNET, a ground-based, multi-sensor package that will explore charging of volcanic ash plumes and volcanic lightning.; The Boston University Student satellite for Applications and Training (BUSAT) canisterized scientific satellite concept.

Characterization of stormwater runoff from bridges in North Carolina and the effects of bridge deck runoff on receiving streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Chad R.; Fitzgerald, Sharon A.; Sherrell, Roy D.; Harned, Douglas A.; Staub, Erik L.; Pointer, Brian H.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

2011-01-01

In 2008, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 2436 that required the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to study the water-quality effects of bridges on receiving streams. In response, the NCDOT and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated on a study to provide information necessary to address the requirements of the Bill. To better understand the effects of stormwater runoff from bridges on receiving streams, the following tasks were performed: (1) characterize stormwater runoff quality and quantity from a representative selection of bridges in North Carolina; (2) measure stream water quality upstream from selected bridges to compare bridge deck stormwater concentrations and loads to stream constituent concentrations and loads; and (3) determine if the chemistry of bed sediments upstream and downstream from selected bridges differs substantially based on presence or absence of a best management practice for bridge runoff.

Detail of "pin" or large bolt used to assemble the ...

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

Detail of "pin" or large bolt used to assemble the truss pieces. This "pin" is on pony truss; similar pins were used on movable span. - Naval Supply Annex Stockton, Daggett Road Bridge, Daggett Road traversing Burns Cut Off, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

7. Typical top chord, vertical lattice, diagonals and strut assembly ...

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

7. Typical top chord, vertical lattice, diagonals and strut assembly for the 1st and 4th spans. View is of north side of 1st span. - Cleves Bridge, Spanning Great Miami River on U.S. Highway 50, Cleves, Hamilton County, OH

Fuel rod assembly to manifold attachment

DOEpatents

Donck, Harry A.; Veca, Anthony R.; Snyder, Jr., Harold J.

1980-01-01

A fuel element is formed with a plurality of fuel rod assemblies detachably connected to an overhead support with each of the fuel rod assemblies having a gas tight seal with the support to allow internal fission gaseous products to flow without leakage from the fuel rod assemblies into a vent manifold passageway system on the support. The upper ends of the fuel rod assemblies are located at vertically extending openings in the support and upper threaded members are threaded to the fuel rod assemblies to connect the latter to the support. The preferred threaded members are cap nuts having a dome wall encircling an upper threaded end on the fuel rod assembly and having an upper sealing surface for sealing contact with the support. Another and lower seal is achieved by abutting a sealing surface on each fuel rod assembly with the support. A deformable portion on the cap nut locks the latter against inadvertent turning off the fuel rod assembly. Orienting means on the fuel rod and support primarily locates the fuel rods azimuthally for reception of a deforming tool for the cap nut. A cross port in the fuel rod end plug discharges into a sealed annulus within the support, which serves as a circumferential chamber, connecting the manifold gas passageways in the support.

Flight motor set 360L002 (STS-27R). Volume 5: Nozzle component

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, S. A.

1990-01-01

A review of the performance and post-flight condition of the STS-27 Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) nozzles is presented. Thermal/Structural instrumentation data is reviewed, and applicable Discrepancy Reports (DRs) and Process Departures (PDs) are presented. The Nozzle Component Program Team (NCPT) performance evaluation and the Redesign Program Review Board (RPRB) assessment is included. The STS-27 nozzle assemblies were flown on the RSRM Second Flight (Space Shuttle Atlantis) on 2 December 1988. The nozzles were a partially submerged convergent and/or divergent movable design with an aft pivot point flexible bearing. The nozzle assemblies incorporated the following features: RSRM forward exit cone with snubber assembly, RSRM fixed housing, Structural backup Outer Boot Ring (OBR), RSRM cowl ring, RSRM nose inlet assembly, RSRM throat assembly, RSRM aft exit cone assembly with Linear-Shaped Charge (LSC), RTV backfill in Joints 1, 3, and 4, Use of EA913 NA adhesive in place of EA913 adhesive, Redesigned nozzle plug, and Carbon Cloth Phenolic (CCP) with 750 ppm sodium content. The CCP material usage for the STS-27 forward nozzle and aft exit cone assemblies is shown.

FLUORINE CELL ANODE ASSEMBLY

DOEpatents

Cable, R.E.; Goode, W.B. Jr.; Henderson, W.K.; Montillon, G.H.

1962-06-26

An improved anode assembly is deslgned for use in electrolytlc cells ln the productlon of hydrogen and fluorlne from a moIten electrolyte. The anode assembly comprises a copper post, a copper hanger supported by the post, a plurality of carbon anode members, and bolt means for clamplng half of the anode members to one slde of the hanger and for clamplng the other half of the anode members to the other slde of the hanger. The heads of the clamplng bolts are recessed withln the anode members and carbon plugs are inserted ln the recesses above the bolt heads to protect the boIts agalnst corroslon. A copper washer is provided under the head of each clamplng boIt such that the anode members can be tightly clamped to the hanger with a resultant low anode jolnt resistance. (AEC)

IET. Coupling station (TAN620) and service room section and details. ...

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

IET. Coupling station (TAN-620) and service room section and details. Interior electrical features inside coupling station. Cable terminal assembly for patch panel for plug. Ralph M. Parsons 902-4-ANP-620-E 401. Date: February 1954. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL index code no. 035-0620-10-693-106958 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Design for a Simple and Inexpensive Cylinder-within-a-Cylinder Gradient Maker for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Paul A.; O'Mealey, Gary B.; Khan, Nabeel A.; Larabee, Chelsea M.

2011-01-01

A design for a simple and inexpensive gradient maker is described. The gradient maker is assembled by (i) cutting the tops off two plastic bottles of differing diameters to produce two cylinders with intact bottoms; (ii) drilling a small hole toward the bottom of the smaller diameter cylinder and plugging the hole with a size 00 cork stopper; and…

Rapid Assembly of DNA via Ligase Cycling Reaction (LCR).

PubMed

Chandran, Sunil

2017-01-01

The assembly of multiple DNA parts into a larger DNA construct is a requirement in most synthetic biology laboratories. Here we describe a method for the efficient, high-throughput, assembly of DNA utilizing the ligase chain reaction (LCR). The LCR method utilizes non-overlapping DNA parts that are ligated together with the guidance of bridging oligos. Using this method, we have successfully assembled up to 20 DNA parts in a single reaction or DNA constructs up to 26 kb in size.

Adjustable bridge blocks make huge difference to the self-assembly of multiblock copolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Weihua

We present theoretical studies on two types of multiblock copolymers, whose self-assemblies lead to a lot of novel ordered nanostructures. The first example is BABCB multiblock terpolymer, where A- and C-blocks separately aggregate into isolated domains and the three B-blocks with adjustable lengths form the matrix. As a result, the middle B-block forms a natural bridge connecting A- and C-domains. In contrast to ABC, the BABCB can form many binary spherical and cylindrical phases with tunable coordination numbers. In addition, the ABCB solution can form a lot of planet-satellite micellar superstructures with tunable number of satellites that varies from 3 to 20. The another system is AB-type multiblock copolymers. In contrast to the above system, there is no natural bridge. Accordingly, we introduce multiple arms into the architecture which tend to partition themselves into different domains to maximize their configurational entropy, thus forming effective bridges. Furthermore, each arm is devised as BAB triblock to enable adjustable length of bridges. With this copolymer, we predict a few non-classical ordered phases, including a square array cylinder. Our study opens the possibilities of fabricating desired nanostructures using designed block copolymers. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21322407, 21574026).

Parachute Recovery Systems Design Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

CUTTER BLADE ’S ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY ASSEMBL WELDED CLOSURE DISK LINE BORON/CALCIUM CHROMATE 1OHM BRIDGE -. (47gm Dia. Wire Tophet C) DAP RING POLVIMIDE...8.124 J. A. Buckley. "Missile Recovery System for High-Speed Small-Caliber Missiles." AIAA Paper, October 1986. (AIAA 86-2462.) 8.125 S. K. Ibrahim

Stimuli-Responsive DNA-Based Hydrogels: From Basic Principles to Applications.

PubMed

Kahn, Jason S; Hu, Yuwei; Willner, Itamar

2017-04-18

The base sequence of nucleic acids encodes structural and functional information into the DNA biopolymer. External stimuli such as metal ions, pH, light, or added nucleic acid fuel strands provide triggers to reversibly switch nucleic acid structures such as metal-ion-bridged duplexes, i-motifs, triplex nucleic acids, G-quadruplexes, or programmed double-stranded hybrids of oligonucleotides (DNA). The signal-triggered oligonucleotide structures have been broadly applied to develop switchable DNA nanostructures and DNA machines, and these stimuli-responsive assemblies provide functional scaffolds for the rapidly developing area of DNA nanotechnology. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels undergoing signal-triggered hydrogel-to-solution transitions or signal-controlled stiffness changes attract substantial interest as functional matrices for controlled drug delivery, materials exhibiting switchable mechanical properties, acting as valves or actuators, and "smart" materials for sensing and information processing. The integration of stimuli-responsive oligonucleotides with hydrogel-forming polymers provides versatile means to exploit the functional information encoded in the nucleic acid sequences to yield stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibiting switchable physical, structural, and chemical properties. Stimuli-responsive DNA-based nucleic acid structures are integrated in acrylamide polymer chains and reversible, switchable hydrogel-to-solution transitions of the systems are demonstrated by applying external triggers, such as metal ions, pH-responsive strands, G-quadruplex, and appropriate counter triggers that bridge and dissociate the polymer chains. By combining stimuli-responsive nucleic acid bridges with thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) chains, systems undergoing reversible solution ↔ hydrogel ↔ solid transitions are demonstrated. Specifically, by bridging acrylamide polymer chains by two nucleic acid functionalities, where one type of bridging unit provides a stimuli-responsive element and the second unit acts as internal "bridging memory", shape-memory hydrogels undergoing reversible and switchable transitions between shaped hydrogels and shapeless quasi-liquid states are demonstrated. By using stimuli-responsive hydrogel cross-linking units that can assemble the bridging units by two different input signals, the orthogonally-triggered functions of the shape-memory were shown. Furthermore, a versatile approach to assemble stimuli-responsive DNA-based acrylamide hydrogel films on surfaces is presented. The method involves the activation of the hybridization chain-reaction (HCR) by a surface-confined promoter strand, in the presence of acrylamide chains modified with two DNA hairpin structures and appropriate stimuli-responsive tethers. The resulting hydrogel-modified surfaces revealed switchable stiffness properties and signal-triggered catalytic functions. By applying the method to assemble the hydrogel microparticles, substrate-loaded, stimuli-responsive microcapsules are prepared. The signal-triggered DNA-based hydrogel microcapsules are applied as drug carriers for controlled release. The different potential applications and future perspectives of stimuli responsive hydrogels are discussed. Specifically, the use of these smart materials and assemblies as carriers for controlled drug release and as shape-memory matrices for information storage and inscription and the use of surface-confined stimuli-responsive hydrogels, exhibiting switchable stiffness properties, for catalysis and controlled growth of cells are discussed.

57. INTERIOR VIEW OF VAL BRIDGE STRUCTURE SHOWING LAUNCHING TUBE, ...

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

57. INTERIOR VIEW OF VAL BRIDGE STRUCTURE SHOWING LAUNCHING TUBE, STAIRS AND PORTION OF LAUNCHING DECK. NOTE SUPPORT CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY IN DISTANCE. Date unknown, circa March 1948. (Original photograph in possession of Dave Willis, San Diego, California.) - Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservior, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

DNA-bridged Chiroplasmonic Assemblies of Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotov, Nicholas

2015-03-01

Chirality at nanoscale attracts a lot of attention during the last decade. A number of chiral nanoscale systems had been discovered ranging from individual nanoparticles to helical nanowires and from lithographically defined substrates. DNA bridges make possible in-silico engineering and practical construction of complex assemblies of nanoparticles with of both plasmonic and excitonic nature. In this presentation, expected and unexpected optical effects that we observed in chiral plasmonic and excitonic systems will be demonstrated. Special effort will be placed on the transitioning of theoretical and experimental knowledge about chiral nanoscale systems to applications. The most obvious direction for practical targets was so far, the design of metamaterials for negative refractive index optics. The results describing the 3D materials with the highest experimentally observed chiral anisotropy factor will be presented. It will be followed by the discussion of the recent developments in analytical application of chiral assemblies for detection of cancer and bacterial contamination.

Cooled electrical terminal assembly and device incorporating same

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Phillips, Mark G.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2006-08-22

A terminal structure provides interfacing with power electronics circuitry and external circuitry. The thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the terminal structure and the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Cooled electrical terminal assembly and device incorporating same

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Phillips, Mark G.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2005-05-24

A terminal structure provides interfacing with power electronics circuitry and external circuitry. The thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the terminal structure and the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Retractable Visual Indicator Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hackler, George R. (Inventor); Gamboa, Ronald J. (Inventor); Dominquez, Victor (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A retractable indicator assembly may be mounted on a container which transmits air through the container and removes deleterious gases with an activated charcoal medium in the container. The assembly includes: an elongate indicator housing has a chamber therein; a male adaptor with an external threads is used for sealing engagement with the container; a plug located at the upper end of the housing; a housing that includes a transparent wall portion for viewing at least a portion of the chamber; a litmus indicator, moveable by a retractable rod from a retracted position within the container to an extended position within the chamber of the housing; and an outer housing that is secured to the upper end of the rod, and protects the indicator housing while the litmus indicator is in its normally retracted position. The assembly may be manually manipulated between its extended position wherein the litmus indicator may be viewed through the transparent wall of the indicator housing, and a retracted position wherein the outer housing encloses the indicator housing and engages the exterior of the container.

Automated high-throughput flow-through real-time diagnostic system

DOEpatents

Regan, John Frederick

2012-10-30

An automated real-time flow-through system capable of processing multiple samples in an asynchronous, simultaneous, and parallel fashion for nucleic acid extraction and purification, followed by assay assembly, genetic amplification, multiplex detection, analysis, and decontamination. The system is able to hold and access an unlimited number of fluorescent reagents that may be used to screen samples for the presence of specific sequences. The apparatus works by associating extracted and purified sample with a series of reagent plugs that have been formed in a flow channel and delivered to a flow-through real-time amplification detector that has a multiplicity of optical windows, to which the sample-reagent plugs are placed in an operative position. The diagnostic apparatus includes sample multi-position valves, a master sample multi-position valve, a master reagent multi-position valve, reagent multi-position valves, and an optical amplification/detection system.

Linked supramolecular building blocks for enhanced cluster formation

DOE PAGES

McLellan, Ross; Palacios, Maria A.; Beavers, Christine M.; ...

2015-01-09

Methylene-bridged calix[4]arenes have emerged as extremely versatile ligand supports in the formation of new polymetallic clusters possessing fascinating magnetic properties. Metal ion binding rules established for this building block allow one to partially rationalise the complex assembly process. The ability to covalently link calix[4]arenes at the methylene bridge provides significantly improved control over the introduction of different metal centres to resulting cluster motifs. Clusters assembled from bis-calix[4]arenes and transition metal ions or 3d-4f combinations display characteristic features of the analogous calix[4]arene supported clusters, thereby demonstrating an enhanced and rational approach towards the targeted synthesis of complex and challenging structures.

Horizontal wells in the Java Sea

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

Barrett, S.L.; Lyon, R.

1988-05-01

The utilization of the Navigation Drilling System in recent drilling activity has established that: Continuous build rates as high as 6.75 degrees/100 ft are achievable (with a .74 degree DTU), making possible the tapping of near platform reserves. The system provides the flexibility necessary to drill a continuous curve or an irregular path without bottomhole assembly changes. The system provides the flexibility for sidetracks to the ''low side'' of the well bore without coming out of the hole for bottomhole assembly changes or a cement plug. Geological objectives can be reached with a high degree of accuracy. The system greatlymore » reduces the costly learning curve associated with rotary bottomhole assemblies and substantially increases the confidence of the operator. Significant drilling cost reductions resulted from the use of the system. The cost per foot was further reduced as additional familiarity with the equipment was gained.« less

The pilus usher controls protein interactions via domain masking and is functional as an oligomer.

PubMed

Werneburg, Glenn T; Henderson, Nadine S; Portnoy, Erica B; Sarowar, Samema; Hultgren, Scott J; Li, Huilin; Thanassi, David G

2015-07-01

The chaperone-usher (CU) pathway assembles organelles termed pili or fimbriae in Gram-negative bacteria. Type 1 pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli are prototypical structures assembled by the CU pathway. Biogenesis of pili by the CU pathway requires a periplasmic chaperone and an outer-membrane protein termed the usher (FimD). We show that the FimD C-terminal domains provide the high-affinity substrate-binding site but that these domains are masked in the resting usher. Domain masking requires the FimD plug domain, which serves as a switch controlling usher activation. We demonstrate that usher molecules can act in trans for pilus biogenesis, providing conclusive evidence for a functional usher oligomer. These results reveal mechanisms by which molecular machines such as the usher regulate and harness protein-protein interactions and suggest that ushers may interact in a cooperative manner during pilus assembly in bacteria.

The Pilus Usher Controls Protein Interactions via Domain Masking and is Functional as an Oligomer

PubMed Central

Werneburg, Glenn T.; Henderson, Nadine S.; Portnoy, Erica B.; Sarowar, Samema; Hultgren, Scott J.; Li, Huilin; Thanassi, David G.

2015-01-01

The chaperone-usher (CU) pathway assembles organelles termed pili or fimbriae in Gram-negative bacteria. Type 1 pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli are prototypical structures assembled by the CU pathway. Biogenesis of pili by the CU pathway requires a periplasmic chaperone and an outer membrane protein termed the usher (FimD). We show that the FimD C-terminal domains provide the high-affinity substrate binding site, but that these domains are masked in the resting usher. Domain masking requires the FimD plug domain, which serves as a switch controlling usher activation. We demonstrate that usher molecules can act in trans for pilus biogenesis, providing conclusive evidence for a functional usher oligomer. These results reveal mechanisms by which molecular machines such as the usher regulate and harness protein-protein interactions, and suggest that ushers may interact in a cooperative manner during pilus assembly in bacteria. PMID:26052892

Methodology for Mechanical Property Testing on Fuel Cladding Using an Expanded Plug Wedge Test

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

Wang, Jy-An John; Jiang, Hao

To determine the tensile properties of irradiated fuel cladding in a hot cell, a simple test was developed at ORNL and is described fully in US Patent Application 20060070455, Expanded plug method for developing circumferential mechanical properties of tubular materials. This method is designed for testing fuel rod cladding ductility in a hot cell utilizing an expandable plug to stretch a small ring of irradiated cladding material. The specimen strain is determined using the measured diametrical expansion of the ring. This method removes many complexities associated with specimen preparation and testing. The advantages are the simplicity of measuring the testmore » component assembly in the hot cell and the direct measurement of specimen strain. It was also found that cladding strength could be determined from the test results. The basic approach of this test method is to apply an axial compressive load to a cylindrical plug of polyurethane (or other materials) fitted inside a short ring of the test material to achieve radial expansion of the specimen. The diameter increase of the specimen is used to calculate the circumferential strain accrued during the test. The other two basic measurements are total applied load and amount of plug compression (extension). A simple procedure is used to convert the load circumferential strain data from the ring tests into material pseudo-stress-strain curves. However, several deficiencies exist in this expanded-plug loading ring test, which will impact accuracy of test results and introduce potential shear failure of the specimen due to inherited large axial compressive stress from the expansion plug test. First of all, the highly non-uniform stress and strain distribution resulted in the gage section of the clad. To ensure reliable testing and test repeatability, the potential for highly non-uniform stress distribution or displacement/strain deformation has to be eliminated at the gage section of the specimen. Second, significant compressive stresses were induced by clad bending deformation due to a clad bulging effect (or the barreling effect). The barreling effect caused very large localized shear stress in the clad and left testing material at a high risk of shear failure. The above combined effects will result in highly non-conservative predictions both in strength and ductility of the tested clad, and the associated mechanical properties as well. To overcome/mitigate the mentioned deficiencies associated with the current expansion plug test, systematic studies have been conducted. Through detailed parameter investigation on specific geometry designs, careful filtering of material for the expansion plug, as well as adding newly designed parts to the testing system, a method to reconcile the potential non-conservatism embedded in the expansion plug test system has been discovered. A modified expansion plug testing protocol has been developed based on the method. In order to closely resemble thin-wall theory, a general procedure was also developed to determine the hoop stress in the tested ring specimen. A scaling factor called -factor is defined to correlate the ring load P into hoop stress . , = . The generated stress-strain curve agrees very well with tensile test data in both the elastic and plastic regions.« less

Stability and Responsiveness in a Self-Organized Living Architecture

PubMed Central

Garnier, Simon; Murphy, Tucker; Lutz, Matthew; Hurme, Edward; Leblanc, Simon; Couzin, Iain D.

2013-01-01

Robustness and adaptability are central to the functioning of biological systems, from gene networks to animal societies. Yet the mechanisms by which living organisms achieve both stability to perturbations and sensitivity to input are poorly understood. Here, we present an integrated study of a living architecture in which army ants interconnect their bodies to span gaps. We demonstrate that these self-assembled bridges are a highly effective means of maintaining traffic flow over unpredictable terrain. The individual-level rules responsible depend only on locally-estimated traffic intensity and the number of neighbours to which ants are attached within the structure. We employ a parameterized computational model to reveal that bridges are tuned to be maximally stable in the face of regular, periodic fluctuations in traffic. However analysis of the model also suggests that interactions among ants give rise to feedback processes that result in bridges being highly responsive to sudden interruptions in traffic. Subsequent field experiments confirm this prediction and thus the dual nature of stability and flexibility in living bridges. Our study demonstrates the importance of robust and adaptive modular architecture to efficient traffic organisation and reveals general principles regarding the regulation of form in biological self-assemblies. PMID:23555219

Flexible Connectors between Capsomer Subunits that Regulate Capsid Assembly.

PubMed

Hasek, Mary L; Maurer, Joshua B; Hendrix, Roger W; Duda, Robert L

2017-08-04

Viruses build icosahedral capsids of specific size and shape by regulating the spatial arrangement of the hexameric and pentameric protein capsomers in the growing shell during assembly. In the T=7 capsids of Escherichia coli bacteriophage HK97 and other phages, 60 capsomers are hexons, while the rest are pentons that are correctly positioned during assembly. Assembly of the HK97 capsid to the correct size and shape has been shown to depend on specific ionic contacts between capsomers. We now describe additional ionic interactions within capsomers that also regulate assembly. Each is between the long hairpin, the "E-loop," that extends from one subunit to the adjacent subunit within the same capsomer. Glutamate E153 on the E-loop and arginine R210 on the adjacent subunit's backbone alpha-helix form salt bridges in hexamers and pentamers. Mutations that disrupt these salt bridges were lethal for virus production, because the mutant proteins assembled into tubes or sheets instead of capsids. X-ray structures show that the E153-R210 links are flexible and maintained during maturation despite radical changes in capsomer shape. The E153-R210 links appear to form early in assembly to enable capsomers to make programmed changes in their shape during assembly. The links also prevent flattening of capsomers and premature maturation. Mutant phenotypes and modeling support an assembly model in which flexible E153-R210 links mediate capsomer shape changes that control where pentons are placed to create normal-sized capsids. The E-loop may be conserved in other systems in order to play similar roles in regulating assembly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Watching Nanoscale Self-Assembly Kinetics of Gold Prisms in Liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Juyeong; Ou, Zihao; Jones, Matthew R.; Chen, Qian

We use liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to watch self-assembly of gold triangular prisms into polymer-like structures. The in situ dynamics monitoring enabled by liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, single nanoparticle tracking, and the marked conceptual similarity between molecular reactions and nanoparticle self-assembly combined elucidate the following mechanistic understanding: a step-growth polymerization based assembly statistics, kinetic pathways sampling particle curvature dependent energy minima and their interconversions, and directed assembly into polymorphs (linear or cyclic chains) through in situ modulation of the prism bonding geometry. Our study bridges the constituent kinetics on the molecular and nanoparticle length scales, which enriches the design rules in directed self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles.

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

49 CFR 213.235 - Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift... TRANSPORTATION TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS Inspection § 213.235 Inspection of switches, track crossings, and lift rail... section, each switch, turnout, track crossing, and moveable bridge lift rail assembly or other transition...

Test Report: Assembly and Structural Loading of Army Research Lab’s High Strength Low Alloy - Vanadium (HSLA - V) Bridge

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-28

34 to 1" drive adapter MHE ============ 15,000 lbs forklift 6,000 lbs. forklift 5,000 pallet truck Two 30,000 lbs. 6’x16’ caster wheeled carts...Suggested modifications to reduce assembly time* ================================================== Use powered torque multipliers to torque bolts

Plug-and -Play Model Architecture and Development Environment for Powertrain/Propulsion System - Final CRADA Report

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

Rousseau, Aymeric

2013-02-01

Several tools already exist to develop detailed plant model, including GT-Power, AMESim, CarSim, and SimScape. The objective of Autonomie is not to provide a language to develop detailed models; rather, Autonomie supports the assembly and use of models from design to simulation to analysis with complete plug-and-play capabilities. Autonomie provides a plug-and-play architecture to support this ideal use of modeling and simulation for math-based automotive control system design. Models in the standard format create building blocks, which are assembled at runtime into a simulation model of a vehicle, system, subsystem, or component to simulate. All parts of the graphical usermore » interface (GUI) are designed to be flexible to support architectures, systems, components, and processes not yet envisioned. This allows the software to be molded to individual uses, so it can grow as requirements and technical knowledge expands. This flexibility also allows for implementation of legacy code, including models, controller code, processes, drive cycles, and post-processing equations. A library of useful and tested models and processes is included as part of the software package to support a full range of simulation and analysis tasks, immediately. Autonomie also includes a configuration and database management front end to facilitate the storage, versioning, and maintenance of all required files, such as the models themselves, the model’s supporting files, test data, and reports. During the duration of the CRADA, Argonne has worked closely with GM to implement and demonstrate each one of their requirements. A use case was developed by GM for every requirement and demonstrated by Argonne. Each of the new features were verified by GM experts through a series of Gate. Once all the requirements were validated they were presented to the directors as part of GM Gate process.« less

ADVANTG Shielding Analysis for Closure Operations in an Open-Mode Repository

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

Bevill, Aaron M; Radulescu, Georgeta; Scaglione, John M

2013-01-01

en-mode repository concepts could require worker entry into access drifts after placement of fuel casks in order to perform activities related to backfill, plug emplacement, routine maintenance, or performance confirmation. An ideal emplacement-drift shielding configuration would minimize dose to workers while maximizing airflow through the emplacement drifts. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the feasibility and effectiveness of radiation shielding concepts that could be employed to facilitate worker operations in an open-mode repository. The repository model for this study includes pressurized-water reactor fuel assemblies (60 GWd/MTU burnup, 40 year post-irradiation cooldown) in packages of 32 assemblies. The closest fuelmore » packages are 5 meters from dosimetry voxels in the access drift. The unshielded dose to workers in the access drift is 73.7 rem/hour. Prior work suggests that open-mode repository concepts similar to this one would require 15 m3/s of ventilation airflow. Shielding concepts considered here include partial concrete plugs, labyrinthine shields, and stainless steel photon attenuator grids. Maximum dose to workers in the access drift was estimated for each shielding concept using MCNP5 with variance reduction parameters generated by ADVANTG. Because airflow through the shielding is important for open-mode repositories, a semi-empirical estimate of the head loss due to each shielding configuration was also calculated. Airflow and shielding performance vary widely among the proposed shielding configurations. Although the partial plug configuration had the best airflow performance, it allowed dose rates 1500 greater than the specified target. Labyrinthine shielding concepts yield doses on the order of 1 mrem/hour with configurations that impose 3 to 11 J/kg head loss. Adding 1 cm lead lining to the airflow channels of labyrinthine designs further reduces the worker dose by 65% to 95%. Photon-attenuator concepts may reduce worker dose to as low as 29 mrem/hour with head loss on the order of 1.9 J/kg.« less

C6 –C8 Bridged Epothilones: Consequences of Installing a Conformational Lock at the Edge of the Macrocycle

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yi; Banerjee, Abhijit; Brodie, Peggy J.; Bane, Susan; Kingston, David G. I.; Liotta, Dennis C.

2011-01-01

A series of conformationally restrained epothilone analogs with a short bridge between the methyl groups at C6 and C8 was designed to mimic the binding pose assigned to our recently reported EpoA-microtubule binding model. A versatile synthetic route to these bridged epothilone analogs has been successfully devised and implemented. Biological evaluation of the compounds against A2780 human ovarian cancer and PC3 prostate cancer cell lines suggested that the introduction of a bridge between C6-C8 reduced potency by 25–1000 fold in comparison with natural epothilone D. Tubulin assembly measurements indicate these bridged epothilone analogs to be mildly active, but without significant microtubule stabilization capacity. Molecular mechanics and DFT energy evaluations suggest the mild activity of the bridged epo-analogs may be due to internal conformational strain. PMID:22127984

Bim from Laser SCANS… not Just for Buildings: Nurbs-Based Parametric Modeling of a Medieval Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barazzetti, L.; Banfi, F.; Brumana, R.; Previtali, M.; Roncoroni, F.

2016-06-01

Building Information Modelling is not limited to buildings. BIM technology includes civil infrastructures such as roads, dams, bridges, communications networks, water and wastewater networks and tunnels. This paper describes a novel methodology for the generation of a detailed BIM of a complex medieval bridge. The use of laser scans and images coupled with the development of algorithms able to handle irregular shapes allowed the creation of advanced parametric objects, which were assembled to obtain an accurate BIM. The lack of existing object libraries required the development of specific families for the different structural elements of the bridge. Finally, some applications aimed at assessing the stability and safety of the bridge are illustrated and discussed. The BIM of the bridge can incorporate this information towards a new "BIMonitoring" concept to preserve the geometric complexity provided by point clouds, obtaining a detailed BIM with object relationships and attributes.

20. VIEW TO WEST OF INTERIOR OF CRANEWAY WITH TOW ...

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

20. VIEW TO WEST OF INTERIOR OF CRANEWAY WITH TOW TRAVELING BRIDGE CRANES (ONE OVERHEAD IN FOREGROUND AND ONE OVERHEAD IN BACKGROUNDS). NOTE WOOD BLOCK PAVING ON THE FLOOR. FIRST FLOOR ASSEMBLY AREA IS THE SPACE IN THE BACKGROUND ON THE RIGHT. - Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park, Ford Assembly Plant, 1400 Harbour Way South, Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA

System Engineering Analysis of Topside Cranes Installed on AD, AR, and AS Class Ships

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-06

4 severity CASREPs. Water or moisture in oumzs or motors accounted for five CASREPs; moisture in a transformer caused a class C fire , which resulted...Components of Bridge Cranes, Monorail Hoist Systems, and Side Port Hoists Associated Equipment: Accumulators Ladders Speed reducers Brakes Load blocks...Switches Bridge Locking devices *Tow bars Bumpers * Monorails Tracks Collector assembly Motors (electrical *Trolley buses Controller and hydraulic) *Trolleys

Non-plugging pressure tap

DOEpatents

Echtler, Joseph P.

1978-01-01

A pressure tap having utility in an environment of a solid-gas phase process flow includes a tubular coupling part having attached over a passage therethrough at an end opening thereof exposed to the flow a grating of spaced bars, and affixed internally across a passage therethrough so as to cover over an opening therein a screen which maintains contained within the passage between it and the grating a matrix of smooth spheres. The grating bars are so oriented by the disposition of the aforesaid end opening with respect to the flow such that accumulations of solids therebetween tending to bridge the opening are removed therefrom by the flow.

Reconfigurable Software for Mission Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimble, Jay

2014-01-01

We developed software that provides flexibility to mission organizations through modularity and composability. Modularity enables removal and addition of functionality through the installation of plug-ins. Composability enables users to assemble software from pre-built reusable objects, thus reducing or eliminating the walls associated with traditional application architectures and enabling unique combinations of functionality. We have used composable objects to reduce display build time, create workflows, and build scenarios to test concepts for lunar roving operations. The software is open source, and may be downloaded from https:github.comnasamct.

Solubility Limits in Lennard-Jones Mixtures: Effects of Disparate Molecule Geometries.

PubMed

Dyer, Kippi M; Perkyns, John S; Pettitt, B Montgomery

2015-07-23

In order to better understand general effects of the size and energy disparities between macromolecules and solvent molecules in solution, especially for macromolecular constructs self-assembled from smaller molecules, we use the first- and second-order exact bridge diagram extensions of the HNC integral equation theory to investigate single-component, binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures of Lennard-Jones fluids. For pure fluids, we find that the HNCH3 bridge function integral equation (i.e., exact to third order in density) is necessary to quantitatively predict the pure gas and pure liquid sides of the coexistence region of the phase diagram of the Lennard-Jones fluid. For the mixtures, we find that the HNCH2 bridge function integral equation is sufficient to qualitatively predict solubility in the binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures, up to the nominal solubility limit. The results, as limiting cases, should be useful to several problems, including accurate phase diagram predictions for complex mixtures, design of self-assembling nanostructures via solvent controls, and the solvent contributions to the conformational behavior of macromolecules in complex fluids.

Gelation of Oil upon Contact with Water: A Bioinspired Scheme for the Self-Repair of Oil Leaks from Underwater Tubes.

PubMed

Oh, Hyuntaek; Yaraghi, Nicholas; Raghavan, Srinivasa R

2015-05-19

Molecular organogelators convert oils into gels by forming self-assembled fibrous networks. Here, we demonstrate that such gelation can be activated by contacting the oil with an immiscible solvent (water). Our gelator is dibenzylidene sorbitol (DBS), which forms a low-viscosity sol when added to toluene containing a small amount of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Upon contact with water, DMSO partitions into the water, activating gelation of DBS in the toluene. The gel grows from the oil/water interface and slowly envelops the oil phase. We have exploited this effect for the self-repair of oil leaks from underwater tubes. When a DBS/toluene/DMSO solution flows through the tube, it forms a gel selectively at the leak point, thereby plugging the leak and restoring flow. Our approach is reminiscent of wound-sealing via blood-clotting: there also, inactive gelators in blood are activated at the wound site into a fibrous network, thereby plugging the wound and restoring blood flow.

Method of fabricating an article with cavities. [with thin bottom walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dale, W. J.; Jurscaga, G. M. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

An article having a cavity with a thin bottom wall is provided by assembling a thin sheet, for example, a metal sheet, adjacent to the surface of a member having one or more apertures. A bonding adhesive is interposed between the thin sheet and the subadjacent member, and the thin sheet is subjected to a high fluid pressure. In order to prevent the differential pressure from being exerted against the thin sheet, the aperture is filled with a plug of solid material having a linear coefficient of thermal expansion higher than that of the member. When the assembly is subjected to pressure, the material is heated to a temperature such that its expansion exerts a pressure against the thin sheet thus reducing the differential pressure.

Vehicle drive module having improved terminal design

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Phillips, Mark G.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2006-04-25

A terminal structure for vehicle drive power electronics circuits reduces the need for a DC bus and thereby the incidence of parasitic inductance. The structure is secured to a support that may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as by direct contact between the terminal assembly and AC and DC circuit components. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Power converter having improved terminal structure

DOEpatents

Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.; Phillips, Mark G.; Kaishian, Steven C.

2007-03-06

A terminal structure for power electronics circuits reduces the need for a DC bus and thereby the incidence of parasitic inductance. The structure is secured to a support that may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as by direct contact between the terminal assembly and AC and DC circuit components. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Particle self-assembly at ionic liquid-based interfaces.

PubMed

Frost, Denzil S; Nofen, Elizabeth M; Dai, Lenore L

2014-04-01

This review presents an overview of the nature of ionic liquid (IL)-based interfaces and self-assembled particle morphologies of IL-in-water, oil- and water-in-IL, and novel IL-in-IL Pickering emulsions with emphasis on their unique phenomena, by means of experimental and computational studies. In IL-in-water Pickering emulsions, particles formed monolayers at ionic liquid-water interfaces and were close-packed on fully covered emulsion droplets or aggregated on partially covered droplets. Interestingly, other than equilibrating at the ionic liquid-water interfaces, microparticles with certain surface chemistries were extracted into the ionic liquid phase with a high efficiency. These experimental findings were supported by potential of mean force calculations, which showed large energy drops as hydrophobic particles crossed the interface into the IL phase. In the oil- and water-in-IL Pickering emulsions, microparticles with acidic surface chemistries formed monolayer bridges between the internal phase droplets rather than residing at the oil/water-ionic liquid interfaces, a significant deviation from traditional Pickering emulsion morphology. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed aspects of the mechanism behind this bridging phenomenon, including the role of the droplet phase, surface chemistry, and inter-particle film. Novel IL-in-IL Pickering emulsions exhibited an array of self-assembled morphologies including the previously observed particle absorption and bridging phenomena. The appearance of these morphologies depended on the particle surface chemistry as well as the ILs used. The incorporation of particle self-assembly with ionic liquid science allows for new applications at the intersection of these two fields, and have the potential to be numerous due to the tunability of the ionic liquids and particles incorporated, as well as the particle morphology by combining certain groups of particle surface chemistry, IL type (protic or aprotic), and whether oil or water is incorporated. © 2013.

The pilus usher controls protein interactions via domain masking and is functional as an oligomer

DOE PAGES

Werneburg, Glenn T.; Li, Huilin; Henderson, Nadine S.; ...

2015-06-08

The chaperone/usher (CU) pathway is responsible for biogenesis of organelles termed pili or fimbriae in Gram-negative bacteria. Type 1 pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli are prototypical structures assembled by the CU pathway. Assembly and secretion of pili by the CU pathway requires a dedicated periplasmic chaperone and a multidomain outer membrane protein termed the usher (FimD). We show that the FimD C-terminal domains provide the high-affinity substrate binding site, but that these domains are masked in the resting usher. Domain masking requires the FimD plug domain, which served as a central switch controlling usher activation. In addition, we demonstratemore » that usher molecules can act in trans for pilus biogenesis, providing conclusive evidence for a functional usher oligomer. These results reveal mechanisms by which molecular machines such as the usher regulate and harness protein-protein interactions, and suggest that ushers may interact in a cooperative manner during pilus assembly in bacteria.« less

ASSEMBLY TRANSFER SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

B. Gorpani

2000-06-26

The Assembly Transfer System (ATS) receives, cools, and opens rail and truck transportation casks from the Carrier/Cask Handling System (CCHS). The system unloads transportation casks consisting of bare Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) assemblies, single element canisters, and Dual Purpose Canisters (DPCs). For casks containing DPCs, the system opens the DPCs and unloads the SNF. The system stages the assemblies, transfer assemblies to and from fuel-blending inventory pools, loads them into Disposal Containers (DCs), temporarily seals and inerts the DC, decontaminates the DC and transfers it to the Disposal Container Handling System. The system also prepares empty casks and DPCs formore » off-site shipment. Two identical Assembly Transfer System lines are provided in the Waste Handling Building (WHB). Each line operates independently to handle the waste transfer throughput and to support maintenance operations. Each system line primarily consists of wet and dry handling areas. The wet handling area includes a cask transport system, cask and DPC preparation system, and a wet assembly handling system. The basket transport system forms the transition between the wet and dry handling areas. The dry handling area includes the dry assembly handling system, assembly drying system, DC preparation system, and DC transport system. Both the wet and dry handling areas are controlled by the control and tracking system. The system operating sequence begins with moving transportation casks to the cask preparation area. The cask preparation operations consist of cask cavity gas sampling, cask venting, cask cool-down, outer lid removal, and inner shield plug lifting fixture attachment. Casks containing bare SNF (no DPC) are filled with water and placed in the cask unloading pool. The inner shield plugs are removed underwater. For casks containing a DPC, the cask lid(s) is removed, and the DPC is penetrated, sampled, vented, and cooled. A DPC lifting fixture is attached and the cask is placed into the cask unloading pool. In the cask unloading pool the DPC is removed from the cask and placed in an overpack and the DPC lid is severed and removed. Assemblies are removed from either an open cask or DPC and loaded into assembly baskets positioned in the basket staging rack in the assembly unloading pool. A method called ''blending'' is utilized to load DCs with a heat output of less than 11.8 kW. This involves combining hotter and cooler assemblies from different baskets. Blending requires storing some of the hotter fuel assemblies in fuel-blending inventory pools until cooler assemblies are available. The assembly baskets are then transferred from the basket staging rack to the assembly handling cell and loaded into the assembly drying vessels. After drying, the assemblies are removed from the assembly drying vessels and loaded into a DC positioned below the DC load port. After installation of a DC inner lid and temporary sealing device, the DC is transferred to the DC decontamination cell where the top area of the DC, the DC lifting collar, and the DC inner lid and temporary sealing device are decontaminated, and the DC is evacuated and backfilled with inert gas to prevent prolonged clad exposure to air. The DC is then transferred to the Disposal Container Handling System for lid welding. In another cask preparation and decontamination area, lids are replaced on the empty transportation casks and DPC overpacks, the casks and DPC overpacks are decontaminated, inspected, and transferred to the Carrier/Cask Handling System for shipment off-site. All system equipment is designed to facilitate manual or remote operation, decontamination, and maintenance. The system interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Handling System for incoming and outgoing transportation casks and DPCs. The system also interfaces with the Disposal Container Handling System, which prepares the DC for loading and subsequently seals the loaded DC. The system support interfaces are the Waste Handling Building System and other internal WHB support systems.« less

Dexter energy transfer pathways

PubMed Central

Skourtis, Spiros S.; Liu, Chaoren; Antoniou, Panayiotis; Virshup, Aaron M.; Beratan, David N.

2016-01-01

Energy transfer with an associated spin change of the donor and acceptor, Dexter energy transfer, is critically important in solar energy harvesting assemblies, damage protection schemes of photobiology, and organometallic opto-electronic materials. Dexter transfer between chemically linked donors and acceptors is bridge mediated, presenting an enticing analogy with bridge-mediated electron and hole transfer. However, Dexter coupling pathways must convey both an electron and a hole from donor to acceptor, and this adds considerable richness to the mediation process. We dissect the bridge-mediated Dexter coupling mechanisms and formulate a theory for triplet energy transfer coupling pathways. Virtual donor–acceptor charge-transfer exciton intermediates dominate at shorter distances or higher tunneling energy gaps, whereas virtual intermediates with an electron and a hole both on the bridge (virtual bridge excitons) dominate for longer distances or lower energy gaps. The effects of virtual bridge excitons were neglected in earlier treatments. The two-particle pathway framework developed here shows how Dexter energy-transfer rates depend on donor, bridge, and acceptor energetics, as well as on orbital symmetry and quantum interference among pathways. PMID:27382185

Dexter energy transfer pathways.

PubMed

Skourtis, Spiros S; Liu, Chaoren; Antoniou, Panayiotis; Virshup, Aaron M; Beratan, David N

2016-07-19

Energy transfer with an associated spin change of the donor and acceptor, Dexter energy transfer, is critically important in solar energy harvesting assemblies, damage protection schemes of photobiology, and organometallic opto-electronic materials. Dexter transfer between chemically linked donors and acceptors is bridge mediated, presenting an enticing analogy with bridge-mediated electron and hole transfer. However, Dexter coupling pathways must convey both an electron and a hole from donor to acceptor, and this adds considerable richness to the mediation process. We dissect the bridge-mediated Dexter coupling mechanisms and formulate a theory for triplet energy transfer coupling pathways. Virtual donor-acceptor charge-transfer exciton intermediates dominate at shorter distances or higher tunneling energy gaps, whereas virtual intermediates with an electron and a hole both on the bridge (virtual bridge excitons) dominate for longer distances or lower energy gaps. The effects of virtual bridge excitons were neglected in earlier treatments. The two-particle pathway framework developed here shows how Dexter energy-transfer rates depend on donor, bridge, and acceptor energetics, as well as on orbital symmetry and quantum interference among pathways.

Inter-subunit electrostatic interactions in ferritin molecule: comparison with inter-molecular interactions in crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Takuya; Hogyoku, Michiru; Nagayama, Kuniaki

1996-10-01

We evaluated the contribution of electrostatic interactions to the stability of macromolecular assembly in a horse L ferritin molecule composed of 24 subunits and the three-dimensional crystal of the ferritin molecules with numerical calculation of Poisson-Boltzmann equation based on dielectric model. The calculation showed that the electrostatic energy both favors the assembly of the 24 subunits and the crystalline assembly of the ferritin molecules (i.e., 24-mers). Short-range interactions less than 5 Å such as salt bridges and hydrogen bonds were important for both the subunit assembly and the crystalline assembly. To elucidate the strong stabilization by electrostatic interactions in both the ferritin 24-mer and its crystal, we analyzed the contribution of individual atoms. It revealed that the stabilization was arising from buried salt bridges or hydrogen bonds, which yielded more than 5 kcal/mol in some interactions. These large electrostatic stabilization and also the unexpected small ionic strength dependence was different from those of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) orthorhombic and pig-insulin cubic crystals previously calculated. We also evaluated changes of the accessible surface area (ASA) and hydration free energy in accordance with the process of the subunit assembly. The change of hydration free energy, which was very large (i.e. ˜ + 100 kcal/mol/subunit) and unfavorable for the assembly, was proportional to the electrostatic hydration energy (i.e. Born energy change in hydration process). Hydrophobic groups were likely to appear more frequently than hydrophilic groups at the subunit interfaces. These results suggest that the molecular structure of the ferritin 24-mer and the crystal structure of the 24-mers were both stabilized by local electrostatic interactions, in particular. We view protein crystals as an extension of the protein oligomer to an infinite number of subunits association.

A semiconductor bridge ignited hot gas piston ejector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grubelich, M. C.; Bickes, Robert W., Jr.

1993-01-01

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: semiconductor bridge technology (SCB); SCB philosophy; technology transfer; simplified sketch of SCB; SCB processing; SCB design; SCB test assembly; 5 mJ SCB burst based on a polaroid photograph; micro-convective heat transfer hypothesis; SCB fire set; comparison of SCB and hot-wire actuators; satellite firing sets; logic fire set; SCB smart component; SCB smart firing set; semiconductor design considerations; and the adjustable actuator system.

Research notes : forensic analysis of a bridge.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) had battled corrosion problems with this reinforced concrete structure since 1967, only twelve years after its construction. First, the steel rocker assemblies corroded. Soon, corroding steel reinforcement c...

Carbene based photochemical molecular assemblies for solar driven hydrogen generation.

PubMed

Peuntinger, Katrin; Pilz, T David; Staehle, Robert; Schaub, Markus; Kaufhold, Simon; Petermann, Lydia; Wunderlin, Markus; Görls, Helmar; Heinemann, Frank W; Li, Jing; Drewello, Thomas; Vos, Johannes G; Guldi, Dirk M; Rau, Sven

2014-09-28

Novel photocatalysts based on ruthenium complexes with NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene)-type bridging ligands have been prepared and structurally and photophysically characterised. The identity of the NHC-unit of the bridging ligand was established unambiguously by means of X-ray structural analysis of a heterodinuclear ruthenium-silver complex. The photophysical data indicate ultrafast intersystem crossing into an emissive and a non-emissive triplet excited state after excitation of the ruthenium centre. Exceptionally high luminescence quantum yields of up to 39% and long lifetimes of up to 2 μs are some of the triplet excited state characteristics. Preliminary studies into the visible light driven photocatalytic hydrogen formation show no induction phase and constant turnover frequencies that are independent on the concentration of the photocatalyst. In conclusion this supports the notion of a stable assembly under photocatalytic conditions.

88 kilowatt automotive inverter with new 900 Volt silicon carbide MOSFET technology

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

Casady, Jeffrey; Olejniczak, Kraig; McNutt, Ty

This final report is on the design and experimental verification of a 200 kVA traction inverter using three 900 V, 2.5 mΩ, SiC MOSFET-based half-bridge power modules comprising the power stage. Each dual power module contains four 900 V, 10 mΩ SiC MOSFETs per switch position and uses synchronous conduction to achieve high average and peak efficiencies over its entire operating region to meet the demands of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range electrified vehicle architectures. Significant performance improvement, via conduction, switching, and reverse-recovery loss metrics, from this SiC MOSFET-based inverter—especially at light load conditions—will be discussed.

Three-dimensional fit-to-flow microfluidic assembly.

PubMed

Chen, Arnold; Pan, Tingrui

2011-12-01

Three-dimensional microfluidics holds great promise for large-scale integration of versatile, digitalized, and multitasking fluidic manipulations for biological and clinical applications. Successful translation of microfluidic toolsets to these purposes faces persistent technical challenges, such as reliable system-level packaging, device assembly and alignment, and world-to-chip interface. In this paper, we extended our previously established fit-to-flow (F2F) world-to-chip interconnection scheme to a complete system-level assembly strategy that addresses the three-dimensional microfluidic integration on demand. The modular F2F assembly consists of an interfacial chip, pluggable alignment modules, and multiple monolithic layers of microfluidic channels, through which convoluted three-dimensional microfluidic networks can be easily assembled and readily sealed with the capability of reconfigurable fluid flow. The monolithic laser-micromachining process simplifies and standardizes the fabrication of single-layer pluggable polymeric modules, which can be mass-produced as the renowned Lego(®) building blocks. In addition, interlocking features are implemented between the plug-and-play microfluidic chips and the complementary alignment modules through the F2F assembly, resulting in facile and secure alignment with average misalignment of 45 μm. Importantly, the 3D multilayer microfluidic assembly has a comparable sealing performance as the conventional single-layer devices, providing an average leakage pressure of 38.47 kPa. The modular reconfigurability of the system-level reversible packaging concept has been demonstrated by re-routing microfluidic flows through interchangeable modular microchannel layers.

Rectified tunneling current response of bio-functionalized metal-bridge-metal junctions.

PubMed

Liu, Yaqing; Offenhäusser, Andreas; Mayer, Dirk

2010-01-15

Biomolecular bridged nanostructures allow direct electrical addressing of electroactive biomolecules, which is of interest for the development of bioelectronic and biosensing hybrid junctions. In the present paper, the electroactive biomolecule microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) was integrated into metal-bridge-metal (MBM) junctions assembled from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) setup. Before immobilization of MP-11, the Au working electrode was first modified by a self-assembled monolayer of 1-undecanethiol (UDT). A symmetric and potential independent response of current-bias voltage (I(t)/V(b)) was observed for the Au (substrate)/UDT/Au (tip) junction. However, the I(t)/V(b) characteristics became potential dependent and asymmetrical after binding of MP-11 between the electrodes of the junction. The rectification ratio of the asymmetric current response varies with gate electrode modulation. A resonant tunneling process between metal electrode and MP-11 enhances the tunneling current and is responsible for the observed rectification. Our investigations demonstrated that functional building blocks of proteins can be reassembled into new conceptual devices with operation modes deviating from their native function, which could prove highly useful in the design of future biosensors and bioelectronic devices. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The thin-wall tube drift chamber operating in vacuum (prototype)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, G. D.; Glonti, L. N.; Kekelidze, V. D.; Malyshev, V. L.; Piskun, A. A.; Potrbenikov, Yu. K.; Rodionov, V. K.; Samsonov, V. A.; Tokmenin, V. V.; Shkarovskiy, S. N.

2013-08-01

The goal of this work was to design drift tubes and a chamber operating in vacuum, and to develop technologies for tubes independent assembly and mounting in the chamber. These design and technology were tested on the prototype. The main features of the chamber are the following: the drift tubes are made of flexible mylar film (wall thickness 36 μm, diameter 9.80 mm, length 2160 mm) using ultrasonic welding along the generatrix; the welding device and methods were developed at JINR. Drift tubes with end plugs, anode wires and spacers were completely assembled outside the chamber. "Self-centering" spacers and bushes were used for precise setting of the anode wires and tubes. The assembled tubes were sealed with O-rings in their seats in the chamber which simplified the chamber assembling. Moreover the tube assembly and the chamber manufacture can be performed independently and in parallel; this sufficiently reduces the total time of chamber manufacture and assembling, its cost and allows tubes to be tested outside the chamber. The technology of independent tube assembling is suitable for a chamber of any shape but a round chamber is preferable for operation in vacuum. Single channel amplifier-discriminator boards which are more stable against cross talks were used for testing the tubes. Independently assembled tubes were mounted into the chamber prototype and its performance characteristic measured under the vacuum conditions. The results showed that both the structure and the tubes themselves normally operate. They are suitable for making a full-scale drift chamber for vacuum.

LEM-3 is a midbody-tethered DNA nuclease that resolves chromatin bridges during late mitosis.

PubMed

Hong, Ye; Sonneville, Remi; Wang, Bin; Scheidt, Viktor; Meier, Bettina; Woglar, Alexander; Demetriou, Sarah; Labib, Karim; Jantsch, Verena; Gartner, Anton

2018-02-20

Faithful chromosome segregation and genome maintenance requires the removal of all DNA bridges that physically link chromosomes before cells divide. Using C. elegans embryos we show that the LEM-3/Ankle1 nuclease defines a previously undescribed genome integrity mechanism by processing DNA bridges right before cells divide. LEM-3 acts at the midbody, the structure where abscission occurs at the end of cytokinesis. LEM-3 localization depends on factors needed for midbody assembly, and LEM-3 accumulation is increased and prolonged when chromatin bridges are trapped at the cleavage plane. LEM-3 locally processes chromatin bridges that arise from incomplete DNA replication, unresolved recombination intermediates, or the perturbance of chromosome structure. Proper LEM-3 midbody localization and function is regulated by AIR-2/Aurora B kinase. Strikingly, LEM-3 acts cooperatively with the BRC-1/BRCA1 homologous recombination factor to promote genome integrity. These findings provide a molecular basis for the suspected role of the LEM-3 orthologue Ankle1 in human breast cancer.

AC electric field induced dielectrophoretic assembly behavior of gold nanoparticles in a wide frequency range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Weiyu; Wang, Chunhui; Ding, Haitao; Shao, Jinyou; Ding, Yucheng

2016-05-01

In this work, we focus on frequency-dependence of pearl chain formations (PCF) of gold nanoparticles driven by AC dielectrophoresis (DEP), especially in a low field-frequency range, where induced double-layer charging effect at ideally polarizable surfaces on particle DEP behavior and surrounding liquid motion need not be negligible. As field frequency varies, grown features of DEP assembly structures ranging from low-frequency non-bridged gap to high-frequency single gold nanoparticle-made nanowires bridging the electrodes are demonstrated experimentally. Specifically, at 10 kHz, a kind of novel channel-like structure with parallel opposing banks is formed at the center of interelectrode gap. In stark contrast, at 1 MHz, thin PCF with diameter of 100 nm is created along the shortest distance of the isolation spacing. Moreover, a particular conductive path of nanoparticle chains is produced at 1 MHz in a DEP device embedded with multiple floating electrodes. A theoretical framework taking into account field-induced double-layer polarization at both the particle/electrolyte and electrode/electrolyte interface is developed to correlate these experimental observations with induced-charge electrokinetic (ICEK) phenomenon. And a RC circuit model is helpful in accounting for the formation of this particular non-bridged channel-like structure induced by a low-frequency AC voltage. As compared to thin PCF formed at high field frequency that effectively short circuits the electrode pair, though it is difficult for complete PCF bridging to occur at low frequency, the non-bridged conducting microstructure has potential to further miniaturize the size of electrode gap fabricated by standard micromachining process and may find useful application in biochemical sensing.

Centrifugation-assisted Assembly of Colloidal Silica into Crack-Free and Transferrable Films with Tunable Crystalline Structures

PubMed Central

Fan, Wen; Chen, Min; Yang, Shu; Wu, Limin

2015-01-01

Self-assembly of colloidal particles into colloidal films has many actual and potential applications. While various strategies have been developed to direct the assembly of colloidal particles, fabrication of crack-free and transferrable colloidal film with controllable crystal structures still remains a major challenge. Here we show a centrifugation-assisted assembly of colloidal silica spheres into free-standing colloidal film by using the liquid/liquid interfaces of three immiscible phases. Through independent control of centrifugal force and interparticle electrostatic repulsion, polycrystalline, single-crystalline and quasi-amorphous structures can be readily obtained. More importantly, by dehydration of silica particles during centrifugation, the spontaneous formation of capillary water bridges between particles enables the binding and pre-shrinkage of the assembled array at the fluid interface. Thus the assembled colloidal films are not only crack-free, but also robust and flexible enough to be easily transferred on various planar and curved substrates. PMID:26159121

Quantum plug n’ play: modular computation in the quantum regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Jayne; Modi, Kavan; Vedral, Vlatko; Gu, Mile

2018-01-01

Classical computation is modular. It exploits plug n’ play architectures which allow us to use pre-fabricated circuits without knowing their construction. This bestows advantages such as allowing parts of the computational process to be outsourced, and permitting individual circuit components to be exchanged and upgraded. Here, we introduce a formal framework to describe modularity in the quantum regime. We demonstrate a ‘no-go’ theorem, stipulating that it is not always possible to make use of quantum circuits without knowing their construction. This has significant consequences for quantum algorithms, forcing the circuit implementation of certain quantum algorithms to be rebuilt almost entirely from scratch after incremental changes in the problem—such as changing the number being factored in Shor’s algorithm. We develop a workaround capable of restoring modularity, and apply it to design a modular version of Shor’s algorithm that exhibits increased versatility and reduced complexity. In doing so we pave the way to a realistic framework whereby ‘quantum chips’ and remote servers can be invoked (or assembled) to implement various parts of a more complex quantum computation.

Friction pull plug welding: chamfered heat sink pull plug design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coletta, Edmond R. (Inventor); Cantrell, Mark A. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW) is a solid state repair process for defects up to one inch in length, only requiring single sided tooling (OSL) for usage on flight hardware. Experimental data has shown that the mass of plug heat sink remaining above the top of the plate surface after a weld is completed (the plug heat sink) affects the bonding at the plug top. A minimized heat sink ensures complete bonding of the plug to the plate at the plug top. However, with a minimal heat sink three major problems can arise, the entire plug could be pulled through the plate hole, the central portion of the plug could be separated along grain boundaries, or the plug top hat can be separated from the body. The Chamfered Heat Sink Pull Plug Design allows for complete bonding along the ISL interface through an outside diameter minimal mass heat sink, while maintaining enough central mass in the plug to prevent plug pull through, central separation, and plug top hat separation.

Energy capture and storage in asymmetrically multistable modular structures inspired by skeletal muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kidambi, Narayanan; Harne, Ryan L.; Wang, K. W.

2017-08-01

The remarkable versatility and adaptability of skeletal muscle that arises from the assembly of its nanoscale cross-bridges into micro-scale assemblies known as sarcomeres provides great inspiration for the development of advanced adaptive structures and material systems. Motivated by the capability of cross-bridges to capture elastic strain energy to improve the energetic efficiency of sudden movements and repeated motions, and by models of cross-bridge power stroke motions and sarcomere contractile behaviors that incorporate asymmetric, bistable potential energy landscapes, this research develops and studies modular mechanical structures that trap and store energy in higher-energy configurations. Modules exhibiting tailorable asymmetric bistability are first designed and fabricated, revealing how geometric parameters influence the asymmetry of the resulting double-well energy landscapes. These experimentally-observed characteristics are then investigated with numerical and analytical methods to characterize the dynamics of asymmetrically bistable modules. The assembly of such modules into greater structures generates complex, multi-well energy landscapes with stable system configurations exhibiting different quantities of stored elastic potential energy. Dynamic analyses illustrate the ability of these structures to capture a portion of the initial kinetic energy due to impulsive excitations as recoverable strain potential energy, and reveal how stiffness parameters, damping, and the presence of thermal noise in micro- and nano-scale applications influence energy capture behaviors. The insights gained could foster the development of advanced structural/material systems inspired by skeletal muscle, including actuators that effectively capture, store, and release energy, as well as adaptive, robust, and reusable armors and protective devices.

Press-fit stability of an osteochondral autograft: Influence of different plug length and perfect depth alignment.

PubMed

Kock, Niels B; Van Susante, Job L C; Buma, Pieter; Van Kampen, Albert; Verdonschot, Nico

2006-06-01

Osteochondral autologous transplantation is used for the treatment of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions of a joint. Press-fit stability is an important factor for good survival of the transplanted plugs. 36 plugs of three different lengths were transplanted in fresh-frozen human knees. On one condyle, 3 plugs were exactly matched to the depth of the recipient site ("bottomed" plugs) and on the opposite condyle 3 plugs were 5 mm shorter than the depth of the recipient site ("unbottomed" plugs). Plugs were left protruding and then pushed in until flush, and then to 2 mm below flush level, using a loading apparatus. Longer plugs needed higher forces to begin displacement. At flush level, bottomed plugs needed significantly higher forces than unbottomed plugs to become displaced below flush level (mean forces of 404 N and 131 N, respectively). Shorter bottomed plugs required higher forces than longer bottomed ones. Bottomed plugs generally provide much more stability than unbottomed ones. Short bottomed plugs are more stable than long bottomed plugs. Thus, in clinical practice it is advisable to use short bottomed plugs. If, however, unbottomed plugs are still chosen, the longer the plug the higher the resulting stability will be because of higher frictional forces.

An {Fe60} tetrahedral cage: building nanoscopic molecular assemblies through cyanometallate and alkoxo linkers.

PubMed

Jiménez, J-R; Mondal, A; Chamoreau, L-M; Fertey, P; Tuna, F; Julve, M; Bousseksou, A; Lescouëzec, R; Lisnard, L

2016-11-08

A nanoscopic {Fe 60 } coordination cage (approximately 3 nm) was prepared by the self assembly of a partially blocked tricyanidoferrate(iii) complex and tris(alkoxo)-based iron(iii) coordination motifs. This cage is a rare example of a mixed cyanido/alkoxo-bridged high nuclearity complex and it exemplifies the great potential of this new synthetic route to generate uncommon molecular architectures using cyanometallates as metalloligands versus alkoxo-based polynuclear entities.

Self-assembly of an imidazolate-bridged Fe(III)/Cu(II) heterometallic cage.

PubMed

Reichel, Florian; Clegg, Jack K; Gloe, Karsten; Gloe, Kerstin; Weigand, Jan J; Reynolds, Jason K; Li, Chun-Guang; Aldrich-Wright, Janice R; Kepert, Cameron J; Lindoy, Leonard F; Yao, Hong-Chang; Li, Feng

2014-01-21

A rare, discrete, mixed-valent, heterometallic Fe(III)/Cu(II) cage, [Cu6Fe8L8](ClO4)12·χsolvent (H3L = tris{[2-{(imidazole-4-yl)methylidene}amino]ethyl}amine), was designed and synthesized via metal-ion-directed self-assembly with neutral tripodal metalloligands. The formation of this coordination cage was demonstrated by X-ray crystallography, ESI mass spectrometry, FT-IR, and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy.

Free fatty acids electronically bridge the self-assembly of a three-component nanocomplex consisting of amylose, protein, and free fatty acids.

PubMed

Zhang, Genyi; Maladen, Michelle; Campanella, Osvaldo H; Hamaker, Bruce R

2010-08-25

The self-assembly of a ternary complex, which is formed through heating and cooling of a mixture of amylose (1.0 mg/mL), whey protein isolate (50 μg/mL), and free fatty acids (FFAs, 250 μg/mL) was investigated. High-performance size-exclusion chromatography-multi-angle laser light scattering (HPSEC-MALLS) analysis showed that the complex is a water-soluble supramolecule (Mw = 6-7 × 10(6)), with a radius of gyration of 20-100 nm, indicating a nanoscale complex. Experimental results using 1-monostearyl-rac-glycerol (MSG) or cetyl alcohol that is similar to FFA in structure (except the headgroup) indicate that FFAs are the bridge between thermodynamically incompatible amylose and protein molecules and their functional carboxyl group is essential to the formation of the complex. Additionally, the effects of pH and salt treatments suggest that electrostatic interactions between negatively charged carboxyl groups of FFAs and polyionic protein are the foundation for the self-assembly of the complex. The fact that FFA is one important component in the self-assembled complex with an estimated molar ratio of 6:1:192 (amylose/protein/FFA, ∼4-5% FFA) demonstrates that it might be used as a nanocarrier for the controlled release of lipophilic functional materials to maintain their stability, bioactivity, and more importantly water solubility.

The economics of the introduction of modern timber bridges in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

In 1990, the Virginia Assembly established a commission to propose recommendations to enhance the economic development of the southside region of the Commonwealth. The commission's 1991 report, House Document 42, included a recommendation for a timbe...

Metamagnetism in hydrophobically induced carboxylate (phenylmalonate)-bridged copper(II) layers.

PubMed

Pasán, Jorge; Sanchiz, Joaquín; Ruiz-Pérez, Catalina; Campo, Javier; Lloret, Francesc; Julve, Miguel

2006-07-21

Self-assembly of copper(l) ions, phenylmalonate and pyrimidine yields the layered compound [Cu(pym)(Phmal)n (1) where intralayer ferro- and interlayer antiferromagnetic interactions occur with three-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering at T(c) = 2.15 K.

Wzi is an outer membrane lectin that underpins group 1 capsule assembly in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Bushell, Simon R; Mainprize, Iain L; Wear, Martin A; Lou, Hubing; Whitfield, Chris; Naismith, James H

2013-05-07

Many pathogenic bacteria encase themselves in a polysaccharide capsule that provides a barrier to the physical and immunological challenges of the host. The mechanism by which the capsule assembles around the bacterial cell is unknown. Wzi, an integral outer-membrane protein from Escherichia coli, has been implicated in the formation of group 1 capsules. The 2.6 Å resolution structure of Wzi reveals an 18-stranded β-barrel fold with a novel arrangement of long extracellular loops that blocks the extracellular entrance and a helical bundle that plugs the periplasmic end. Mutagenesis shows that specific extracellular loops are required for in vivo capsule assembly. The data show that Wzi binds the K30 carbohydrate polymer and, crucially, that mutants functionally deficient in vivo show no binding to K30 polymer in vitro. We conclude that Wzi is a novel outer-membrane lectin that assists in the formation of the bacterial capsule via direct interaction with capsular polysaccharides. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Bridging [4Fe-4S] Cluster and Nucleotide Binding Are Essential for Function of the Cfd1-Nbp35 Complex as a Scaffold in Iron-Sulfur Protein Maturation*

PubMed Central

Netz, Daili J. A.; Pierik, Antonio J.; Stümpfig, Martin; Bill, Eckhard; Sharma, Anil K.; Pallesen, Leif J.; Walden, William E.; Lill, Roland

2012-01-01

The essential P-loop NTPases Cfd1 and Nbp35 of the cytosolic iron-sulfur (Fe-S) protein assembly machinery perform a scaffold function for Fe-S cluster synthesis. Both proteins contain a nucleotide binding motif of unknown function and a C-terminal motif with four conserved cysteine residues. The latter motif defines the Mrp/Nbp35 subclass of P-loop NTPases and is suspected to be involved in transient Fe-S cluster binding. To elucidate the function of these two motifs, we first created cysteine mutant proteins of Cfd1 and Nbp35 and investigated the consequences of these mutations by genetic, cell biological, biochemical, and spectroscopic approaches. The two central cysteine residues (CPXC) of the C-terminal motif were found to be crucial for cell viability, protein function, coordination of a labile [4Fe-4S] cluster, and Cfd1-Nbp35 hetero-tetramer formation. Surprisingly, the two proximal cysteine residues were dispensable for all these functions, despite their strict evolutionary conservation. Several lines of evidence suggest that the C-terminal CPXC motifs of Cfd1-Nbp35 coordinate a bridging [4Fe-4S] cluster. Upon mutation of the nucleotide binding motifs Fe-S clusters could no longer be assembled on these proteins unless wild-type copies of Cfd1 and Nbp35 were present in trans. This result indicated that Fe-S cluster loading on these scaffold proteins is a nucleotide-dependent step. We propose that the bridging coordination of the C-terminal Fe-S cluster may be ideal for its facile assembly, labile binding, and efficient transfer to target Fe-S apoproteins, a step facilitated by the cytosolic iron-sulfur (Fe-S) protein assembly proteins Nar1 and Cia1 in vivo. PMID:22362766

A natural language interface plug-in for cooperative query answering in biological databases.

PubMed

Jamil, Hasan M

2012-06-11

One of the many unique features of biological databases is that the mere existence of a ground data item is not always a precondition for a query response. It may be argued that from a biologist's standpoint, queries are not always best posed using a structured language. By this we mean that approximate and flexible responses to natural language like queries are well suited for this domain. This is partly due to biologists' tendency to seek simpler interfaces and partly due to the fact that questions in biology involve high level concepts that are open to interpretations computed using sophisticated tools. In such highly interpretive environments, rigidly structured databases do not always perform well. In this paper, our goal is to propose a semantic correspondence plug-in to aid natural language query processing over arbitrary biological database schema with an aim to providing cooperative responses to queries tailored to users' interpretations. Natural language interfaces for databases are generally effective when they are tuned to the underlying database schema and its semantics. Therefore, changes in database schema become impossible to support, or a substantial reorganization cost must be absorbed to reflect any change. We leverage developments in natural language parsing, rule languages and ontologies, and data integration technologies to assemble a prototype query processor that is able to transform a natural language query into a semantically equivalent structured query over the database. We allow knowledge rules and their frequent modifications as part of the underlying database schema. The approach we adopt in our plug-in overcomes some of the serious limitations of many contemporary natural language interfaces, including support for schema modifications and independence from underlying database schema. The plug-in introduced in this paper is generic and facilitates connecting user selected natural language interfaces to arbitrary databases using a semantic description of the intended application. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach with a practical example.

Interactions within the yeast t-SNARE Sso1p that control SNARE complex assembly.

PubMed

Munson, M; Chen, X; Cocina, A E; Schultz, S M; Hughson, F M

2000-10-01

In the eukaryotic secretory and endocytic pathways, transport vesicles shuttle cargo among intracellular organelles and to and from the plasma membrane. Cargo delivery entails fusion of the transport vesicle with its target, a process thought to be mediated by membrane bridging SNARE protein complexes. Temporal and spatial control of intracellular trafficking depends in part on regulating the assembly of these complexes. In vitro, SNARE assembly is inhibited by the closed conformation adopted by the syntaxin family of SNAREs. To visualize this closed conformation directly, the X-ray crystal structure of a yeast syntaxin, Sso1p, has been determined and refined to 2.1 A resolution. Mutants designed to destabilize the closed conformation exhibit accelerated rates of SNARE assembly. Our results provide insight into the mechanism of SNARE assembly and its intramolecular and intermolecular regulation.

Research on ultrasonic excitation for the removal of drilling fluid plug, paraffin deposition plug, polymer plug and inorganic scale plug for near-well ultrasonic processing technology.

PubMed

Wang, Zhenjun; Zeng, Jing; Song, Hao; Li, Feng

2017-05-01

Near-well ultrasonic processing technology attracts more attention due to its simple operation, high adaptability, low cost and no pollution to the formation. Although this technology has been investigated in detail through laboratory experiments and field tests, systematic and intensive researches are absent for certain major aspects, such as whether ultrasonic excitation is better than chemical agent for any plugs removal; whether ultrasound-chemical combination plug removal technology has the best plugs removal effect. In this paper, the comparison of removing drilling fluid plug, paraffin deposition plug, polymer plug and inorganic scale plug using ultrasonic excitation, chemical agent and ultrasound-chemical combination plug removal technology is investigated. Results show that the initial core permeability and ultrasonic frequency play a significant role in plug removal. Ultrasonic excitation and chemical agent have different impact on different plugs. The comparison results show that the effect of removing any plugs using ultrasound-chemicals composite plug removal technology is obviously better than that using ultrasonic excitation or chemical agent alone. Such conclusion proves that ultrasonic excitation and chemical agent can cause synergetic effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages from four-crease origami patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Yan

2018-02-01

This paper deals with constructing mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages inspired by four-crease origami patterns. A transition technique has been proposed by taking the thick-panel form of an origami pattern as an intermediate bridge. A zero-thickness rigid origami pattern and its thick-panel form share the same sector angles and folding behaviours, while the thick-panel origami and the mobile assembly of linkages are kinematically equivalent with differences only in link profiles. Applying this transition technique to typical four-crease origami patterns, we have found that the Miura-ori and graded Miura-ori patterns lead to assemblies of Bennett linkages with identical link lengths. The supplementary-type origami patterns with different mountain-valley crease assignments correspond to different types of Bennett linkage assemblies with negative link lengths. And the identical linkage-type origami pattern generates a new mobile assembly. Hence, the transition technique offers a novel approach to constructing mobile assemblies of spatial linkages from origami patterns.

Mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages from four-crease origami patterns.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Yan

2018-02-01

This paper deals with constructing mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages inspired by four-crease origami patterns. A transition technique has been proposed by taking the thick-panel form of an origami pattern as an intermediate bridge. A zero-thickness rigid origami pattern and its thick-panel form share the same sector angles and folding behaviours, while the thick-panel origami and the mobile assembly of linkages are kinematically equivalent with differences only in link profiles. Applying this transition technique to typical four-crease origami patterns, we have found that the Miura-ori and graded Miura-ori patterns lead to assemblies of Bennett linkages with identical link lengths. The supplementary-type origami patterns with different mountain-valley crease assignments correspond to different types of Bennett linkage assemblies with negative link lengths. And the identical linkage-type origami pattern generates a new mobile assembly. Hence, the transition technique offers a novel approach to constructing mobile assemblies of spatial linkages from origami patterns.

High-efficiency K-band tracking antenna feed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beavin, R. L.; Simanyi, A. I.

1975-01-01

Antenna feed features high aperture efficiency of multimode near-field horn and develops tracking signals without conventional monopulse bridge. Feed assembly is relatively simple and very compact. However, feed is sensitive to cross-polarized energy which couples into orthogonal error channel.

26. Typical top chord, vertical lattice, diagonal bracing and bottom ...

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

26. Typical top chord, vertical lattice, diagonal bracing and bottom chord assembly. View is of south side of center panels of 4th span. - Cleves Bridge, Spanning Great Miami River on U.S. Highway 50, Cleves, Hamilton County, OH

Modeling the self-assembly of functionalized fullerenes on solid surfaces using Monte Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubnis, Gregory J.

Since their discovery 25 years ago, carbon fullerenes have been widely studied for their unique physicochemical properties and for applications including organic electronics and photovoltaics. For these applications it is highly desirable for crystalline fullerene thin films to spontaneously self-assemble on surfaces. Accordingly, many studies have functionalized fullerenes with the aim of tailoring their intermolecular interactions and controlling interactions with the solid substrate. The success of these rational design approaches hinges on the subtle interplay of intermolecular forces and molecule-substrate interactions. Molecular modeling is well-suited to studying these interactions by directly simulating self-assembly. In this work, we consider three different fullerene functionalization approaches and for each approach we carry out Monte Carlo simulations of the self-assembly process. In all cases, we use a "coarse-grained" molecular representation that preserves the dominant physical interactions between molecules and maximizes computational efficiency. The first approach we consider is the traditional gold-thiolate SAM (self-assembled monolayer) strategy which tethers molecules to a gold substrate via covalent sulfur-gold bonds. For this we study an asymmetric fullerene thiolate bridged by a phenyl group. Clusters of 40 molecules are simulated on the Au(111) substrate at different temperatures and surface coverage densities. Fullerenes and S atoms are found to compete for Au(111) surface sites, and this competition prevents self-assembly of highly ordered monolayers. Next, we investigate self-assembled monolayers formed by fullerenes with hydrogen-bonding carboxylic acid substituents. We consider five molecules with different dimensions and symmetries. Monte Carlo cooling simulations are used to find the most stable solid structures of clusters adsorbed to Au(111). The results show cases where fullerene-Au(111) attraction, fullerene close-packing, and hydrogen-bonding interactions can cooperate to guide self-assembly or compete to hinder it. Finally, we consider three bis-fullerene molecules, each with a different "bridging group" covalently joining two fullerenes. To effectively study the competing "standing-up" and "lying-down" morphologies, we use Monte Carlo simulations in conjunction with replica exchange and force field biasing methods. For clusters adsorbed to smooth model surfaces, we determine free energy landscapes and demonstrate their utility for rationalizing and predicting self-assembly.

Coherent spin transfer between molecularly bridged quantum dots.

PubMed

Ouyang, Min; Awschalom, David D

2003-08-22

Femtosecond time-resolved Faraday rotation spectroscopy reveals the instantaneous transfer of spin coherence through conjugated molecular bridges spanning quantum dots of different size over a broad range of temperature. The room-temperature spin-transfer efficiency is approximately 20%, showing that conjugated molecules can be used not only as interconnections for the hierarchical assembly of functional networks but also as efficient spin channels. The results suggest that this class of structures may be useful as two-spin quantum devices operating at ambient temperatures and may offer promising opportunities for future versatile molecule-based spintronic technologies.

LIGHT BRIDGE IN A DEVELOPING ACTIVE REGION. I. OBSERVATION OF LIGHT BRIDGE AND ITS DYNAMIC ACTIVITY PHENOMENA

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

Toriumi, Shin; Katsukawa, Yukio; Cheung, Mark C. M., E-mail: shin.toriumi@nao.ac.jp

Light bridges, the bright structures that divide the umbra of sunspots and pores into smaller pieces, are known to produce a wide variety of activity events in solar active regions (ARs). It is also known that the light bridges appear in the assembling process of nascent sunspots. The ultimate goal of this series of papers is to reveal the nature of light bridges in developing ARs and the occurrence of activity events associated with the light bridge structures from both observational and numerical approaches. In this first paper, exploiting the observational data obtained by Hinode, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, andmore » the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we investigate the detailed structure of the light bridge in NOAA AR 11974 and its dynamic activity phenomena. As a result, we find that the light bridge has a weak, horizontal magnetic field, which is transported from the interior by a large-scale convective upflow and is surrounded by strong, vertical fields of adjacent pores. In the chromosphere above the bridge, a transient brightening occurs repeatedly and intermittently, followed by a recurrent dark surge ejection into higher altitudes. Our analysis indicates that the brightening is the plasma heating due to magnetic reconnection at lower altitudes, while the dark surge is the cool, dense plasma ejected from the reconnection region. From the observational results, we conclude that the dynamic activity observed in a light bridge structure such as chromospheric brightenings and dark surge ejections are driven by magnetoconvective evolution within the light bridge and its interaction with the surrounding magnetic fields.« less

Reactor refueling containment system

DOEpatents

Gillett, J.E.; Meuschke, R.E.

1995-05-02

A method of refueling a nuclear reactor is disclosed whereby the drive mechanism is disengaged and removed by activating a jacking mechanism that raises the closure head. The area between the barrier plate and closure head is exhausted through the closure head penetrations. The closure head, upper drive mechanism, and bellows seal are lifted away and transported to a safe area. The barrier plate acts as the primary boundary and each drive and control rod penetration has an elastomer seal preventing excessive tritium gases from escaping. The individual instrumentation plugs are disengaged allowing the corresponding fuel assembly to be sealed and replaced. 2 figs.

Reactor refueling containment system

DOEpatents

Gillett, James E.; Meuschke, Robert E.

1995-01-01

A method of refueling a nuclear reactor whereby the drive mechanism is disengaged and removed by activating a jacking mechanism that raises the closure head. The area between the barrier plate and closure head is exhausted through the closure head penetrations. The closure head, upper drive mechanism, and bellows seal are lifted away and transported to a safe area. The barrier plate acts as the primary boundary and each drive and control rod penetration has an elastomer seal preventing excessive tritium gases from escaping. The individual instrumentation plugs are disengaged allowing the corresponding fuel assembly to be sealed and replaced.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Translate and Ingress

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

S119-E-006688 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Arnold in EMU

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

ISS018-E-041089 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Richard Arnold, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Arnold and astronaut Steve Swanson (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

Motor Controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

M.H. Marks Enterprises' Power Factor Controller (PFC) matches voltage with motor's actual need. Plugged into a motor, PFC continuously determines motor load by sensing shifts between voltage and current flow. When it senses a light load, it cuts voltage to the minimum needed. It offers potential energy savings ranging from eight percent up to 65 percent depending on the application. Myles Marks started out with the notion of writing an article for Popular Electronics magazine at the same time offering to furnish kits to readers interested in assembling PFC's. Within two weeks from publication he had orders for 500 kits and orders are still coming three years later.

Modular power converter having fluid cooled support

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Gollhardt, Neil; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2005-09-06

A support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Modular power converter having fluid cooled support

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Gollhardt, Neil; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2005-12-06

A support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Compact fluid cooled power converter supporting multiple circuit boards

DOEpatents

Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2005-03-08

A support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

A Dicobalt Complex with an Unsymmetrical Quinonoid Bridge Isolated in Three Units of Charge: A Combined Structural, (Spectro)electrochemical, Magnetic and Spectroscopic Study.

PubMed

van der Meer, Margarethe; Rechkemmer, Yvonne; Frank, Uta; Breitgoff, Frauke D; Hohloch, Stephan; Su, Cheng-Yong; Neugebauer, Petr; Marx, Raphael; Dörfel, María; van Slageren, Joris; Sarkar, Biprajit

2016-09-19

Quinonoid ligands are excellent bridges for generating redox-rich dinuclear assemblies. A large majority of these bridges are symmetrically substituted, with examples of unsymmetrically substituted quinonoid bridges being extremely rare. We present here a dicobalt complex in its various redox states with an unsymmetrically substituted quinonoid bridging ligand. Two homovalent forms and one mixed-valent form have been isolated and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex displays a large comproportionation constant for the mixed-valent state which is three orders of magnitude higher than that observed for the analogous complex with a symmetrically substituted bridge. Results from electrochemistry, UV/Vis/NIR spectroelectrochemistry, SQUID magnetometry, multi-frequency EPR spectroscopy and FIR spectroscopy are used to probe the electronic structures of these complexes. FIR provides direct evidence of exchange coupling. The results presented here display the advantages of using an unsymmetrically substituted bridge: site specific redox chemistry, high thermodynamic stabilization of the mixed-valent form, isolation and crystallization of various redox forms of the complex. This work represents an important step on the way to generating heterodinuclear complexes for use in cooperative catalysis. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Application of Composite Structures in Bridge Engineering. Problems of Construction Process and Strength Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaga, Kazimierz; Furtak, Kazimierz

2015-03-01

Steel-concrete composite structures have been used in bridge engineering from decades. This is due to rational utilisation of the strength properties of the two materials. At the same time, the reinforced concrete (or prestressed) deck slab is more favourable than the orthotropic steel plate used in steel bridges (higher mass, better vibration damping, longer life). The most commonly found in practice are composite girder bridges, particularly in highway bridges of small and medium spans, but the spans may reach over 200 m. In larger spans steel truss girders are applied. Bridge composite structures are also employed in cable-stayed bridge decks of the main girder spans of the order of 600, 800 m. The aim of the article is to present the cionstruction process and strength analysis problems concerning of this type of structures. Much attention is paid to the design and calculation of the shear connectors characteristic for the discussed objects. The authors focused mainly on the issues of single composite structures. The effect of assembly states on the stresses and strains in composite members are highlighted. A separate part of problems is devoted to the influence of rheological factors, i.e. concrete shrinkage and creep, as well as thermal factors on the stresses and strains and redistribution of internal forces.

Effect of sodium chloride on the structure and stability of spider silk's N-terminal protein domain.

PubMed

Gronau, Greta; Qin, Zhao; Buehler, Markus J

2013-03-01

A spider's ability to store silk protein solutions at high concentration is believed to be related to the protein's terminal domains. It has been suggested that a shift in salt concentration and pH can have a significant influence on the assembly process. Based on experimental data, a model has been proposed in which the N-terminal domain exists as a monomer during storage and assembles into a homodimer upon spinning. Here we perform a systematic computational study using atomistic, coarse-grained and well-tempered metadynamics simulation to understand how the NaCl concentration in the solution affects the N-terminal domain of the silk protein. Our results show that a high salt concentration, as found during storage, weakens key salt bridges between the monomers, inducing a loss in bond energy by 28.6% in a single salt bridge. As a result dimer formation is less likely as 35.5% less energy is required to unfold the dimer by mechanical force. Conversely, homodimer formation appears to be more likely at low salt concentrations as the salt bridge stays at the lower energy state. The link between salt concentration, structure and stability of the N-terminal domain provides a possible mechanism that prevents premature fiber formation during storage.

Effect of sodium chloride on the structure and stability of spider silk’s N-terminal protein domain

PubMed Central

Gronau, Greta; Qin, Zhao; Buehler, Markus J.

2013-01-01

A spider’s ability to store silk protein solutions at high concentration is believed to be related to the protein’s terminal domains. It has been suggested that a shift in salt concentration and pH can have a significant influence on the assembly process. Based on experimental data, a model has been proposed in which the N-terminal domain exists as a monomer during storage and assembles into a homodimer upon spinning. Here we perform a systematic computational study using atomistic, coarse-grained and well-tempered metadynamics simulation to understand how the NaCl concentration in the solution affects the N-terminal domain of the silk protein. Our results show that a high salt concentration, as found during storage, weakens key salt bridges between the monomers, inducing a loss in bond energy by 28.6% in a single salt bridge. As a result dimer formation is less likely as 35.5% less energy is required to unfold the dimer by mechanical force. Conversely, homodimer formation appears to be more likely at low salt concentrations as the salt bridge stays at the lower energy state. The link between salt concentration, structure and stability of the N-terminal domain provides a possible mechanism that prevents premature fiber formation during storage. PMID:23833703

Initial bridges between two ribosomal subunits are formed within 9.4 milliseconds, as studied by time-resolved cryo-EM.

PubMed

Shaikh, Tanvir R; Yassin, Aymen S; Lu, Zonghuan; Barnard, David; Meng, Xing; Lu, Toh-Ming; Wagenknecht, Terence; Agrawal, Rajendra K

2014-07-08

Association of the two ribosomal subunits during the process of translation initiation is a crucial step of protein synthesis. The two subunits (30S and 50S) of the bacterial 70S ribosome are held together by 12 dynamic bridges involving RNA-RNA, RNA-protein, and protein-protein interactions. The process of bridge formation, such as whether all these bridges are formed simultaneously or in a sequential order, is poorly understood. To understand such processes, we have developed and implemented a class of microfluidic devices that mix two components to completion within 0.4 ms and spray the mixture in the form of microdroplets onto an electron microscopy grid, yielding a minimum reaction time of 9.4 ms before cryofixation. Using these devices, we have obtained cryo-EM data corresponding to reaction times of 9.4 and 43 ms and have determined 3D structures of ribosomal subunit association intermediates. Molecular analyses of the cryo-EM maps reveal that eight intersubunit bridges (bridges B1a, B1b, B2a, B2b, B3, B7a, B7b, and B8) form within 9.4 ms, whereas the remaining four bridges (bridges B2c, B4, B5, and B6) take longer than 43 ms to form, suggesting that bridges are formed in a stepwise fashion. Our approach can be used to characterize sequences of various dynamic functional events on complex macromolecular assemblies such as ribosomes.

Self-Assembled Pyridine-Dipyrrolate Cages.

PubMed

Zhang, Huacheng; Lee, Juhoon; Lammer, Aaron D; Chi, Xiaodong; Brewster, James T; Lynch, Vincent M; Li, Hao; Zhang, Zhan; Sessler, Jonathan L

2016-04-06

An inherently nonlinear pyridine dipyrrolate ligand, namely 2,6-bis(3,4-diethyl-5-carboxy-1H-pyrrol-2yl)pyridine (compound 1), is able to distinguish between different zinc(II) cation sources, namely Zn(acac)2 and Zn(OAc)2, respectively. This differentiation is manifest both in terms of the observed fluorescent behavior in mixed organic media and the reaction chemistry. Treatment of 1 with Zn(acac)2 gives rise to a cage dimer, cage-1, wherein two molecules of compound 1 act as double bridging units to connect two individual cage subunits. As inferred from X-ray crystallographic studies, this cage system consists of discrete zinc dimers with hydroxide bridges that, with the assistance of bound DMF solvent molecules, serve to fix the geometry and orientation of the pyridine dipyrrolate building blocks. When a different zinc source, Zn(OAc)2, is used to carry out an ostensibly similar complexation reaction with compound 1, an acetate-bridged 1D abacus-like cage polymer is obtained as inferred from X-ray diffraction analysis. This extended solid state structure, cage-2, contains individual zinc dimer cage submits and appears stabilized by solvent molecules (DMF) and the counteranion (acetate). Rod-like assemblies are also observed by DLS and SEM. This construct, in contrast to cage-1, proved fluorescent in mixed organic media. The structure of the ligand itself (i.e., in the absence of Zn(II)) was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis and was found to assemble into a supramolecular polymer. Conversion to a dimer form was seen upon the addition of TBAOAc. On the basis of the metric parameters, the structures seen in the solid state are stabilized via hydrogen bonding interactions involving solvent molecules.

A 5′ Splice Site-Proximal Enhancer Binds SF1 and Activates Exon Bridging of a Microexon

PubMed Central

Carlo, Troy; Sierra, Rebecca; Berget, Susan M.

2000-01-01

Internal exon size in vertebrates occurs over a narrow size range. Experimentally, exons shorter than 50 nucleotides are poorly included in mRNA unless accompanied by strengthened splice sites or accessory sequences that act as splicing enhancers, suggesting steric interference between snRNPs and other splicing factors binding simultaneously to the 3′ and 5′ splice sites of microexons. Despite these problems, very small naturally occurring exons exist. Here we studied the factors and mechanism involved in recognizing a constitutively included six-nucleotide exon from the cardiac troponin T gene. Inclusion of this exon is dependent on an enhancer located downstream of the 5′ splice site. This enhancer contains six copies of the simple sequence GGGGCUG. The enhancer activates heterologous microexons and will work when located either upstream or downstream of the target exon, suggesting an ability to bind factors that bridge splicing units. A single copy of this sequence is sufficient for in vivo exon inclusion and is the binding site for the known bridging mammalian splicing factor 1 (SF1). The enhancer and its bound SF1 act to increase recognition of the upstream exon during exon definition, such that competition of in vitro reactions with RNAs containing the GGGGCUG repeated sequence depress splicing of the upstream intron, assembly of the spliceosome on the 3′ splice site of the exon, and cross-linking of SF1. These results suggest a model in which SF1 bridges the small exon during initial assembly, thereby effectively extending the domain of the exon. PMID:10805741

Friction pull plug welding: chamfered heat sink pull plug design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coletta, Edmond R. (Inventor); Cantrell, Mark A. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

The average strength of a pull plug weld is increased and weak bonding eliminated by providing a dual included angle at the top one third of the pull plug. Plugs using the included angle of the present invention had consistent high strength, no weak bonds and were substantially defect free. The dual angle of the pull plug body increases the heat and pressure of the weld in the region of the top one third of the plug. This allows the plug to form a tight high quality solid state bond. The dual angle was found to be successful in elimination of defects on both small and large plugs.

Friction pull plug welding: dual chamfered plate hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coletta, Edmond R. (Inventor); Cantrell, Mark A. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW) is a solid state repair process for defects up to one inch in length, only requiring single sided tooling (OSL) for usage on flight hardware. Early attempts with FPPW followed the matching plug/plate geometry precedence of the successful Friction Push Plug Welding program, however no defect free welds were achieved due to substantial plug necking and plug rotational stalling. The dual chamfered hole has eliminated plug rotational stalling, both upon initial plug/plate contact and during welding. Also, the necking of the heated plug metal under a tensile heating/forging load has been eliminated through the usage of the dual chamfered plate hole.

Clearance of a Mucus Plug

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Shiyao; Zheng, Ying; Grotberg, James B.

2008-11-01

Mucus plugging may occur in pulmonary airways in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. How to clear the mucus plug is essential and of fundamental importance. Mucus is known to have a yield stress and a mucus plug behaves like a solid plug when the applied stresses are below its yield stress τy. When the local stresses reaches τy, the plug starts to move and can be cleared out of the lung. It is then of great importance to examine how the mucus plug deforms and what is the minimum pressure required to initiate its movement. The present study used the finite element method (FEM) to study the stress distribution and deformation of a solid mucus plug under different pressure loads using ANSYS software. The maximum shear stress is found to occur near the rear transition region of the plug, which can lead to local yielding and flow. The critical pressure increases linearly with the plug length and asymptotes when the plug length is larger than the half channel width. Experimentally a mucus simulant is used to study the process of plug deformation and critical pressure difference required for the plug to propagate. Consistently, the fracture is observed to start at the rear transition region where the plug core connects the films. However, the critical pressure is observed to be dependent on not only the plug length but also the interfacial shape.

Characterization of Atg38 and NRBF2, a fifth subunit of the autophagic Vps34/PIK3C3 complex

PubMed Central

Ohashi, Yohei; Soler, Nicolas; García Ortegón, Miguel; Zhang, Lufei; Kirsten, Marie L.; Perisic, Olga; Masson, Glenn R.; Burke, John E.; Jakobi, Arjen J.; Apostolakis, Apostolos A.; Johnson, Christopher M.; Ohashi, Maki; Ktistakis, Nicholas T.; Sachse, Carsten; Williams, Roger L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase Vps34 is part of several protein complexes. The structural organization of heterotetrameric complexes is starting to emerge, but little is known about organization of additional accessory subunits that interact with these assemblies. Combining hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy (EM), we have characterized Atg38 and its human ortholog NRBF2, accessory components of complex I consisting of Vps15-Vps34-Vps30/Atg6-Atg14 (yeast) and PIK3R4/VPS15-PIK3C3/VPS34-BECN1/Beclin 1-ATG14 (human). HDX-MS shows that Atg38 binds the Vps30-Atg14 subcomplex of complex I, using mainly its N-terminal MIT domain and bridges the coiled-coil I regions of Atg14 and Vps30 in the base of complex I. The Atg38 C-terminal domain is important for localization to the phagophore assembly site (PAS) and homodimerization. Our 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of the Atg38 C-terminal homodimerization domain shows 2 segments of α-helices assembling into a mushroom-like asymmetric homodimer with a 4-helix cap and a parallel coiled-coil stalk. One Atg38 homodimer engages a single complex I. This is in sharp contrast to human NRBF2, which also forms a homodimer, but this homodimer can bridge 2 complex I assemblies. PMID:27630019

49 CFR 397.7 - Parking.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... traveled portion of a public street or highway; (2) On private property (including premises of fueling or... bridge, tunnel, dwelling, or place where people work, congregate, or assemble, except for brief periods... public street or highway except for brief periods when the necessities of operation require the vehicle...

Energy Sourcebook for Educational Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Educational Facility Planners, Columbus, OH.

The Council of Educational Facility Planners, International (CEFP/I) has assembled an authoritative and comprehensive sourcebook for the design and management of energy efficient educational facilities. Information that bridges the gap between scientific energy theory/research/technology and the needs of the educational community is published in…

First Observation of Photoinduced Magnetization for the Cyano-Bridged 3d 4f Heterobimetallic Assembly Nd(DMF)4(H2O)3(μ-CN)Fe(CN)5ṡH2O (DMF=N,N-Dimethylformamide)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guangming; Akitsu, Takashiro; Sato, Osamu; Einaga, Yasuaki

2004-12-01

Photoinduced magnetization of the cyano-bridged 3d 4f hetero-bimetallic assembly Nd (DMF)4(H2O)3(μ-CN)Fe(CN)5ṡH2O (1) (DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide) is described in this paper. The χM T values are enhanced by about 45% after UV light illumination in the temperature range of 5 50 K. We propose that UV light illumination induces a structural distortion in 1. This small structural change is propagated by molecular interactions in the inorganic network. Furthermore, the cooperativity resulting from the molecular interaction functions to increase the activation energy of the relaxation processes, which makes observation of the photoexcited state possible. The flexible network structure through the hydrogen bonds in 1 plays an essential role for the photoinduced phenomenon. This finding may open up a new domain for developing molecule-based magnetic materials.

[Evidence of lacrimal plugs via high resolution ultrasound].

PubMed

Tost, Frank H W; Darman, Jacques

2003-07-01

The practical value of high-frequency ultrasound (transducer frequency of 20 MHz) for studying lacrimal plugs positioned into canaliculi was proved. Twelve patients with twenty intracanalicular plugs and two punctum plugs were examined via high-frequency B-scan ultrasonography using 20 MHz transducer (model I3 Sacramento, USA). Detection and localisation of the intracanalicular plugs was made by a 20 MHz sector scanner. The ultrasound examinations were performed 1 - 24 month after the placement of lacrimal plugs. After patient's head positioning, the high-frequency ultrasound investigation was done via immersion fluid (2 % methylcellulose). All patients with dry eye treated by lacrimal plug implant showed echographic structure in the lacrimal canaliculus. In transversal echograms it was possible to image both canaliculi together when the lids were half-closed. Contrary to the normal state, it was not necessary to inject viscous fluid into the canaliculus. High-resolution ultrasound was able to differentiate the normal canaliculus from the findings after plug placement. The echograms can vary from one plug type to another. Highly reflective structures were found after the placement of silicone intracanalicular plugs, e. g. HERRICK-Plug. In contrast, the ultrasonic image taken through acrylic polymer intracanalicular plugs showed homogeneous small reflective inner structure, e. g. SMART-Plug. However, smooth and flat acoustic interface between acrylic polymer plug and the lacrimal canaliculus produced strong echoes. 20 MHz ultrasound seems to be well suited for the detection and localisation of intracanalicular plugs. By use of 20 MHz ultrasound scans it is possible to get high-quality images of the intracanalicular plug and around lacrimal canaliculus. Compared with UBM, the depth of penetration is much higher with negligible resolution. On the whole, we believe that 20 MHz ultrasound can become a useful tool for evaluating the placement of intracanalicular plugs after insertion.

18. Photograph of a line drawing. SHEET 18, DOOR AND ...

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

18. Photograph of a line drawing. SHEET 18, DOOR AND BRIDGE DETAILS; 9-28-1940. Assembly Building for Tank Plant for the Chrysler Corporation, Macomb County, Michigan. Delineators: T. J. M. and E.B. - Detroit Arsenal, 6501 East Eleven Mile Road, Warren, Macomb County, MI

Antiwhirl PDC bits increased penetration rates in Alberta drilling. [Polycrystalline Diamond Compact

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

Bobrosky, D.; Osmak, G.

1993-07-05

The antiwhirl PDC bits and an inhibitive mud system contributed to the quicker drilling of the time-sensitive shales. The hole washouts in the intermediate section were dramatically reduced, resulting in better intermediate casing cement jobs. Also, the use of antirotation PDC-drillable cementing plugs eliminated the need to drill out plugs and float equipment with a steel tooth bit and then trip for the PDC bit. By using an antiwhirl PDC bit, at least one trip was eliminated in the intermediate section. Offset data indicated that two to six conventional bits would have been required to drill the intermediate hole interval.more » The PDC bit was rebuildable and therefore rerunnable even after being used on five wells. In each instance, the cost of replacing chipped cutters was less than the cost of a new insert roller cone bit. The paper describes the antiwhirl bits; the development of the bits; and their application in a clastic sequence, a carbonate sequence, and the Shekilie oil field; the improvement in the rate of penetration; the selection of bottom hole assemblies; washout problems; and drill-out characteristics.« less

Activation of amino-based monolayers for electroless metallization of high-aspect-ratio through-silicon vias by using a simple ultrasonic-assisted plating solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sung-Te; Cheng, Yu-Syun; Chang, Yiu-Hsiang; Yang, Tzu-Ming; Lee, Jyun-Ting; Chen, Giin-Shan

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present the method and results of electroless plating of through-silicon via (TSV) contacts using Ni nanoparticle seeds on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This approach where the nanoparticles are evenly distributed and stabilized on the SAM allows the successive electroless metallization schemes such as Co-alloy barrier and Cu plug used typically in TSV as interconnects. The seeding was tested on SiO2 layers with surfaces functionalized by an amino-based aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) SAM. APTMS-SAM after a suitable SC-1 treatment yielded a remarkably good barrier layer, with high adhesion strength (70 MPa) and low electrical resistivity (28 μΩ-cm). Moreover, the SAM assisted seeding protocol was followed by an ultrasonic-assisted (or mechanically agitated) electroless-plating stage together with a relatively simple plating solution. Conformal plating of Co-alloy barrier and seem/void-free Cu-plug filling into high-aspect-ratio TSVs (>10) was only achieved by using an ultrasonic-assisted plating process. The SAM layers were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to elucidate the surface functionalization effect.

An assembly system based on industrial robot with binocular stereo vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Hong; Xiao, Nanfeng

2017-01-01

This paper proposes an electronic part and component assembly system based on an industrial robot with binocular stereo vision. Firstly, binocular stereo vision with a visual attention mechanism model is used to get quickly the image regions which contain the electronic parts and components. Secondly, a deep neural network is adopted to recognize the features of the electronic parts and components. Thirdly, in order to control the end-effector of the industrial robot to grasp the electronic parts and components, a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to compute the transition matrix and the inverse kinematics of the industrial robot (end-effector), which plays a key role in bridging the binocular stereo vision and the industrial robot. Finally, the proposed assembly system is tested in LED component assembly experiments, and the results denote that it has high efficiency and good applicability.

Patterns of surface burrow plugging in a colony of black-tailed prairie dogs occupied by black-footed ferrets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eads, David E.; Biggins, Dean E.

2012-01-01

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) can surface-plug openings to a burrow occupied by a black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). At a coarse scale, surface plugs are more common in colonies of prairie dogs occupied by ferrets than in colonies without ferrets. However, little is known about spatial and temporal patterns of surface plugging in a colony occupied by ferrets. In a 452-ha colony of black-tailed prairie dogs in South Dakota, we sampled burrow openings for surface plugs and related those data to locations of ferrets observed during spotlight surveys. Of 67,574 burrow openings in the colony between June and September 2007, 3.7% were plugged. In a colony-wide grid of 80 m × 80 m cells, the occurrence of surface plugging (≥1 opening plugged) was greater in cells used by ferrets (93.3% of cells) than in cells not observably used by ferrets (70.6%). Rates of surface plugging (percentages of openings plugged) were significantly higher in cells used by ferrets (median = 3.7%) than in cells without known ferret use (median = 3.2%). Also, numbers of ferret locations in cells correlated positively with numbers of mapped surface plugs in the cells. To investigate surface plugging at finer temporal and spatial scales, we compared rates of surface plugging in 20-m-radius circle-plots centered on ferret locations and in random plots 1–4 days after observing a ferret (Jun–Oct 2007 and 2008). Rates of surface plugging were greater in ferret-plots (median = 12.0%) than in random plots (median = 0%). For prairie dogs and their associates, the implications of surface plugging could be numerous. For instance, ferrets must dig to exit or enter plugged burrows (suggesting energetic costs), and surface plugs might influence microclimates in burrows and consequently influence species that cannot excavate soil (e.g., fleas that transmit the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis).

Aeroacoustics of supersonic jet flows from contoured and solid/porous conical plug-nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dosanjh, Darshan S.; Das, Indu S.

1987-01-01

The results of an experimental study of the acoustic far-field, the shock associated noise, and the nature of the repetitive shock structure of supersonic jet flows issuing from plug-nozzles having externally-expanded plugs with pointed termination operated at a range of supercritical pressure ratios Xi approaching 2 to 4.5 are reported. The plug of one of these plug-nozzles was contoured. The other plug-nozzles had short conical plugs with either a solid surface or a combination of solid/porous surface of different porosities. The contoured and the uncontoured plug-nozzles had the same throat area and the same annulus-radius ratio K = R sub p/R sub N = 0.43. As the result of modifications of the shock structure, the acoustic performance of improperly expanded jet flows of an externally-expanded short uncontoured plug of an appropriate geometry with suitably perforated plug and a pointed termination, is shown to approach the acoustic performance of a shock-free supersonic jet issuing from an equivalent externally-expanded contoured plug-nozzle.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 S6 Truss Umbilical Mate OPS

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

S119-E-006674 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson (center), STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Swanson in Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

ISS018-E-041093 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Swanson in Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

ISS018-E-041098 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Swanson waves to camera

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

ISS018-E-041084 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 S6 Truss Umbilical Mate OPS

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

S119-E-006675 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson (center right), STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and astronaut Richard Arnold (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 S6 Truss Umbilical Mate OPS

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

S119-E-006673 (19 March 2009) --- Astronauts Steve Swanson (center) and Richard Arnold (partially obscured above Swanson), both STS-119 mission specialists, participate in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Swanson and Arnold connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays.

Closeup View of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) 2044 ...

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

Close-up View of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) 2044 mounted in a SSME Engine Handler in the SSME processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. This view shows SSME 2044 with its expansion nozzle removed and an Engine Leak-Test Plug is set in the throat of the Main Combustion Chamber in the approximate center of the image, the insulated, High-Pressure Fuel Turbopump sits below that and the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump Discharge Duct sits towards the top of the engine assembly in this view. - Space Transportation System, Space Shuttle Main Engine, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX

Electrical power converter method and system employing multiple output converters

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C [Wauwatosa, WI; Radosevich, Lawrence D [Muskego, WI; Meyer, Andreas A [Richmond Heights, OH; Gollhardt, Neil [Fox Point, WI; Kannenberg, Daniel G [Waukesha, WI

2007-05-01

A support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Fluid cooled vehicle drive module

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Gollhardt, Neil; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2005-11-15

An electric vehicle drive includes a support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EM/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Electrical power converter method and system employing multiple-output converters

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Gollhardt, Neil; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2006-03-21

A support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support, in conjunction with other packaging features may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Effect of inlet ingestion of a wing tip vortex on compressor face flow and turbojet stall margin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, G. A.

1975-01-01

A two-dimensional inlet was alternately mated to a coldpipe plug assembly and a J85-GE-13 turbojet engine, and placed in a Mach 0.4 stream so as to ingest the tip vortex of a forward mounted wing. Vortex properties were measured just forward of the inlet and at the compressor face. Results show that ingestion of a wing tip vortex by a turbojet engine can cause a large reduction in engine stall margin. The loss in stall compressor pressure ratio was primarily dependent on vortex location and rotational direction and not on total-pressure distortion.

The Functional Role of eL19 and eB12 Intersubunit Bridge in the Eukaryotic Ribosome.

PubMed

Kisly, Ivan; Gulay, Suna P; Mäeorg, Uno; Dinman, Jonathan D; Remme, Jaanus; Tamm, Tiina

2016-05-22

During translation, the two eukaryotic ribosomal subunits remain associated through 17 intersubunit bridges, five of which are eukaryote specific. These are mainly localized to the peripheral regions and are believed to stabilize the structure of the ribosome. The functional importance of these bridges remains largely unknown. Here, the essentiality of the eukaryote-specific bridge eB12 has been investigated. The main component of this bridge is ribosomal protein eL19 that is composed of an N-terminal globular domain, a middle region, and a long C-terminal α-helix. The analysis of deletion mutants demonstrated that the globular domain and middle region of eL19 are essential for cell viability, most likely functioning in ribosome assembly. The eB12 bridge, formed by contacts between the C-terminal α-helix of eL19 and 18S rRNA in concert with additional stabilizing interactions involving either eS7 or uS17, is dispensable for viability. Nevertheless, eL19 mutants impaired in eB12 bridge formation displayed slow growth phenotypes, altered sensitivity/resistance to translational inhibitors, and enhanced hyperosmotic stress tolerance. Biochemical analyses determined that the eB12 bridge contributes to the stability of ribosome subunit interactions in vitro. 60S subunits containing eL19 variants defective in eB12 bridge formation failed to form 80S ribosomes regardless of Mg(2+) concentration. The reassociation of 40S and mutant 60S subunits was markedly improved in the presence of deacetylated tRNA, emphasizing the importance of tRNAs during the subunit association. We propose that the eB12 bridge plays an important role in subunit joining and in optimizing ribosome functionality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Friction pull plug welding: top hat plug design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coletta, Edmond R. (Inventor); Cantrell, Mark A. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

Friction Pull Plug Welding is a solid state repair process for defects up to one inch in length, only requiring single sided tooling, or outside skin line (OSL), for preferred usage on flight hardware. The most prevalent defect associated with Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW) was a top side or inside skin line (ISL) lack of bonding. Bonding was not achieved at this location due to the reduction in both frictional heat and welding pressure between the plug and plate at the end of the weld. Thus, in order to eliminate the weld defects and increase the plug strength at the plug `top` a small `hat` section is added to the pull plug for added frictional heating and pressure.

Friction pull plug welding: top hat plug design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coletta, Edmond R. (Inventor); Cantrell, Mark A. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Friction Pull Plug Welding is a solid state repair process for defects up to one inch in length, only requiring single sided tooling, or outside skin line (OSL), for preferred usage on flight hardware. The most prevalent defect associated with Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW) was a top side or inside skin line (ISL) lack of bonding. Bonding was not achieved at this location due to the reduction in both frictional heat and welding pressure between the plug and plate at the end of the weld. Thus, in order to eliminate the weld defects and increase the plug strength at the plug `top` a small `hat` section is added to the pull plug for added frictional heating and pressure.

KSC-07pd0837

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After passing through the Banana River bridge, the Pegasus barge, with its cargo of the external tank prepared for mission STS-118, is towed upriver to the turn basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. There the tank will be offloaded and moved to the VAB. Photo credit: Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd0836

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pegasus barge, with its cargo of the external tank prepared for mission STS-118, moves through the upraised Banana River bridge. The barge is being towed to the turn basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building where the tank will be offloaded and moved to the VAB. Photo credit: Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd0835

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pegasus barge, with its cargo of the external tank prepared for mission STS-118, moves toward the upraised Banana River bridge. The barge is being towed to the turn basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building where the tank will be offloaded and moved to the VAB. Photo credit: Jack Pfaller

Ramifications of welding a soleplate to a precast metal insert of a prestressed single-tee beam.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

A model of the bearing assembly specified on the plans for the bridges being constructed in Norton, Virginia, was prepared in the laboratory at the Research Council. The shielded metal-arc welding process was used to weld the soleplate to the metal i...

Aspergillus fumigatus colonization of punctal plugs.

PubMed

Tabbara, Khalid F

2007-01-01

Punctal plugs are used in patients with dry eye syndrome to preserve the tears. In this report, I present two cases of Aspergillus fumigatus colonization of punctal plugs. Observational series of two cases. Approval was obtained from the institutional review board. Two men aged 29 and 31 years developed black spots inside the hole of punctal plug, which looked like eyeliner deposits. The deposits inside the hole of the plug in each patient were removed and cultured. Cultures of the two punctal plugs black deposits grew A fumigatus. Bacterial cultures were negative. Colonization of the punctal plug hole with A fumigatus was observed in two cases. It is recommended that punctal plugs be removed in patients undergoing refractive or intraocular procedures or in patients who are receiving topical corticosteroids. Current punctal plugs should be redesigned to avoid the presence of an inserter hole.

Synthesis and magneto-structural studies on a new family of carbonato bridged 3d-4f complexes featuring a [CoLn(CO3)] (Ln = La, Gd, Tb, Dy and Ho) core: slow magnetic relaxation displayed by the cobalt(ii)-dysprosium(iii) analogue.

PubMed

Majee, Mithun Chandra; Towsif Abtab, Sk Md; Mondal, Dhrubajyoti; Maity, Manoranjan; Weselski, Marek; Witwicki, Maciej; Bieńko, Alina; Antkowiak, Michał; Kamieniarz, Grzegorz; Chaudhury, Muktimoy

2018-03-06

A new family of [3 + 3] hexanuclear 3d-4f complexes [(μ 3 -CO 3 ){Co II Ln III L(μ 3 -OH)(OH 2 )} 3 ]-(ClO 4 )·mC 2 H 5 OH·nH 2 O (1-5) [Ln = La (1), Gd (2), Tb (3), Dy (4), and Ho (5)] have been prepared in moderate to high yields (62-78%) following a self-assembly reaction between the ligand 6,6',6''-(nitrilotris(methylene))tris-(2-methoxy-4-methylphenol) (H 3 L), Co(OAc) 2 ·4H 2 O and the lanthanide ion precursors in the mandatory presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. During the reaction, atmospheric carbon dioxide is fixed in the product molecule as a bridging carbonato ligand which connects all the three lanthanide centers of this molecular assembly through a rare η 2 :η 2 :η 2 -μ 3 mode of bridging as revealed from X-ray crystallography. The metal centers in all these compounds, except the Gd III analogue (2), are coupled in antiferromagnetic manner while the nature of coupling in the CoGd complex is ferromagnetic. DFT calculations revealed that this ferromagnetic interaction occurs most likely by the Co II -Gd III superexchange, mediated via the bridging oxygen atoms. Only the Co II -Dy III compound (4) displayed a slow relaxation of the magnetization at a very low temperature as established by AC susceptibility measurements. The data provides an estimation of the activation energy U/k B = 9.2 K and the relaxation time constant τ 0 = 1.0 × 10 -7 s.

New Technology Sparks Smoother Engines and Cleaner Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Automotive Resources, Inc. (ARI) has developed a new device for igniting fuel in engines-the SmartPlug.TM SmartPlug is a self-contained ignition system that may be retrofitted to existing spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines. The SmartPlug needs as little as six watts of power for warm-up, and requires no electricity at all when the engine is running. Unlike traditional spark plugs, once the SmartPlug ignites the engine, and the engine heats up, the power supply for the plug is no longer necessary. In the utility industry, SmartPlugs can be used in tractors, portable generators, compressors, and pumps. In addition to general-purpose applications, such as lawn mowers and chainsaws, SmartPlugs can also be used in the recreational, marine, aviation, and automotive industries. Unlike traditional ignition systems, the SmartPlug system requires no distributor, coil points, or moving parts. SmartPlugs are non-fouling, with a faster and cleaner burn than traditional spark plugs. They prevent detonation and are not sensitive to moisture, allowing them to be used on a variety of engines. Other advantages include no electrical noise, no high voltage, exceptionally high altitude capabilities, and better cold-start statistics than those of standard spark ignition systems. Future applications for the SmartPlug are being evaluated by manufacturers in the snowmobile industry.

Report of the Seasat Failure Review Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Seasat spacecraft failed on October 9, 1978, after satisfactory operation in orbit for 105 days, as a result of a loss of electrical power in the Agena bus that was used as a part of the spacecraft. The loss of power was caused by a massive and progressive short in one of the slip ring assemblies that was used to connect the rotating solar arrays into the power subsystem. The most likely cause of this short was the initiation of an arc between adjacent slip ring brush assemblies. The triggering mechanism of this arc could have been either a wire-to-brush assembly contact, a brush-to-brush contact, or a momentary short caused by a contaminant that bridged internal components of opposite electrical polarity.

Rational design of inducible CRISPR guide RNAs for de novo assembly of transcriptional programs

PubMed Central

Ferry, Quentin R. V.; Lyutova, Radostina; Fulga, Tudor A.

2017-01-01

CRISPR-based transcription regulators (CRISPR-TRs) have transformed the current synthetic biology landscape by allowing specific activation or repression of any target gene. Here we report a modular and versatile framework enabling rapid implementation of inducible CRISPR-TRs in mammalian cells. This strategy relies on the design of a spacer-blocking hairpin (SBH) structure at the 5′ end of the single guide RNA (sgRNA), which abrogates the function of CRISPR-transcriptional activators. By replacing the SBH loop with ligand-controlled RNA-cleaving units, we demonstrate conditional activation of quiescent sgRNAs programmed to respond to genetically encoded or externally delivered triggers. We use this system to couple multiple synthetic and endogenous target genes with specific inducers, and assemble gene regulatory modules demonstrating parallel and orthogonal transcriptional programs. We anticipate that this ‘plug and play' approach will be a valuable addition to the synthetic biology toolkit, facilitating the understanding of natural gene circuits and the design of cell-based therapeutic strategies. PMID:28256578

Method of measuring material properties of rock in the wall of a borehole

DOEpatents

Overmier, David K.

1985-01-01

To measure the modulus of elasticity of the rock in the wall of a borehole, a plug is cut in the borehole wall. The plug, its base attached to the surrounding rock, acts as a short column in response to applied forces. A loading piston is applied to the top of the plug and compression of the plug is measured as load is increased. Measurement of piston load and plug longitudinal deformation are made to determine the elastic modulus of the plug material. Poisson's ratio can be determined by simultaneous measurements of longitudinal and lateral deformation of the plug in response to loading. To determine shear modulus, the top of the plug is twisted while measurements are taken of torsional deformation.

Method of measuring material properties of rock in the wall of a borehole

DOEpatents

Overmier, D.K.

1984-01-01

To measure the modulus of elasticity of the rock in the wall of a borehole, a plug is cut in the borehole wall. The plug, its base attached to the surrounding rock, acts as a short column in response to applied forces. A loading piston is applied to the top of the plug and compression of the plug is measured as load is increased. Measurements of piston load and plug longitudinal deformation are made to determine the elastic modulus of the plug material. Poisson's ratio can be determined by simultaneous measurements of longitudinal and lateral deformation of the plug in response to loading. To determine shear modulus, the top of the plug is twisted while measurements are taken of torsional deformation.

Final report: Initial ecosystem response of salt marshes to ditch plugging and pool creation: Experiments at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (Maine)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamowicz, S.C.; Roman, C.T.

2002-01-01

This study evaluates the response of three salt marshes, associated with the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (Maine), to the practice of ditch plugging. Drainage ditches, originally dug to drain the marsh for mosquito control or to facilitate salt hay farming, are plugged with marsh peat in an effort to impound water upstream of the plug, raise water table levels in the marsh, and increase surface water habitat. At two study sites, Moody Marsh and Granite Point Road Marsh, ditch plugs were installed in spring 2000. Monitoring of hydrology, vegetation, nekton and bird utilization, and marsh development processes was conducted in 1999, before ditch plugging, and then in 2000 and 2001 (all parameters except nekton), after ditch plugging. Each study site had a control marsh that was monitored simultaneously with the plugged marsh, and thus, we employed a BACI study design (before, after, control, impact). A third site, Marshall Point Road Marsh, was plugged in 1998. Monitoring of the plugged and control sites was conducted in 1999 and 2000, with limited monitoring in 2001, thus there was no ?before? plug monitoring. With ditch plugging, water table levels increased toward the marsh surface and the areal extent of standing water increased. Responding to a wetter substrate, a vegetation change from high marsh species (e.g., Spartina patens) to those more tolerant of flooded conditions (e.g., Spartina alterniflora) was noted at two of the three ditch plugged sites. Initial response of the nekton community (fishes and decapod crustaceans) was evaluated by monitoring utilization of salt marsh pools using a 1m2 enclosure trap. In general, nekton species richness, density, and community structure remained unchanged following ditch plugging at the Moody and Granite Point sites. At Marshall Point, species richness and density (number of individuals per m2) were significantly greater in the experimental plugged marsh than the control marsh (<2% of the control marsh was open water habitat vs. 11% of the plugged marsh). The response of birds, categorized as waterfowl & waterbirds, shorebirds & wading birds, gulls & terns, and miscellaneous (raptors, passerines, other), was variable. Following ditch plugging, bird species richness increased at the Granite Point site (1999 pre-plug = 15.4, 2000 post-plug = 26.2, 2001 post-plug = 38.7). Because of a low sample size at Moody Marsh, reliable statements on species richness cannot be made. Density of birds (no. of birds per ha) remained unchanged with ditch plugging at Granite Point Marsh, although there was a strong, but not statistically significant, trend toward increased density. This study only reports on initial responses of marsh functions to ditch plugging. Monitoring should continue at these sites, and perhaps at additional sites, for the next decade or so. A monitoring plan is recommended. Long-term monitoring will include evaluation of salt marsh development processes using SET (surface elevation table) methodology. There is concern, although not confirmed, that as ditch-plugged marshes become wetter and marsh grass production declines their ability to keep pace with sea level rise could be jeopardized. It is suggested that ditch plugging should be considered an experimental marsh management technique. Additional monitoring on the physical and habitat responses of ditch-plugged marshes is required, along with assessments of other techniques aimed at restoring open water habitat to the marsh surface.

Tile-in-ONE: A web platform which integrates Tile Calorimeter data quality and calibration assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivolella, A.; Ferreira, F.; Maidantchik, C.; Solans, C.; Solodkov, A.; Burghgrave, B.; Smirnov, Y.

2015-12-01

The ATLAS Tile Calorimeter collaboration assesses the quality of calibration data in order to ensure its proper operation. A number of tasks is then performed by executing several tools and accessing web systems, which were independently developed to meet distinct collaboration's requirements and do not necessarily are connected with each other. Thus, to attend the collaboration needs, several programs are usually implemented without a global perspective of the detector, requiring basic software features. In addition, functionalities may overlap in their objectives and frequently replicate resources retrieval mechanisms. Tile-in-ONE is a designed and implemented platform that assembles various web systems used by the calorimeter community through a single framework and a standard technology. It provides an infrastructure to support the code implementation, avoiding duplication of work while integrating with an overall view of the detector status. Database connectors smooth the process of information access since developers do not need to be aware of where records are placed and how to extract them. Within the environment, a dashboard stands for a particular Tile operation aspect and gets together plug-ins, i.e. software components that add specific features to an existing application. A server contains the platform core, which represents the basic environment to deal with the configuration, manage user settings and load plug-ins at runtime. A web middleware assists users to develop their own plug-ins, perform tests and integrate them into the platform as a whole. Backends are employed to allow that any type of application is interpreted and displayed in a uniform way. This paper describes Tile-in-ONE web platform.

Non-muscle (NM) myosin heavy chain phosphorylation regulates the formation of NM myosin filaments, adhesome assembly and smooth muscle contraction.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenwu; Gunst, Susan J

2017-07-01

Non-muscle (NM) and smooth muscle (SM) myosin II are both expressed in smooth muscle tissues, however the role of NM myosin in SM contraction is unknown. Contractile stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle tissues stimulates phosphorylation of the NM myosin heavy chain on Ser1943 and causes NM myosin filament assembly at the SM cell cortex. Expression of a non-phosphorylatable NM myosin mutant, NM myosin S1943A, in SM tissues inhibits ACh-induced NM myosin filament assembly and SM contraction, and also inhibits the assembly of membrane adhesome complexes during contractile stimulation. NM myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphorylation but not SM myosin RLC phosphorylation is regulated by RhoA GTPase during ACh stimulation, and NM RLC phosphorylation is required for NM myosin filament assembly and SM contraction. NM myosin II plays a critical role in airway SM contraction that is independent and distinct from the function of SM myosin. The molecular function of non-muscle (NM) isoforms of myosin II in smooth muscle (SM) tissues and their possible role in contraction are largely unknown. We evaluated the function of NM myosin during contractile stimulation of canine tracheal SM tissues. Stimulation with ACh caused NM myosin filament assembly, as assessed by a Triton solubility assay and a proximity ligation assay aiming to measure interactions between NM myosin monomers. ACh stimulated the phosphorylation of NM myosin heavy chain on Ser1943 in tracheal SM tissues, which can regulate NM myosin IIA filament assembly in vitro. Expression of the non-phosphorylatable mutant NM myosin S1943A in SM tissues inhibited ACh-induced endogenous NM myosin Ser1943 phosphorylation, NM myosin filament formation, the assembly of membrane adhesome complexes and tension development. The NM myosin cross-bridge cycling inhibitor blebbistatin suppressed adhesome complex assembly and SM contraction without inhibiting NM myosin Ser1943 phosphorylation or NM myosin filament assembly. RhoA inactivation selectively inhibited phosphorylation of the NM myosin regulatory light chain (RLC), NM myosin filament assembly and contraction, although it did not inhibit SM RLC phosphorylation. We conclude that the assembly and activation of NM myosin II is regulated during contractile stimulation of airway SM tissues by RhoA-mediated NM myosin RLC phosphorylation and by NM myosin heavy chain Ser1943 phosphorylation. NM myosin II actomyosin cross-bridge cycling regulates the assembly of membrane adhesome complexes that mediate the cytoskeletal processes required for tension generation. NM myosin II plays a critical role in airway SM contraction that is independent and distinct from the function of SM myosin. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

Corneal sensitivity, ocular surface health and tear film stability after punctal plug therapy of aqueous deficient dry eye

PubMed Central

Said, Azza Mohamed Ahmed; Farag, Mona Elsayed; Abdulla, Tarek Mohamed; Ziko, Othman Ali Othman; Osman, Wesam Mohamed

2016-01-01

AIM To evaluate the effect of punctal occlusion using thermosensitive (smart plug) versus silicone plug for management of aqueous deficient dry eye on corneal sensitivity, ocular surface health and tear film stability. METHODS A comparative prospective interventional case study included 45 patients with bilateral severe form of aqueous deficient dry eye. In each patient, the smart plug was inserted in the lower punctum of the right eye which was considered as study group 1 and silicone plug was inserted in the lower punctum of the left eye of the same patient which was considered as study group 2. All patients were subjected to careful history taking and questionnaire for subjective assessment of severity of symptoms. Corneal sensitivity, corneal fluorescein, rose bengal staining, Schirmer's I test, tear film break up time and conjunctival impression cytology were performed pre and 1, 3 and 6mo post plug insertion. RESULTS A statistically significant improvement in subjective and objective manifestations occurred following treatment with both types of plugs (P<0.01). The thermosensitive plug caused significant overall improvement, decrease in frequency of application of tear substitutes and improvement of conjunctival impression cytology parameters in the inserted side (P<0.01). Canaliculitis was reported in two eyes (4.4%) following punctal occlusion using thermosensitive plug (study group 1). Spontaneous plug loss occurred in 21 eyes (46.6%) in the silicone plug group (study group 2). CONCLUSION Improvement of subjective and objective manifestations of aqueous deficient dry eye occurs following punctal plug occlusion. Thermosensitive plug has good patient's compliance with fewer complications and lower rates of loss compared to the silicone plug. PMID:27990362

Experimental study of moving throat plug in a shock tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J. K.; Park, C.; Kwon, O. J.

2015-07-01

An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the flow in the KAIST shock tunnel with two moving throat plugs at a primary shock velocity of 1.19 km/s. The nozzle reservoir pressure and the Pitot pressure at the exit of the nozzle were measured to examine the influence of the moving throat plugs on the shock tunnel flow. To assess the present experimental results, comparisons with previous work using a stationary throat plug were made. The mechanism for closing the moving throat plug was developed and verified. The source of the force to move the plug was the pressure generated when the primary shock was reflected at the bottom of the plug. It was observed that the two plugs terminated the shock tunnel flow after the steady flow. .The time for the plugs to terminate the flow showed good agreement with the calculation of the proposed simple analytic solution. There was a negligible difference in flow values such as the reflected pressure and the Pitot pressure between the moving and the stationary plugs.

Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics.

PubMed

Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Jain, Titoo; Hassenkam, Tue; Wan, Qing; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjørnholm, Thomas

2009-06-17

A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during self-assembly and the gap length was determined by the molecule length. The gold nanorods and gold nanoparticles, respectively covalently bonded at the two ends of the molecule, had very small dimensions, e.g. a width of approximately 20 nm, and hence were expected to minimize the screening effect. The ultra-long conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires provided the bridge to connect one of the electrodes of the molecular device (gold nanoparticle) to the external circuit. The tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) was contacted onto the other electrode (gold nanorod) for the electrical measurement of the OPV device. The conductance measurement confirmed that the self-assembly of the molecules and the subsequent self-assembly of the gold nanorods was a feasible method for the fabrication of the nanogap of the molecular devices.

Vascular plugs - A key companion to Interventionists - 'Just Plug it'.

PubMed

Ramakrishnan, Sivasubramanian

2015-01-01

Vascular plugs are ideally suited to close extra-cardiac, high flowing vascular communications. The family of vascular plugs has expanded. Vascular plugs in general have a lower profile and the newer variants can be delivered even through a diagnostic catheter. These features make them versatile and easy to use. The Amplatzer vascular plugs are also used for closing intracardiac defects including coronary arterio-venous fistula and paravalvular leakage in an off-label fashion. In this review, the features of currently available vascular plugs are reviewed along with tips and tricks of using them in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Flight motor set 36OH005 (STS-28R). Volume 5: (Nozzle component)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Dan M., Jr.

1990-01-01

A review of the performance and post flight condition of the STS-28 redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) nozzles is presented in this document. Applicable discrepancy reports (DR's) and process departures (PD's) are presented in section 5.0. The nozzle component program team (NCPT) performance evaluation and the redesign program review board (RPRB) assessment is included in section 6.0. The STS-28 nozzle assemblies were flown on the RSRM fifth flight (Space Shuttle Columbia). The nozzles were a partially submerged convergent/divergent movable design with an aft pivot point flexible bearing. The nozzle assemblies incorporated the following features: (1) RSRM forward exit cone with snubber assembly; (2) RSRM fixed housing; (3) structural backup outer boot ring (OBR); (4) RSRM cowl ring; (5) RSRM nose inlet assembly; (6) RSRM throat assembly; (7) RSRM forward nose and aft inlet ring; (8) RSRM aft exit cone assembly with linear-shaped charge (LSC); (9) RTV backfill in joints 1, 3, and 4; (10) use of EA913 NA adhesive in place of EA913; (11) redesigned nozzle plug; and (12) carbon cloth phenolic (CCP) with 750 ppm sodium content. The RSRM fifth flight test objectives are as follows: (1) verify that flexible bearing seals operate within the specified temperature range; (2) verify that flexible bearing maintained a positive gas seal between its internal components; (3) inspect flexible bearing for damage due to water impact; (4) verify performance of the nozzle liner; (5) verify that nozzle parts are reusable; (6) verify through flight demonstration and a postflight inspection that the flexible bearing is reusable; (7) verify by inspection the remaining nozzle ablative thicknesses; and (8) verify the nozzle performance margins of safety.

A novel asymmetric chair-like hydroxyl-bridged tetra-copper compound: Synthesis, supramolecular structure and magnetic property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Feng; Du, Ke-Jie; Wang, Hong-Qing; Zhang, Xue-Li; Nie, Chang-Ming

2017-06-01

A new polynuclear Cu(II) compound, [Cu4(bpy)4(OH)4(H2O)(BTC)]NO3·8H2O (1), was prepared by self-assembly from the solution of copper(II) nitrate and two kinds of ligands, 2,2‧-bipyridine (bpy) and benzene-tricarboxylic acid (H3BTC). Single crystal structure analysis reveals that 1 features a rare asymmetric chair-like hydroxyl-bridged tetra-copper cluster: [Cu4(OH)4] core along with one H2O and one BTC3- occupied each terminal coordinated site. In addition, the magnetic property has been investigated.

Black-footed ferrets and recreational shooting influence the attributes of black-tailed prairie dog burrows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biggins, Dean E.; Ramakrishnan, Shantini; Goldberg, Amanda R.; Eads, David A.

2012-01-01

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) plug burrows occupied by black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), and they also plug burrows to entomb dead prairie dogs. We further evaluated these phenomena by sampling connectivity and plugging of burrow openings on prairie dog colonies occupied by ferrets, colonies where recreational shooting was allowed, and colonies with neither shooting nor ferrets. We counted burrow openings on line surveys and within plots, classified surface plugging, and used an air blower to examine subsurface connectivity. Colonies with ferrets had lower densities of openings, fewer connected openings (suggesting increased subsurface plugging), and more surface plugs compared to colonies with no known ferrets. Colonies with recreational shooting had the lowest densities of burrow openings, and line-survey data suggested colonies with shooting had intermediate rates of surface plugging. The extent of surface and subsurface plugging could have consequences for the prairie dog community by changing air circulation and escape routes of burrow systems and by altering energetic relationships. Burrow plugging might reduce prairie dogs' risk of predation by ferrets while increasing risk of predation by American badgers (Taxidea taxus); however, the complexity of the trade-off is increased if plugging increases the risk of predation on ferrets by badgers. Prairie dogs expend more energy plugging and digging when ferrets or shooting are present, and ferrets increase their energy expenditures when they dig to remove those plugs. Microclimatic differences in plugged burrow systems may play a role in flea ecology and persistence of the flea-borne bacterium that causes plague (Yersinia pestis).

Modal Identification of Tsing MA Bridge by Using Improved Eigensystem Realization Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

QIN, Q.; LI, H. B.; QIAN, L. Z.; LAU, C.-K.

2001-10-01

This paper presents the results of research work on modal identification of Tsing Ma bridge ambient testing data by using an improved eigensystem realization algorithm. The testing was carried out before the bridge was open to traffic and after the completion of surfacing. Without traffic load, ambient excitations were much less intensive, and the bridge responses to such ambient excitation were also less intensive. Consequently, the bridge responses were significantly influenced by the random movement of heavy construction vehicles on the deck. To cut off noises in the testing data and make the ambient signals more stationary, the Chebyshev digital filter was used instead of the digital filter with a Hanning window. Random decrement (RD) functions were built to convert the ambient responses to free vibrations. An improved eigensystem realization algorithm was employed to improve the accuracy and the efficiency of modal identification. It uses cross-correlation functions ofRD functions to form the Hankel matrix instead of RD functions themselves and uses eigenvalue decomposition instead of singular value decomposition. The data for response accelerations were acquired group by group because of limited number of high-quality accelerometers and channels of data loggers available. The modes were identified group by group and then assembled by using response accelerations acquired at reference points to form modes of the complete bridge. Seventy-nine modes of the Tsing Ma bridge were identified, including five complex modes formed in accordance with unevenly distributed damping in the bridge. The identified modes in time domain were then compared with those identified in frequency domain and finite element analytical results.

Friction Pull Plug and Material Configuration for Anti-Chatter Friction Pull Plug Weld

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Littell, Justin Anderson (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A friction pull plug is provided for use in forming a plug weld in a hole in a material. The friction pull plug includes a shank and a series of three frustoconical sections. The relative sizes of the sections assure that a central one of the sections defines the initial contact point between the hole's sides. The angle defined by the central one of the sections reduces or eliminates chatter as the plug is pulled into the hole.

α-chymotrypsin activated and stabilized by self-assembled polypseudorotaxane fabricated with bis-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) and α-cyclodextrin: Spectroscopic and mechanistic analysis.

PubMed

Zhao, Jun; Lin, Ji-Duan; Chen, Jia-Chen; Chen, Guo; Li, Xia-Lan; Wang, Xiao-Qin; Chen, Ming-Xia

2017-09-01

The self-assembled polypseudorotaxane (PPRX) fabricated with bis-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and α-cyclodextrin (α-CyD) acted as an activator for α-chymotrypsin (CT) and retained the activity of CT for a long time up to 7days. The stabilization mechanism was studied, and the interaction between CT and PPRX was analyzed by using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectra and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The bis-thiolated PEG and its assembled PPRX with α-CyD exhibited the interaction with the C-terminal region of the CT's B-chain probably through PEGylation of the surface disulfide bridge of CT. It caused the aromatic chromophores more exposed to the hydrophilic microenvironment, leading to conformational variation of CT that was revealed by spectroscopic analysis. It rendered the peptide chains in a more flexible and active state. As a comparison, the non-thiolated components could not decorate the surface of CT and performed almost no effect on its stability, which demonstrated that the decoration of the surface disulfide bridge was a key factor in retaining the activity of CT. Due to the activation and stabilization effect, bis-thiolated PEG/α-CyD PPRX was an excellent soft-immobilized carrier for CT, and provided an intriguing method for enzyme's stabilization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Odyne Plug-In Hybrid Electric Utility Truck Testing | Transportation

Science.gov Websites

Research | NREL Odyne Plug-In Hybrid Electric Utility Truck Evaluation Odyne Plug-In Hybrid data on plug-in hybrid electric utility trucks operated by a variety of companies. Photo courtesy of Odyne, NREL NREL is evaluating the in-service performance of about 120 plug-in hybrid electric utility

Automatic box loader

DOEpatents

Eldridge, Harry H.; Jones, Robert A.; Lindner, Gordon M.; Hight, Paul H.

1976-01-01

This invention relates to a system for repetitively forming an assembly consisting of a single layer of tubes and a row of ferromagnetic armatures underlying the same, electromagnetically conveying the resulting assembly to a position overlying a storage box, and depositing the assembly in the box. The system includes means for simultaneously depositing a row of the armatures on the inclined surface of a tube retainer. Tubes then are rolled down the surface to form a single tube layer bridging the armatures. A magnet assembly carrying electromagnets respectively aligned with the armatures is advanced close to the tube layer, and in the course of this advance is angularly displaced to bring the pole pieces of the electromagnets into parallelism with the tube layer. The magnets then are energized to pick up the assembly. The loaded magnet assembly is retracted to a position overlying the box, and during this retraction is again displaced to bring the pole pieces of the electromagnets into a horizontal plane. Means are provided for inserting the loaded electromagnets in the box and then de-energizing the electromagnets to deposit the assembly therein. The system accomplishes the boxing of fragile tubes at relatively high rates. Because the tubes are boxed as separated uniform layers, subsequent unloading operations are facilitated.

A high-density, SNP-based consensus map of tetraploid wheat as a bridge to integrate durum and bread wheat genomics and breeding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Consensus linkage maps are important tools in crop genomics. We have assembled a high-density tetraploid wheat consensus map by integrating 13 datasets from independent biparental populations involving durum wheat cultivars (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum), cultivated emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum...

Building Bridges to Family-Supporting Jobs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Hilary; Seltzer, Marlene

2001-01-01

Jobs for the Future (JFF) has identified the following best practice programs that support what is known to work best in moving women into family-supporting employment: (1) Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas, trains welfare recipients to work as sheet metal assemblers while providing a support services counselor and support for child care…

SLX4 Assembles a Telomere Maintenance Toolkit by Bridging Multiple Endonucleases with Telomeres

PubMed Central

Wan, Bingbing; Yin, Jinhu; Horvath, Kent; Sarkar, Jaya; Chen, Yong; Wu, Jian; Wan, Ke; Lu, Jian; Gu, Peili; Yu, Eun Young; Lue, Neal F.; Chang, Sandy

2014-01-01

Summary SLX4 interacts with several endonucleases to resolve structural barriers in DNA metabolism. SLX4 also interacts with telomeric protein TRF2 in human cells. The molecular mechanism of these interactions at telomeres remains unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of the TRF2-binding motif of SLX4 (SLX4TBM) in complex with the TRFH domain of TRF2 (TRF2TRFH) and map the interactions of SLX4 with endonucleases SLX1, XPF, and MUS81. TRF2 recognizes a unique HxLxP motif on SLX4 via the peptide-binding site in its TRFH domain. Telomeric localization of SLX4 and associated nucleases depend on the SLX4-endonuclease and SLX4-TRF2 interactions and the protein levels of SLX4 and TRF2. SLX4 assembles an endonuclease toolkit that negatively regulates telomere length via SLX1-catalyzed nucleolytic resolution of telomere DNA structures. We propose that the SLX4-TRF2 complex serves as a double-layer scaffold bridging multiple endonucleases with telomeres for recombination-based telomere maintenance. PMID:24012755

Coordination-driven self-assembly of a novel carbonato-bridged heteromolecular neutral nickel(II) triangle by atmospheric CO2 fixation.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Pampa; Drew, Michael G B; Estrader, Marta; Ghosh, Ashutosh

2008-09-01

Formation of a quasi-symmetrical mu 3-carbonato-bridged self-assembled heteromolecular triangle of Ni(II), [(mu 3-CO 3){Ni 2(salmeNH) 2(NCS) 2}{Ni(salmeNH 2) 2].Et 2O.H 2O (HsalmeNH = 2-[(3-methylamino-propylimino)-methyl]-phenol) involves atmospheric CO 2 uptake in a neutral medium, by spontaneous self-reorganization of the starting mononuclear Ni(II)-Schiff-base complex, [Ni(salmeNH) 2]. The environment around Ni(II) in two of the subunits is different from the third one. The starting complex, [Ni(salmeNH) 2], and one of the possible intermediate species, [Ni(salmeNH 2) 2(NCS) 2], which has a very similar coordination environment to that in the third Ni(II) center, have been characterized structurally. A plausible mechanism for the formation of such a triangle has also been proposed. The compound shows a very strong antiferromagnetic coupling. Fit as a regular triangular arrangement gave J = -53.1, g = 2.24, and R = 1.5 x 10 (-4).

Eddy Current Minimizing Flow Plug for Use in Flow Conditioning and Flow Metering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, John Dwight (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

An eddy-current-minimizing flow plug has open flow channels formed between the plug's inlet and outlet. Each open flow channel includes (i) a first portion that originates at the inlet face and converges to a location within the plug that is downstream of the inlet, and (ii) a second portion that originates within the plug and diverges to the outlet. The diverging second portion is approximately twice the length of the converging first portion. The plug is devoid of planar surface regions at its inlet and outlet, and in fluid flow planes of the plug that are perpendicular to the given direction of a fluid flowing therethrough.

Protection Against Hearing Loss in General Aviation Operations, Phase II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, J. F., Jr.

1972-01-01

An inflight evaluation of four aural protectors is presented. The hearing protection devices studied were ear muffs, plastic ear plugs, rubber ear plugs, and wax ear plugs. It is concluded that ear plugs are satisfactory for providing adequate sound attenuation in general aviation aircraft. However, two problems were found in the use of ear plugs; comfort and interference with cabin communications.

Rotating arc spark plug

DOEpatents

Whealton, John H.; Tsai, Chin-Chi

2003-05-27

A spark plug device includes a structure for modification of an arc, the modification including arc rotation. The spark plug can be used in a combustion engine to reduce emissions and/or improve fuel economy. A method for operating a spark plug and a combustion engine having the spark plug device includes the step of modifying an arc, the modifying including rotating the arc.

Hydrological responses to channelization and the formation of valley plugs and shoals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Aaron R.; King, Sammy L.

2017-01-01

Rehabilitation of floodplain systems focuses on restoring interactions between the fluvial system and floodplain, however, there is a paucity of information on the effects of valley plugs and shoals on floodplain hydrological processes. We investigated hydrologic regimes in floodplains at three valley plug sites, two shoal sites, and three unchannelized sites. Valley plug sites had altered surface and sub-surface hydrology relative to unchannelized sites, while only sub-surface hydrology was affected at shoal sites. Some of the changes were unexpected, such as reduced flood duration and flood depth in floodplains associated with valley plugs. Our results emphasize the variability associated with hydrologic processes around valley plugs and our rudimentary understanding of the effects associated with these geomorphic features. Water table levels were lower at valley plug sites compared to unchannelized sites, however, valley plug sites had a greater proportion of days when water table inundation was above mean root collar depth than both shoal and unchannelized sites as a result of lower root collar depths and higher deposition rates. This study has provided evidence that valley plugs can affect both surface and sub-surface hydrology in different ways than previously thought and illustrates the variability in hydrological responses to valley plug formation.

Comparison of Experimental Data and Computations Fluid Dynamics Analysis for a Three Dimensional Linear Plug Nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruf, J. H.; Hagemann, G.; Immich, H.

2003-01-01

A three dimensional linear plug nozzle of area ratio 12.79 was designed by EADS Space Transportation (former Astrium Space Infrastructure). The nozzle was tested within the German National Technology Program 'LION' in a cold air wind tunnel by TU Dresden. The experimental hardware and test conditions are described. Experimental data was obtained for the nozzle without plug side wall fences at a nozzle pressure ratio of 116 and then with plug side wall fences at NPR 110. Schlieren images were recorded and axial profiles of plug wall static pressures were measured at several spanwise locations and on the plug base. Detailed CFD analysis was performed for these nozzle configurations at NPR 116 by NASA MSFC. The CFD exhibits good agreement with the experimental data. A detailed comparison of the CFD results and the experimental plug wall pressure data are given. Comparisons are made for both the without and with plug side wall fence configurations. Numerical results for density gradient are compared to experimental Schlieren images. Experimental nozzle thrust efficiencies are calculated based on the CFD results. The CFD results are used to illustrate the plug nozzle fluid dynamics. The effect of the plug side wall is emphasized.

Initial Study of Friction Pull Plug Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rich, Brian S.

1999-01-01

Pull plug friction welding is a new process being developed to conveniently eliminate defects from welded plate tank structures. The general idea is to drill a hole of precise, optimized dimensions and weld a plug into it, filling the hole perfectly. A conically-shaped plug is rotated at high angular velocity as it is brought into contact with the plate material in the hole. As the plug is pulled into the hole, friction rapidly raises the temperature to the point at which the plate material flows plastically. After a brief heating phase, the plug rotation is terminated. The plug is then pulled upon with a forging force, solidly welding the plug into the hole in the plate. Three aspects of this process were addressed in this study. The transient temperature distribution was analyzed based on slightly idealized boundary conditions for different plug geometries. Variations in hole geometry and ram speed were considered, and a program was created to calculate volumes of displaced material and empty space, as well as many other relevant dimensions. The relation between the axially applied forging force and the actual forging pressure between the plate and plug surfaces was determined for various configurations.

FAST ACTING CURRENT SWITCH

DOEpatents

Batzer, T.H.; Cummings, D.B.; Ryan, J.F.

1962-05-22

A high-current, fast-acting switch is designed for utilization as a crowbar switch in a high-current circuit such as used to generate the magnetic confinement field of a plasma-confining and heat device, e.g., Pyrotron. The device particularly comprises a cylindrical housing containing two stationary, cylindrical contacts between which a movable contact is bridged to close the switch. The movable contact is actuated by a differential-pressure, airdriven piston assembly also within the housing. To absorb the acceleration (and the shock imparted to the device by the rapidly driven, movable contact), an adjustable air buffer assembly is provided, integrally connected to the movable contact and piston assembly. Various safety locks and circuit-synchronizing means are also provided to permit proper cooperation of the invention and the high-current circuit in which it is installed. (AEC)

Accelerating FRET between Near-Infrared Emitting Quantum Dots Using a Molecular J-Aggregate as an Exciton Bridge.

PubMed

Wang, Chen; Weiss, Emily A

2017-09-13

Fast energy transfer (EnT) among quantum dots (QDs) with near-infrared (NIR) emission is essential for fully exploiting their light harvesting and photon downconversion (multiexciton generation) abilities. This paper demonstrates a relayed EnT mechanism that accelerates the migration of NIR excitons between PbS QDs by a factor of 20 from that of one-step EnT through a polyelectrolyte and even a factor of ∼2 from that of one-step EnT between QDs in direct contact, by employing a J-aggregate (J-agg) of a cyanine dye as an exciton bridge. The donor QDs, acceptor QDs, and J-agg are electrostatically assembled into a sandwich structure with layer-by-layer deposition. Estimates of EnT rate and yield from transient and steady-state absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies show that the rate-limiting step in the relay is EnT from the donor QD to the J-agg, while EnT from the J-agg to the acceptor QD occurs in <10 ps. A comparison of this system to the analogous solution-phase system suggests that the overall donor-to-acceptor EnT yield in the relay (18%) can be improved by depositing the J-agg with more intermolecular order. This work demonstrates the viability of relayed EnT through a molecular bridge as a strategy for accelerating long-distance exciton migration in assemblies of QDs, in particular in the near-infrared.

Power converter having improved EMI shielding

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Gettelfinger, Lee A.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Phillips, Mark G.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.

2006-06-13

EMI shielding is provided for power electronics circuits and the like via a direct-mount reference plane support and shielding structure. The thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support forms a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Vehicle drive module having improved cooling configuration

DOEpatents

Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Meyer, Andreas A.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Beihoff, Bruce C.

2007-02-13

An electric vehicle drive includes a thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. Power electronic circuits are thermally matched, such as between component layers and between the circuits and the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Power converter connection configuration

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Gettelfinger, Lee A.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Phillips, Mark G.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.

2008-11-11

EMI shielding is provided for power electronics circuits and the like via a direct-mount reference plane support and shielding structure. The thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support forms a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Power converter having improved fluid cooling

DOEpatents

Meyer, Andreas A.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2007-03-06

A thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support, which may be controlled in a closed-loop manner. Interfacing between circuits, circuit mounting structure, and the support provide for greatly enhanced cooling. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Thermally matched fluid cooled power converter

DOEpatents

Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Beihoff, Bruce C.

2005-06-21

A thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. Power electronic circuits are thermally matched, such as between component layers and between the circuits and the support. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Selenium as a Structural Surrogate of Sulfur: Template-Assisted Assembly of Five Types of Tungsten-Iron-Sulfur/Selenium Clusters and the Structural Fate of Chalcogenide Reactants

PubMed Central

Zheng, Bo; Chen, Xu-Dong; Zheng, Shao-Liang; Holm, R. H.

2012-01-01

Syntheses of five types of tungsten-iron-sulfur/selenium clusters–incomplete cubanes, single cubanes, edge-bridged double cubanes (EBDCs), PN-type clusters, and double-cuboidal clusters–have been devised based on the concept of template-assisted assembly. The template reactant is six-coordinate [(Tp*)WVIS3]1−, which in the assembly systems organizes FeII,III and sulfide/selenide into cuboidal [(Tp*)WFe2S3] or cubane [(Tp*)WFe3S3Q] units. With appropriate terminal iron ligation, these units are capable of independent existence or may be transformed into higher nuclearity species. Selenide is used as a surrogate for sulfide in cluster assembly in order to determine by X-ray structures the position occupied by an external chalcogenide nucleophile or an internal chalcogenide atom in product clusters. Specific incorporation of selenide is demonstrated by formation of [WFe3S3Se]2+,3+ cubane cores. Reductive dimerization of the cubane leads to the EBDC core [W2Fe6S6Se2]2+ containing μ4-Se sites. Reaction of these species with HSe− affords the PN-type cores [W2Fe6S6Se3]1+ in which selenide occupies μ6-Se and μ2-Se sites. Reaction of [(Tp*)WS3]1−, FeCl2, and Na2Se results in the double cuboidal [W2Fe4S6Se3]2+,0 core with μ2-Se and μ4-Se bridges. It is highly probable that in analogous sulfide-only assembly systems, external and internal sulfide reactants occupy corresponding positions in cluster products. The results further demonstrate the viability of template-assisted cluster synthesis inasmuch as the reduced (Tp*)WS3 unit is present in all clusters. Structures, zero-field Mössbauer data, and redox potentials are presented for all cluster types. (Tp* = tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborate(1−)) PMID:22424175

Plug-and-play, infrared, laser-mediated PCR in a microfluidic chip.

PubMed

Pak, Nikita; Saunders, D Curtis; Phaneuf, Christopher R; Forest, Craig R

2012-04-01

Microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems have set milestones for small volume (100 nL-5 μL), amplification speed (100-400 s), and on-chip integration of upstream and downstream sample handling including purification and electrophoretic separation functionality. In practice, the microfluidic chips in these systems require either insertion of thermocouples or calibration prior to every amplification. These factors can offset the speed advantages of microfluidic PCR and have likely hindered commercialization. We present an infrared, laser-mediated, PCR system that features a single calibration, accurate and repeatable precision alignment, and systematic thermal modeling and management for reproducible, open-loop control of PCR in 1 μL chambers of a polymer microfluidic chip. Total cycle time is less than 12 min: 1 min to fill and seal, 10 min to amplify, and 1 min to recover the sample. We describe the design, basis for its operation, and the precision engineering in the system and microfluidic chip. From a single calibration, we demonstrate PCR amplification of a 500 bp amplicon from λ-phage DNA in multiple consecutive trials on the same instrument as well as multiple identical instruments. This simple, relatively low-cost plug-and-play design is thus accessible to persons who may not be skilled in assembly and engineering.

The dual role of deposited microbead plug (DMBP): a blood filter and a conjugate reagent carrier toward point-of-care microfluidic immunoassay.

PubMed

Li, Chunyu; Liu, Chong; Xu, Zheng; Li, Jingmin

2012-08-15

To set up a point-of-care whole-blood immunoassay system, sample preparation and on-chip storage of conjugate reagents are indispensable functional units. Here, we merge these functions into a deposited microbead plug (DMBP) to simultaneously play the roles of a blood filter and a conjugate reagent carrier. The DMBP was easily fabricated by the use of natural deposition of beads without the need of weirs. Conjugate reagents (FITC labeled antibodies used here) were incorporated into the DMBP during the assembly of the DMBP. To demonstrate the ability of the DMBP, we constructed a DMBP-based microfluidic chip and used it for the detection of human IgG (hIgG). The DMBP enabled to remove blood cells from whole blood and provide the pure plasma for the downstream on-chip immunoreactions. The release of reconstituted FITC labeled antibodies from the DMBP was controlled in a passive fashion. Dry FITC labeled antibodies retained at least 81% of their activity after 60 days of storage at the room temperature. The DMBP presented here makes an important step towards the development of the self-contained, integrated, sample-to-answer microfluidic chips for point-of-care diagnostics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Double Super-Exchange in Silicon Quantum Dots Connected by Short-Bridged Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huashan; Wu, Zhigang; Lusk, Mark

2013-03-01

Silicon quantum dots (QDs) with diameters in the range of 1-2 nm are attractive for photovoltaic applications. They absorb photons more readily, transport excitons with greater efficiency, and show greater promise in multiple-exciton generation and hot carrier collection paradigms. However, their high excitonic binding energy makes it difficult to dissociate excitons into separate charge carriers. One possible remedy is to create dot assemblies in which a second material creates a Type-II heterojunction with the dot so that exciton dissociation occurs locally. This talk will focus on such a Type-II heterojunction paradigm in which QDs are connected via covalently bonded, short-bridge molecules. For such interpenetrating networks of dots and molecules, our first principles computational investigation shows that it is possible to rapidly and efficiently separate electrons to QDs and holes to bridge units. The bridge network serves as an efficient mediator of electron superexchange between QDs while the dots themselves play the complimentary role of efficient hole superexchange mediators. Dissociation, photoluminescence and carrier transport rates will be presented for bridge networks of silicon QDs that exhibit such double superexchange. This material is based upon work supported by the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (REMRSEC) under Grant No. DMR-0820518 and Golden Energy Computing Organization (GECO).

The effect of removing plugs and adding arch support to foam based insoles on plantar pressures in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Lin, Tung-Liang; Sheen, Huey-Min; Chung, Chin-Teng; Yang, Sai-Wei; Lin, Shih-Yi; Luo, Hong-Ji; Chen, Chung-Yu; Chan, I-Cheng; Shih, Hsu-Sheng; Sheu, Wayne Huey-Herng

2013-07-29

Removable plug insoles appear to be beneficial for patients with diabetic neuropathic feet to offload local plantar pressure. However, quantitative evidence of pressure reduction by means of plug removal is limited. The value of additional insole accessories, such as arch additions, has not been tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of removing plugs from foam based insoles, and subsequently adding extra arch support, on plantar pressures. In-shoe plantar pressure measurements were performed on 26 patients with diabetic neuropathic feet at a baseline condition, in order to identify the forefoot region with the highest mean peak pressure (MPP). This was defined as the region of interest (ROI) for plug removal.The primary outcome was measurement of MPP using the pedar® system in the baseline and another three insole conditions (pre-plug removal, post-plug removal, and post-plug removal plus arch support). Among the 26 ROIs, a significant reduction in MPP (32.3%, P<0.001) was found after removing the insole plugs. With an arch support added, the pressure was further reduced (9.5%, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in MPP at non-ROIs between pre- and post-plug removal conditions. These findings suggest that forefoot plantar pressure can be reduced by removing plugs and adding arch support to foam-based insoles. This style of insole may therefore be clinically useful in managing patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

On-Chip Titration of an Anticoagulant Argatroban and Determination of the Clotting Time within Whole Blood or Plasma Using a Plug-Based Microfluidic System

PubMed Central

Song, Helen; Li, Hung-Wing; Munson, Matthew S.; Van Ha, Thuong G.; Ismagilov, Rustem F.

2006-01-01

This paper describes extending plug-based microfluidics to handling complex biological fluids such as blood, solving the problem of injecting additional reagents into plugs, and applying this system to measuring of clotting time in small volumes of whole blood and plasma. Plugs are droplets transported through microchannels by fluorocarbon fluids. A plug-based microfluidic system was developed to titrate an anticoagulant (argatroban) into blood samples and to measure the clotting time using the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test. To carry out these experiments, the following techniques were developed for a plug-based system: (i) using Teflon AF coating on the microchannel wall to enable formation of plugs containing blood and transport of the solid fibrin clots within plugs, (ii) using a hydrophilic glass capillary to enable reliable merging of a reagent from an aqueous stream into plugs, (iii) using bright-field microscopy to detect the formation of a fibrin clot within plugs and using fluorescent microscopy to detect the production of thrombin using a fluorogenic substrate, and (iv) titration of argatroban (0–1.5 μg/mL) into plugs and measurement of the resulting APTTs at room temperature (23 °C) and physiological temperature (37 °C). APTT measurements were conducted with normal pooled plasma (platelet-poor plasma) and with donor’s blood samples (both whole blood and platelet-rich plasma). APTT values and APTT ratios measured by the plug-based microfluidic device were compared to the results from a clinical laboratory at 37 °C. APTT obtained from the on-chip assay were about double those from the clinical laboratory but the APTT ratios from these two methods agreed well with each other. PMID:16841902

Biomass plug development and propagation in porous media.

PubMed

Stewart, T L; Fogler, H S

2001-02-05

Exopolymer-producing bacteria can be used to modify soil profiles for enhanced oil recovery or bioremediation. Understanding the mechanisms associated with biomass plug development and propagation is needed for successful application of this technology. These mechanisms were determined from packed-bed and micromodel experiments that simulate plugging in porous media. Leuconostoc mesenteroides was used, because production of dextran, a water-insoluble exopolymer, can be controlled by using different carbon sources. As dextran was produced, the pressure drop across the porous media increased and began to oscillate. Three pressure phases were identified under exopolymer-producing conditions: the exopolymer-induction phase, the plugging phase, and the plug-propagation phase. The exopolymer-induction phase extended from the time that exopolymer-producing conditions were induced until there was a measurable increase in pressure drop across the porous media. The plugging phase extended from the first increase in pressure drop until a maximum pressure drop was reached. Changes in pressure drop in these two phases were directly related to biomass distribution. Specifically, flow channels within the porous media filled with biomass creating a plugged region where convective flow occurred only in water channels within the biofilm. These water channels were more restrictive to flow causing the pressure drop to increase. At a maximum pressure drop across the porous media, the biomass yielded much like a Bingham plastic, and a flow channel was formed. This behavior marked the onset of the plug-propagation phase which was characterized by sequential development and breakthrough of biomass plugs. This development and breakthrough propagated the biomass plug in the direction of nutrient flow. The dominant mechanism associated with all three phases of plugging in porous media was exopolymer production; yield stress is an additional mechanism in the plug-propagation phase. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Instrumented Pick Detects Coal/Rock Interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, T.; Erkes, J. W.

1983-01-01

Instrumented pick installed on cutting drum of coal shearer for longwall mining measures cutting force with strain-gage-bridge load cell. Force signal transmitted to remote recorder. Transmitter located in base of pick assembly. Antenna located in shadow of rotating pick. Changes in characteristics of force signals from pick used to determine whether pick is cutting coal or rock.

13. DETAIL OF CONNECTION BETWEEN TOP CHORD AND POST IN ...

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

13. DETAIL OF CONNECTION BETWEEN TOP CHORD AND POST IN WEST TRUSS, SHOWING CHANNELS AND REINFORCED CAST-IRON LACING, I-BEAMS FASTENED TOGETHER WITH RIVETTED PLATES, AND ASSEMBLY OF DIAGONAL EYE BEAM AND BOLT; VIEW FROM EAST SIDE. - Mitchell's Mill Bridge, Spanning Winter's Run on Carrs Mill Road, west of Bel Air, Bel Air, Harford County, MD

Development of Thermal Bridging Factors for Use in Energy Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-20

assemblies. 5.2.2 Drainage : Drained systems Drained (Figure 5-6) and screened enclosures assume some rainwater will penetrate the outer surface...38 5.2.2 Drainage : Drained systems ...layer (e.g., drainage plane and gap or waterproofing) 2. Airflow control layer (e.g., an air barrier system ) 3. Thermal control layer (e.g., insulation

Programmed Nanomaterial Assemblies in Large Scales: Applications of Synthetic and Genetically- Engineered Peptides to Bridge Nano-Assemblies and Macro-Assemblies

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

Matsui, Hiroshi

Work is reported in these areas: Large-scale & reconfigurable 3D structures of precise nanoparticle assemblies in self-assembled collagen peptide grids; Binary QD-Au NP 3D superlattices assembled with collagen-like peptides and energy transfer between QD and Au NP in 3D peptide frameworks; Catalytic peptides discovered by new hydrogel-based combinatorial phage display approach and their enzyme-mimicking 2D assembly; New autonomous motors of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) powered by reorganization of self-assembled peptides at interfaces; Biomimetic assembly of proteins into microcapsules on oil-in-water droplets with structural reinforcement via biomolecular recognition-based cross-linking of surface peptides; and Biomimetic fabrication of strong freestanding genetically-engineered collagen peptide filmsmore » reinforced by quantum dot joints. We gained the broad knowledge about biomimetic material assembly from nanoscale to microscale ranges by coassembling peptides and NPs via biomolecular recognition. We discovered: Genetically-engineered collagen-like peptides can be self-assembled with Au NPs to generate 3D superlattices in large volumes (> μm{sup 3}); The assembly of the 3D peptide-Au NP superstructures is dynamic and the interparticle distance changes with assembly time as the reconfiguration of structure is triggered by pH change; QDs/NPs can be assembled with the peptide frameworks to generate 3D superlattices and these QDs/NPs can be electronically coupled for the efficient energy transfer; The controlled assembly of catalytic peptides mimicking the catalytic pocket of enzymes can catalyze chemical reactions with high selectivity; and, For the bacteria-mimicking swimmer fabrication, peptide-MOF superlattices can power translational and propellant motions by the reconfiguration of peptide assembly at the MOF-liquid interface.« less

High precision and high yield fabrication of dense nanoparticle arrays onto DNA origami at statistically independent binding sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takabayashi, Sadao; Klein, William P.; Onodera, Craig; Rapp, Blake; Flores-Estrada, Juan; Lindau, Elias; Snowball, Lejmarc; Sam, Joseph T.; Padilla, Jennifer E.; Lee, Jeunghoon; Knowlton, William B.; Graugnard, Elton; Yurke, Bernard; Kuang, Wan; Hughes, William L.

2014-10-01

High precision, high yield, and high density self-assembly of nanoparticles into arrays is essential for nanophotonics. Spatial deviations as small as a few nanometers can alter the properties of near-field coupled optical nanostructures. Several studies have reported assemblies of few nanoparticle structures with controlled spacing using DNA nanostructures with variable yield. Here, we report multi-tether design strategies and attachment yields for homo- and hetero-nanoparticle arrays templated by DNA origami nanotubes. Nanoparticle attachment yield via DNA hybridization is comparable with streptavidin-biotin binding. Independent of the number of binding sites, >97% site-occupation was achieved with four tethers and 99.2% site-occupation is theoretically possible with five tethers. The interparticle distance was within 2 nm of all design specifications and the nanoparticle spatial deviations decreased with interparticle spacing. Modified geometric, binomial, and trinomial distributions indicate that site-bridging, steric hindrance, and electrostatic repulsion were not dominant barriers to self-assembly and both tethers and binding sites were statistically independent at high particle densities.High precision, high yield, and high density self-assembly of nanoparticles into arrays is essential for nanophotonics. Spatial deviations as small as a few nanometers can alter the properties of near-field coupled optical nanostructures. Several studies have reported assemblies of few nanoparticle structures with controlled spacing using DNA nanostructures with variable yield. Here, we report multi-tether design strategies and attachment yields for homo- and hetero-nanoparticle arrays templated by DNA origami nanotubes. Nanoparticle attachment yield via DNA hybridization is comparable with streptavidin-biotin binding. Independent of the number of binding sites, >97% site-occupation was achieved with four tethers and 99.2% site-occupation is theoretically possible with five tethers. The interparticle distance was within 2 nm of all design specifications and the nanoparticle spatial deviations decreased with interparticle spacing. Modified geometric, binomial, and trinomial distributions indicate that site-bridging, steric hindrance, and electrostatic repulsion were not dominant barriers to self-assembly and both tethers and binding sites were statistically independent at high particle densities. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03069a

75 FR 16657 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A300 B2-1C, B2K-3C, B2-203, B4-2C, B4-103, and B4-203...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... phasing inspections and magnetic plug inspections for metal particles on the drain plug using detailed... inspections and magnetic plug inspections for metal particles on the drain plug using detailed inspection..., but the magnetic plug inspection reveals metal particles with dimensions greater than 1.5 mm (0.059 in...

40 CFR 144.63 - Financial assurance for plugging and abandonment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... current plugging and abandonment cost estimate, except as provided in § 144.70(g), divided by the number... days after receiving bills for plugging and abandonment activities, the Regional Administrator will... abandonment activities, the Regional Administrator will determine whether the plugging and abandonment...

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

Feder, Russell; Youssef, Mahamoud; Klabacha, Jonathan

USITER is one of seven partner domestic agencies (DA) contributing components to the ITER project. Four diagnostic port plug packages (two equatorial ports and two upper ports) will be engineered and fabricated by Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL). Diagnostic port plugs as illustrated in Fig. 1 are large primarily stainless steel structures that serve several roles on ITER. The port plugs are the primary vacuum seal and tritium confinement barriers for the vessel. The port plugs also house several plasma diagnostic systems and other machine service equipment. Finally, each port plug must shield high energy neutrons and gamma photons frommore » escaping and creating radiological problems in maintenance areas behind the port plugs. The optimization of the balance between adequate shielding and the need for high performance, high throughput diagnostics systems is the focus of this paper. Neutronics calculations are also needed for assessing nuclear heating and nuclear damage in the port plug and diagnostic components. Attila, the commercially available discrete-ordinates software package, is used for all diagnostic port plug neutronics analysis studies at PPPL.« less

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of a copper(II)-octacyanotungstate(V) bimetallic complex coordinated with macrocyclic ligand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ai-Hua; Liu, Wen-Yan; Zhou, Hu.; Chen, Ying-Ying; Shen, Xiao-Ping

2009-02-01

A new cyanide-bridged heterobimetallic assembly based on octacyanotungstate(V) as building block, {[Cu II(L)] 3[W V(CN) 8] 2}·[Cu II(L)·2H 2O]·(ClO 4) 2·4H 2O 1 (L = 3,10-dipropyl-1,3,5,8,10,12-hexaazacyclotetradecane), has been prepared and characterized. X-ray single-crystal analysis reveals that 1 displays a two-dimensional structure with corrugated sheets, in which the 12-membered rings are the basic building units. Magnetic studies reveal that 1 displays a ferromagnetic interaction between Cu II and W V through cyano bridges.

Safety and Efficacy of Lacrimal Drainage System Plugs for Dry Eye Syndrome: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

PubMed

Marcet, Marcus M; Shtein, Roni M; Bradley, Elizabeth A; Deng, Sophie X; Meyer, Dale R; Bilyk, Jurij R; Yen, Michael T; Lee, W Barry; Mawn, Louise A

2015-08-01

To review the published literature assessing the efficacy and safety of lacrimal drainage system plug insertion for dry eye in adults. Literature searches of the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were last conducted on March 9, 2015, without date restrictions and were limited to English language abstracts. The searches retrieved 309 unique citations. The primary authors reviewed the titles and abstracts. Inclusion criteria specified reports that provided original data on plugs for the treatment of dry eyes in at least 25 patients. Fifty-three studies of potential relevance were assigned to full-text review. The 27 studies that met the inclusion criteria underwent data abstraction by the panels. Abstracted data included study characteristics, patient characteristics, plug type, insertion technique, treatment response, and safety information. All studies were observational and rated by a methodologist as level II or III evidence. The plugs included punctal, intracanalicular, and dissolving types. Fifteen studies reported metrics of improvement in dry eye symptoms, ocular-surface status, artificial tear use, contact lens comfort, and tear break-up time. Twenty-five studies included safety data. Plug placement resulted in ≥50% improvement of symptoms, improvement in ocular-surface health, reduction in artificial tear use, and improved contact lens comfort in patients with dry eye. Serious complications from plugs were infrequent. Plug loss was the most commonly reported problem with punctal plugs, occurring on average in 40% of patients. Overall, among all plug types, approximately 9% of patients experienced epiphora and 10% required removal because of irritation from the plugs. Canaliculitis was the most commonly reported problem for intracanalicular plugs and occurred in approximately 8% of patients. Other complications were reported in less than 4% of patients on average and included tearing, discomfort, pyogenic granuloma, and dacryocystitis. On the basis of level II and III evidence in these studies, plugs improve the signs and symptoms of moderate dry eye that are not improved with topical lubrication, and they are well tolerated. There are no level I studies that describe the efficacy or safety of lacrimal drainage system plugs. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time-Reversal Based Range Extension Technique for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Sensors and Applications in Tactical Communications and Networking

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-16

Frequency (MHz) Figure 3.4: CABLE SMA/SMA 24" RG-316DS. CABLE SMA PLUG-PLUG HF -.086 8" 3.1. TRANSMITTER IMPLEMENTATION 13 Length: 8.0" (203.2mm) Color...Gray RG Type: Hand Formable .086 Connector: Type SMA Male to SMA Male Features: Shielded "• JI Figure 3.5: CABLE SMA PLUG-PLUG HF -.086 8...34 . • CABLE SMA PLUG-PLUG HF -.141 8" Length: 8.0" (203.2mm) Color: Gray RG Type: Hand Formable .141 14 CHAPTER 3. 2 BY I MISO SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Hot cell shield plug extraction apparatus

DOEpatents

Knapp, Philip A.; Manhart, Larry K.

1995-01-01

An apparatus is provided for moving shielding plugs into and out of holes in concrete shielding walls in hot cells for handling radioactive materials without the use of external moving equipment. The apparatus provides a means whereby a shield plug is extracted from its hole and then swung approximately 90 degrees out of the way so that the hole may be accessed. The apparatus uses hinges to slide the plug in and out and to rotate it out of the way, the hinge apparatus also supporting the weight of the plug in all positions, with the load of the plug being transferred to a vertical wall by means of a bolting arrangement.

3D CFD Simulation of Plug Dynamics and Splitting through a Bifurcating Airway Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoi, Cory; Raessi, Mehdi

2017-11-01

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurs because of pulmonary surfactant insufficiency in the lungs of preterm infants. The common medical procedure to treat RDS, called surfactant respiratory therapy (SRT), involves instilling liquid surfactant plugs into the pulmonary airways. SRT's effectiveness highly depends on the ability to deliver surfactant through the complex branching airway network. Experimental and computational efforts have been made to understand complex fluid dynamics of liquid plug motion through the lung airways in order to increase SRT's response rate. However, previous computational work used 2D airway model geometries and studied plug dynamics of a pre-split plug. In this work, we present CFD simulations of surfactant plug motion through a 3D bifurcating airway model. In our 3D y-tube geometry representing the lung airways, we are not limited by 2D or pre-split plug assumptions. The airway walls are covered with a pre-existing liquid film. Using a passive scalar marking the surfactant plug, the plug splitting and surfactant film deposition is studied under various airway orientations. Exploring the splitting process and liquid distribution in a 3D geometry will advance our understanding of surfactant delivery and will increase the effectiveness of SRT.

Effects of Proud Large Osteochondral Plugs on Contact Forces and Knee Kinematics: A Robotic Study.

PubMed

Du, Peter Z; Markolf, Keith L; Boguszewski, Daniel V; Yamaguchi, Kent T; Lama, Christopher J; McAllister, David R; Jones, Kristofer J

2018-05-01

Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is used to treat large focal femoral condylar articular cartilage defects. A proud plug could affect graft survival by altering contact forces (CFs) and knee kinematics. A proud OCA plug will significantly increase CF and significantly alter knee kinematics throughout controlled knee flexion. Controlled laboratory study. Human cadaver knees had miniature load cells, each with a 20-mm-diameter cylinder of native bone/cartilage attached at its exact anatomic position, installed in both femoral condyles at standardized locations representative of clinical defects. Spacers were inserted to create proud plug conditions of +0.5, +1.0, and +1.5 mm. CFs and knee kinematics were recorded as a robot flexed the knee continuously from 0° to 50° under 1000 N of tibiofemoral compression. CFs were increased significantly (vs flush) for all proudness conditions between 0° and 45° of flexion (medial) and 0° to 50° of flexion (lateral). At 20°, the average increases in medial CF for +0.5-mm, +1-mm, and +1.5-mm proudness were +80 N (+36%), +155 N (+70%), and +193 N (+87%), respectively. Corresponding increases with proud lateral plugs were +44 N (+14%), +90 N (+29%), and +118 N (+38%). CF increases for medial plugs at 20° of flexion were significantly greater than those for lateral plugs at all proudness conditions. At 50°, a 1-mm proud lateral plug significantly decreased internal tibial rotation by 15.4° and decreased valgus rotation by 2.5°. A proud medial or lateral plug significantly increased CF between 0° and 45° of flexion. Our results suggest that a medial plug at 20° may be more sensitive to graft incongruity than a lateral plug. The changes in rotational kinematics with proud lateral plugs were attributed to earlier contact between the proud plug's surface and the lateral meniscus, leading to rim impingement with decreased tibial rotation. Increased CF and altered knee kinematics from a proud femoral plug could affect graft viability. Plug proudness of only 0.5 mm produced significant changes in CF and knee kinematics, and the clinically accepted 1-mm tolerance may need to be reexamined in view of our findings.

Molecular Origins of Thermal Transitions in Polyelectrolyte Assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildirim, Erol; Zhang, Yanpu; Antila, Hanne S.; Lutkenhaus, Jodie L.; Sammalkorpi, Maria; Aalto Team; Texas A&M Team

2015-03-01

Polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayers and complexes formed from oppositely charged polymers can exhibit extraordinary superhydrophobicity, mechanical strength and responsiveness resulting in applications ranging functional membranes, optics, sensors and drug delivery. Depending on the assembly conditions, PE assemblies may undergo a thermal transition from glassy to soft behavior under heating. Our earlier work using thermal analysis measurements shows a distinct thermal transition for PE layer-by-layer (LbL) systems assembled with added salt but no analogous transition in films assembled without added salt or dry systems. These findings raise interesting questions on the nature of the thermal transition; here, we explore its molecular origins through characterization of the PE aggregates by temperature-controlled all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We show via molecular simulations the thermal transition results from the existence of an LCST (lower critical solution temperature) in the PE systems: the diffusion behavior, hydrogen bond formation, and bridging capacity of water molecules plasticizing the complex changes at the transition temperature. We quantify the behavior, map its chemistry specificity through comparison of strongly and weakly charged PE complexes, and connect the findings to our interrelated QCM-D experiments.

Aeroacoustics of contoured and solid/porous conical plug-nozzle supersonic jet flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dosanjh, D. S.; Das, I. S.

1985-01-01

The acoustic far field, the shock-associated noise and characteristics of the repetitive shock structure of supersonic jet flows issuing from a contoured plug-nozzle and uncontoured plug-nozzle having a short conical plug of either a solid or a combination of solid/porous surface with pointed termination operated at a range of supercritical pressure are reported. The contoured and the uncontoured plug-nozzles had the same throat area and the same annular-radius ratio.

An objective comparison of leakage between commonly used earplugs.

PubMed

Alt, Jeremiah A; Collins, William O

2012-01-01

We sought to determine the efficacy of commonly used earplugs using an anatomically correct ear model. The total volume and rate of water that leaked past the earplug and subsequent defect in the tympanic membrane over separately measured 30, 60, 120, and 180-second intervals were recorded. Scenarios tested included a control with no earplug, custom molded earplug (Precision Laboratories, Orlando, FL), Mack's plug (Warren, MI), Doc's plug (Santa Cruz, CA), and cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly. All plugs tested resulted in less leakage at all time points when compared with no plug (P < .05). At 30 seconds, the custom molded, Mack's and Doc's plugs all showed significantly less leakage when compared with the cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly (P < .05). At 60, 120, and 180 seconds, Mack's, Doc's, and the cotton plugs all showed significantly less leakage compared with the customized plug (P < .05). At 120 and 180 seconds, Mack's plugs had significant less leakage than the cotton plug (P < .05). Among the types of plugs, the molded variety (Mack's) showed the least volume and lowest leakage rate (f(4,45) = 94 [P < .001]). In addition, Doc's and cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly were more effective than the customized earplugs. If the clinician feels that middle ear and external canal water exposure should be minimized, then use of earplugs, particularly the moldable variety, merits further consideration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of arrays of chemically distinct nanolitre plugs via repeated splitting in microfluidic devices.

PubMed

Adamson, David N; Mustafi, Debarshi; Zhang, John X J; Zheng, Bo; Ismagilov, Rustem F

2006-09-01

This paper reports a method for the production of arrays of nanolitre plugs with distinct chemical compositions. One of the primary constraints on the use of plug-based microfluidics for large scale biological screening is the difficulty of fabricating arrays of chemically distinct plugs on the nanolitre scale. Here, using microfluidic devices with several T-junctions linked in series, a single input array of large (approximately 320 nL) plugs was split to produce 16 output arrays of smaller (approximately 20 nL) plugs; the composition and configuration of these arrays were identical to that of the input. This paper shows how the passive break-up of plugs in T-junction microchannel geometries can be used to produce a set of smaller-volume output arrays useful for chemical screening from a single large-volume array. A simple theoretical description is presented to describe splitting as a function of the Capillary number, the capillary pressure, the total pressure difference across the channel, and the geometric fluidic resistance. By accounting for these considerations, plug coalescence and plug-plug contamination can be eliminated from the splitting process and the symmetry of splitting can be preserved. Furthermore, single-outlet splitting devices were implemented with both valve- and volume-based methods for coordinating the release of output arrays. Arrays of plugs containing commercial sparse matrix screens were obtained from the presented splitting method and these arrays were used in protein crystallization trials. The techniques presented in this paper may facilitate the implementation of high-throughput chemical and biological screening.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Developing Infrastructure to Charge Plug-In

Science.gov Websites

Electric Vehicles Developing Infrastructure to Charge Plug-In Electric Vehicles to someone by E -mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Developing Infrastructure to Charge Plug-In Electric Vehicles on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Developing Infrastructure to Charge Plug-In

40 CFR 146.92 - Injection well plugging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Injection well plugging. 146.92... to Class VI Wells § 146.92 Injection well plugging. (a) Prior to the well plugging, the owner or operator must flush each Class VI injection well with a buffer fluid, determine bottomhole reservoir...

40 CFR 144.62 - Cost estimate for plugging and abandonment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... must revise the plugging and abandonment cost estimate whenever a change in the plugging and... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Cost estimate for plugging and abandonment. 144.62 Section 144.62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER...

Photoinduced triplet-triplet energy transfer via the 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone self-complementary quadruple hydrogen-bonded module.

PubMed

Wang, Su-Min; Yu, Mao-Lin; Ding, Jie; Tung, Chen-Ho; Wu, Li-Zhu

2008-05-01

Phosphorescence quenching and flash photolysis experiments demonstrate that photoinduced intra-assembly triplet-triplet energy transfer can take place via a 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone-bridged benzophenone-naphthalene assembly I with a rate constant of 3.0 x 106 s-1 and an efficiency of 95% in CH2Cl2. This new finding suggests that with high binding strength and directionality, the 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone hydrogen-bonded module may serve as a new model to illustrate the fundamental principles governing the triplet-triplet energy-transfer process through hydrogen bonds.

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

Zitney, S.E.

This paper highlights the use of the CAPE-OPEN (CO) standard interfaces in the Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator (APECS) developed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The APECS system uses the CO unit operation, thermodynamic, and reaction interfaces to provide its plug-and-play co-simulation capabilities, including the integration of process simulation with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. APECS also relies heavily on the use of a CO COM/CORBA bridge for running process/CFD co-simulations on multiple operating systems. For process optimization in the face of multiple and some time conflicting objectives, APECS offers stochastic modeling and multi-objective optimization capabilities developed to complymore » with the CO software standard. At NETL, system analysts are applying APECS to a wide variety of advanced power generation systems, ranging from small fuel cell systems to commercial-scale power plants including the coal-fired, gasification-based FutureGen power and hydrogen production plant.« less

Micro-view-cell for phase behaviour and in situ Raman analysis of heterogeneously catalysed CO2 hydrogenation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reymond, Helena; Rudolf von Rohr, Philipp

2017-11-01

The operando study of CO2 hydrogenation is fundamental for a more rational optimisation of heterogeneous catalyst and reactor designs. To further complement the established efficiency of microreactors in reaction screening and bridge the operating and optical gaps, a micro-view-cell is presented for Raman microscopy at extreme conditions with minimum flow interference for genuine reaction analysis. Based on a flat sapphire window unit sealed in a plug flow-type enclosure holding the sample, the cell features unique 14 mm working distance and 0.36 numerical aperture and resists 400 °C and 500 bars. The use of the cell as an in situ tool for fast process monitoring and surface catalyst characterisation is demonstrated with phase behaviour and chemical analysis of the methanol synthesis over a commercial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst.

A combined Eulerian-Lagrangian two-phase flow analysis of SSME HPOTP nozzle plug trajectories. II - Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcconnaughey, P. K.; Garcia, R.; Dejong, F. J.; Sabnis, J. S.; Pribik, D. A.

1989-01-01

An analysis of Space Shuttle Main Engine high-pressure oxygen turbopump nozzle plug trajectories has been performed, using a Lagrangian method to track nozzle plug particles expelled from a turbine through a high Reynolds number flow in a turnaround duct with turning vanes. Axisymmetric and parametric analyses reveal that if nozzle plugs exited the turbine they would probably impact the LOX heat exchanger with impact velocities which are significantly less than the penetration velocity. The finding that only slight to moderate damage will result from nozzle plug failure in flight is supported by the results of a hot-fire engine test with induced nozzle plug failures.

Burner rig study of variables involved in hole plugging of air cooled turbine engine vanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deadmore, D. L.; Lowell, C. E.

1983-01-01

The effects of combustion gas composition, flame temperatures, and cooling air mass flow on the plugging of film cooling holes by a Ca-Fe-P-containing deposit were investigated. The testing was performed on film-cooled vanes exposed to the combustion gases of an atmospheric Mach 0.3 burner rig. The extent of plugging was determined by measurement of the open hole area at the conclusion of the tests as well as continuous monitoring of some of the tests using stop-action photography. In general, as the P content increased, plugging rates also increased. The plugging was reduced by increasing flame temperature and cooling air mass flow rates. At times up to approximately 2 hours little plugging was observed. This apparent incubation period was followed by rapid plugging, reaching in several hours a maximum closure whose value depended on the conditions of the test.

Playing with Plug-ins

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Douglas E.

2013-01-01

In today's complex music software packages, many features can remain unexplored and unused. Software plug-ins--available in most every music software package, yet easily overlooked in the software's basic operations--are one such feature. In this article, I introduce readers to plug-ins and offer tips for purchasing plug-ins I have…

40 CFR 144.62 - Cost estimate for plugging and abandonment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cost estimate for plugging and... Waste Injection Wells § 144.62 Cost estimate for plugging and abandonment. (a) The owner or operator must prepare a written estimate, in current dollars, of the cost of plugging the injection well in...

Steady propagation of Bingham plugs in 2D channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamankhan, Parsa; Takayama, Shuichi; Grotberg, James

2009-11-01

The displacement of the yield-stress liquid plugs in channels and tubes occur in many biological systems and industrial processes. Among them is the propagation of mucus plugs in the respiratory tracts as may occur in asthma, cystic fibrosis, or emphysema. In this work the steady propagation of mucus plugs in a 2D channel is studied numerically, assuming that the mucus is a pure Bingham fluid. The governing equations are solved by a mixed-discontinuous finite element formulation and the free surface is resolved with the method of spines. The constitutive equation for a pure Bingham fluid is modeled by a regularization method. Fluid inertia is neglected, so the controlling parameters in a steady displacement are; the capillary number, Ca, Bingham number ,Bn, and the plug length. According to the numerical results, the yield stress behavior of the plug modifies the plug shape, the pattern of the streamlines and the distribution of stresses in the plug domain and along the walls in a significant way. The distribution along the walls is a major factor in studying cell injuries. This work is supported through the grant NIH HL84370.

Region-specific role of water in collagen unwinding and assembly.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Krishnakumar M; Hwang, Wonmuk

2008-09-01

Conformational stability of the collagen triple helix affects its turnover and determines tissue homeostasis. Although it is known that the presence of imino acids (prolines or hydroxyprolines) confer stability to the molecule, little is known regarding the stability of the imino-poor region lacking imino acids, which plays a key role in collagen cleavage. In particular, there have been continuing debates about the role of water in collagen stability. We addressed these issues using molecular dynamics simulations on 30-residue long collagen triple helices, including a structure that has a biologically relevant 9-residue imino-poor region from type III collagen (PDB ID: 1BKV). A torsional map approach was used to characterize the conformational motion of the molecule that differ between imino-rich and imino-poor regions. At temperatures 300 K and above, unwinding initiates at a common cleavage site, the glycine-isoleucine bond in the imino-poor region. This provides a linkage between previous observations that unwinding of the imino-poor region is a requirement for collagenase cleavage, and that isolated collagen molecules are unstable at body temperature. We found that unwinding of the imino-poor region is controlled by dynamic water bridges between backbone atoms with average lifetimes on the order of a few picoseconds, as the degree of unwinding strongly correlated with the loss of water bridges, and unwinding could be either prevented or enhanced, respectively by enforcing or forbidding water bridge formation. While individual water bridges were short-lived in the imino-poor region, the hydration shell surrounding the entire molecule was stable even at 330 K. The diameter of the hydrated collagen including the first hydration shell was about 14 A, in good agreement with the experimentally measured inter-collagen distances. These results elucidate the general role of water in collagen turnover: water not only affects collagen cleavage by controlling its torsional motion, but it also forms a larger-scale lubrication layer mediating collagen self-assembly. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Portal vein embolization with plug/coils improves hepatectomy outcome.

PubMed

Malinowski, Maciej; Geisel, Dominik; Stary, Victoria; Denecke, Timm; Seehofer, Daniel; Jara, Maximillian; Baron, Annekathrin; Pratschke, Johann; Gebauer, Bernhard; Stockmann, Martin

2015-03-01

Portal vein embolization (PVE) has become the standard of care before extended hepatectomy. Various PVE methods using different embolization materials have been described. In this study, we compared PVE with polyvinyl alcohol particles alone (PVA only) versus PVA with plug or coils (PVA + plug/coils). Patients undergoing PVE before hepatectomy were included. PVA alone was used until December 2013, thereafter plug or coils were placed in addition. The volume of left lateral liver lobe (LLL), clinical parameters, and liver function tests were measured before PVE and resection. A total of 43 patients were recruited into the PVA only group and 42 were recruited into the PVA + plug/coils group. There were no major differences between groups except significantly higher total bilirubin level before PVE in the PVA only group, which improved before hepatectomy. Mean LLL volume increased by 25.7% after PVE in the PVA only group and by 44% in the PVA + plug/coils group (P < 0.001). Recanalization was significantly less common in the PVA + plug/coils group. In multivariate regression, initial LLL volume and use of plug or coils were the only parameters influencing LLL volume increase. The postoperative liver failure rate was significantly reduced in PVA + plug/coils group (P = <0.001). PVE using PVA particles together with plug or coils is a safe and efficient method to increase future liver remnant volume. The additional central embolization with plug or coils led to an increased hypertrophy, due to lower recanalization rates, and subsequently decreased incidence of postoperative liver failure. No additional procedure-specific complications were observed in this series. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14. DETAIL OF CONNECTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF A POST ...

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

14. DETAIL OF CONNECTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF A POST IN THE WEST TRUSS, SHOWING THE ASSEMBLY OF LOWER CHORD AND DIAGONAL EYE BOLTS AND THE SUSPENSION OF A FLOOR BEAM FROM THE POST BY A U-BOLT; VIEW FROM SOUTH BANK. - Mitchell's Mill Bridge, Spanning Winter's Run on Carrs Mill Road, west of Bel Air, Bel Air, Harford County, MD

KSC-07pd2455

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-09-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Tugboats tow the Pegasus barge through the bridge at the haulover canal on the Banana River. The barge is carrying external tank No. 125. After it is offloaded, the tank will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The external tank will be used on space shuttle Atlantis for mission STS-122 targeted for launch on Dec. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

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

Rakowski, Cynthia L.; Guensch, Gregory R.; Patton, Gregory W.

Beginning in fiscal year 2003, the DOE Richland Operations Office initiated activities, including the development of data packages, to support the 2004 Composite Analysis. The river data package provides calculations of flow and transport in the Columbia River system. This document presents the data assembled to run the river module components for the section of the Columbia River from Vernita Bridge to the confluence with the Yakima River.

Encapsulation of atmospheric CO2 by a self-assembled decanuclear cadmium complex via unfamiliar perchlorato and carbonato bridges.

PubMed

García-Deibe, Ana M; Portela-García, Cristina; Fondo, Matilde; Mota, Antonio J; Sanmartín-Matalobos, Jesús

2012-10-11

A decanuclear Cd complex has been found as a carbonate-containing capsule. The structure strongly resembles a ten-blade waterwheel with a central carbonate ligand surrounded by two superimposed Cd(5)O(5) crowns with a pentagonal antiprism-like disposition. The capsule is doubly capped by two pentadentate perchlorate anions.

Fan-shaped jets above the light bridge of a sunspot driven by reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robustini, Carolina; Leenaarts, Jorrit; de la Cruz Rodriguez, Jaime; Rouppe van der Voort, Luc

2016-05-01

We report on a fan-shaped set of high-speed jets above a strongly magnetized light bridge (LB) of a sunspot observed in the Hα line. We study the origin, dynamics, and thermal properties of the jets using high-resolution imaging spectroscopy in Hα from the Swedish 1m Solar Telescope and data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and Hinode. The Hα jets have lengths of 7-38 Mm, are impulsively accelerated to a speed of ~100 km s-1 close to photospheric footpoints in the LB, and exhibit a constant deceleration consistent with solar effective gravity. They are predominantly launched from one edge of the light bridge, and their footpoints appear bright in the Hα wings. Atmospheric Imaging Assembly data indicates elongated brightenings that are nearly co-spatial with the Hα jets. We interpret them as jets of transition region temperatures. The magnetic field in the light bridge has a strength of 0.8-2 kG and it is nearly horizontal. All jet properties are consistent with magnetic reconnection as the driver. Movies associated to Figs. 1 and 2 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Salt Bridge Rearrangement (SaBRe) Explains the Dissociation Behavior of Noncovalent Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loo, Rachel R. Ogorzalek; Loo, Joseph A.

2016-06-01

Native electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, with gas-phase activation and solution compositions that partially release subcomplexes, can elucidate topologies of macromolecular assemblies. That so much complexity can be preserved in gas-phase assemblies is remarkable, although a long-standing conundrum has been the differences between their gas- and solution-phase decompositions. Collision-induced dissociation of multimeric noncovalent complexes typically distributes products asymmetrically (i.e., by ejecting a single subunit bearing a large percentage of the excess charge). That unexpected behavior has been rationalized as one subunit "unfolding" to depart with more charge. We present an alternative explanation based on heterolytic ion-pair scission and rearrangement, a mechanism that inherently partitions charge asymmetrically. Excessive barriers to dissociation are circumvented in this manner, when local charge rearrangements access a lower-barrier surface. An implication of this ion pair consideration is that stability differences between high- and low-charge state ions usually attributed to Coulomb repulsion may, alternatively, be conveyed by attractive forces from ion pairs (salt bridges) stabilizing low-charge state ions. Should the number of ion pairs be roughly inversely related to charge, symmetric dissociations would be favored from highly charged complexes, as observed. Correlations between a gas-phase protein's size and charge reflect the quantity of restraining ion pairs. Collisionally-facilitated salt bridge rearrangement (SaBRe) may explain unusual size "contractions" seen for some activated, low charge state complexes. That some low-charged multimers preferentially cleave covalent bonds or shed small ions to disrupting noncovalent associations is also explained by greater ion pairing in low charge state complexes.

Salt Bridge Rearrangement (SaBRe) Explains the Dissociation Behavior of Noncovalent Complexes.

PubMed

Loo, Rachel R Ogorzalek; Loo, Joseph A

2016-06-01

Native electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, with gas-phase activation and solution compositions that partially release subcomplexes, can elucidate topologies of macromolecular assemblies. That so much complexity can be preserved in gas-phase assemblies is remarkable, although a long-standing conundrum has been the differences between their gas- and solution-phase decompositions. Collision-induced dissociation of multimeric noncovalent complexes typically distributes products asymmetrically (i.e., by ejecting a single subunit bearing a large percentage of the excess charge). That unexpected behavior has been rationalized as one subunit "unfolding" to depart with more charge. We present an alternative explanation based on heterolytic ion-pair scission and rearrangement, a mechanism that inherently partitions charge asymmetrically. Excessive barriers to dissociation are circumvented in this manner, when local charge rearrangements access a lower-barrier surface. An implication of this ion pair consideration is that stability differences between high- and low-charge state ions usually attributed to Coulomb repulsion may, alternatively, be conveyed by attractive forces from ion pairs (salt bridges) stabilizing low-charge state ions. Should the number of ion pairs be roughly inversely related to charge, symmetric dissociations would be favored from highly charged complexes, as observed. Correlations between a gas-phase protein's size and charge reflect the quantity of restraining ion pairs. Collisionally-facilitated salt bridge rearrangement (SaBRe) may explain unusual size "contractions" seen for some activated, low charge state complexes. That some low-charged multimers preferentially cleave covalent bonds or shed small ions to disrupting noncovalent associations is also explained by greater ion pairing in low charge state complexes. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A discrete Cu cluster and a 3D MnII-CuII framework based on assembly of Mn2Cu4 clusters: synthesis, structure and magnetic properties.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Anindita; Escuer, Albert; Ribas, Joan; Maji, Tapas Kumar

2016-10-04

The synthesis, single-crystal structure characterization and detailed magnetic study of a homometallic hexanuclear Cu II cluster [Cu 6 (μ 3 -OH) 2 (ppk) 6 (H 2 O) 2 (NO 3 ) 4 ] (1) and a three-dimensional (3D) compound [{MnCu 2 (dpkO 2 H) 2 (dpkO 2 )N 3 }·(NO 3 )·H 2 O] n (2) (ppk = phenyl-2-pyridyl ketoxime; dpk = di-2-pyridyl ketone) consisting of heterometallic Mn II -Cu II hexanuclear cores as secondary building units are reported in this paper. In compound 1, two symmetry-related Cu 3 triangles consisting of a hydroxido-bridged trinuclear unit, [Cu 3 (μ 3 -OH)(ppk) 3 (H 2 O)(NO 3 )] + , are assembled through nitrate bridging giving rise to the homometallic Cu 6 cluster. Compound 2 contains heterometallic {MnCu} cores, which are further connected to each other through an azido bridging ligand in all the crystallographic directions, resulting in a 3D metal-organic framework. Construction of such a heterometallic 3D framework from {MnCu} units is until now, unknown. Magnetic studies of both 1 and 2 were performed in detail and both compounds show dominant antiferromagnetic interaction in the respective clusters. Compound 1 reveals significant spin frustration and anti-symmetric exchange interaction in the trinuclear cores, with a significantly high value of J av (-655 cm -1 ). Furthermore, compound 2 exhibits a dominant antiferromagnetic interaction, which is also supported by an extensive magneto-structural correlation which considers the different magnetic pathways.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Charging Plug-In Electric Vehicles in Public

Science.gov Websites

in Public to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Charging Plug-In Electric Vehicles in Public on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Charging Plug-In Electric Vehicles in Public on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Charging Plug-In Electric Vehicles in

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Basics | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Basics Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Basics Imagine being able to one that's in a standard hybrid electric vehicle. The larger battery pack allows plug-in hybrids to fuel from its onboard tank, and this provides a driving range (the distance a vehicle can travel

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maintenance and Safety of Hybrid and Plug-In

Science.gov Websites

Electric Vehicles Maintenance and Safety of Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicles to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maintenance and Safety of Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicles on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maintenance and Safety of Hybrid and Plug

Unbalanced-flow, fluid-mixing plug with metering capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, John Dwight (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor); Van Buskirk, Paul D. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A fluid mixer plug has holes formed therethrough such that a remaining portion is closed to fluid flow. The plug's inlet face defines a central circuit region and a ring-shaped region with the ring-shaped region including at least some of the plug's remaining portion so-closed to fluid flow. This remaining portion or closed region at each radius R of the ring shaped region satisfies a radius independent, flow-based relationship. Entry openings are defined in the plug's inlet face in correspondence with the holes. The entry openings define an open flow area at each radius of the ring-shaped region. The open flow area at each such radius satisfies the inverse of the flow-based relationship defining the closed regions of the plug.

A Report on Superfluid Helium Flow Through Porous Plugs for Space Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, F. C.

1983-01-01

As a background for the study of the nature of superfluid helium flow through porous plugs for other space science uses, preliminary tests on various plugs of a given material, diameter, height, and filtration grade have been performed. Two characteristics of the plugs, pore size and number of channels, have been determined by the bubble test and warm flow test of helium gas through the plugs, respectively. Tests on the flow of He II through the plugs have also been performed. An obvious feature of the results of these tests is that for isothermal measurements of pressure versus mass flow rate below approximately 2.10 K, the flow is separated into two different regimes, indicative of the occurrence of a critical phenomenon.

Ruthenium-catalyzed intramolecular metathesis of dienes and its application in the synthesis of bridged and spiro azabicycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, N. Yu; Bubnov, Yu N.

2015-07-01

The review presents a historical excursion into catalytic alkene metathesis, covering the problems of history of the discovery of this process, as well as investigations on the properties, structure and reactivity of the most popular ruthenium catalysts for metathesis, mechanism of their action and decomposition. The main part covers studies devoted to the syntheses of bridged azabicyclic and 1-azaspirocyclic compounds comprising the intramolecular metathesis of dienes as the key step. The formation of a bicyclic skeleton of a series of natural bridged (cocaine, ferruginine, calystegines, and anatoxin-a) and spiro (pinnaic acids, halichlorine, hystrionicotoxin, and cephalotaxine) azabicycles, as well as their analogues and compounds with larger rings is demonstrated. The methods for the synthesis of diene precursors and the conditions for final assembling of the bicyclic compounds are considered in detail. The generalization of the literature data allows one to efficiently carry out the mentioned process taking into account the most important features. The bibliography includes 129 references.

Tuning the spin ground state in heterononanuclear nickel(II)-copper(II) cylinders with a triangular metallacyclophane core.

PubMed

Dul, Marie-Claire; Ferrando-Soria, Jesús; Pardo, Emilio; Lescouëzec, Rodrigue; Journaux, Yves; Ruiz-García, Rafael; Cano, Joan; Julve, Miguel; Lloret, Francesc; Fabelo, Oscar; Pasán, Jorge; Ruiz-Pérez, Catalina

2010-12-20

Two new heterometallic Ni(II)(n)Cu(II)((9-n)) complexes [n = 1 (2) and 2 (3)] have been synthesized following a multicomponent self-assembly process from a n:(3 - n):2:6 stoichiometric mixture of Ni(2+), Cu(2+), L(6-), and [CuL'](2+), where L and L' are the bridging and blocking ligands 1,3,5-benzenetris(oxamate) and N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, respectively. Complexes 2 and 3 possess a unique cyclindrical architecture formed by three oxamato-bridged trinuclear linear units connected through two 1,3,5-substituted benzenetris(amidate) bridges, giving a triangular metallacyclophane core. They behave as a ferromagnetically coupled trimer of two (2)/one (3) S = (1)/(2) Cu(II)(3) plus one (2)/two (3) S = 0 Ni(II)Cu(II)(2) linear units with overall S = 1 Ni(II)Cu(II)(8) (2) and S = (1)/(2) Ni(II)(2)Cu(II)(7) (3) ground states.

Testing Single Phase IGBT H-Bridge Switch Plates for the High Voltage Converter Modulator at the Spallation Neutron Source

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

Peplov, Vladimir V; Anderson, David E; Solley, Dennis J

2014-01-01

Three IGBT H-bridge switching networks are used in each High Voltage Converter Modulator (HVCM) system at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to generate drive currents to three boost transformer primaries switching between positive and negative bus voltages at 20 kHz. Every switch plate assembly is tested before installing it into an operational HVCM. A Single Phase Test Stand has been built for this purpose, and it is used for adjustment, measurement and testing of different configurations of switch plates. This paper will present a description of the Test Stand configuration and discuss the results of testing switch plates with twomore » different types of IGBT gate drivers currently in use on the HVCM systems. Comparison of timing characteristics of the original and new drivers and the resulting performance reinforces the necessity to replace the original H-bridge network drivers with the upgraded units.« less

STS-119 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1 Arnold in Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-19

ISS018-E-041104 (19 March 2009) --- Astronaut Richard Arnold, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Arnold and astronaut Steve Swanson (out of frame), mission specialist, connected bolts to permanently attach the S6 truss segment to S5. The spacewalkers plugged in power and data connectors to the truss, prepared a radiator to cool it, opened boxes containing the new solar arrays and deployed the Beta Gimbal Assemblies containing masts that support the solar arrays. The blackness of space and Earth?s horizon provide the backdrop for the scene.

Skylab 3 crewmen practice in the MDA

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-07-25

S73-31322 (30 June 1973) --- The three prime crewmen of the Skylab 3 mission practice procedures which will be used during the extravehicular activity (EVA) portion of the scheduled Skylab rate gyro six-pac installation. They are scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott (center), astronaut Alan L. Bean (center background) and astronaut Jack R. Lousma (right). Garriott is working with a mock-up of a trunion plug plate which is on the space station's deployment assembly. This picture was taken during Skylab 3 prelaunch training at Johnson Space Center. In the left foreground with back to camera is astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, who is assisting with the Skylab 3 training. Another training officer is in the left background. Photo credit: NASA

Ion beam sputter target and method of manufacture

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

Higdon, Clifton; Elmoursi, Alaa A.; Goldsmith, Jason

A target for use in an ion beam sputtering apparatus made of at least two target tiles where at least two of the target tiles are made of different chemical compositions and are mounted on a main tile and geometrically arranged on the main tile to yield a desired chemical composition on a sputtered substrate. In an alternate embodiment, the tiles are of varied thickness according to the desired chemical properties of the sputtered film. In yet another alternate embodiment, the target is comprised of plugs pressed in a green state which are disposed in cavities formed in a mainmore » tile also formed in a green state and the assembly can then be compacted and then sintered.« less

Abuse Response of 18650 Li-Ion Cells with Different Cathodes Using EC:EMC/LiPF6 and EC:PC:DMC/LiPF6 Electrolytes

DOE PAGES

Roth, Emmanuel Peter

2008-01-01

We report Lithium-Ion batteries are being considered as a high-energy density replacement for Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and in the new Plug-In Hybrids (PHEVs). Although these cells can result in significant reduction in weight and volume, they have several safety related issues that still need to be addressed. We report here on the thermal response of Li-ion cells specifically assembled in our laboratory to test new materials, electrolytes and additives. Finally, improvements in the thermal abuse tolerance of cells are reported and discussed in terms of the need for overall battery system safety.

Compact vehicle drive module having improved thermal control

DOEpatents

Meyer, Andreas A.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.; Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Kannenberg, Daniel G.

2006-01-03

An electric vehicle drive includes a thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support, which may be controlled in a closed-loop manner. Interfacing between circuits, circuit mounting structure, and the support provide for greatly enhanced cooling. The support may form a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Vehicle drive module having improved EMI shielding

DOEpatents

Beihoff, Bruce C.; Kehl, Dennis L.; Gettelfinger, Lee A.; Kaishian, Steven C.; Phillips, Mark G.; Radosevich, Lawrence D.

2006-11-28

EMI shielding in an electric vehicle drive is provided for power electronics circuits and the like via a direct-mount reference plane support and shielding structure. The thermal support may receive one or more power electronic circuits. The support may aid in removing heat from the circuits through fluid circulating through the support. The support forms a shield from both external EMI/RFI and from interference generated by operation of the power electronic circuits. Features may be provided to permit and enhance connection of the circuitry to external circuitry, such as improved terminal configurations. Modular units may be assembled that may be coupled to electronic circuitry via plug-in arrangements or through interface with a backplane or similar mounting and interconnecting structures.

Two binuclear cyanide-bridged Cr(III)-Mn(III) complexes based-on [Cr(2,2'-bipy)(CN)4]- building block: synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties.

PubMed

Zhanga, Daopeng; Kong, Lingqian; Zhang, Hongyan

2015-01-01

Tetracyanide building block [Cr(2,2'-bipy)(CN)(4)]- and two bicompartimental Schiff-base based manganese(III) compounds have been employed to assemble cyanide-bridged heterometallic complexes, resulting in two cyanide-bridged CrIII-MnIII complexes: [Mn(L(1))(H(2)O)][Cr(2,2'-bipy)(CN)(4)]·CH(3)OH·2.5H(2)O (1) and [Mn(L(2))(H(2)O)][Cr(2,2'-bipy)(CN)(4)]·CH(3)OH·(3)H(2)O (2) (L1 = N,N'-(1,3-propylene)-bis(3-methoxysalicylideneiminate), L2 = N,N'-ethylene-bis(3-ethoxysalicylideneiminate)). Single X-ray diffraction analysis shows their similar cyanide-bridged binuclear structures, in which the cyanide precursor acting as monodentate ligand connects the manganese(III) ion. The binuclear complexes are self-complementary through coordinated aqua ligand and the free O4 compartment from the neighboring complex, giving H-bond linking dimer structure. Investigation over magnetic properties reveals the antiferromagnetic magnetic coupling between the cyanide-bridged Cr(III) and Mn(III) ions. A best-fit to the magnetic susceptibilities of these two complexes leads to the magnetic coupling constants J = -5.95 cm(-1), j = -0.61 cm(-1) (1) and J = -4.15 cm(-1), j = -0.57 cm(-1) (2), respectively.

Design and force analysis of end-effector for plug seedling transplanter.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhuohua; Hu, Yang; Jiang, Huanyu; Tong, Junhua

2017-01-01

Automatic transplanters have been very important in greenhouses since the popularization of seedling nurseries. End-effector development is a key technology for transplanting plug seedlings. Most existing end-effectors have problems with holding root plugs or releasing plugs. An efficient end-effector driven by a linear pneumatic cylinder was designed in this study, which could hold root plugs firmly and release plugs easily. This end-effector with four needles could clamp the plug simultaneously while the needles penetrate into the substrate. The depth and verticality of the needles could be adjusted conveniently for different seedling trays. The effectiveness of this end-effector was tested by a combinational trial examining three seedling nursery factors (the moisture content of the substrate, substrate bulk density and the volume proportion of substrate ingredients). Results showed that the total transplanting success rate for the end-effector was 100%, and the root plug harm rate was below 17%. A force measure system with tension and pressure transducers was installed on the designed end-effector. The adhesive force FL between the root plug and the cell of seedling trays and the extrusion force FK on the root plug were measured and analyzed. The results showed that all three variable factors and their interactions had significant effects on the extrusion force. Each factor had a significant effect on adhesive force. Additionally, it was found that the end-effector did not perform very well when the value of FK/FL was beyond the range of 5.99~8.67. This could provide a scientific basis for end-effector application in transplanting.

Design and force analysis of end-effector for plug seedling transplanter

PubMed Central

Hu, Yang; Jiang, Huanyu; Tong, Junhua

2017-01-01

Automatic transplanters have been very important in greenhouses since the popularization of seedling nurseries. End-effector development is a key technology for transplanting plug seedlings. Most existing end-effectors have problems with holding root plugs or releasing plugs. An efficient end-effector driven by a linear pneumatic cylinder was designed in this study, which could hold root plugs firmly and release plugs easily. This end-effector with four needles could clamp the plug simultaneously while the needles penetrate into the substrate. The depth and verticality of the needles could be adjusted conveniently for different seedling trays. The effectiveness of this end-effector was tested by a combinational trial examining three seedling nursery factors (the moisture content of the substrate, substrate bulk density and the volume proportion of substrate ingredients). Results showed that the total transplanting success rate for the end-effector was 100%, and the root plug harm rate was below 17%. A force measure system with tension and pressure transducers was installed on the designed end-effector. The adhesive force FL between the root plug and the cell of seedling trays and the extrusion force FK on the root plug were measured and analyzed. The results showed that all three variable factors and their interactions had significant effects on the extrusion force. Each factor had a significant effect on adhesive force. Additionally, it was found that the end-effector did not perform very well when the value of FK/FL was beyond the range of 5.99~8.67. This could provide a scientific basis for end-effector application in transplanting. PMID:28678858

Selenium concentrations in the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus): Substitution of non-lethal muscle plugs for muscle tissue in contaminant assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, B.; May, T.

1995-01-01

A single muscle plug was collected from each of 25 live razorback suckers inhabiting the Colorado River basin and analyzed for selenium by instrumental neutron activation. Eight fish from Ashley Creek and three from Razorback Bar exhibited selenium concentrations exceeding 8 μg/g, a level associated with reproductive failure in fish. Concentrations of selenium in eggs and milt were significantly correlated with selenium concentrations in muscle plugs and together indicate a possible explanation for the decline of this species in the Colorado River basin. Muscle plugs (<50mg) and muscle tissue (20 g) were collected from dorsal, anterior, and posterior areas of common carp, flannelmouth sucker, and an archived razorback sucker and analyzed for selenium. Concentrations of selenium in muscle plugs were significantly correlated with selenium concentrations in muscle tissue from the same location and fish (r=0.97). Coefficients of variation for selenium concentrations in each fish were <6.5% for muscle tissue, but ranged from 1.5 to 32.4% for muscle plugs. Increased variation in muscle plugs was attributed to lower selenium concentrations found in the anterior muscle plugs of flannelmouth suckers. Mean selenium concentrations in muscle plugs and tissue from dorsal and posterior areas and muscle tissue from the anterior area were not significantly different. The non-lethal collection of a muscle plug from dorsal and posterior areas of the razorback sucker and other fish species may provide an accurate assessment of selenium concentrations that exist in adjacent muscle tissue.

Numerical investigation of soil plugging effect inside sleeve of cast-in-place piles driven by vibratory hammers in clays.

PubMed

Xiao, Yong Jie; Chen, Fu Quan; Dong, Yi Zhi

2016-01-01

During driving sleeve of cast-in-place piles by vibratory hammers, soils were squeezed into sleeve and then soil plugging was formed. The physic-mechanical properties of the soil plug have direct influence on the load transmission between the sleeve wall and soil plug. Nevertheless, the researches on this issue are insufficient. In this study, finite element and infinite element coupling model was introduced, through the commercial code ABAQUS, to simulate the full penetration process of the sleeve driven from the ground surface to the desired depth by applying vibratory hammers. The research results indicated that the cyclic shearing action decreases both in soil shear strength and in granular cementation force when the sleeve is driven by vibratory hammers, which leads to a partially plugged mode of the soil plug inside the sleeve. Accordingly, the penetration resistance of sleeve driven by vibratory hammers is the smallest compared to those by other installation methods. When driving the sleeve, the annular soil arches forming in the soil plug at sleeve end induce a significant rise in the internal shaft resistance. Moreover, the influence of vibration frequencies, sleeve diameters, and soil layer properties on the soil plug was investigated in detail, and at the same time improved formulas were brought forward to describe the soil plug resistance inside vibratory driven sleeve.

PLUG STORAGE BUILDING, TRA611, AWAITS SHIELDING SOIL TO BE PLACED ...

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

PLUG STORAGE BUILDING, TRA-611, AWAITS SHIELDING SOIL TO BE PLACED OVER PLUG STORAGE TUBES. WING WALLS WILL SUPPORT EARTH FILL. MTR, PROCESS WATER BUILDING, AND WORKING RESERVOIR IN VIEW BEYOND PLUG STORAGE. CAMERA FACES NORTHEAST. INL NEGATIVE NO. 2949. Unknown Photographer, 7/30/1951 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Reactor Area, Materials & Engineering Test Reactors, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Los Angeles Sets the Stage for Plug-In

Science.gov Websites

Electric Vehicles Los Angeles Sets the Stage for Plug-In Electric Vehicles to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Los Angeles Sets the Stage for Plug-In Electric Vehicles on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Los Angeles Sets the Stage for Plug-In Electric

30 CFR 250.1715 - How must I permanently plug a well?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Zones in open hole, Cement plug(s) set from at least 100 feet below the bottom to 100 feet above the top... cement plug, set by the displacement method, at least 100 feet above and below deepest casing shoe; (ii) A cement retainer with effective back-pressure control set 50 to 100 feet above the casing shoe, and...

30 CFR 250.1715 - How must I permanently plug a well?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) Zones in open hole, Cement plug(s) set from at least 100 feet below the bottom to 100 feet above the top... cement plug, set by the displacement method, at least 100 feet above and below deepest casing shoe; (ii) A cement retainer with effective back-pressure control set 50 to 100 feet above the casing shoe, and...

30 CFR 250.1715 - How must I permanently plug a well?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) Zones in open hole, Cement plug(s) set from at least 100 feet below the bottom to 100 feet above the top... cement plug, set by the displacement method, at least 100 feet above and below deepest casing shoe; (ii) A cement retainer with effective back-pressure control set 50 to 100 feet above the casing shoe, and...

30 CFR 250.1715 - How must I permanently plug a well?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... in open hole Cement plug(s) set from at least 100 feet below the bottom to 100 feet above the top of... cement plug, set by the displacement method, at least 100 feet above and below deepest casing shoe;(ii) A cement retainer with effective back-pressure control set 50 to 100 feet above the casing shoe, and a...

Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicle Testing | Transportation

Science.gov Websites

Research | NREL Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicle Evaluations Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicle Evaluations How Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work EVs use batteries to store the electric energy that powers the motor. EV batteries are charged by

Experimental Investigation of Shock-Cell Noise Reduction for Single Stream Nozzles in Simulated Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamamoto, K.; Brausch, J. F.; Balsa, T. F.; Janardan, B. A.; Knott, P. R.

1984-01-01

Seven single stream model nozzles were tested in the Anechoic Free-Jet Acoustic Test Facility to evaluate the effectiveness of convergent divergent (C-D) flowpaths in the reduction of shock-cell noise under both static and mulated flight conditions. The test nozzles included a baseline convergent circular nozzle, a C-D circular nozzle, a convergent annular plug nozzle, a C-D annular plug nozzle, a convergent multi-element suppressor plug nozzle, and a C-D multi-element suppressor plug nozzle. Diagnostic flow visualization with a shadowgraph and aerodynamic plume measurements with a laser velocimeter were performed with the test nozzles. A theory of shock-cell noise for annular plug nozzles with shock-cells in the vicinity of the plug was developed. The benefit of these C-D nozzles was observed over a broad range of pressure ratiosin the vicinity of their design conditions. At the C-D design condition, the C-D annual nozzle was found to be free of shock-cells on the plug.

Integrated geophysical surveys for mapping lati-andesite intrusive bodies, Chino Valley, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

El-Kaliouby, Hesham; Sternberg, Ben K.; Hoffmann, John P.; Langenheim, V.E.

2012-01-01

Three different geophysical methods (magnetic, transient electromagnetic (TEM) and gravity) were used near Chino Valley, Arizona, USA in order to map a suspected lati-andesite intrusive body (plug) previously located by interpretation of aeromagnetic data. The magnetic and TEM surveys provided the best indication of the location and depth of the plug. The north-south spatial extent of this plug was estimated to be approximately 600 meters. The depth to the top of the plug was found from the TEM survey to be approximately 350 meters near the center of the survey. The location of the plug defined by the ground magnetic data is consistent with that from the TEM data. Gravity data mostly image the basin-basement interface with a small contribution from the plug of about 0.5 mGal. Results from this investigation can be used to help define the irregular subsurface topography caused by several intrusive lati-andesite plugs that could influence groundwater flow in the area.

Static Gas-Charging Plug

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Indoe, William

2012-01-01

A gas-charging plug can be easily analyzed for random vibration. The design features two steeped O-rings in a radial configuration at two different diameters, with a 0.050-in. (.1.3-mm) diameter through-hole between the two O-rings. In the charging state, the top O-ring is engaged and sealing. The bottom O-ring outer diameter is not squeezed, and allows air to flow by it into the tank. The inner diameter is stretched to plug the gland diameter, and is restrained by the O-ring groove. The charging port bushing provides mechanical stop to restrain the plug during gas charge removal. It also prevents the plug from becoming a projectile when removing gas charge from the accumulator. The plug can easily be verified after installation to ensure leakage requirements are met.

Miniature electrical connector

DOEpatents

Casper, Robert F.

1976-01-01

A miniature coaxial cable electrical connector includes an annular compressible gasket in a receptacle member, the gasket having a generally triangular cross section resiliently engaging and encircling a conically tapered outer surface of a plug member to create an elongated current leakage path at their interface; means for preventing rotation of the plug relative to the receptacle; a metal sleeve forming a portion of the receptacle and encircling the plug member when interconnected; and a split ring in the plug having outwardly and rearwardly projecting fingers spaced from and encircling a portion of a coaxial cable and engageable with the metal sleeve to interlock the receptacle and plug.

Partial wetting gas-liquid segmented flow microreactor.

PubMed

Kazemi Oskooei, S Ali; Sinton, David

2010-07-07

A microfluidic reactor strategy for reducing plug-to-plug transport in gas-liquid segmented flow microfluidic reactors is presented. The segmented flow is generated in a wetting portion of the chip that transitions downstream to a partially wetting reaction channel that serves to disconnect the liquid plugs. The resulting residence time distributions show little dependence on channel length, and over 60% narrowing in residence time distribution as compared to an otherwise similar reactor. This partial wetting strategy mitigates a central limitation (plug-to-plug dispersion) while preserving the many attractive features of gas-liquid segmented flow reactors.

Supramolecular macrocycles reversibly assembled by Te…O chalcogen bonding

PubMed Central

Ho, Peter C.; Szydlowski, Patrick; Sinclair, Jocelyn; Elder, Philip J. W.; Kübel, Joachim; Gendy, Chris; Lee, Lucia Myongwon; Jenkins, Hilary; Britten, James F.; Morim, Derek R.; Vargas-Baca, Ignacio

2016-01-01

Organic molecules with heavy main-group elements frequently form supramolecular links to electron-rich centres. One particular case of such interactions is halogen bonding. Most studies of this phenomenon have been concerned with either dimers or infinitely extended structures (polymers and lattices) but well-defined cyclic structures remain elusive. Here we present oligomeric aggregates of heterocycles that are linked by chalcogen-centered interactions and behave as genuine macrocyclic species. The molecules of 3-methyl-5-phenyl-1,2-tellurazole 2-oxide assemble a variety of supramolecular aggregates that includes cyclic tetramers and hexamers, as well as a helical polymer. In all these aggregates, the building blocks are connected by Te…O–N bridges. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic experiments demonstrate that the two types of annular aggregates are persistent in solution. These self-assembled structures form coordination complexes with transition-metal ions, act as fullerene receptors and host small molecules in a crystal. PMID:27090355

Punctal occlusion for dry eye syndrome.

PubMed

Ervin, Ann-Margret; Law, Andrew; Pucker, Andrew D

2017-06-26

Dry eye syndrome is a disorder of the tear film that is associated with symptoms of ocular discomfort. Punctal occlusion is a mechanical treatment that blocks the tear drainage system in order to aid in the preservation of natural tears on the ocular surface. To assess the effects of punctal plugs versus no punctal plugs, different types of punctal plugs, and other interventions for managing dry eye. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2016, Issue 11), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 8 December 2016), Embase.com (1947 to 8 December 2016), PubMed (1948 to 8 December 2016), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database) (1982 to 8 December 2016), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com; last searched 18 November 2012 - this resource is now archived), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov; searched 8 December 2016), and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en; searched 8 December 2016). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We also searched the Science Citation Index-Expanded database and reference lists of included studies. The evidence was last updated on 8 December 2016 SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials of collagen or silicone punctal plugs in symptomatic participants diagnosed with aqueous tear deficiency or dry eye syndrome. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study investigators for additional information when needed. We included 18 trials (711 participants, 1249 eyes) from Austria, Canada, China, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, and the USA in this review. We also identified one ongoing trial. Overall we judged these trials to be at unclear risk of bias because they were poorly reported. We assessed the evidence for eight comparisons.Five trials compared punctal plugs with no punctal plugs (control). Three of these trials employed a sham treatment and two trials observed the control group. Two trials did not report outcome data relevant to this review. There was very low-certainty evidence on symptomatic improvement. The three trials that reported this outcome used different scales to measure symptoms. In all three trials, there was little or no improvement in symptom scores with punctal plugs compared with no punctal plugs. Low-certainty evidence from one trial suggested less ocular surface staining in the punctal plug group compared with the no punctal plug group however this difference was small and possibly clinically unimportant (mean difference (MD) in fluorescein staining score -1.50 points, 95% CI -1.88 to -1.12; eyes = 61). Similarly there was a small difference in tear film stability with people in the punctal plug group having more stability (MD 1.93 seconds more, 95% CI 0.67 to 3.20; eyes = 28, low-certainty evidence). The number of artificial tear applications was lower in the punctal plug group compared with the no punctal plugs group in one trial (MD -2.70 applications, 95% CI -3.11 to -2.29; eyes = 61, low-certainty evidence). One trial with low-certainty evidence reported little or no difference between the groups in Schirmer scores, but did not report any quantitative data on aqueous tear production. Very low-certainty evidence on adverse events suggested that events occurred reasonably frequently in the punctal plug group and included epiphora, itching, tenderness and swelling of lids with mucous discharge, and plug displacement.One trial compared punctal plugs with cyclosporine (20 eyes) and one trial compared punctal plugs with oral pilocarpine (55 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision.Five trials compared punctal plugs with artificial tears. In one of the trials punctal plugs was combined with artificial tears and compared with artificial tears alone. There was very low-certainty evidence on symptomatic improvement. Low-certainty evidence of little or no improvement in ocular surface staining comparing punctal plugs with artificial tears (MD right eye 0.10 points higher, 0.56 lower to 0.76 higher, MD left eye 0.60 points higher, 0.10 to 1.10 higher) and low-certainty evidence of little or no difference in aqueous tear production (MD 0.00 mm/5 min, 0.33 lower to 0.33 higher)Three trials compared punctal plugs in the upper versus the lower puncta, and none of them reported the review outcomes at long-term follow-up. One trial with very low-certainty evidence reported no observed complications, but it was unclear which complications were collected.One trial compared acrylic punctal plugs with silicone punctal plugs and the trial reported outcomes at approximately 11 weeks of follow-up (36 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision.One trial compared intracanalicular punctal plugs with silicone punctal plugs at three months follow-up (57 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision.Finally, two trials with very low-certainty evidence compared collagen punctal plugs versus silicone punctal plugs (98 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision. Although the investigators of the individual trials concluded that punctal plugs are an effective means for treating dry eye signs and symptoms, the evidence in this systematic review suggests that improvements in symptoms and commonly tested dry eye signs are inconclusive. Despite the inclusion of 11 additional trials, the findings of this updated review are consistent with the previous review published in 2010. The type of punctal plug investigated, the type and severity of dry eye being treated, and heterogeneity in trial methodology confounds our ability to make decisive statements regarding the effectiveness of punctal plug use. Although punctal plugs are believed to be relatively safe, their use is commonly associated with epiphora and, less commonly, with inflammatory conditions such as dacryocystitis.

Punctal occlusion for dry eye syndrome

PubMed Central

Ervin, Ann-Margret; Law, Andrew; Pucker, Andrew D

2017-01-01

Background Dry eye syndrome is a disorder of the tear film that is associated with symptoms of ocular discomfort. Punctal occlusion is a mechanical treatment that blocks the tear drainage system in order to aid in the preservation of natural tears on the ocular surface. Objectives To assess the effects of punctal plugs versus no punctal plugs, different types of punctal plugs, and other interventions for managing dry eye. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2016, Issue 11), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 8 December 2016), Embase.com (1947 to 8 December 2016), PubMed (1948 to 8 December 2016), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database) (1982 to 8 December 2016), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com; last searched 18 November 2012 - this resource is now archived), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov; searched 8 December 2016), and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en; searched 8 December 2016). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We also searched the Science Citation Index-Expanded database and reference lists of included studies. The evidence was last updated on 8 December 2016 Selection criteria We included randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials of collagen or silicone punctal plugs in symptomatic participants diagnosed with aqueous tear deficiency or dry eye syndrome. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study investigators for additional information when needed. Main results We included 18 trials (711 participants, 1249 eyes) from Austria, Canada, China, Greece, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, and the USA in this review. We also identified one ongoing trial. Overall we judged these trials to be at unclear risk of bias because they were poorly reported. We assessed the evidence for eight comparisons. Five trials compared punctal plugs with no punctal plugs (control). Three of these trials employed a sham treatment and two trials observed the control group. Two trials did not report outcome data relevant to this review. There was very low-certainty evidence on symptomatic improvement. The three trials that reported this outcome used different scales to measure symptoms. In all three trials, there was little or no improvement in symptom scores with punctal plugs compared with no punctal plugs. Low-certainty evidence from one trial suggested less ocular surface staining in the punctal plug group compared with the no punctal plug group however this difference was small and possibly clinically unimportant (mean difference (MD) in fluorescein staining score -1.50 points, 95% CI -1.88 to -1.12; eyes = 61). Similarly there was a small difference in tear film stability with people in the punctal plug group having more stability (MD 1.93 seconds more, 95% CI 0.67 to 3.20; eyes = 28, low-certainty evidence). The number of artificial tear applications was lower in the punctal plug group compared with the no punctal plugs group in one trial (MD -2.70 applications, 95% CI -3.11 to -2.29; eyes = 61, low-certainty evidence). One trial with low-certainty evidence reported little or no difference between the groups in Schirmer scores, but did not report any quantitative data on aqueous tear production. Very low-certainty evidence on adverse events suggested that events occurred reasonably frequently in the punctal plug group and included epiphora, itching, tenderness and swelling of lids with mucous discharge, and plug displacement. One trial compared punctal plugs with cyclosporine (20 eyes) and one trial compared punctal plugs with oral pilocarpine (55 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision. Five trials compared punctal plugs with artificial tears. In one of the trials punctal plugs was combined with artificial tears and compared with artificial tears alone. There was very low-certainty evidence on symptomatic improvement. Low-certainty evidence of little or no improvement in ocular surface staining comparing punctal plugs with artificial tears (MD right eye 0.10 points higher, 0.56 lower to 0.76 higher, MD left eye 0.60 points higher, 0.10 to 1.10 higher) and low-certainty evidence of little or no difference in aqueous tear production (MD 0.00 mm/5 min, 0.33 lower to 0.33 higher) Three trials compared punctal plugs in the upper versus the lower puncta, and none of them reported the review outcomes at long-term follow-up. One trial with very low-certainty evidence reported no observed complications, but it was unclear which complications were collected. One trial compared acrylic punctal plugs with silicone punctal plugs and the trial reported outcomes at approximately 11 weeks of follow-up (36 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision. One trial compared intracanalicular punctal plugs with silicone punctal plugs at three months follow-up (57 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision. Finally, two trials with very low-certainty evidence compared collagen punctal plugs versus silicone punctal plugs (98 eyes). The evidence was judged to be very low-certainty due to a combination of risk of bias and imprecision. Authors' conclusions Although the investigators of the individual trials concluded that punctal plugs are an effective means for treating dry eye signs and symptoms, the evidence in this systematic review suggests that improvements in symptoms and commonly tested dry eye signs are inconclusive. Despite the inclusion of 11 additional trials, the findings of this updated review are consistent with the previous review published in 2010. The type of punctal plug investigated, the type and severity of dry eye being treated, and heterogeneity in trial methodology confounds our ability to make decisive statements regarding the effectiveness of punctal plug use. Although punctal plugs are believed to be relatively safe, their use is commonly associated with epiphora and, less commonly, with inflammatory conditions such as dacryocystitis. PMID:28649802

The Role of Chaperone-subunit Usher Domain Interactions in the Mechanism of Bacterial Pilus Biogenesis Revealed by ESI-MS*

PubMed Central

Morrissey, Bethny; Leney, Aneika C.; Toste Rêgo, Ana; Phan, Gilles; Allen, William J.; Verger, Denis; Waksman, Gabriel; Ashcroft, Alison E.; Radford, Sheena E.

2012-01-01

The PapC usher is a β-barrel outer membrane protein essential for assembly and secretion of P pili that are required for adhesion of pathogenic E. coli, which cause the development of pyelonephritis. Multiple protein subunits form the P pilus, the highly specific assembly of which is coordinated by the usher. Despite a wealth of structural knowledge, how the usher catalyzes subunit polymerization and orchestrates a correct and functional order of subunit assembly remain unclear. Here, the ability of the soluble N-terminal (UsherN), C-terminal (UsherC2), and Plug (UsherP) domains of the usher to bind different chaperone-subunit (PapDPapX) complexes is investigated using noncovalent electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The results reveal that each usher domain is able to bind all six PapDPapX complexes, consistent with an active role of all three usher domains in pilus biogenesis. Using collision induced dissociation, combined with competition binding experiments and dissection of the adhesin subunit, PapG, into separate pilin and adhesin domains, the results reveal why PapG has a uniquely high affinity for the usher, which is consistent with this subunit always being displayed at the pilus tip. In addition, we show how the different soluble usher domains cooperate to coordinate and control efficient pilus assembly at the usher platform. As well as providing new information about the protein-protein interactions that determine pilus biogenesis, the results highlight the power of noncovalent MS to interrogate biological mechanisms, especially in complex mixtures of species. PMID:22371487

The role of chaperone-subunit usher domain interactions in the mechanism of bacterial pilus biogenesis revealed by ESI-MS.

PubMed

Morrissey, Bethny; Leney, Aneika C; Toste Rêgo, Ana; Phan, Gilles; Allen, William J; Verger, Denis; Waksman, Gabriel; Ashcroft, Alison E; Radford, Sheena E

2012-07-01

The PapC usher is a β-barrel outer membrane protein essential for assembly and secretion of P pili that are required for adhesion of pathogenic E. coli, which cause the development of pyelonephritis. Multiple protein subunits form the P pilus, the highly specific assembly of which is coordinated by the usher. Despite a wealth of structural knowledge, how the usher catalyzes subunit polymerization and orchestrates a correct and functional order of subunit assembly remain unclear. Here, the ability of the soluble N-terminal (UsherN), C-terminal (UsherC2), and Plug (UsherP) domains of the usher to bind different chaperone-subunit (PapDPapX) complexes is investigated using noncovalent electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The results reveal that each usher domain is able to bind all six PapDPapX complexes, consistent with an active role of all three usher domains in pilus biogenesis. Using collision induced dissociation, combined with competition binding experiments and dissection of the adhesin subunit, PapG, into separate pilin and adhesin domains, the results reveal why PapG has a uniquely high affinity for the usher, which is consistent with this subunit always being displayed at the pilus tip. In addition, we show how the different soluble usher domains cooperate to coordinate and control efficient pilus assembly at the usher platform. As well as providing new information about the protein-protein interactions that determine pilus biogenesis, the results highlight the power of noncovalent MS to interrogate biological mechanisms, especially in complex mixtures of species.

Impact of recycling on cradle-to-gate energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of automotive lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Dunn, Jennifer B; Gaines, Linda; Sullivan, John; Wang, Michael Q

2012-11-20

This paper addresses the environmental burdens (energy consumption and air emissions, including greenhouse gases, GHGs) of the material production, assembly, and recycling of automotive lithium-ion batteries in hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and battery electric vehicles (BEV) that use LiMn(2)O(4) cathode material. In this analysis, we calculated the energy consumed and air emissions generated when recovering LiMn(2)O(4), aluminum, and copper in three recycling processes (hydrometallurgical, intermediate physical, and direct physical recycling) and examined the effect(s) of closed-loop recycling on environmental impacts of battery production. We aimed to develop a U.S.-specific analysis of lithium-ion battery production and in particular sought to resolve literature discrepancies concerning energy consumed during battery assembly. Our analysis takes a process-level (versus a top-down) approach. For a battery used in a BEV, we estimated cradle-to-gate energy and GHG emissions of 75 MJ/kg battery and 5.1 kg CO(2)e/kg battery, respectively. Battery assembly consumes only 6% of this total energy. These results are significantly less than reported in studies that take a top-down approach. We further estimate that direct physical recycling of LiMn(2)O(4), aluminum, and copper in a closed-loop scenario can reduce energy consumption during material production by up to 48%.

40 CFR 147.3108 - Plugging Class I, II, and III wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... with a cement plug from there to at least one hundred (100) feet above the top of the disposal or injection zone. (2) A cement plug shall also be set from a point at least fifty (50) feet below the shoe of... cement plug shall extend from a point at least thirty feet below the ground surface to a point five (5...

40 CFR 147.3108 - Plugging Class I, II, and III wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... with a cement plug from there to at least one hundred (100) feet above the top of the disposal or injection zone. (2) A cement plug shall also be set from a point at least fifty (50) feet below the shoe of... cement plug shall extend from a point at least thirty feet below the ground surface to a point five (5...

40 CFR 147.3108 - Plugging Class I, II, and III wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... with a cement plug from there to at least one hundred (100) feet above the top of the disposal or injection zone. (2) A cement plug shall also be set from a point at least fifty (50) feet below the shoe of... cement plug shall extend from a point at least thirty feet below the ground surface to a point five (5...

40 CFR 147.3108 - Plugging Class I, II, and III wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... with a cement plug from there to at least one hundred (100) feet above the top of the disposal or injection zone. (2) A cement plug shall also be set from a point at least fifty (50) feet below the shoe of... cement plug shall extend from a point at least thirty feet below the ground surface to a point five (5...

Plug Load Behavioral Change Demonstration Project

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

Metzger, I.; Kandt, A.; VanGeet, O.

2011-08-01

This report documents the methods and results of a plug load study of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 Headquarters in Denver, Colorado, conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The study quantified the effect of mechanical and behavioral change approaches on plug load energy reduction and identified effective ways to reduce plug load energy. Load reduction approaches included automated energy management systems and behavioral change strategies.

40 CFR 147.3108 - Plugging Class I, II, and III wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... with a cement plug from there to at least one hundred (100) feet above the top of the disposal or injection zone. (2) A cement plug shall also be set from a point at least fifty (50) feet below the shoe of... cement plug shall extend from a point at least thirty feet below the ground surface to a point five (5...

Template Synthesis, Metalation, and Self-Assembly of Protic Gold(I)/(NHC)2 Tectons Driven by Metallophilic Interactions.

PubMed

Ruiz, Javier; García, Lucía; Sol, Daniel; Vivanco, Marilín

2016-07-11

A new protocol for the synthesis of protic bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes of Au(I) by a stepwise metal-controlled coupling of isocyanide and propargylamine is described. They are used as tectons for the construction of supramolecular architectures through metalation and self-assembly. Notably a unique polymeric chain of Cu(I) with alternate Au(I) /bis(imidazolate) bridging scaffolds and strong unsupported Cu(I) -Cu(I) interactions has been generated, as well as a 28-metal-atoms cluster containing a nanopiece of Cu2 O trapped by peripheral Au(I) /bis(imidazolate) moieties. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The complex that inserts lipopolysaccharide into the bacterial outer membrane forms a two-protein plug-and-barrel.

PubMed

Freinkman, Elizaveta; Chng, Shu-Sin; Kahne, Daniel

2011-02-08

The cell surfaces of Gram-negative bacteria are composed of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This glycolipid is found exclusively in the outer leaflet of the asymmetric outer membrane (OM), where it forms a barrier to the entry of toxic hydrophobic molecules into the cell. LPS typically contains six fatty acyl chains and up to several hundred sugar residues. It is biosynthesized in the cytosol and must then be transported across two membranes and an aqueous intermembrane space to the cell surface. These processes are required for the viability of most Gram-negative organisms. The integral membrane β-barrel LptD and the lipoprotein LptE form an essential complex in the OM, which is necessary for LPS assembly. It is not known how this complex translocates large, amphipathic LPS molecules across the OM to the outer leaflet. Here, we show that LptE resides within the LptD β-barrel both in vitro and in vivo. LptD/E associate via an extensive interface; in one specific interaction, LptE contacts a predicted extracellular loop of LptD through the lumen of the β-barrel. Disrupting this interaction site compromises the biogenesis of LptD. This unprecedented two-protein plug-and-barrel architecture suggests how LptD/E can insert LPS from the periplasm directly into the outer leaflet of the OM to establish the asymmetry of the bilayer.

Effects of canal plugging on the vestibuloocular reflex and vestibular nerve discharge during passive and active head rotations.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Soroush G; Goldberg, Jay M; Minor, Lloyd B; Cullen, Kathleen E

2009-11-01

Mechanical occlusion (plugging) of the slender ducts of semicircular canals has been used in the clinic as well as in basic vestibular research. Here, we investigated the effect of canal plugging in two macaque monkeys on the horizontal vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) and the responses of vestibular-nerve afferents during passive head rotations. Afferent responses to active head movements were also studied. The horizontal VOR gain decreased after plugging to <0.1 for frequencies <2 Hz but rose to about 0.6 as frequency was increased to 15 Hz. Afferents innervating plugged horizontal canals had response sensitivities that increased with the frequency of passive rotations from <0.01 (spikes/s)/( degrees/s) at 0.5 Hz to values of about 0.2 and 0.5 (spikes/s)/( degrees/s) at 8 Hz for regular and irregular afferents, respectively (<50% of responses in controls). An increase in phase lead was also noted following plugging in afferent discharge, but not in the VOR. Because the phase discrepancy between the VOR and afferent discharge is much larger than that seen in control animals, this suggests that central adaptation shapes VOR dynamics following plugging. The effect of canal plugging on afferent responses can be modeled as an increase in stiffness and a reduction in the dominant time constant and gain in the transfer function describing canal dynamics. Responses were also evident during active head rotations, consistent with the frequency content of these movements. We conclude that canal plugging in macaques is effective only at frequencies <2 Hz. At higher frequencies, afferents show significant responses, with a nearly 90 degrees phase lead, such that they encode near-rotational acceleration. Our results demonstrate that afferents innervating plugged canals respond robustly during voluntary movements, a finding that has implications for understanding the effects of canal plugging in clinical practice.

Effects of Canal Plugging on the Vestibuloocular Reflex and Vestibular Nerve Discharge During Passive and Active Head Rotations

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Soroush G.; Goldberg, Jay M.; Minor, Lloyd B.

2009-01-01

Mechanical occlusion (plugging) of the slender ducts of semicircular canals has been used in the clinic as well as in basic vestibular research. Here, we investigated the effect of canal plugging in two macaque monkeys on the horizontal vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) and the responses of vestibular-nerve afferents during passive head rotations. Afferent responses to active head movements were also studied. The horizontal VOR gain decreased after plugging to <0.1 for frequencies <2 Hz but rose to about 0.6 as frequency was increased to 15 Hz. Afferents innervating plugged horizontal canals had response sensitivities that increased with the frequency of passive rotations from <0.01 (spikes/s)/(°/s) at 0.5 Hz to values of about 0.2 and 0.5 (spikes/s)/(°/s) at 8 Hz for regular and irregular afferents, respectively (<50% of responses in controls). An increase in phase lead was also noted following plugging in afferent discharge, but not in the VOR. Because the phase discrepancy between the VOR and afferent discharge is much larger than that seen in control animals, this suggests that central adaptation shapes VOR dynamics following plugging. The effect of canal plugging on afferent responses can be modeled as an increase in stiffness and a reduction in the dominant time constant and gain in the transfer function describing canal dynamics. Responses were also evident during active head rotations, consistent with the frequency content of these movements. We conclude that canal plugging in macaques is effective only at frequencies <2 Hz. At higher frequencies, afferents show significant responses, with a nearly 90° phase lead, such that they encode near-rotational acceleration. Our results demonstrate that afferents innervating plugged canals respond robustly during voluntary movements, a finding that has implications for understanding the effects of canal plugging in clinical practice. PMID:19726724

SAW based micro- and acousto-fluidics in biomedicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramasamy, Mouli; Varadan, Vijay K.

2017-04-01

Protein association starts with random collisions of individual proteins. Multiple collisions and rotational diffusion brings the molecules to a state of orientation. Majority of the protein associations are influenced by electrostatic interactions. To introduce: electrostatic rate enhancement, Brownian dynamics and transient complex theory has been traditionally used. Due to the recent advances in interdisciplinary sciences, an array of molecular assembly methods is being studied. Protein nanostructural assembly and macromolecular crowding are derived from the subsets of biochemistry to study protein-protein interactions and protein self-assembly. This paper tries to investigate the issue of enhancing the protein self-association rate, and bridging the gap between the simulations and experimental results. The methods proposed here include: electrostatic rate enhancement, macromolecular crowing, nanostructural protein assembly, microfluidics based approaches and magnetic force based approaches. Despite the suggestions of several methods, microfluidic and magnetic force based approaches seem to serve the need of protein assembly in a wider scale. Congruence of these approaches may also yield better results. Even though, these methods prove to be conceptually strong, to prevent the disagreement of theory and practice, a wide range of experiments is required. This proposal intends to study theoretical and experimental methods to successfully implement the aforementioned assembly strategies, and conclude with an extensive analysis of experimental data to address practical feasibility.

East Europe Report, Political, Sociological and Military Affairs

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-13

piledriver and make them effective . Currently, we have two assemblies available for constructing emergency bridges under different conditions: the...mainly "classic- type " depth charges shaped as rolls or cylinders. These were either hurled, rather than shot overboard -from plunger-shaped launchers, or...the time the Soviets had nothing effective with which to oppose this Polaris -force. The previously available antisubmarine weapons turned out to be

A Polymer Plugging Gel for the Fractured Strata and Its Application

PubMed Central

Fan, Xiangyu; Zhao, Pengfei; Zhang, Qiangui; Zhang, Ting; Zhu, Kui; Zhou, Chenghua

2018-01-01

Well leakage of fractured strata is a tricky problem while drilling. This unwieldy problem is usually caused by the poor formation of the cementing degree, the staggered-mesh of the fracture, and the low bearing capacity of the formation, which can also lead to a narrow and even unsafe window of drilling fluid density. For fractured strata, the normal plugging material has the disadvantages of unsuitable size and low strength, resulting in unsuccessful first time plugging and an increase in cost. Therefore, we developed a polymer plugging gel for the fractured strata, named XNGJ-3. XNGJ-3 is mainly made of an acrylamide monomer and is accompanied by the reactive monomers of carboxyl and hydroxyl as ingredients. XNGJ-3 has a low viscosity before gelling. At 80 °C it becomes gelled, and the gelling time was controlled within the required time of the practical application. These conditions are beneficial for making the plugging material enter the crossing fracture smoothly and occlude the fracture. XNGJ-3 also has a good deformability and can avoid being damaged during the process of fracture closure. The well leakage simulated experiment revealed that the bearing capacity of this material can reach 21 MPa and the inverse bearing capacity can reach 20 MPa. These strengths are more than twice that of common polymer plugging gels. Finally, three leaked wells in the fractured strata of the Sichuan Basin were used to verify the plugging effect of XNGJ-3. Compared with other common plugging materials, XNGJ-3 has the advantages of having a higher success rate of first time plugging, a lower economic cost, a shorter work time, and so forth, which indicate that this plugging material has a good engineering application value in dealing with well leakage of fractured strata. PMID:29883407

The diagnostic performance of leak-plugging automated segmentation versus manual tracing of breast lesions on ultrasound images.

PubMed

Xiong, Hui; Sultan, Laith R; Cary, Theodore W; Schultz, Susan M; Bouzghar, Ghizlane; Sehgal, Chandra M

2017-05-01

To assess the diagnostic performance of a leak-plugging segmentation method that we have developed for delineating breast masses on ultrasound images. Fifty-two biopsy-proven breast lesion images were analyzed by three observers using the leak-plugging and manual segmentation methods. From each segmentation method, grayscale and morphological features were extracted and classified as malignant or benign by logistic regression analysis. The performance of leak-plugging and manual segmentations was compared by: size of the lesion, overlap area ( O a ) between the margins, and area under the ROC curves ( A z ). The lesion size from leak-plugging segmentation correlated closely with that from manual tracing ( R 2 of 0.91). O a was higher for leak plugging, 0.92 ± 0.01 and 0.86 ± 0.06 for benign and malignant masses, respectively, compared to 0.80 ± 0.04 and 0.73 ± 0.02 for manual tracings. Overall O a between leak-plugging and manual segmentations was 0.79 ± 0.14 for benign and 0.73 ± 0.14 for malignant lesions. A z for leak plugging was consistently higher (0.910 ± 0.003) compared to 0.888 ± 0.012 for manual tracings. The coefficient of variation of A z between three observers was 0.29% for leak plugging compared to 1.3% for manual tracings. The diagnostic performance, size measurements, and observer variability for automated leak-plugging segmentations were either comparable to or better than those of manual tracings.

Structural insights into the light-driven auto-assembly process of the water-oxidizing Mn 4CaO 5-cluster in photosystem II

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Miao; Bommer, Martin; Chatterjee, Ruchira; ...

2017-07-18

In plants, algae and cyanobacteria, Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven splitting of water at a protein-bound Mn 4CaO 5-cluster, the water-oxidizing complex (WOC). In the photosynthetic organisms, the light-driven formation of the WOC from dissolved metal ions is a key process because it is essential in both initial activation and continuous repair of PSII. Structural information is required for understanding of this chaperone-free metal-cluster assembly. For the first time, we obtained a structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus elongatus without the Mn 4CaO 5-cluster. Surprisingly, cluster-removal leaves the positions of all coordinating amino acid residues and most nearby water moleculesmore » largely unaffected, resulting in a pre-organized ligand shell for kinetically competent and error-free photo-assembly of the Mn 4CaO 5-cluster. First experiments initiating (i) partial disassembly and (ii) partial re-assembly after complete depletion of the Mn4CaO5-cluster agree with a specific bi-manganese cluster, likely a di-µ-oxo bridged pair of Mn(III) ions, as an assembly intermediate.« less

Recent advances in large-scale assembly of semiconducting inorganic nanowires and nanofibers for electronics, sensors and photovoltaics.

PubMed

Long, Yun-Ze; Yu, Miao; Sun, Bin; Gu, Chang-Zhi; Fan, Zhiyong

2012-06-21

Semiconducting inorganic nanowires (NWs), nanotubes and nanofibers have been extensively explored in recent years as potential building blocks for nanoscale electronics, optoelectronics, chemical/biological/optical sensing, and energy harvesting, storage and conversion, etc. Besides the top-down approaches such as conventional lithography technologies, nanowires are commonly grown by the bottom-up approaches such as solution growth, template-guided synthesis, and vapor-liquid-solid process at a relatively low cost. Superior performance has been demonstrated using nanowires devices. However, most of the nanowire devices are limited to the demonstration of single devices, an initial step toward nanoelectronic circuits, not adequate for production on a large scale at low cost. Controlled and uniform assembly of nanowires with high scalability is still one of the major bottleneck challenges towards the materials and device integration for electronics. In this review, we aim to present recent progress toward nanowire device assembly technologies, including flow-assisted alignment, Langmuir-Blodgett assembly, bubble-blown technique, electric/magnetic- field-directed assembly, contact/roll printing, planar growth, bridging method, and electrospinning, etc. And their applications in high-performance, flexible electronics, sensors, photovoltaics, bioelectronic interfaces and nano-resonators are also presented.

Structural insights into the light-driven auto-assembly process of the water-oxidizing Mn4CaO5-cluster in photosystem II.

PubMed

Zhang, Miao; Bommer, Martin; Chatterjee, Ruchira; Hussein, Rana; Yano, Junko; Dau, Holger; Kern, Jan; Dobbek, Holger; Zouni, Athina

2017-07-18

In plants, algae and cyanobacteria, Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven splitting of water at a protein-bound Mn 4 CaO 5 -cluster, the water-oxidizing complex (WOC). In the photosynthetic organisms, the light-driven formation of the WOC from dissolved metal ions is a key process because it is essential in both initial activation and continuous repair of PSII. Structural information is required for understanding of this chaperone-free metal-cluster assembly. For the first time, we obtained a structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus elongatus without the Mn 4 CaO 5 -cluster. Surprisingly, cluster-removal leaves the positions of all coordinating amino acid residues and most nearby water molecules largely unaffected, resulting in a pre-organized ligand shell for kinetically competent and error-free photo-assembly of the Mn 4 CaO 5 -cluster. First experiments initiating (i) partial disassembly and (ii) partial re-assembly after complete depletion of the Mn 4 CaO 5 -cluster agree with a specific bi-manganese cluster, likely a di-µ-oxo bridged pair of Mn(III) ions, as an assembly intermediate.

Self locking drive system for rotating plug of a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Brubaker, James E.

1979-01-01

This disclosure describes a self locking drive system for rotating the plugs on the head of a nuclear reactor which is able to restrain plug motion if a seismic event should occur during reactor refueling. A servomotor is engaged via a gear train and a bull gear to the plug. Connected to the gear train is a feedback control system which allows the motor to rotate the plug to predetermined locations for refueling of the reactor. The gear train contains a self locking double enveloping worm gear set. The worm gear set is utilized for its self locking nature to prevent unwanted rotation of the plugs as the result of an earthquake. The double enveloping type is used because its unique contour spreads the load across several teeth providing added strength and allowing the use of a conventional size worm.

A Comparative Study of Cycle Variability of Laser Plug Ignition vs Classical Spark Plug Ignition in Combustion Engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Done, Bogdan

2017-10-01

Over the past 30 years numerous studies and laboratory experiments have researched the use of laser energy to ignite gas and fuel-air mixtures. The actual implementation of this laser application has still to be fully achieved in a commercial automotive application. Laser Plug Ignition as a replacement for Spark Plug Ignition in the internal combustion engines of automotive vehicles, offers several potential benefits such as extending lean burn capability, reducing the cyclic variability between combustion cycles and decreasing the total amount of ignition costs, and implicitly weight and energy requirements. The paper presents preliminary results of cycle variability study carried on a SI Engine equipped with laser Plug Ignition system. Versus classic ignition system, the use of the laser Plug Ignition system assures the reduction of the combustion process variability, reflected in the lower values of the coefficient of variability evaluated for indicated mean effective pressure, maximum pressure, maximum pressure angle and maximum pressure rise rate. The laser plug ignition system was mounted on an experimental spark ignition engine and tested at the regime of 90% load and 2800 rev/min, at dosage of λ=1.1. Compared to conventional spark plug, laser ignition assures the efficiency at lean dosage.

Friction Pull Plug Welding in Aluminum Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooke, Shane A.; Bradford, Vann; Burkholder, Jonathon

2011-01-01

NASA fs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recently invested much time and effort into the process development of Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW). FPPW, is a welding process similar to Friction Push Plug Welding in that, there is a small rotating part (plug) being spun and simultaneously pulled (forged) into a larger part. These two processes differ, in that push plug welding requires an internal reaction support, while pull plug welding reacts to the load externally. FPPW was originally conceived as a post proof repair technique for External Tank. FPPW was easily selected as the primary process used to close out the termination hole on the Constellation Program fs ARES I Upper Stage circumferential Self ] Reacting Friction Stir Welds (SR ]FSW). The versatility of FPPW allows it to also be used as a repair technique for both SR ]FSW and Conventional Friction Stir Welds. To date, all MSFC led development has been concentrated on aluminum alloys (2195, 2219, and 2014). Much work has been done to fully understand and characterize the process fs limitations. A heavy emphasis has been spent on plug design, to match the various weldland thicknesses and alloy combinations. This presentation will summarize these development efforts including weld parameter development, process control, parameter sensitivity studies, plug repair techniques, material properties including tensile, fracture and failure analysis.

Friction Pull Plug Welding in Aluminum Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooke, Shane A.; Bradford, Vann

2012-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recently invested much time and effort into the process development of Friction Pull Plug Welding (FPPW). FPPW, is a welding process similar to Friction Push Plug Welding in that, there is a small rotating part (plug) being spun and simultaneously pulled (forged) into a larger part. These two processes differ, in that push plug welding requires an internal reaction support, while pull plug welding reacts to the load externally. FPPW was originally conceived as a post proof repair technique for the Space Shuttle fs External Tank. FPPW was easily selected as the primary weld process used to close out the termination hole on the Constellation Program's ARES I Upper Stage circumferential Self-Reacting Friction Stir Welds (SR-FSW). The versatility of FPPW allows it to also be used as a repair technique for both SR-FSW and Conventional Friction Stir Welds. To date, all MSFC led development has been concentrated on aluminum alloys (2195, 2219, and 2014). Much work has been done to fully understand and characterize the process's limitations. A heavy emphasis has been spent on plug design, to match the various weldland thicknesses and alloy combinations. This presentation will summarize these development efforts including weld parameter development, process control, parameter sensitivity studies, plug repair techniques, material properties including tensile, fracture and failure analysis.

33 CFR 183.556 - Plugs and fittings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) BOATING SAFETY BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Fuel Systems Manufacturer Requirements § 183.556 Plugs and fittings. (a) A fuel system must not have a fitting for draining fuel. (b) A plug used to service the fuel...

Fast-Acting Valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wojciechowski, Bogdan V. (Inventor); Pegg, Robert J. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A fast-acting valve includes an annular valve seat that defines an annular valve orifice between the edges of the annular valve seat, an annular valve plug sized to cover the valve orifice when the valve is closed, and a valve-plug holder for moving the annular valve plug on and off the annular valve seat. The use of an annular orifice reduces the characteristic distance between the edges of the valve seat. Rather than this distance being equal to the diameter of the orifice, as it is for a conventional circular orifice, the characteristic distance equals the distance between the inner and outer radii (for a circular annulus). The reduced characteristic distance greatly reduces the gap required between the annular valve plug and the annular valve seat for the valve to be fully open, thereby greatly reducing the required stroke and corresponding speed and acceleration of the annular valve plug. The use of a valve-plug holder that is under independent control to move the annular valve plug between its open and closed positions is important for achieving controllable fast operation of the valve.

Spark Plug Defects and Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silsbee, F B; Loeb, L B; Sawyer, L G; Fonseca, E L; Dickinson, H C; Agnew, P G

1920-01-01

The successful operation of the spark plug depends to a large extent on the gas tightness of the plug. Part 1 of this report describes the method used for measuring the gas tightness of aviation spark plugs. Part 2 describes the methods used in testing the electrical conductivity of the insulation material when hot. Part 3 describes the testing of the cold dielectric strength of the insulation material, the resistance to mechanical shock, and the final engine test.

Flow plug with length-to-hole size uniformity for use in flow conditioning and flow metering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, John Dwight (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A flow plug of varying thickness has a plurality of holes formed therethrough. The plug fits in a conduit such that a fluid flow in the conduit passes through the plug's holes. Each hole is defined by a parameter indicative of size in terms of the cross-sectional area thereof. A ratio of hole length-to-parameter is approximately the same for all of the holes.

Small Intestinal Submucosa Plug for Closure of Dilated Nephrostomy Tracts: A Pilot Study in Swine

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

Kakizawa, Hideyaki; Conlin, M. J.; Pavcnik, Dusan, E-mail: pavcnikd@ohsu.edu

2010-06-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy of a plug made of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) for closure of dilated nephrostomy tract in the kidney after nephroscopy. Ten kidneys in 5 swine had nephrostomy tracts dilated up to 8 mm. The SIS plug was placed into the dilated renal cortex under nephroscopic control. Follow-up arteriograms, retrograde pyelograms, and macroscopic and histologic studies at 24 h (n = 4), 6 weeks (n = 2), and 3 months (n = 4) were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the plug. The SIS plug effectively closed the dilated nephrostomy tract. Follow-upmore » studies showed minimal changes of the kidneys, except for 1 small infarction, regarding inflammatory and foreign-body reactions and progressive scarring of the SIS. SIS plug is effective for occlusion of dilated nephrostomy tract after nephroscopy. Its efficacy should be compared with other therapeutic options.« less

Pulse-actuated fuel-injection spark plug

DOEpatents

Murray, Ian; Tatro, Clement A.

1978-01-01

A replacement spark plug for reciprocating internal combustion engines that functions as a fuel injector and as a spark plug to provide a "stratified-charge" effect. The conventional carburetor is retained to supply the main fuel-air mixture which may be very lean because of the stratified charge. The replacement plug includes a cylindrical piezoelectric ceramic which contracts to act as a pump whenever an ignition pulse is applied to a central rod through the ceramic. The rod is hollow at its upper end for receiving fuel, it is tapered along its lower length to act as a pump, and it is flattened at its lower end to act as a valve for fuel injection from the pump into the cylinder. The rod also acts as the center electrode of the plug, with the spark jumping from the plug base to the lower end of the rod to thereby provide spark ignition that has inherent proper timing with the fuel injection.

Eddy Current Minimizing Flow Plug for Use in Flow Conditioning and Flow Metering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, John Dwight (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

An eddy-current-minimizing flow plug has an outer radial wall with open flow channels formed between the plug's inlet and outlet. The plug has a central region coupled to the inner surface of the outer radial wall. Each open flow channel includes (i) a first portion originating at the inlet and converging to a location in the plug where convergence is contributed to by changes in thickness of the outer radial wall and divergence of the central region, and (ii) a second portion originating in the plug and diverging to the outlet where divergence is contributed to by changes in thickness of the outer radial wall and convergence of the central region. For at least a portion of the open flow channels, a central axis passing through the first and second portions is non-parallel with respect to the given direction of the flow.

DNA-assisted assembly of carbon nanotubes and MnO2 nanospheres as electrodes for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

PubMed

Guo, Chun Xian; Chitre, Amey Anil; Lu, Xianmao

2014-03-14

A DNA-assisted assembly approach is developed to fabricate a capacitor-type electrode material, DNA-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs@DNA), and a battery-type electrode material, DNA@CNTs-bridged MnO2 spheres (CNTs@DNA-MnO2), for asymmetric supercapacitors. An energy density of 11.6 W h kg(-1) is achieved at a power density of 185.5 W kg(-1) with a high MnO2 mass loading of 4.2 mg cm(-2). It is found that DNA assembly plays a critical role in the enhanced supercapacitor performance. This is because while DNA molecules functionalize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via π-π stacking, their hydrophilic sugar-phosphate backbones also promote the dispersion of CNTs. The resultant CNTs@DNA chains can link multiple MnO2 spheres to form a networked architecture that facilitates charge transfer and effective MnO2 utilization. The improved performance of the asymmetric supercapacitors indicates that DNA-assisted assembly offers a promising approach to the fabrication of high-performance energy storage devices.

Periodically microstructured composite films made by electric- and magnetic-directed colloidal assembly

PubMed Central

Demirörs, Ahmet Faik; Courty, Diana; Libanori, Rafael; Studart, André R.

2016-01-01

Living organisms often combine soft and hard anisotropic building blocks to fabricate composite materials with complex microstructures and outstanding mechanical properties. An optimum design and assembly of the anisotropic components reinforces the material in specific directions and sites to best accommodate multidirectional external loads. Here, we fabricate composite films with periodic modulation of the soft–hard microstructure by simultaneously using electric and magnetic fields. We exploit forefront directed-assembly approaches to realize highly demanded material microstructural designs and showcase a unique example of how one can bridge colloidal sciences and composite technology to fabricate next-generation advanced structural materials. In the proof-of-concept experiments, electric fields are used to dictate the position of the anisotropic particles through dielectrophoresis, whereas a rotating magnetic field is used to control the orientation of the particles. By using such unprecedented control over the colloidal assembly process, we managed to fabricate ordered composite microstructures with up to 2.3-fold enhancement in wear resistance and unusual site-specific hardness that can be locally modulated by a factor of up to 2.5. PMID:27071113

An observational cohort study on persistency of internal teat sealant residues in milk after calving in dairy cows.

PubMed

Kabera, Fidèle; Dufour, Simon; Keefe, Greg; Roy, Jean-Philippe

2018-04-04

Our objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of quarters with an observable internal teat sealant (ITS) plug at first milking following calving and investigate persistency of ITS residues in milk after calving. An observational cohort study was carried out on 557 quarters of 156 cows treated with ITS in 6 farms in Quebec, Canada. The presence of an ITS plug at first milking and ITS residues in milk at each milking were observed by producers. The effects of various factors on the odds of observing an ITS plug and persistency of ITS residues in milk were studied using generalized logistic mixed and generalized negative binomial mixed models, respectively. Milk samples were taken on the day before dry-off and on 2 occasions after calving for bacterial identification to detect intramammary infection (IMI) using bacteriological culture followed by MALDI-TOF identification. The association between the absence of an ITS plug and the presence of new IMI was assessed using a mixed logistic regression model. Internal teat sealant plugs after calving were more often observed in rear quarters and in quarters receiving ITS alone at drying-off versus antimicrobial and ITS. We observed an average (standard deviation) persistency of 4.0 d (2.3 d). When an ITS plug was still present at first milking (83% of quarters), the elimination of ITS residues in milk after calving was significantly longer (4.5 d, on average) compared with 1.2 d when an ITS plug was absent. In cows with an ITS plug at calving, we observed a higher number of days of excretion in older cows. When a plug could not be observed, rear quarters, older cows, and cows with a long dry period duration excreted ITS residues for a significantly longer period. The lack of a significant association between the absence of a plug and the odds of new IMI at calving suggests that despite the loss of the plug, cows were still protected against new IMI. Although we were able to highlight some statistically significant risk factors explaining persistency of ITS residues following calving, observed differences were often relatively small and, perhaps, not clinically relevant. In conclusion, an ITS plug was present until first milking after calving for 83% quarters, quarters without an ITS plug at first milking appeared to have been protected from new IMI, and ITS residues could be observed in milk up to 12 d in milk. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-assembly of organic monolayers as protective and conductive bridges for nanometric surface-mount applications.

PubMed

Platzman, Ilia; Haick, Hossam; Tannenbaum, Rina

2010-09-01

In this work, we present a novel surface-mount placement process that could potentially overcome the inadequacies of the currently used stencil-printing technology, when applied to devices in which either their lateral and/or their horizontal dimensions approach the nanometric scale. Our novel process is based on the "bottom-up" design of an adhesive layer, operative in the molecular/nanoscale level, through the use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that could form protective and conductive bridges between pads and components. On the basis of previous results, 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide (PDI) and terephthalic acid (TPA) were chosen to serve as the best candidates for the achievement of this goal. The quality and stability of these SAMs on annealed Cu surfaces (Rrms=0.15-1.1 nm) were examined in detail. Measurements showed that the SAMs of TPA and PDI molecules formed on top of Cu substrates created thermally stable organic monolayers with high surface coverage (∼90%), in which the molecules were closely packed and well-ordered. Moreover, the molecules assumed a standing-up phase conformation, in which the molecules bonded to the Cu substrate through one terminal functional group, with the other terminal group residing away from the substrate. To examine the ability of these monolayers to serve as "molecular wires," i.e., the capability to provide electrical conductivity, we developed a novel fabrication method of a parallel plate junction (PPJ) in order to create symmetric Cu-SAM-Cu electrical junctions. The current-bias measurements of these junctions indicated high tunneling efficiency. These achievements imply that the SAMs used in this study can serve as conductive molecular bridges that can potentially bind circuital pads/components.

Experimental investigation of shock-cell noise reduction for dual-stream nozzles in simulated flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janardan, B. A.; Yamamoto, K.; Majjigi, R. K.; Brausch, J. F.

1984-01-01

Six scale-model nozzles were tested in an anechoic facility to evauate the effectiveness of convergent-divergent (C-D) terminations in reducing shock-cell noise of unsuppressed and mechanically suppressed coannular plug nozzles. One hundred fifty-three acoustic test points with inverted velocity profiles were conducted under static and simulated flight conditions. Diagnostic flow visualization with a shadowgraph and velocity measurements with a laser velocimeter were performed on selected plumes. Shock-cells were identified on the plug and downstream of the plug of the unsuppressed convergent coannular nozzle with truncated plug. Broadband peak frequencies predicted with the two shock-cell structures were correlated with the observed spectra using the measured shock-cell spacings. Relative to a convergent circular nozzle, the perceived noise level (PNL) data at an observer angle of 60 deg relative to inlet, indicated a reduction of (1) 6.5 dB and 9.2 dB with unsuppressed C-D coannular nozzle with truncated plug and (2) 7.7 dB and 8.3 dB with suppressed C-D coannular nozzle under static and simulated flight conditions, espectively. The unsuppressed C-D coannular nozzle with truncated plug, operating at the C-D design condition, had shock-cells downstream of the plug with no shock-cells on the plug. The downstream shock-cells were eliminated by replacing the truncated plug with a smooth extension to obtain an additional 2.4 dB and 3 dB front quadrant PNL reduction, under static and simulated flight conditions, respectively. Other results are discussed.

Dual Spark Plugs For Stratified-Charge Rotary Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abraham, John; Bracco, Frediano V.

1996-01-01

Fuel efficiency of stratified-charge, rotary, internal-combustion engine increased by improved design featuring dual spark plugs. Second spark plug ignites fuel on upstream side of main fuel injector; enabling faster burning and more nearly complete utilization of fuel.

Next-Generation MKIII Lightweight HUT/Hatch Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCarthy, Mike; Toscano, Ralph

2013-01-01

The MK III (H-1) carbon-graphite/ epoxy Hard Upper Torso (HUT)/Hatch assembly was designed, fabricated, and tested in the early 1990s. The spacesuit represented an 8.3 psi (˜58 kPa) technology demonstrator model of a zero prebreathe suit. The basic torso shell, brief, and hip areas of the suit were composed of a carbon-graphite/epoxy composite lay-up. In its current configuration, the suit weighs approximately 120 lb (˜54 kg). However, since future planetary suits will be designed to operate at 0.26 bar (˜26 kPa), it was felt that the suit's re-designed weight could be reduced to 79 lb (˜35 kg) with the incorporation of lightweight structural materials. Many robust, lightweight structures based on the technologies of advanced honeycomb materials, revolutionary new composite laminates, metal matrix composites, and recent breakthroughs in fullerene fillers and nanotechnology lend themselves well to applications requiring materials that are both light and strong. The major problem involves the reduction in weight of the HUT/ Hatch assembly for use in lunar and/or planetary applications, while at the same time maintaining a robust structural design. The technical objective is to research, design, and develop manufacturing methods that support fa b rica - tion of a lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly using advanced material and geometric redesign as necessary. Additionally, the lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly will interface directly with current MK III hardware. Using the new operating pressure and current MK III (H-1) interfaces as a starting block, it is planned to maximize HUT/Hatch assembly weight reduction through material selection and geometric redesign. A hard upper torso shell structure with rear-entry closure and corresponding hatch will be fabricated. The lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly will retrofit and interface with existing MK III (H-1) hardware elements, providing NASA with immediate "plug-andplay" capability. NASA crewmembers will have a lightweight, robust, life-support system that will minimize fatigue during extraterrestrial surface sojourns. Its unique feature is the utilization of a new and innovative family of materials used by the aerospace industry, which at the time of this reporting has not been used for the proposed application.

Bellows sealed plug valve

DOEpatents

Dukas, Jr., Stephen J.

1990-01-01

A bellows sealed plug valve includes a valve body having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a valve chamber between the inlet and outlet passages. A valve plug has substantially the same shape as the valve chamber and is rotatably disposed therein. A shaft is movable linearly in response to a signal from a valve actuator. A bellows is sealingly disposed between the valve chamber and the valve actuator and means are located between the bellows and the valve plug for converting linear movement of the shaft connected to the valve actuator to rotational movement of the plug. Various means are disclosed including helical thread mechanism, clevis mechanism and rack and pinion mechanism, all for converting linear motion to rotational motion.

Friction plug welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takeshita, Riki (Inventor); Hibbard, Terry L. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

Friction plug welding (FPW) usage is advantageous for friction stir welding (FSW) hole close-outs and weld repairs in 2195 Al--Cu--Li fusion or friction stir welds. Current fusion welding methods of Al--Cu--Li have produced welds containing varied defects. These areas are found by non-destructive examination both after welding and after proof testing. Current techniques for repairing typically small (<0.25) defects weaken the weldment, rely heavily on welders' skill, and are costly. Friction plug welding repairs increase strength, ductility and resistance to cracking over initial weld quality, without requiring much time or operator skill. Friction plug welding while pulling the plug is advantageous because all hardware for performing the weld can be placed on one side of the workpiece.

Strategies for optimizing BioNano and Dovetail explored through a second reference quality assembly for the legume model, Medicago truncatula.

PubMed

Moll, Karen M; Zhou, Peng; Ramaraj, Thiruvarangan; Fajardo, Diego; Devitt, Nicholas P; Sadowsky, Michael J; Stupar, Robert M; Tiffin, Peter; Miller, Jason R; Young, Nevin D; Silverstein, Kevin A T; Mudge, Joann

2017-08-04

Third generation sequencing technologies, with sequencing reads in the tens- of kilo-bases, facilitate genome assembly by spanning ambiguous regions and improving continuity. This has been critical for plant genomes, which are difficult to assemble due to high repeat content, gene family expansions, segmental and tandem duplications, and polyploidy. Recently, high-throughput mapping and scaffolding strategies have further improved continuity. Together, these long-range technologies enable quality draft assemblies of complex genomes in a cost-effective and timely manner. Here, we present high quality genome assemblies of the model legume plant, Medicago truncatula (R108) using PacBio, Dovetail Chicago (hereafter, Dovetail) and BioNano technologies. To test these technologies for plant genome assembly, we generated five assemblies using all possible combinations and ordering of these three technologies in the R108 assembly. While the BioNano and Dovetail joins overlapped, they also showed complementary gains in continuity and join numbers. Both technologies spanned repetitive regions that PacBio alone was unable to bridge. Combining technologies, particularly Dovetail followed by BioNano, resulted in notable improvements compared to Dovetail or BioNano alone. A combination of PacBio, Dovetail, and BioNano was used to generate a high quality draft assembly of R108, a M. truncatula accession widely used in studies of functional genomics. As a test for the usefulness of the resulting genome sequence, the new R108 assembly was used to pinpoint breakpoints and characterize flanking sequence of a previously identified translocation between chromosomes 4 and 8, identifying more than 22.7 Mb of novel sequence not present in the earlier A17 reference assembly. Adding Dovetail followed by BioNano data yielded complementary improvements in continuity over the original PacBio assembly. This strategy proved efficient and cost-effective for developing a quality draft assembly compared to traditional reference assemblies.

Exhaust Nozzles for Supersonic Flight with Turbojet Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shillito, Thomas B.; Hearth, Donald P.; Cortright, Edgar M.

1956-01-01

Good internal performance over a wide range of flight conditions can be obtained with either a plug nozzle or a variable ejector nozzle that can provide a divergent shroud at high pressure ratios. For both the ejector and the plug nozzle, external flow can sometimes cause serious drag losses and, for some plug-nozzle installations, external flow can cause serious internal performance losses. Plug-nozzle cooling and design of the secondary-air-flow systems for ejectors were also considered .

Acidic and basic solutions dissolve protein plugs made of lithostathine complicating choledochal cyst/pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

PubMed

Kaneko, Kenitiro; Ono, Yasuyuki; Tainaka, Takahisa; Sumida, Wataru; Ando, Hisami

2009-07-01

Symptoms of choledochal cysts are caused by protein plugs made of lithostathine, which block the long common channel and increase pancreaticobiliary ductal pressure. Agents that dissolve protein plugs can provide relief from or prevent symptoms. In the present study, drugs reportedly effective for pancreatic and biliary stones were used in dissolution tests. Protein plugs were obtained from choledochal cysts during surgery in two children (5- and 6-year-old girls). Plugs approximately 2 mm in diameter were immersed in citric acid, tartaric acid, dimethadione, bromhexine, dehydrocholic acid, sodium citrate, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide solutions under observation with a digital microscope. The pH of each solution was measured using a pH meter. Plugs dissolved in citric acid (5.2 mM; pH 2.64), tartaric acid (6.7 mM; pH 2.51), dimethadione (75 mM; pH 3.70), hydrochloric acid (0.5 mM; pH 3.13), and sodium hydroxide (75 mM; pH 12.75) solutions. Plugs did not dissolve in dimethadione (7.5 mM; pH 4.31), bromhexine (0.1%; pH 4.68), dehydrocholic acid (5%; pH 7.45), and sodium citrate (75 mM; pH 7.23) solutions. Protein plugs in choledochal cysts are dissolved in acidic and basic solutions, which may eliminate longitudinal electrostatic interactions of the lithostathine protofibrils.

NASA SLS Booster Nozzle Plug Pieces Fly During Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-28

On June 28, a test version of the booster that will help power NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System, fired up at nearly 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit for a successful, two-minute qualification test at Orbital ATK's test facilities in Promontory, Utah. This video shows the booster's nozzle plug intentionally breaking apart. The smoky ring coming off the booster is condensed water vapor created by a pressure difference between the motor gas and normal air. The nozzle plug is an environmental barrier to prevent heat, dust and moisture from getting inside the booster before it ignites. The plug isn't always part of a static test but was included on this one due to changes made to the hardware. The foam on the plug is denser than previous NASA launch vehicles, as the engines are now in the same plane as the boosters. A numbered grid was placed on the exterior of the plug before the test so the pieces retrieved could support plug breakup assessment and reconstruction. Along with video, collecting the pieces helps determine the size and speed of them when they break apart. Nozzle plug pieces were found as far as 1,500 to 2,000 feet away from the booster. This is the last full-scale qualification test for the booster before the first, uncrewed flight of SLS with the Orion spacecraft in 2018.

Gastric varices and hepatic encephalopathy: treatment with vascular plug and gelatin sponge-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration--a primary report.

PubMed

Gwon, Dong Il; Ko, Gi-Young; Yoon, Hyun-Ki; Sung, Kyu-Bo; Kim, Jin Hyoung; Shin, Ji Hoon; Ko, Heung Kyu; Song, Ho-Young

2013-07-01

To evaluate technical safety, clinical safety, and effectiveness of vascular plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration (RTO) for treatment of gastric varices (GV) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board; written informed consent was waived. From April 2009 to December 2011, 20 patients (13, GV; seven, HE) who had undergone vascular plug-assisted RTO were retrospectively evaluated. After retrograde transvenous placement of a vascular plug in the left adrenal vein or gastrorenal shunt, subsequent gelatin-sponge embolization of both gastrorenal shunt and GV was performed. Follow-up computed tomography (CT) and upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy were performed; clinical and laboratory data were collected to evaluate primary (technical success, complications, clinical success) and secondary (change of liver function by using the Child-Pugh score, worsening of esophageal varices) end points. Laboratory data before and after vascular plug-assisted RTO were compared (paired-sample t test). Placement of the vascular plug and subsequent gelatin-sponge embolization were technically successful in all 20 patients, with no procedure-related complications. Follow-up CT within 1 week after vascular plug-assisted RTO showed complete thrombosis of GV and gastrorenal shunts in all patients. Clinical symptoms of HE completely resolved in all seven patients with HE; mean serum NH3 level of 127.4 μmol/L ± 58 (standard deviation) before vascular plug-assisted RTO decreased significantly to 28.1 μmol/L ± 9.8 within 1 week after vascular plug-assisted RTO (P = .002). Eighteen patients who underwent follow-up longer than 2 months showed complete obliteration of GV and gastrorenal shunts at CT and endoscopy. There were no cases of variceal bleeding or HE during mean follow-up of 422 days. Improvement in Child-Pugh score was observed in 12 of 18 (67%) patients 1 month after vascular plug-assisted RTO. Worsening of esophageal varices was observed in four (22%) patients at mean follow-up of 9.4 months. Vascular plug-assisted RTO is technically simple and safe and seems to be clinically effective for treatment of GV and HE.

Parallel Eclipse Project Checkout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crockett, Thomas M.; Joswig, Joseph C.; Shams, Khawaja S.; Powell, Mark W.; Bachmann, Andrew G.

2011-01-01

Parallel Eclipse Project Checkout (PEPC) is a program written to leverage parallelism and to automate the checkout process of plug-ins created in Eclipse RCP (Rich Client Platform). Eclipse plug-ins can be aggregated in a feature project. This innovation digests a feature description (xml file) and automatically checks out all of the plug-ins listed in the feature. This resolves the issue of manually checking out each plug-in required to work on the project. To minimize the amount of time necessary to checkout the plug-ins, this program makes the plug-in checkouts parallel. After parsing the feature, a request to checkout for each plug-in in the feature has been inserted. These requests are handled by a thread pool with a configurable number of threads. By checking out the plug-ins in parallel, the checkout process is streamlined before getting started on the project. For instance, projects that took 30 minutes to checkout now take less than 5 minutes. The effect is especially clear on a Mac, which has a network monitor displaying the bandwidth use. When running the client from a developer s home, the checkout process now saturates the bandwidth in order to get all the plug-ins checked out as fast as possible. For comparison, a checkout process that ranged from 8-200 Kbps from a developer s home is now able to saturate a pipe of 1.3 Mbps, resulting in significantly faster checkouts. Eclipse IDE (integrated development environment) tries to build a project as soon as it is downloaded. As part of another optimization, this innovation programmatically tells Eclipse to stop building while checkouts are happening, which dramatically reduces lock contention and enables plug-ins to continue downloading until all of them finish. Furthermore, the software re-enables automatic building, and forces Eclipse to do a clean build once it finishes checking out all of the plug-ins. This software is fully generic and does not contain any NASA-specific code. It can be applied to any Eclipse-based repository with a similar structure. It also can apply build parameters and preferences automatically at the end of the checkout.

Selective oxoanion separation using a tripodal ligand

DOEpatents

Custelcean, Radu; Moyer, Bruce A.; Rajbanshi, Arbin

2016-02-16

The present invention relates to urea-functionalized crystalline capsules self-assembled by sodium or potassium cation coordination and by hydrogen-bonding water bridges to selectively encapsulate tetrahedral divalent oxoanions from highly competitive aqueous alkaline solutions and methods using this system for selective anion separations from industrial solutions. The method involves competitive crystallizations using a tripodal tris(urea) functionalized ligand and, in particular, provides a viable approach to sulfate separation from nuclear wastes.

RMS active damping augmentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilbert, Michael G.; Scott, Michael A.; Demeo, Martha E.

1992-01-01

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include: RMS active damping augmentation; potential space station assembly benefits to CSI; LaRC/JSC bridge program; control law design process; draper RMS simulator; MIMO acceleration control laws improve damping; potential load reduction benefit; DRS modified to model distributed accelerations; accelerometer location; Space Shuttle aft cockpit simulator; simulated shuttle video displays; SES test goals and objectives; and SES modifications to support RMS active damping augmentation.

Structural plasticity of 4-α-helical bundles exemplified by the puzzle-like molecular assembly of the Rop protein

PubMed Central

Amprazi, Maria; Kotsifaki, Dina; Providaki, Mary; Kapetaniou, Evangelia G.; Fellas, Georgios; Kyriazidis, Ioannis; Pérez, Javier; Kokkinidis, Michael

2014-01-01

The dimeric Repressor of Primer (Rop) protein, a widely used model system for the study of coiled-coil 4-α-helical bundles, is characterized by a remarkable structural plasticity. Loop region mutations lead to a wide range of topologies, folding states, and altered physicochemical properties. A protein-folding study of Rop and several loop variants has identified specific residues and sequences that are linked to the observed structural plasticity. Apart from the native state, native-like and molten-globule states have been identified; these states are sensitive to reducing agents due to the formation of nonnative disulfide bridges. Pro residues in the loop are critical for the establishment of new topologies and molten globule states; their effects, however, can be in part compensated by Gly residues. The extreme plasticity in the assembly of 4-α-helical bundles reflects the capacity of the Rop sequence to combine a specific set of hydrophobic residues into strikingly different hydrophobic cores. These cores include highly hydrated ones that are consistent with the formation of interchain, nonnative disulfide bridges and the establishment of molten globules. Potential applications of this structural plasticity are among others in the engineering of bio-inspired materials. PMID:25024213

Modular Cooling Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eastman, G. Yale; Dussinger, Peter M.; Hartenstine, John R.

1994-01-01

Three modular heat-transfer components designed for use together or separately. Simple mechanical connections facilitate assembly of these and related heat-transfer components into cooling systems of various configurations, such as to cool laboratory equipment rearranged for different experiments. Components are clamp-on cold plate, cold plate attached to flexible heat pipe, and thermal-bus receptacle. Clamp-on cold plate moved to any convenient location for attachment of equipment cooled by it, then clamped onto thermal bus. Heat from equipment conducted through plate and into coolant. Thermal-bus receptacle integral with thermal bus. Includes part of thermal bus to which clamp-on cold plate attached, plus tapered socket into which condenser end of flexible heat pipe plugged. Thermal-bus receptacle includes heat-pipe wick structure using coolant in bus to enhance transfer of heat from cold plate.

Mating Plugs in Polyandrous Giants: Which Sex Produces Them, When, How and Why?

PubMed Central

Kuntner, Matjaž; Kralj-Fišer, Simona; Li, Daiqin

2012-01-01

Background Males usually produce mating plugs to reduce sperm competition. However, females can conceivably also produce mating plugs in order to prevent unwanted, superfluous and energetically costly matings. In spiders–appropriate models for testing plugging biology hypotheses–mating plugs may consist of male genital parts and/or of amorphous covers consisting of glandular or sperm secretions. In the giant wood spider Nephila pilipes, a highly sexually dimorphic and polygamous species, males are known to produce ineffective embolic plugs through genital damage, but nothing is known about the origin and function of additional conspicuous amorphous plugs (AP) covering female genitals. Methodology We tested alternative hypotheses of the nature and function of AP in N. pilipes by staging mating trials with varying degrees of polyandry. No APs were ever formed during mating trials, which rules out the possibility of male AP formation. Instead, those females that oviposited produced the AP from a liquid secreted during egg sac formation. Polyandrous females were more likely to lay eggs and to produce the AP, as were those that mated longer and with more total insertions. Our further tests revealed that, in spite of being a side product of egg sac production, AP, when hardened, prevented any subsequent copulation. Conclusions We conclude that in the giant wood spider (Nephila pilipes), the amorphous mating plugs are not produced by the males, that repeated copulations (most likely polyandrous) are necessary for egg fertilization and AP formation, and that the AP represents a female adaptation to sexual conflict through prevention of unwanted, excessive copulations. Considering the largely unknown origin of amorphous plugs in spiders, we predict that a similar pattern might be detected in other clades, which would help elucidate the evolutionary interplay of various selection pressures responsible for the origin and maintenance of mating plugs. PMID:22829900

The cervical mucus plug inhibits, but does not block, the passage of ascending bacteria from the vagina during pregnancy.

PubMed

Hansen, Lea K; Becher, Naja; Bastholm, Sara; Glavind, Julie; Ramsing, Mette; Kim, Chong J; Romero, Roberto; Jensen, Jørgen S; Uldbjerg, Niels

2014-01-01

To evaluate the microbial load and the inflammatory response in the distal and proximal parts of the cervical mucus plug. Experimental research. Twenty women with a normal, singleton pregnancy. Vaginal swabs and specimens from the distal and proximal parts of the cervical mucus plug. Immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histology. The total bacterial load (16S rDNA) was significantly lower in the cervical mucus plug compared with the vagina (p = 0.001). Among women harboring Ureaplasma parvum, the median genome equivalents/g were 1574 (interquartile range 2526) in the proximal part, 657 (interquartile range 1620) in the distal part and 60,240 (interquartile range 96,386) in the vagina. Histological examinations and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed considerable amounts of lactobacilli and inflammatory cells in both parts of the cervical mucus plug. The matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentration was decreased in the proximal part of the plug compared with the distal part (p = 0.08). The cervical mucus plug inhibits, but does not block, the passage of Ureaplasma parvum during its ascending route from the vagina through the cervical canal. © 2013 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Microscopic Evaluation of Friction Plug Welds- Correlation to a Processing Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rabenberg, Ellen M.; Chen, Poshou; Gorti, Sridhar

2017-01-01

Recently an analysis of dynamic forge load data from the friction plug weld (FPW) process and the corresponding tensile test results showed that good plug welds fit well within an analytically determined processing parameter box. There were, however, some outliers that compromised the predictions. Here the microstructure of the plug weld material is presented in view of the load analysis with the intent of further understanding the FPW process and how it is affected by the grain structure and subsequent mechanical properties.

Tor forms a dimer through an N-terminal helical solenoid with a complex topology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baretić, Domagoj; Berndt, Alex; Ohashi, Yohei; Johnson, Christopher M.; Williams, Roger L.

2016-04-01

The target of rapamycin (Tor) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that regulates a range of anabolic and catabolic processes. Tor is present in two complexes, TORC1 and TORC2, in which the Tor-Lst8 heterodimer forms a common sub-complex. We have determined the cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structure of Tor bound to Lst8. Two Tor-Lst8 heterodimers assemble further into a dyad-symmetry dimer mediated by Tor-Tor interactions. The first 1,300 residues of Tor form a HEAT repeat-containing α-solenoid with four distinct segments: a highly curved 800-residue N-terminal 'spiral', followed by a 400-residue low-curvature 'bridge' and an extended `railing' running along the bridge leading to the 'cap' that links to FAT region. This complex topology was verified by domain insertions and offers a new interpretation of the mTORC1 structure. The spiral of one TOR interacts with the bridge of another, which together form a joint platform for the Regulatory Associated Protein of TOR (RAPTOR) regulatory subunit.

Moisture Durability with Vapor-Permeable Insulating Sheathing

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

Lepage, R.; Lstiburek, J.

2013-09-01

Exterior sheathing insulation is an effective strategy in increasing the overall R-value of wall assemblies; other benefits include decreasing the effects of thermal bridging and increasing the moisture durability of the built assembly. Vapor-permeable exterior insulation, such as mineral board or expanded polystyrene foam, are one such product that may be used to achieve these benefits. However,uncertainty exists on the effects of inward driven moisture and the interaction of increased sheathing temperatures on the moisture durability of the edifice. To address these concerns, Building Science Corporation (BSC) conducted a series of hygrothermal models for cities representing a range of differentmore » climate zones. This report describes the research project, key research questions, and theprocedures utilized to analyse the problems.« less

Moisture Durability with Vapor-Permeable Insulating Sheathing

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

Lepage, R.; Lstiburek, J.

2013-09-01

Exterior sheathing insulation is an effective strategy in increasing the overall R-value of wall assemblies; other benefits include decreasing the effects of thermal bridging and increasing the moisture durability of the built assembly. Vapor-permeable exterior insulation, such as mineral board or expanded polystyrene foam, are one such product that may be used to achieve these benefits. However, uncertainty exists on the effects of inward driven moisture and the interaction of increased sheathing temperatures on the moisture durability of the edifice. To address these concerns, Building Science Corporation (BSC) conducted a series of hygrothermal models for cities representing a range ofmore » different climate zones. This report describes the research project, key research questions, and the procedures utilized to analyse the problems.« less

Curcumin-incorporated albumin nanoparticles and its tumor image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Guangming; Pan, Qinqin; Wang, Kaikai; Wu, Rongchun; Sun, Yong; Lu, Ying

2015-01-01

Albumin is an ideal carrier for hydrophobic drugs. This paper reports a facile route to develop human serum albumin (HSA)-curcumin (CCM) nanoparticles, in which β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) acted as an inducer and CCM acted as a bridge. Fluorescence quenching and conformational changes in HSA-CCM nanoparticles occurred during assembly. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions may play a key role in assembly. HSA-CCM nanoparticles were about 130 nm in size, and the solubility of CCM increased by more than 500 times. The HSA-CCM nanoparticles could accumulate at the cytoplasm of tumor cells and target the tumor tissues. Therefore, HSA nanoparticles fabricated by β-ME denaturation are promising nanocarriers for hydrophobic substances from chemotherapy drugs to imaging probes.

Curcumin-incorporated albumin nanoparticles and its tumor image.

PubMed

Gong, Guangming; Pan, Qinqin; Wang, Kaikai; Wu, Rongchun; Sun, Yong; Lu, Ying

2015-01-30

Albumin is an ideal carrier for hydrophobic drugs. This paper reports a facile route to develop human serum albumin (HSA)-curcumin (CCM) nanoparticles, in which β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) acted as an inducer and CCM acted as a bridge. Fluorescence quenching and conformational changes in HSA-CCM nanoparticles occurred during assembly. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions may play a key role in assembly. HSA-CCM nanoparticles were about 130 nm in size, and the solubility of CCM increased by more than 500 times. The HSA-CCM nanoparticles could accumulate at the cytoplasm of tumor cells and target the tumor tissues. Therefore, HSA nanoparticles fabricated by β-ME denaturation are promising nanocarriers for hydrophobic substances from chemotherapy drugs to imaging probes.

Analysis on the hot spot and trend of the foreign assembly building research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Xiaoqing; Luo, Yanbing

2017-03-01

First of all, the paper analyzes the research on the front of the assembly building in the past 15 years. This article mainly adopts the method of CO word analysis, construct the co word matrix, correlation matrix, and then into a dissimilarity matrix, and on this basis, using factor analysis, cluster analysis and multi scale analysis method to study the structure of prefabricated construction field display. Finally, the results of the analysis are discussed, and summarized the current research focus of foreign prefabricated construction mainly concentrated in 7 aspects: embankment construction, wood construction, bridge construction, crane layout, PCM wall and glass system, based on neural network test, energy saving and recycling, and forecast the future trend of development study.

Assembly of the eastern North American herpetofauna: new evidence from lizards and frogs

PubMed Central

Robert Macey, J; Schulte, James A; Strasburg, Jared L; Brisson, Jennifer A; Larson, Allan; Ananjeva, Natalia B; Wang, Yuezhao; Parham, James F; Papenfuss, Theodore J

2006-01-01

Darwin first recognized the importance of episodic intercontinental dispersal in the establishment of worldwide biotic diversity. Faunal exchange across the Bering Land Bridge is a major example of such dispersal. Here, we demonstrate with mitochondrial DNA evidence that three independent dispersal events from Asia to North America are the source for almost all lizard taxa found in continental eastern North America. Two other dispersal events across Beringia account for observed diversity among North American ranid frogs, one of the most species-rich groups of frogs in eastern North America. The contribution of faunal elements from Asia via dispersal across Beringia is a dominant theme in the historical assembly of the eastern North American herpetofauna. PMID:17148411

bold: The Barcode of Life Data System (http://www.barcodinglife.org)

PubMed Central

RATNASINGHAM, SUJEEVAN; HEBERT, PAUL D N

2007-01-01

The Barcode of Life Data System (bold) is an informatics workbench aiding the acquisition, storage, analysis and publication of DNA barcode records. By assembling molecular, morphological and distributional data, it bridges a traditional bioinformatics chasm. bold is freely available to any researcher with interests in DNA barcoding. By providing specialized services, it aids the assembly of records that meet the standards needed to gain BARCODE designation in the global sequence databases. Because of its web-based delivery and flexible data security model, it is also well positioned to support projects that involve broad research alliances. This paper provides a brief introduction to the key elements of bold, discusses their functional capabilities, and concludes by examining computational resources and future prospects. PMID:18784790

Local plantar pressure relief in therapeutic footwear: design guidelines from finite element models.

PubMed

Erdemir, Ahmet; Saucerman, Jeffrey J; Lemmon, David; Loppnow, Bryan; Turso, Brie; Ulbrecht, Jan S; Cavanagh, Peter Re

2005-09-01

A major goal of therapeutic footwear in patients with pain or those at risk for skin injury is to relieve focal loading under prominent metatarsal heads. One frequent approach is to place plugs of compliant material into the midsole of the shoe. This study investigated 36 plug designs, a combination of three materials, six geometries, and two placements using a two-dimensional (2D) finite element model. Realistic loading conditions were obtained from plantar pressures (PP) recorded during walking in five subjects who wore control midsoles manufactured using Microcell Puff. Measured peak pressures underneath the second metatarsal head were similar to the results of the control model. PP obtained from simulations with the plugs built into a firm midsole were compared to the simulation results of the control midsole. Large plugs (e.g. 40 mm width), made out of Microcell Puff Lite or Plastazote Medium, placed at peak pressure sites, resulted in highest reductions in peak pressures (18-28%). Smaller plugs benefited from tapering when placed at high pressure areas. Case studies were completed on a healthy male subject and a diabetic female patient to address the efficacy of a plug design favored by our simulations (pressure based placement, 40 x 20 mm, Plastazote Medium). Successful reductions of second metatarsal head pressures were observed with a mediolateral load redistribution that was not represented by our model. 2D computer simulations allowed systematic investigation of plug properties without the need for high volume experimentation on human subjects and established basic guidelines for plug selection. In particular, plugs that are placed based on plantar pressure measurements were proven to be more effective when compared to those positioned according to the projection of the bony landmark on the foot-shoe plantar contact area.

Coil-On-Plug Ignition for Oxygen/Methane Liquid Rocket Engines in Thermal-Vacuum Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melcher, John C.; Atwell, Matthew J.; Morehead, Robert L.; Hurlbert, Eric A.; Bugarin, Luz; Chaidez, Mariana

2017-01-01

A coil-on-plug ignition system has been developed and tested for Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/liquid methane (LCH4) rocket engines operating in thermal vacuum conditions. The igniters were developed and tested as part of the Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article (ICPTA), previously tested as part of the Project Morpheus test vehicle. The ICPTA uses an integrated, pressure-fed, cryogenic LOX/LCH4 propulsion system including a reaction control system (RCS) and a main engine. The ICPTA was tested at NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station in the Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility (B-2) under vacuum and thermal vacuum conditions. A coil-on-plug ignition system has been developed to successfully demonstrate ignition reliability at these conditions while preventing corona discharge issues. The ICPTA uses spark plug ignition for both the main engine igniter and the RCS. The coil-on-plug configuration eliminates the conventional high-voltage spark plug cable by combining the coil and the spark plug into a single component. Prior to ICPTA testing at Plum Brook, component-level reaction control engine (RCE) and main engine igniter testing was conducted at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), which demonstrated successful hot-fire ignition using the coil-on-plug from sea-level ambient conditions down to 10(exp -2) torr. Integrated vehicle hot-fire testing at JSC demonstrated electrical and command/data system performance. Lastly, hot-fire testing at Plum Brook demonstrated successful ignitions at simulated altitude conditions at 30 torr and cold thermal-vacuum conditions at 6 torr. The test campaign successfully proved that coil-on-plug technology will enable integrated LOX/LCH4 propulsion systems in future spacecraft.

Coil-On-Plug Ignition for LOX/Methane Liquid Rocket Engines in Thermal Vacuum Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melcher, John C.; Atwell, Matthew J.; Morehead, Robert L.; Hurlbert, Eric A.; Bugarin, Luz; Chaidez, Mariana

2017-01-01

A coil-on-plug ignition system has been developed and tested for Liquid Oxygen (LOX) / liquid methane rocket engines operating in thermal vacuum conditions. The igniters were developed and tested as part of the Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article (ICPTA), previously tested as part of the Project Morpheus test vehicle. The ICPTA uses an integrated, pressure-fed, cryogenic LOX/methane propulsion system including a reaction control system (RCS) and a main engine. The ICPTA was tested at NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station in the Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility (B-2) under vacuum and thermal vacuum conditions. In order to successfully demonstrate ignition reliability in the vacuum conditions and eliminate corona discharge issues, a coil-on-plug ignition system has been developed. The ICPTA uses spark-plug ignition for both the main engine igniter and the RCS. The coil-on-plug configuration eliminates the conventional high-voltage spark plug cable by combining the coil and the spark-plug into a single component. Prior to ICPTA testing at Plum Brook, component-level reaction control engine (RCE) and main engine igniter testing was conducted at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), which demonstrated successful hot-fire ignition using the coil-on-plug from sea-level ambient conditions down to 10(exp.-2) torr. Integrated vehicle hot-fire testing at JSC demonstrated electrical and command/data system performance. Lastly, Plum Brook testing demonstrated successful ignitions at simulated altitude conditions at 30 torr and cold thermal-vacuum conditions at 6 torr. The test campaign successfully proved that coil-on-plug technology will enable integrated LOX/methane propulsion systems in future spacecraft.

Automated microfluidic platform for studies of carbon dioxide dissolution and solubility in physical solvents.

PubMed

Abolhasani, Milad; Singh, Mayank; Kumacheva, Eugenia; Günther, Axel

2012-05-07

We present an automated microfluidic (MF) approach for the systematic and rapid investigation of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) mass transfer and solubility in physical solvents. Uniformly sized bubbles of CO(2) with lengths exceeding the width of the microchannel (plugs) were isothermally generated in a co-flowing physical solvent within a gas-impermeable, silicon-based MF platform that is compatible with a wide range of solvents, temperatures and pressures. We dynamically determined the volume reduction of the plugs from images that were accommodated within a single field of view, six different downstream locations of the microchannel at any given flow condition. Evaluating plug sizes in real time allowed our automated strategy to suitably select inlet pressures and solvent flow rates such that otherwise dynamically self-selecting parameters (e.g., the plug size, the solvent segment size, and the plug velocity) could be either kept constant or systematically altered. Specifically, if a constant slug length was imposed, the volumetric dissolution rate of CO(2) could be deduced from the measured rate of plug shrinkage. The solubility of CO(2) in the physical solvent was obtained from a comparison between the terminal and the initial plug sizes. Solubility data were acquired every 5 min and were within 2-5% accuracy as compared to literature data. A parameter space consisting of the plug length, solvent slug length and plug velocity at the microchannel inlet was established for different CO(2)-solvent pairs with high and low gas solubilities. In a case study, we selected the gas-liquid pair CO(2)-dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and volumetric mass transfer coefficients 4-30 s(-1) (translating into mass transfer times between 0.25 s and 0.03 s), and Henry's constants, within the range of 6-12 MPa.

Preparation and Evaluation of Biodegradable Scleral Plug Containing Curcumin in Rabbit Eye.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Sun, Haiyan; Zhou, Nalei; Zhang, Bin; Ma, Jingxue

2017-12-01

To test whether biodegradable curcumin-loaded scleral plug is a promising choice for treating posterior ocular diseases, the study investigated the in vitro release profile of the scleral plug and its safety in vivo. Scleral plugs containing 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg and 1.5 mg curcumin were synthesized by a compression-sintering method. These scleral plugs were placed in tubes containing balanced salt solution (BSS) buffer, which was replaced by fresh buffer daily. The curcumin concentration in the removed aliquot was tested daily for 14 days using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the study, 44 rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: control, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg and 1.5 mg curcumin groups. The scleral plug was trans-scleral fixed in the right eye of the rabbits in the three curcumin-treated groups. The control rabbits only received sclerotomy. The treated rabbit eyes were examined by a slit-lamp biomicroscope, an indirect ophthalmoscope and electroretinogram (ERG), and subjected to histological analysis. The concentration of the 1.5 mg curcumin-loaded scleral plug was higher than 15 μg/ml for consecutive 14 days in vitro. The in vivo experiments revealed intraocular pressure, a-wave and b-wave amplitudes of ERG, and conjunctival reaction degree were not significantly different between the four groups. Retinal structure was normal in the curcumin-treated groups. The sclerotomy wound healed after the plug was completely degraded. Anterior chamber reaction or complications were not observed. The study suggests that curcumin-loaded scleral plug could sustain high concentration of curcumin in vitro and is safe in vivo. It might be a promising alternative choice for the treatment of posterior ocular diseases.

Punctal plugs versus artificial tears for treating dry eye: a comparative observation of their effects on contrast sensitivity.

PubMed

Qiu, Weiqiang; Liu, Ziyuan; Zhang, Zhihong; Ao, Mingxin; Li, Xuemin; Wang, Wei

2012-01-01

This study aimed to compare the effects of treatment with punctal plugs versus artificial tears on visual function and tear film stability for dry eye. A total of 56 consecutive eyes of 28 dry eye patients observed at our clinic from May to October in 2009 were divided into two groups. One group (32 eyes of 16 patients) was treated with artificial tears, and punctal plugs were used in the other group (24 eyes of 12 patients). A questionnaire was used in these patients before treatment and was repeated 2 weeks after treatment. Fluorescent staining for tear film break-up time (BUT), the Schirmer test I (STI), and contrast sensitivity was performed at the same time. The questionnaire indicated that all patients complained about the uncomfortable symptoms associated with dry eye. These symptoms were relieved after the application of artificial tears or punctal plugs, and there was no significant difference between these two groups. We found that the corneal fluorescent staining disappeared after treatment. The BUT was improved significantly after treatment in both groups, but the improvement was greater in patients who received punctal plugs than those that received artificial tears. There was no remarkable change in the STI in the artificial tears group, but a significant change was observed in the punctal plugs group. The contrast sensitivities were greatly improved in simulated daylight, night, and glare disability conditions after treatment with artificial tears and punctal plugs. However, the changes in contrast sensitivity did not significantly differ between groups. Both artificial tears and punctal plugs relieved dry eye symptoms, repaired corneal lesions, enhanced tear film stability, and improved contrast sensitivity. Punctal plugs could improve tear film stability and elongate the BUT better than artificial tears.

Software for Building Models of 3D Objects via the Internet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramer, Tim; Jensen, Jeff

2003-01-01

The Virtual EDF Builder (where EDF signifies Electronic Development Fixture) is a computer program that facilitates the use of the Internet for building and displaying digital models of three-dimensional (3D) objects that ordinarily comprise assemblies of solid models created previously by use of computer-aided-design (CAD) programs. The Virtual EDF Builder resides on a Unix-based server computer. It is used in conjunction with a commercially available Web-based plug-in viewer program that runs on a client computer. The Virtual EDF Builder acts as a translator between the viewer program and a database stored on the server. The translation function includes the provision of uniform resource locator (URL) links to other Web-based computer systems and databases. The Virtual EDF builder can be used in two ways: (1) If the client computer is Unix-based, then it can assemble a model locally; the computational load is transferred from the server to the client computer. (2) Alternatively, the server can be made to build the model, in which case the server bears the computational load and the results are downloaded to the client computer or workstation upon completion.

Electro-optical backplane demonstrator with integrated multimode gradient-index thin glass waveguide panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder, Henning; Brusberg, Lars; Pitwon, Richard; Whalley, Simon; Wang, Kai; Miller, Allen; Herbst, Christian; Weber, Daniel; Lang, Klaus-Dieter

2015-03-01

Optical interconnects for data transmission at board level offer increased energy efficiency, system density, and bandwidth scalability compared to purely copper driven systems. We present recent results on manufacturing of electrooptical printed circuit board (PCB) with integrated planar glass waveguides. The graded index multi-mode waveguides are patterned inside commercially available thin-glass panels by performing a specific ion-exchange process. The glass waveguide panel is embedded within the layer stack-up of a PCB using proven industrial processes. This paper describes the design, manufacture, assembly and characterization of the first electro-optical backplane demonstrator based on integrated planar glass waveguides. The electro-optical backplane in question is created by laminating the glass waveguide panel into a conventional multi-layer electronic printed circuit board stack-up. High precision ferrule mounts are automatically assembled, which will enable MT compliant connectors to be plugged accurately to the embedded waveguide interfaces on the glass panel edges. The demonstration platform comprises a standardized sub-rack chassis and five pluggable test cards each housing optical engines and pluggable optical connectors. The test cards support a variety of different data interfaces and can support data rates of up to 32 Gb/s per channel.

ECLSS Sustaining Compatibility Testing on Urine Processor Assembly Nonmetallic Materials for Reformulation of Pretreated Urine Solution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wingard, C. D.

2015-01-01

On International Space Station (ISS), the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) converts human urine and flush water into potable water. The urine is acid-pretreated primarily to control microbial growth. In recent years, the sulfuric acid (H2SO4) pretreatment was believed to be largely responsible for producing salt crystals capable of plugging filters in UPA components and significantly reducing the percentage of water recovery from urine. In 2012, ISS management decided to change the acid pretreatment for urine from sulfuric to phosphoric with the goal of eliminating or minimizing formation of salt crystals. In 2013-2014, as part of the qualification of the phosphoric acid (H3PO4) formulation, samples of 12 nonmetallic materials used in UPA components were immersed for up to one year in pretreated urine and brine solutions made with the new H3PO4 formulation. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to measure modulus (stiffness) of the immersed samples compared to virgin control samples. Such compatibility data obtained by DMA for the H3PO4-based solutions were compared to DMA data obtained for the H2SO4-based solutions in 2002-2003.

Porous plug for reducing orifice induced pressure error in airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plentovich, Elizabeth B. (Inventor); Gloss, Blair B. (Inventor); Eves, John W. (Inventor); Stack, John P. (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A porous plug is provided for the reduction or elimination of positive error caused by the orifice during static pressure measurements of airfoils. The porous plug is press fitted into the orifice, thereby preventing the error caused either by fluid flow turning into the exposed orifice or by the fluid flow stagnating at the downstream edge of the orifice. In addition, the porous plug is made flush with the outer surface of the airfoil, by filing and polishing, to provide a smooth surface which alleviates the error caused by imperfections in the orifice. The porous plug is preferably made of sintered metal, which allows air to pass through the pores, so that the static pressure measurements can be made by remote transducers.

System and method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle

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

Bassham, Marjorie A.; Spigno, Jr., Ciro A.; Muller, Brett T.

2017-05-02

A charging system and method that may be used to automatically apply customized charging settings to a plug-in electric vehicle, where application of the settings is based on the vehicle's location. According to an exemplary embodiment, a user may establish and save a separate charging profile with certain customized charging settings for each geographic location where they plan to charge their plug-in electric vehicle. Whenever the plug-in electric vehicle enters a new geographic area, the charging method may automatically apply the charging profile that corresponds to that area. Thus, the user does not have to manually change or manipulate themore » charging settings every time they charge the plug-in electric vehicle in a new location.« less

Molten tin reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel elements

DOEpatents

Heckman, Richard A.

1983-01-01

A method and apparatus for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel is described. Within a containment vessel, a solid plug of tin and nitride precipitates supports a circulating bath of liquid tin therein. Spent nuclear fuel is immersed in the liquid tin under an atmosphere of nitrogen, resulting in the formation of nitride precipitates. The layer of liquid tin and nitride precipitates which interfaces the plug is solidified and integrated with the plug. Part of the plug is melted, removing nitride precipitates from the containment vessel, while a portion of the plug remains solidified to support the liquid tin and nitride precipitates remaining in the containment vessel. The process is practiced numerous times until substantially all of the precipitated nitrides are removed from the containment vessel.

National Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Analysis

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

Wood, Eric; Rames, Clement; Muratori, Matteo

This report addresses the fundamental question of how much plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging infrastructure—also known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)—is needed in the United States to support both plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Nozzle dam having a unitary plug

DOEpatents

Veronesi, L.; Wepfer, R.M.

1992-12-15

Apparatus for sealing the primary-side coolant flow nozzles of a nuclear steam generator is disclosed. The steam generator has relatively small diameter manway openings for providing access to the interior of the steam generator including the inside surface of each nozzle, the manway openings having a diameter substantially less than the inside diameter of each nozzle. The apparatus includes a bracket having an outside surface for matingly sealingly engaging the inside surface of the nozzle. The bracket also has a plurality of openings longitudinally therethrough and a plurality of slots transversely therein in communication with each opening. A plurality of unitary plugs sized to pass through the manway opening are matingly sealingly disposed in each opening of the bracket for sealingly plugging each opening. Each plug includes a plurality of arms operable to engage the slots of the bracket for connecting each plug to the bracket, so that the nozzle is sealed as the plugs seal the openings and are connected to the bracket. 16 figs.

Nozzle dam having a unitary plug

DOEpatents

Veronesi, Luciano; Wepfer, Robert M.

1992-01-01

Apparatus for sealing the primary-side coolant flow nozzles of a nuclear steam generator. The steam generator has relatively small diameter manway openings for providing access to the interior of the steam generator including the inside surface of each nozzle, the manway openings having a diameter substantially less than the inside diameter of each nozzle. The apparatus includes a bracket having an outside surface for matingly sealingly engaging the inside surface of the nozzle. The bracket also has a plurality of openings longitudinally therethrough and a plurality of slots transversely therein in communication with each opening. A plurality of unitary plugs sized to pass through the manway opening are matingly sealingly disposed in each opening of the bracket for sealingly plugging each opening. Each plug includes a plurality of arms operable to engage the slots of the bracket for connecting each plug to the bracket, so that the nozzle is sealed as the plugs seal the openings and are connected to the bracket.

Stimulus learning and response learning by observation in the European starling, in a two-object/two-action test.

PubMed

Campbell; Heyes; Goldsmith

1999-07-01

Juvenile European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, were allowed to observe a conspecific demonstrator using its beak to remove one of two distinctively coloured objects (i.e. a red or a black plug) from a hole in the lid of a plastic box. Both plugs could be removed by either pulling up on a loop of string inserted through the centre of the plug, or pushing down on the plug. When subsequently allowed access to the plugs, and rewarded with food for all removal responses, regardless of the object to which they were made and their direction, observer birds removed the same plug in the same direction as their demonstrator. These results suggest that the two-object/two-action paradigm is a valuable procedure for testing for the simultaneous effects of learning about a stimulus and a response, an object and an action, through conspecific observation. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Modular Nuclease-Responsive DNA Three-Way Junction-Based Dynamic Assembly of a DNA Device and Its Sensing Application.

PubMed

Zhu, Jing; Wang, Lei; Xu, Xiaowen; Wei, Haiping; Jiang, Wei

2016-04-05

Here, we explored a modular strategy for rational design of nuclease-responsive three-way junctions (TWJs) and fabricated a dynamic DNA device in a "plug-and-play" fashion. First, inactivated TWJs were designed, which contained three functional domains: the inaccessible toehold and branch migration domains, the specific sites of nucleases, and the auxiliary complementary sequence. The actions of different nucleases on their specific sites in TWJs caused the close proximity of the same toehold and branch migration domains, resulting in the activation of the TWJs and the formation of a universal trigger for the subsequent dynamic assembly. Second, two hairpins (H1 and H2) were introduced, which could coexist in a metastable state, initially to act as the components for the dynamic assembly. Once the trigger initiated the opening of H1 via TWJs-driven strand displacement, the cascade hybridization of hairpins immediately switched on, resulting in the formation of the concatemers of H1/H2 complex appending numerous integrated G-quadruplexes, which were used to obtain label-free signal readout. The inherent modularity of this design allowed us to fabricate a flexible DNA dynamic device and detect multiple nucleases through altering the recognition pattern slightly. Taking uracil-DNA glycosylase and CpG methyltransferase M.SssI as models, we successfully realized the butt joint between the uracil-DNA glycosylase and M.SssI recognition events and the dynamic assembly process. Furthermore, we achieved ultrasensitive assay of nuclease activity and the inhibitor screening. The DNA device proposed here will offer an adaptive and flexible tool for clinical diagnosis and anticancer drug discovery.

30 CFR 18.41 - Plug and receptacle-type connectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... electrically interlocked with an automatic circuit-interrupting device. (i) Mechanically interlocked connectors... shall be removed before the plug can be withdrawn and the electrical energy in the interlocking pilot.... (d) Molded-elastomer connectors will be acceptable provided: (1) Any free space within the plug or...

30 CFR 18.41 - Plug and receptacle-type connectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... electrically interlocked with an automatic circuit-interrupting device. (i) Mechanically interlocked connectors... shall be removed before the plug can be withdrawn and the electrical energy in the interlocking pilot.... (d) Molded-elastomer connectors will be acceptable provided: (1) Any free space within the plug or...

30 CFR 18.41 - Plug and receptacle-type connectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... electrically interlocked with an automatic circuit-interrupting device. (i) Mechanically interlocked connectors... shall be removed before the plug can be withdrawn and the electrical energy in the interlocking pilot.... (d) Molded-elastomer connectors will be acceptable provided: (1) Any free space within the plug or...

30 CFR 18.41 - Plug and receptacle-type connectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... electrically interlocked with an automatic circuit-interrupting device. (i) Mechanically interlocked connectors... shall be removed before the plug can be withdrawn and the electrical energy in the interlocking pilot.... (d) Molded-elastomer connectors will be acceptable provided: (1) Any free space within the plug or...

30 CFR 18.41 - Plug and receptacle-type connectors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... electrically interlocked with an automatic circuit-interrupting device. (i) Mechanically interlocked connectors... shall be removed before the plug can be withdrawn and the electrical energy in the interlocking pilot.... (d) Molded-elastomer connectors will be acceptable provided: (1) Any free space within the plug or...

Intraocular foreign-body hazard during vitrectomy.

PubMed

Bovino, J A; Marcus, D F

1982-03-01

We noted two instances of forceps-induced fragmentation of the bar used for scleral plug storage during vitreous surgery. The silicone bar material was adherent to the plug in both cases. Because this represents a significant intraocular foreign body hazard, the scleral plug should be carefully inspected before insertion.

Rotating plug bearing and seal

DOEpatents

Wade, Elman E.

1977-01-01

A bearing and seal structure for nuclear reactors utilizing rotating plugs above the nuclear reactor vessel. The structure permits lubrication of bearings and seals of the rotating plugs without risk of the lubricant draining into the reactor vessel below. The structure permits lubrication by utilizing a rotating outer race bearing.

Dynamics of seismogenic volcanic extrusion resisted by a solid surface plug, Mount St. Helens, 2004-2005: Chapter 21 in A volcano rekindled: the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, Richard M.; Sherrod, David R.; Scott, William E.; Stauffer, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The 2004-5 eruption of Mount St. Helens exhibited sustained, near-equilibrium behavior characterized by nearly steady extrusion of a solid dacite plug and nearly periodic occurrence of shallow earthquakes. Diverse data support the hypothesis that these earthquakes resulted from stick-slip motion along the margins of the plug as it was forced incrementally upward by ascending, solidifying, gas-poor magma. I formalize this hypothesis with a mathematical model derived by assuming that magma enters the base of the eruption conduit at a steady rate, invoking conservation of mass and momentum of the magma and plug, and postulating simple constitutive equations that describe magma and conduit compressibilities and friction along the plug margins. Reduction of the model equations reveals a strong mathematical analogy between the dynamics of the magma-plug system and those of a variably damped oscillator. Oscillations in extrusion velocity result from the interaction of plug inertia, a variable upward force due to magma pressure, and a downward force due to the plug weight. Damping of oscillations depends mostly on plug-boundary friction, and oscillations grow unstably if friction exhibits rate weakening similar to that observed in experiments. When growth of oscillations causes the extrusion rate to reach zero, however, gravity causes friction to reverse direction, and this reversal instigates a transition from unstable oscillations to self-regulating stick-slip cycles. The transition occurs irrespective of the details of rate-weakening behavior, and repetitive stick-slip cycles are, therefore, robust features of the system’s dynamics. The presence of a highly compressible elastic driving element (that is, magma containing bubbles) appears crucial for enabling seismogenic slip events to occur repeatedly at the shallow earthquake focal depths (8 N. These results imply that the system’s self-regulating behavior is not susceptible to dramatic change--provided that the rate of magma ascent remains similar to the rate of magma accretion at the base of the plug, that plug surface erosion more or less compensates for mass gain due to basal accretion, and that magma and rock properties do not change significantly. Even if disequilibrium initial conditions are imposed, the dynamics of the magma-plug system are strongly attracted to self-regulating stick-slip cycles, although this self-regulating behavior can be bypassed on the way to runaway behavior if the initial state is too far from equilibrium.

Cross dimerization of amyloid-β and αsynuclein proteins in aqueous environment: a molecular dynamics simulations study.

PubMed

Jose, Jaya C; Chatterjee, Prathit; Sengupta, Neelanjana

2014-01-01

Self-assembly of the intrinsically unstructured proteins, amyloid beta (Aβ) and alpha synclein (αSyn), are associated with Alzheimer's Disease, and Parkinson's and Lewy Body Diseases, respectively. Importantly, pathological overlaps between these neurodegenerative diseases, and the possibilities of interactions between Aβ and αSyn in biological milieu emerge from several recent clinical reports and in vitro studies. Nevertheless, there are very few molecular level studies that have probed the nature of spontaneous interactions between these two sequentially dissimilar proteins and key characteristics of the resulting cross complexes. In this study, we have used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to probe the possibility of cross dimerization between αSyn1-95 and Aβ1-42, and thereby gain insights into their plausible early assembly pathways in aqueous environment. Our analyses indicate a strong probability of association between the two sequences, with inter-protein attractive electrostatic interactions playing dominant roles. Principal component analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in the strength and nature of the associations in the key interaction modes. In most, the interactions of repeating Lys residues, mainly in the imperfect repeats 'KTKEGV' present in αSyn1-95 were found to be essential for cross interactions and formation of inter-protein salt bridges. Additionally, a hydrophobicity driven interaction mode devoid of salt bridges, where the non-amyloid component (NAC) region of αSyn1-95 came in contact with the hydrophobic core of Aβ1-42 was observed. The existence of such hetero complexes, and therefore hetero assembly pathways may lead to polymorphic aggregates with variations in pathological attributes. Our results provide a perspective on development of therapeutic strategies for preventing pathogenic interactions between these proteins.

C1orf163/RESA1 is a novel mitochondrial intermembrane space protein connected to respiratory chain assembly.

PubMed

Kozjak-Pavlovic, Vera; Prell, Florian; Thiede, Bernd; Götz, Monika; Wosiek, Dominik; Ott, Christine; Rudel, Thomas

2014-02-20

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in mitochondria takes place at the inner membrane, which folds into numerous cristae. The stability of cristae depends, among other things, on the mitochondrial intermembrane space bridging complex. Its components include inner mitochondrial membrane protein mitofilin and outer membrane protein Sam50. We identified a conserved, uncharacterized protein, C1orf163 [SEL1 repeat containing 1 protein (SELRC1)], as one of the proteins significantly reduced after the knockdown of Sam50 and mitofilin. We show that C1orf163 is a mitochondrial soluble intermembrane space protein. Sam50 depletion affects moderately the import and assembly of C1orf163 into two protein complexes of approximately 60kDa and 150kDa. We observe that the knockdown of C1orf163 leads to reduction of levels of proteins belonging to the OXPHOS complexes. The activity of complexes I and IV is reduced in C1orf163-depleted cells, and we observe the strongest defects in the assembly of complex IV. Therefore, we propose C1orf163 to be a novel factor important for the assembly of respiratory chain complexes in human mitochondria and suggest to name it RESA1 (for RESpiratory chain Assembly 1). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural insights into the light-driven auto-assembly process of the water-oxidizing Mn4CaO5-cluster in photosystem II

PubMed Central

Zhang, Miao; Bommer, Martin; Chatterjee, Ruchira; Hussein, Rana; Yano, Junko; Dau, Holger; Kern, Jan; Dobbek, Holger; Zouni, Athina

2017-01-01

In plants, algae and cyanobacteria, Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven splitting of water at a protein-bound Mn4CaO5-cluster, the water-oxidizing complex (WOC). In the photosynthetic organisms, the light-driven formation of the WOC from dissolved metal ions is a key process because it is essential in both initial activation and continuous repair of PSII. Structural information is required for understanding of this chaperone-free metal-cluster assembly. For the first time, we obtained a structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus elongatus without the Mn4CaO5-cluster. Surprisingly, cluster-removal leaves the positions of all coordinating amino acid residues and most nearby water molecules largely unaffected, resulting in a pre-organized ligand shell for kinetically competent and error-free photo-assembly of the Mn4CaO5-cluster. First experiments initiating (i) partial disassembly and (ii) partial re-assembly after complete depletion of the Mn4CaO5-cluster agree with a specific bi-manganese cluster, likely a di-µ-oxo bridged pair of Mn(III) ions, as an assembly intermediate. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26933.001 PMID:28718766

A model to calculate the progression of the centre of pressure under the foot during gait analysis.

PubMed

Louey, Melissa Gar Yee; Mudge, Anita; Wojciechowski, Elizabeth; Sangeux, Morgan

2017-09-01

Pedobarography and the centre of pressure (COP) progression is useful to understand foot function. Pedobarography is often unavailable in gait laboratories or completed asynchronously to kinematic and kinetic data collection. This paper presents a model that allows calculation of COP progression synchronously using force plate data. The model is an adjunct to Plug-In-Gait and was applied to 49 typically developing children to create reference COP data. COP progressions were noted to spend 8% of stance behind the ankle joint centre, traverse lateral of the longitudinal axis of the foot through the midfoot for 76% of stance and finishing past the second metatarsal head on the medial side for 16% of stance. It is hoped the model will bridge the information gap for gait laboratories lacking pedobarography during foot assessments and will open up the possibility of retrospective research into COP progression based indices on kinematic data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method for sealing remote leaks in an enclosure using an aerosol

DOEpatents

Modera, Mark P.; Carrie, Francois R.

1999-01-01

The invention is a method and device for sealing leaks remotely by means of injecting a previously prepared aerosol into the enclosure being sealed according to a particular sealing efficiency defined by the product of a penetration efficiency and a particle deposition efficiency. By using different limits in the relationship between penetration efficiency and flowrate, the same method according the invention can be used for coating the inside of an enclosure. Specifically the invention is a method and device for preparing, transporting, and depositing a solid phase aerosol to the interior surface of the enclosure relating particle size, particle carrier flow rate, and pressure differential, so that particles deposited there can bridge and substantially seal each leak, with out providing a substantial coating at inside surfaces of the enclosure other than the leak. The particle size and flow parameters can be adjusted to coat the interior of the enclosure (duct) without substantial plugging of the leaks depending on how the particle size and flowrate relationships are chosen.

Neonatal liver failure and Leigh syndrome possibly due to CoQ-responsive OXPHOS deficiency.

PubMed

Leshinsky-Silver, E; Levine, A; Nissenkorn, A; Barash, V; Perach, M; Buzhaker, E; Shahmurov, M; Polak-Charcon, S; Lev, D; Lerman-Sagie, T

2003-08-01

CoQ transfers electrons from complexes I and II of the mitochondrial respiratory chain to complex III. There are very few reports on human CoQ deficiency. The clinical presentation is usually characterized by: epilepsy, muscle weakness, ataxia, cerebellar atrophy, migraine, myogloblinuria and developmental delay. We describe a patient who presented with neonatal liver and pancreatic insufficiency, tyrosinemia and hyperammonemia and later developed sensorineural hearing loss and Leigh syndrome. Liver biopsy revealed markedly reduced complex I+III and II+III. Addition of CoQ to the liver homogenate restored the activities, suggesting CoQ depletion. Histological staining showed prominent bridging; septal fibrosis and widening of portal spaces with prominent mixed inflammatory infiltrate, associated with interface hepatitis, bile duct proliferation with numerous bile plugs. Electron microscopy revealed a large number of mitochondria, which were altered in shape and size, widened and disordered intercristal spaces. This may be the first case of Leigh syndrome with liver and pancreas insufficiency, possibly caused by CoQ responsive oxphos deficiency.

3D printed Lego®-like modular microfluidic devices based on capillary driving.

PubMed

Nie, Jing; Gao, Qing; Qiu, Jing-Jiang; Sun, Miao; Liu, An; Shao, Lei; Fu, Jian-Zhong; Zhao, Peng; He, Yong

2018-03-12

The field of how to rapidly assemble microfluidics with modular components continuously attracts researchers' attention, however, extra efforts must be devoted to solving the problems of leaking and aligning between individual modules. This paper presents a novel type of modular microfluidic device, driven by capillary force. There is no necessity for a strict seal or special alignment, and its open structures make it easy to integrate various stents and reactants. The key rationale for this method is to print different functional modules with a low-cost three-dimensional (3D) printer, then fill the channels with capillary materials and assemble them with plugs like Lego ® bricks. This rapidly reconstructed modular microfluidic device consists of a variety of common functional modules and other personalized modules, each module having a unified standard interface for easy assembly. As it can be printed by a desktop 3D printer, the manufacturing process is simple and efficient, with controllable regulation of the flow channel scale. Through diverse combinations of different modules, a variety of different functions can be achieved, without duplicating the manufacturing process. A single module can also be taken out for testing and analysis. What's more, combined with basic circuit components, it can serve as a low-cost Lego ® -like modular microfluidic circuits. As a proof of concept, the modular microfluidic device has been successfully demonstrated and used for stent degradation and cell cultures, revealing the potential use of this method in both chemical and biological research.

Metallosupramolecular Architectures Obtained from Poly-N-heterocyclic Carbene Ligands.

PubMed

Sinha, Narayan; Hahn, F Ekkehardt

2017-09-19

Over the past two decades, self-assembly of supramolecular architectures has become a field of intensive research due to the wide range of applications for the resulting assemblies in various fields such as molecular encapsulation, supramolecular catalysis, drug delivery, metallopharmaceuticals, chemical and photochemical sensing, and light-emitting materials. For these purposes, a large number of coordination-driven metallacycles and metallacages featuring different sizes and shapes have been prepared and investigated. Almost all of these are Werner-type coordination compounds where metal centers are coordinated by nitrogen and/or oxygen donors of polydentate ligands. With the evolving interest in the coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), discrete supramolecular complexes held together by M-C NHC bonds have recently become of interest. The construction of such metallosupramolecular assemblies requires the synthesis of suitable poly-NHC ligands where the NHC donors form labile bonds with metal centers thus enabling the formation of the thermodynamically most stable reaction product. In organometallic chemistry, these conditions are uniquely met by the combination of poly-NHCs and silver(I) ions where the resulting assemblies also offer the possibility to generate new structures by transmetalation of the poly-NHC ligands to additional metal centers forming more stable C NHC -M bonds. Stable metallosupramolecular assemblies obtained from poly-NHC ligands feature special properties such as good solubility in many less polar organic solvents and the presence of the often catalyticlly active {M(NHC) n } moiety as building block. In this Account, we review recent developments in organometallic supramolecular architectures derived from poly-NHC ligands. We describe dinuclear (M = Ag I , Au I , Cu I ) tetracarbene complexes obtained from bis-NHC ligands with an internal olefin or two external coumarin pendants and their postsynthetic modification via a photochemically induced single or double [2 + 2] cycloaddition to form dinuclear tetracarbene complexes featuring cyclobutane units. Even three-dimensional cage-like structures can be prepared by this postsynthetic strategy. Cylinder-like trinuclear, tetranuclear, and hexanuclear (M = Ag I , Au I , Cu I , Hg II , Pd II ) complexes have been obtained from benzene-bridged tris-, tetrakis-, or hexakis-NHC ligands. These complexes resemble polynuclear assemblies obtained from related polydentate Werner-type ligands. Contrary to the Werner-type complexes, cylinder-like assemblies with three, four, or six silver(I) ions sandwiched in between two tris-, tetrakis-, or hexakis-NHC ligands undergo a facile transmetalation reaction to give the complexes featuring more stable M-C NHC bonds, normally with retention of the metallosupramolecular structure. This unique behavior of NHC-Ag + complexes allows the prepration of assemblies containing various metals from the poly-NHC silver(I) assemblies. Narcissistic self-sorting phenomena have also been observed for mixtures of selected poly-NHC ligands and silver(I) ions. Even a very early type of metallosupramolecular assembly, the tetranuclear molecular square, can be prepared from four bridging dicarbene ligands and four transition metal ions either by a stepwise assembly or by a single-step protocol. At this point, it appears that procedures for the synthesis of metallosupramolecular assemblies using polydentate Werner-type ligands and metal ions can be transferred to organometallic chemistry by using suitable poly-NHC ligands. The resulting structures feature stable M-C NHC bonds (with the exception of the labile C NHC -Ag + bond) when compared to M-N/M-O bonds in classical Werner-type complexes. The generally good solubility of the compounds and the presence of the often catalytically active {M(NHC) n } moiety make organometallic supramolecular complexes a promising new class of molecular hosts for catalytic transformations and encapsulation of selected substrates.

21 CFR 886.4155 - Scleral plug.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... stainless steel with or without a gold, silver, or titanium coating. The special controls for the surgical grade stainless steel scleral plug (with or without a gold, silver, or titanium coating) are: (i) The... titanium coating). The special controls for scleral plugs made of other materials are: (i) The device must...

78 FR 70395 - Buy America Waiver Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-25

...--light, medium, and heavy duty plug-in battery electric and compressed natural gas vehicles by Chicago..., medium, and heavy duty plug-in battery electric and compressed natural gas vehicles by Chicago DOT. In...--light, medium, and heavy duty plug-in battery electric and compressed natural gas vehicles ( http://www...

Excess flow shutoff valve

DOEpatents

Kiffer, Micah S.; Tentarelli, Stephen Clyde

2016-02-09

Excess flow shutoff valve comprising a valve body, a valve plug, a partition, and an activation component where the valve plug, the partition, and activation component are disposed within the valve body. A suitable flow restriction is provided to create a pressure difference between the upstream end of the valve plug and the downstream end of the valve plug when fluid flows through the valve body. The pressure difference exceeds a target pressure difference needed to activate the activation component when fluid flow through the valve body is higher than a desired rate, and thereby closes the valve.

Nuclear reactor apparatus

DOEpatents

Wade, Elman E.

1978-01-01

A lifting, rotating and sealing apparatus for nuclear reactors utilizing rotating plugs above the nuclear reactor core. This apparatus permits rotation of the plugs to provide under the plug refueling of a nuclear core. It also provides a means by which positive top core holddown can be utilized. Both of these operations are accomplished by means of the apparatus lifting the top core holddown structure off the nuclear core while stationary, and maintaining this structure in its elevated position during plug rotation. During both of these operations, the interface between the rotating member and its supporting member is sealingly maintained.

Low power integrated pumping and valving arrays for microfluidic systems

DOEpatents

Krulevitch, Peter A [Pleasanton, CA; Benett, William J [Livermore, CA; Rose, Klint A [Livermore, CA; Hamilton, Julie [Tracy, CA; Maghribi, Mariam [Davis, CA

2006-04-11

Low power integrated pumping and valving arrays which provide a revolutionary approach for performing pumping and valving approach for performing pumping and valving operations in microfabricated fluidic systems for applications such as medical diagnostic microchips. Traditional methods rely on external, large pressure sources that defeat the advantages of miniaturization. Previously demonstrated microfabrication devices are power and voltage intensive, only function at sufficient pressure to be broadly applicable. This approach integrates a lower power, high-pressure source with a polymer, ceramic, or metal plug enclosed within a microchannel, analogous to a microsyringe. When the pressure source is activated, the polymer plug slides within the microchannel, pumping the fluid on the opposite side of the plug without allowing fluid to leak around the plug. The plugs also can serve as microvalves.

Molten tin reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel elements. [Patent application; continuous process

DOEpatents

Heckman, R.A.

1980-12-19

A method and apparatus for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel is described. Within a containment vessel, a solid plug of tin and nitride precipitates supports a circulating bath of liquid tin therein. Spent nuclear fuel is immersed in the liquid tin under an atmosphere of nitrogen, resulting in the formation of nitride precipitates. The layer of liquid tin and nitride precipitates which interfaces the plug is solidified and integrated with the plug. Part of the plug is melted, removing nitride precipitates from the containment vessel, while a portion of the plug remains solidified to support te liquid tin and nitride precipitates remaining in the containment vessel. The process is practiced numerous times until substantially all of the precipitated nitrides are removed from the containment vessel.

Nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Wade, Elman E.

1979-01-01

A nuclear reactor including two rotatable plugs and a positive top core holddown structure. The top core holddown structure is divided into two parts: a small core cover, and a large core cover. The small core cover, and the upper internals associated therewith, are attached to the small rotating plug, and the large core cover, with its associated upper internals, is attached to the large rotating plug. By so splitting the core holddown structures, under-the-plug refueling is accomplished without the necessity of enlarging the reactor pressure vessel to provide a storage space for the core holddown structure during refueling. Additionally, the small and large rotating plugs, and their associated core covers, are arranged such that the separation of the two core covers to permit rotation is accomplished without the installation of complex lifting mechanisms.

Post-stenotic plug-like jet with a vortex ring demonstrated by 4D flow MRI.

PubMed

Kim, Guk Bae; Ha, Hojin; Kweon, Jihoon; Lee, Sang Joon; Kim, Young-Hak; Yang, Dong Hyun; Kim, Namkug

2016-05-01

To investigate the details of the flow structure of a plug-like jet that had a vortex ring in pulsatile stenotic phantoms using 4D flow MRI. Pulsatile Newtonian flows in two stenotic phantoms with 50% and 75% reductions in area were scanned by 4D flow MRI. Blood analog working fluid was circulated via the stenotic phantom using a pulsatile pump at a constant pulsating frequency of 1Hz. The velocity and vorticity fields of the plug-like jet with a vortex ring were quantitatively analyzed in the spatial and temporal domains. Pulsatile stenotic flow showed a plug-like jet at the specific stenotic degree of 50% in our pulsatile waveform design. This plug-like jet was found at the decelerating period in the post-stenotic region of 26.4mm (1.2 D). It revealed a vortex ring structure with vorticity strength in the range of ±100s(-1). We observed a plug-like jet with a vortex ring in pulsatile stenotic flow by in vitro visualization using 4D flow MRI. In this plug-like jet, the local fastest flow region occurred at the post-systole phase in the post-stenotic region, which was distinguishable from a typical stenotic jet flow at systole phase. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyses of sulfonamide antibiotics by a successive anion- and cation-selective injection coupled to microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography.

PubMed

Lin, Yun-Ta; Liu, Yu-Wei; Cheng, Yi-Jie; Huang, Hsi-Ya

2010-07-01

In this study, an MEEKC was used to detect and analyze nine sulfonamide antibiotics. Owing to an insufficient sensitivity of on-column UV detection, a field-amplified sample injection, successive anion- and cation-selective injection, was used for the on-line concentration of the nine antibiotics. In the successive anion- and cation-selective injection mode, a leading water plug was introduced prior to anion injection, and then an acidic plug followed by a terminal water plug had to be used before subsequent cation injection. The results indicated some sulfonamides (sulfamonomethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine and sulfadiazine) were determined as split signals in pairs, and this was likely due to the use of a longer acid plug (360 s) which caused the sulfonamide anions and cations to be stacked in two distinct zones of the leading water and acid plugs. Meanwhile, all the sulfonamides that were introduced either by anion or cation injection were stacked within the leading water plug when a shorter acid plug (210 s) was used. As a result, the nine sulfonamides were determined as single and symmetrical peaks with low LODs (0.9-4.2 microg/L). Furthermore, the MEEKC method was successfully applied for the detection of trace sulfonamide residues in several food and water samples.

Report of the Seasat Failure Review Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundin, Bruce T.

1978-01-01

The Seasat spacecraft failed on October 9, 1978, after satisfactory operation in orbit for 105 days, as a result of a loss of electrical power in the Agena bus that was used as a part of the spacecraft. This loss of power was caused by a massive and progressive short in one of the slip ring assemblies that was used to connect the rotating solar arrays into the power subsystem. The most likely cause of this short was the initiation of an arc between adjacent slip ring brush assemblies. The triggering mechanism of this arc could have been either a wire-to-brush assembly contact, a brush-to-brush contact, or a momentary short caused by a contaminant that bridged internal components of opposite electrical polarity. The slip ring assembly, as used in the Seasat spacecraft, was connected into the power subsystem in such a way that most of the adjacent brush assemblies were of opposite electrical polarity. This wiring arrangement, together with the congested nature of the design itself, made the Seasat slip ring assembly a unique, first-of-a-kind component that was particularly prone to shorting. The possibility of slip ring failures resulting from placing opposite electrical polarities on adjacent brush assemblies was known at least as early-as the summer of 1977 to other projects within the contractor's organization. Furthermore, failures of slip ring assemblies due to shorting between brushes had been experienced by the prime contractor on slip ring assemblies used by other programs. That the Seasat organization was not fully aware of these potential failure modes was due to a breakdown in communication within the contractor's organization.

Molecular lego for the assembly of biosensing layers.

PubMed

Mano, N; Kuhn, A

2005-03-31

We propose a procedure to assemble monolayers of redox mediator, coenzyme, enzyme and stabilizing polyelectrolyte on an electrode surface using essentially electrostatic and complexing interactions. In a first step a monolayer of redox mediator, substituted nitrofluorenones, is adsorbed. In a second step, a layer of calcium cations is immobilized at the interface. It establishes a bridge between the redox mediator and the subsequently adsorbed coenzyme NAD(+). In the next step we use the intrinsic affinity of the NAD(+) monolayer for dehydrogenases to build up a multilayer composed of mediator/Ca(2+)/NAD(+)/dehydrogenase. The so obtained modified electrode can be used as a biosensor. Quartz crystal microbalance measurements allowed us to better understand the different parameters responsible for the adsorption. A more detailed investigation of the system made it possible to finally stabilize the assembly sufficiently by the adsorption of a polyelectrolyte layer in order to perform rotating disk electrode measurements with the whole supramolecular architecture on the electrode surface.

Copper redox chemistry of plant frataxins.

PubMed

Sánchez, Manu; Palacios, Òscar; Buchensky, Celeste; Sabio, Laura; Gomez-Casati, Diego Fabian; Pagani, Maria Ayelen; Capdevila, Mercè; Atrian, Silvia; Dominguez-Vera, Jose M

2018-03-01

The presence of a conserved cysteine residue in the C-terminal amino acid sequences of plant frataxins differentiates these frataxins from those of other kingdoms and may be key in frataxin assembly and function. We report a full study on the ability of Arabidopsis (AtFH) and Zea mays (ZmFH-1 and ZmFH-2) frataxins to assemble into disulfide-bridged dimers by copper-driven oxidation and to revert to monomers by chemical reduction. We monitored the redox assembly-disassembly process by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, electrophoresis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence measurements. We conclude that plant frataxins AtFH, ZmFH-1 and ZmFH-2 are oxidized by Cu 2+ and exhibit redox cysteine monomer - cystine dimer interexchange. Interestingly, the tendency to interconvert is not the same for each protein. Through yeast phenotypic rescue experiments, we show that plant frataxins are important for plant survival under conditions of excess copper, indicating that these proteins might be involved in copper metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

α-SNAP Interferes with the Zippering of the SNARE Protein Membrane Fusion Machinery

PubMed Central

Park, Yongsoo; Vennekate, Wensi; Yavuz, Halenur; Preobraschenski, Julia; Hernandez, Javier M.; Riedel, Dietmar; Walla, Peter Jomo; Jahn, Reinhard

2014-01-01

Neuronal exocytosis is mediated by soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins. Before fusion, SNARE proteins form complexes bridging the membrane followed by assembly toward the C-terminal membrane anchors, thus initiating membrane fusion. After fusion, the SNARE complex is disassembled by the AAA-ATPase N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor that requires the cofactor α-SNAP to first bind to the assembled SNARE complex. Using chromaffin granules and liposomes we now show that α-SNAP on its own interferes with the zippering of membrane-anchored SNARE complexes midway through the zippering reaction, arresting SNAREs in a partially assembled trans-complex and preventing fusion. Intriguingly, the interference does not result in an inhibitory effect on synaptic vesicles, suggesting that membrane properties also influence the final outcome of α-SNAP interference with SNARE zippering. We suggest that binding of α-SNAP to the SNARE complex affects the ability of the SNARE complex to harness energy or transmit force to the membrane. PMID:24778182

Chiral expression from molecular to macroscopic level via pH modulation in terbium coordination polymers.

PubMed

Huang, Jian; Ding, Hong-Ming; Xu, Yan; Zeng, Dai; Zhu, Hui; Zang, Dong-Mian; Bao, Song-Song; Ma, Yu-Qiang; Zheng, Li-Min

2017-12-14

Chiral expression from the molecular to macroscopic level is common in biological systems, but is difficult to realise for coordination polymers (CPs). The assembly of homochiral CPs in both crystalline and helical forms can provide a bridge for understanding the relationship between the molecular and macroscopic scales of chirality. Herein, we report homochiral helices of [Tb(R- or S-pempH) 3 ]∙2H 2 O (R - or S -1) (pempH 2  = (1-phenylethylamino)methylphosphonic acid) and their crystalline counterparts (R - or S -3), which are formed at different pH of the reaction mixtures under hydrothermal conditions. By combining the experiments and molecular simulations, we propose that the formation of helices of R -1 or S -1 occurs via a hierarchical self-assembly route, which involves twisted packing due to the geometric incompatibility of the different types of chains. The observed chiral transcription from molecules to morphologies is significant for understanding bio-related self-assembly processes on the nano- to macro-scale.

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Effect of Phosphate on the Self-Assembly of Peptide EMK16-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Da-Wei; Tie, Zuo-Xiu; Qin, Meng; Lu, Chun-Mei; Wang, Wei

2009-08-01

The ionic-complementary peptide EMK16-II is used to investigate the effects of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions on the self-assembling process by atomic force microscopy and circular dichroism spectra. It is found that the increase of hydrophobicity of the peptides promotes the aggregation of fibrils in pure water. The effects of phosphate with different concentrations on electrostatic interactions are also investigated. It is found that the self-assembling process is enhanced at a low concentration of phosphate and more ordered fibrillar aggregates are formed. When the concentration of phosphate increases to a certain value (9 mM), only a few fibrils are found to be formed. No fibrils but amorphous aggregates exist when the concentration further increases. A physical interpretation is presented such that one divalent anion can interact with two positively charged residual groups in different peptide molecules like a “bridge" which destroys the ionic-complementary feature and largely inhibits the formation of ordered fibrils.

Self-assembled molecular magnets on patterned silicon substrates: bridging bio-molecules with nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Ching; Sun, Kien Wen; Lee, Shang-Fan; Kan, Lou-Sing

2007-04-01

The paper reports the methods of preparing molecular magnets and patterning of the molecules on a semiconductor surface. A highly magnetically aligned metallothionein containing Mn and Cd (Mn,Cd-MT-2) is first synthesized, and the molecules are then placed into nanopores prepared on silicon (001) surfaces using electron beam lithography and reactive ion-etching techniques. We have observed the self-assemble growth of the MT molecules on the patterned Si surface such that the MT molecules have grown into rod or ring type three-dimensional nanostructures, depending on the patterned nanostructures on the surface. We also provide scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetic force microscope studies of the molecular nanostructures. This engineered molecule shows molecular magnetization and is biocompatible with conventional semiconductors. These features make Mn,Cd-MT-2 a good candidate for biological applications and sensing sources of new nanodevices. Using molecular self-assembly and topographical patterning of the semiconductor substrate, we can close the gap between bio-molecules and nanoelectronics built into the semiconductor chip.

Dual Plug-and-Display Synthetic Assembly Using Orthogonal Reactive Proteins for Twin Antigen Immunization.

PubMed

Brune, Karl D; Buldun, Can M; Li, Yuanyuan; Taylor, Iona J; Brod, Florian; Biswas, Sumi; Howarth, Mark

2017-05-17

Engineering modular platforms to control biomolecular architecture can advance both the understanding and the manipulation of biological systems. Icosahedral particles uniformly displaying single antigens stimulate potent immune activation and have been successful in various licensed vaccines. However, it remains challenging to display multiple antigens on a single particle and to induce broader immunity protective across strains or even against distinct diseases. Here, we design a dually addressable synthetic nanoparticle by engineering the multimerizing coiled-coil IMX313 and two orthogonally reactive split proteins. SpyCatcher protein forms an isopeptide bond with SpyTag peptide through spontaneous amidation. SnoopCatcher forms an isopeptide bond with SnoopTag peptide through transamidation. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher provides a modular platform, whereby SpyTag-antigen and SnoopTag-antigen can be multimerized on opposite faces of the particle simply upon mixing. We demonstrate efficient derivatization of the platform with model proteins and complex pathogen-derived antigens. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher was expressed in Escherichia coli and was resilient to lyophilization or extreme temperatures. For the next generation of malaria vaccines, blocking the transmission of the parasite from human to mosquito is an important goal. SpyCatcher-IMX-SnoopCatcher multimerization of the leading transmission-blocking antigens Pfs25 and Pfs28 greatly enhanced the antibody response to both antigens in comparison to the monomeric proteins. This dual plug-and-display architecture should help to accelerate vaccine development for malaria and other diseases.

Iterations of computer- and template assisted mandibular or maxillary reconstruction with free flaps containing the lateral scapular border--Evolution of a biplanar plug-on cutting guide.

PubMed

Cornelius, Carl-Peter; Giessler, Goetz Andreas; Wilde, Frank; Metzger, Marc Christian; Mast, Gerson; Probst, Florian Andreas

2016-03-01

Computer-assisted planning and intraoperative implementation using templates have become appreciated modalities in craniofacial reconstruction with fibula and DCIA flaps due to saving in operation time, improved accuracy of osteotomies and easy insetting. Up to now, a similar development for flaps from the subscapular vascular system, namely the lateral scapular border and tip, has not been addressed in the literature. A cohort of 12 patients who underwent mandibular (n = 10) or maxillary (n = 2) reconstruction with free flaps containing the lateral scapular border and tip using computer-assisted planning, stereolithography (STL) models and selective laser sintered (SLS) templates for bone contouring and sub-segmentation osteotomies was reviewed focussing on iterations in the design of computer generated tools and templates. The technical evolution migrated from hybrid STL models over SLS templates for cut out as well as sub-segmentation with a uniplanar framework to plug-on tandem template assemblies providing a biplanar access for the in toto cut out from the posterior aspect in succession with contouring into sub-segments from the medial side. The latest design version is the proof of concept that virtual planning of bone flaps from the lateral scapular border can be successfully transferred into surgery by appropriate templates. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular Origins of Mesoscale Ordering in a Metalloamphiphile Phase

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Controlling the assembly of soft and deformable molecular aggregates into mesoscale structures is essential for understanding and developing a broad range of processes including rare earth extraction and cleaning of water, as well as for developing materials with unique properties. By combined synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering with large-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations we analyze here a metalloamphiphile–oil solution that organizes on multiple length scales. The molecules associate into aggregates, and aggregates flocculate into meso-ordered phases. Our study demonstrates that dipolar interactions, centered on the amphiphile headgroup, bridge ionic aggregate cores and drive aggregate flocculation. By identifying specific intermolecular interactions that drive mesoscale ordering in solution, we bridge two different length scales that are classically addressed separately. Our results highlight the importance of individual intermolecular interactions in driving mesoscale ordering. PMID:27163014

Termination of flat conductor cable to NASA/MSFC plugs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angele, W.

1972-01-01

Data, supplemented with artwork, are presented on the major steps involved with terminating flat conductor cable (FCC) to MSFC's FCC plugs. Cable and shield preparation steps include material cutting, insulation stripping, and plating of exposed conductors. Methods and equipment required to terminate FCC to each of four MSFC plugs are described.

40 CFR 146.10 - Plugging and abandoning Class I, II, III, IV, and V wells.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM: CRITERIA AND STANDARDS General... of drinking water. The Director may allow Class III wells to use other plugging materials if the... sources of drinking water. (2) Placement of the cement plugs shall be accomplished by one of the following...

Plug-In Tutor Agents: Still Pluggin'

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritter, Steven

2016-01-01

"An Architecture for Plug-in Tutor Agents" (Ritter and Koedinger 1996) proposed a software architecture designed around the idea that tutors could be built as plug-ins for existing software applications. Looking back on the paper now, we can see that certain assumptions about the future of software architecture did not come to be, making…

Smith and Navistar Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Testing |

Science.gov Websites

plug-in hybrid electric vehicles operated by a variety of companies in diverse climates across the plug-in hybrid electric drive systems in medium-duty trucks operating in fleet service across the nation. U.S. companies agreeing to participate in this evaluation project received funding from the

NREL Validates Plug-In Hybrid Truck for Pacific Gas and Electric Company |

Science.gov Websites

Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL Pacific Gas and Electric Company NREL Validates Plug -In Hybrid Truck for Pacific Gas and Electric Company NREL is evaluating and analyzing a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) plug-in hybrid electric utility truck developed by Efficient

Free-jet acoustic investigation of high-radius-ratio coannular plug nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knott, P. R.; Janardan, B. A.; Majjigi, R. K.; Bhutiani, P. K.; Vogt, P. G.

1984-01-01

The experimental and analytical results of a scale model simulated flight acoustic exploratory investigation of high radius ratio coannular plug nozzles with inverted velocity and temperature profiles are summarized. Six coannular plug nozzle configurations and a baseline convergent conical nozzle were tested for simulated flight acoustic evaluation. The nozzles were tested over a range of test conditions that are typical of a Variable Cycle Engine for application to advanced high speed aircraft. It was found that in simulate flight, the high radius ratio coannular plug nozzles maintain their jet noise and shock noise reduction features previously observed in static testing. The presence of nozzle bypass struts will not significantly affect the acousticn noise reduction features of a General Electric type nozzle design. A unique coannular plug nozzle flight acoustic spectral prediction method was identified and found to predict the measured results quite well. Special laser velocimeter and acoustic measurements were performed which have given new insights into the jet and shock noise reduction mechanisms of coannular plug nozzles with regard to identifying further benificial research efforts.

Damage Tolerance Assessment of Friction Pull Plug Welds in an Aluminum Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Preston; Burkholder, Jonathan

2012-01-01

Friction stir welding is a solid state welding process used in the fabrication of cryogenic propellant tanks. Self-reacting friction stir welding is one variation of the friction stir weld process being developed for manufacturing tanks. Friction pull plug welding is used to seal the exit hole that remains in a circumferential self-reacting friction stir weld. A friction plug weld placed in a self-reacting friction stir weld results in a non-homogenous weld joint where the initial weld, plug weld, their respective heat affected zones and the base metal all interact. The welded joint is a composite plastically deformed material system with a complex residual stress field. In order to address damage tolerance concerns associated with friction plug welds in safety critical structures, such as propellant tanks, nondestructive inspection and proof testing may be required to screen hardware for mission critical defects. The efficacy of the nondestructive evaluation or the proof test is based on an assessment of the critical flaw size. Test data relating residual strength capability to flaw size in an aluminum alloy friction plug weld will be presented.

Periapical tissue healing after post space preparation with or without use of a protection plug and root canal exposure to the oral environment. Study in dogs.

PubMed

Holland, Roberto; Manne, Luciana Noronha; de Souza, Valdir; Murata, Sueli Satomi; Dezan Júnior, Eloi

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of coronal leakage on the healing of dogs' periapical tissues after root canal filling, post space preparation and protection or not with a temporary sealer plug. Forty root canals of dogs' teeth were instrumented and filled by the lateral condensation technique with gutta-percha points and Endomethasone or CRCS sealers. After post space preparation, the remaining filling material was protected or not with a plug of temporary Coltosol sealer and exposed to the oral environment for 90 days. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed and the specimens were removed and prepared for histomorphological and histobacteriological analysis. The findings revealed 35% of microbial leakage in the groups without plugs and 15% of leakage in the groups with plugs. Statistical analysis showed that the use of a Coltosol plug improved significantly the histomorphological results regardless of the type of root canal sealer (p=0.05) and that CRCS and Endomethasone sealers showed similar results (p>0.05).

Large discharge-volume, silent discharge spark plug

DOEpatents

Kang, Michael

1995-01-01

A large discharge-volume spark plug for providing self-limiting microdischarges. The apparatus includes a generally spark plug-shaped arrangement of a pair of electrodes, where either of the two coaxial electrodes is substantially shielded by a dielectric barrier from a direct discharge from the other electrode, the unshielded electrode and the dielectric barrier forming an annular volume in which self-terminating microdischarges occur when alternating high voltage is applied to the center electrode. The large area over which the discharges occur, and the large number of possible discharges within the period of an engine cycle, make the present silent discharge plasma spark plug suitable for use as an ignition source for engines. In the situation, where a single discharge is effective in causing ignition of the combustible gases, a conventional single-polarity, single-pulse, spark plug voltage supply may be used.

Engaging Tenants in Reducing Plug Load Energy Use

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

Schantz, Marta; Langner, Rois

Plug and Process Loads (PPLs) account for an increasingly large percentage of commercial building energy use in the U.S. due to the rising number of energy intensive plug-in devices. In addition, buildings are becoming more and more efficient and plug load energy use has become an increasingly pertinent component to achieving aggressive energy targets and netzero energy status. For multi-tenant buildings, controlling plug loads in tenant spaces can be a significant challenge. Luckily, there are a number of PPL reduction strategies, best practices, and lessons learned from numerous commercial real estate and higher education leaders who have successfully engaged buildingmore » occupants and tenants in reducing PPL energy use. This paper provides actionable PPL reduction strategies and best practices that building owners and managers can immediately apply to their own buildings.« less

Screening fungicides for use in fish culture: Evaluation of the agar plug transfer, cellophane transfer, and agar dilution methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Tom A.

1983-01-01

The reliability, reproducibility, and usefulness of three screening methods -- the cellophane transfer, the agar plug transfer, and the agar dilution -- to screen aquatic fungicides were evaluated. Achlya flagellata and Saprolegnia hypogyna were exposed to 1, 10, and 100 mg/L of malachite green to test each method. The cellophane transfer and agar plug transfer techniques had similar reliability and reproducibility in rating fungicidal activity, and were both superior to the agar dilution technique. The agar plug transfer and agar dilution techniques adequately projected in vivo activity of malachite green, but the cellophane transfer technique overestimated its activity. Overall, the agar plug transfer technique most accurately rated the activity of malachite green and was the easiest test to perform. It therefore appears to be the method of choice for testing aquatic fungicides.

Surface sampling concentration and reaction probe

DOEpatents

Van Berkel, Gary J; Elnaggar, Mariam S

2013-07-16

A method of analyzing a chemical composition of a specimen is described. The method can include providing a probe comprising an outer capillary tube and an inner capillary tube disposed co-axially within the outer capillary tube, where the inner and outer capillary tubes define a solvent capillary and a sampling capillary in fluid communication with one another at a distal end of the probe; contacting a target site on a surface of a specimen with a solvent in fluid communication with the probe; maintaining a plug volume proximate a solvent-specimen interface, wherein the plug volume is in fluid communication with the probe; draining plug sampling fluid from the plug volume through the sampling capillary; and analyzing a chemical composition of the plug sampling fluid with an analytical instrument. A system for performing the method is also described.

Surface sampling concentration and reaction probe with controller to adjust sampling position

DOEpatents

Van Berkel, Gary J.; ElNaggar, Mariam S.

2016-07-19

A method of analyzing a chemical composition of a specimen is described. The method can include providing a probe comprising an outer capillary tube and an inner capillary tube disposed co-axially within the outer capillary tube, where the inner and outer capillary tubes define a solvent capillary and a sampling capillary in fluid communication with one another at a distal end of the probe; contacting a target site on a surface of a specimen with a solvent in fluid communication with the probe; maintaining a plug volume proximate a solvent-specimen interface, wherein the plug volume is in fluid communication with the probe; draining plug sampling fluid from the plug volume through the sampling capillary; and analyzing a chemical composition of the plug sampling fluid with an analytical instrument. A system for performing the method is also described.

Integrated fountain effect pump device for fluid management at low gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuan, S. W. K.; Frank, D. J.

1988-01-01

A new device for fluid management at low gravity is described. The system is basically the same as the enclosed capillary device using screens, in which the screens along the gallery channels are replaced by porous plugs which are responsible for both the fluid retention and pumping of He II; in this device, no downstream pump is needed. The plugs in contact with liquid He on both sides act as a fountain-effect pumps (FEPs), while plugs exposed to vapor on one side behave as vapor-liquid phase separators (VLPSs). The total net rate of He II transfer into the receiving tank equals the mass flow rate through the FEP plugs minus the liquid loss from the VLPS plugs. The results of the performance analysis of this integrated FEP device are presented together with its schematic diagram.

Porous plug for Gravity Probe B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Suwen; Everitt, C. W. Francis; Frank, David J.; Lipa, John A.; Muhlfelder, Barry F.

2015-11-01

The confinement of superfluid helium for a Dewar in space poses a unique challenge due to its propensity to minimize thermal gradients by essentially viscous-free counterflow. This poses the risk of losing liquid through a vent pipe, reducing the efficiency of the cooling process. To confine the liquid helium in the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) flight Dewar, a porous plug technique was invented at Stanford University. Here, we review the history of the porous plug and its development, and describe the physics underlying its operation. We summarize a few missions that employed porous plugs, some of which preceded the launch of GP-B. The design, manufacture and flight performance of the GP-B plug are described, and its use resulted in the successful operation of the 2441 l flight Dewar on-orbit for 17.3 months.

An orthogonal ferromagnetically coupled tetracopper(II) 2 x 2 homoleptic grid supported by micro-O4 bridges and its DFT study.

PubMed

Roy, Somnath; Mandal, Tarak Nath; Barik, Anil Kumar; Pal, Sachindranath; Butcher, Ray J; El Fallah, Mohamed Salah; Tercero, Javier; Kar, Susanta Kumar

2007-03-28

A pyrazole based ditopic ligand (PzOAP), prepared by the reaction between 5-methylpyrazole-3-carbohydrazide and methyl ester of imino picolinic acid, reacts with Cu(NO3)2.6H2O to form a self-assembled, ferromagnetically coupled, alkoxide bridged tetranuclear homoleptic Cu(II) square grid-complex [Cu4(PzOAP)4(NO3)2] (NO3)2.4H2O (1) with a central Cu4[micro-O4] core, involving four ligand molecules. In the Cu4[micro-O4] core, out of four copper centers, two copper centers are penta-coordinated and the remaining two are hexa-coordinated. In each case of hexa-coordination, the sixth position is occupied by the nitrate ion. The complex 1 has been characterized structurally and magnetically. Although Cu-O-Cu bridge angles are too large (138-141 degrees) and Cu-Cu distances are short (4.043-4.131 A), suitable for propagation of expected antiferromagnetic exchange interactions within the grid, yet intramolecular ferromagnetic exchange (J = 5.38 cm(-1)) is present with S = 4/2 magnetic ground state. This ferromagnetic interaction is quite obvious from the bridging connections (d(x2-y2)) lying almost orthogonally between the metal centers. The exchange pathways parameters have been evaluated from density functional calculations.

Ford Plug-In Project: Bringing PHEVs to Market Demonstration and Validation Project

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

D'Annunzio, Julie; Slezak, Lee; Conley, John Jason

2014-03-26

This project is in support of our national goal to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. By supporting efforts that contribute toward the successful mass production of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, our nation’s transportation-related fuel consumption can be offset with energy from the grid. Over four and a half years ago, when this project was originally initiated, plug-in electric vehicles were not readily available in the mass marketplace. Through the creation of a 21 unit plug-in hybrid vehicle fleet, this program was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology and to help build cross-industry familiarity with the technology andmore » interface of this technology with the grid. Ford Escape PHEV Demonstration Fleet 3 March 26, 2014 Since then, however, plug-in vehicles have become increasingly more commonplace in the market. Ford, itself, now offers an all-electric vehicle and two plug-in hybrid vehicles in North America and has announced a third plug-in vehicle offering for Europe. Lessons learned from this project have helped in these production vehicle launches and are mentioned throughout this report. While the technology of plugging in a vehicle to charge a high voltage battery with energy from the grid is now in production, the ability for vehicle-to-grid or bi-directional energy flow was farther away than originally expected. Several technical, regulatory and potential safety issues prevented progressing the vehicle-to-grid energy flow (V2G) demonstration and, after a review with the DOE, V2G was removed from this demonstration project. Also proving challenging were communications between a plug-in vehicle and the grid or smart meter. While this project successfully demonstrated the vehicle to smart meter interface, cross-industry and regulatory work is still needed to define the vehicle-to-grid communication interface.« less

Plug-in-Gait calculation of the knee adduction moment in people with knee osteoarthritis during shod walking: comparison of two different foot marker models.

PubMed

Paterson, Kade L; Hinman, Rana S; Metcalf, Ben R; Bennell, Kim L; Wrigley, Tim V

2017-01-01

Understanding how kinematic multi-segment foot modelling influences the utility of Plug-in-Gait calculations of the knee adduction moment (KAM) during shod walking is relevant to knee osteoarthritis (OA). Multi-segment foot markers placed on the skin through windows cut in to the shoe provide a more accurate representation of foot mechanics than the traditional marker set used by Plug-in-Gait, which uses fewer markers, placed on the shoe itself. We aimed to investigate whether Plug-in-Gait calculation of the KAM differed when using a kinematic multi-segment foot model compared to the traditional Plug-in-Gait marker set. Twenty people with medial knee OA underwent gait analysis in two test conditions: i) Plug-in-Gait model with its two standard foot markers placed on the shoes and; ii) Plug-in-Gait with the heel marker virtualised from a modified-Oxford Foot Model where 8 ft markers were placed on the skin through windows cut in shoe uppers. Outcomes were the peak KAM, KAM impulse and other knee kinetic and kinematic variables. There were no differences ( P  > 0.05) in any gait variables between conditions. Excellent agreement was found for all outcome variables, with high correlations ( r  > 0.88-0.99, P  < 0.001), narrow limits of agreement and no proportional bias ( R 2  = 0.03-0.14, P  > 0.05). The mean difference and 95% confidence intervals for peak KAM were also within the minimal detectable change range demonstrating equivalence. Plug-in-Gait calculations of the KAM are not altered when using a kinematic multi-segment foot marker model with skin markers placed through windows cut in to the shoe, instead of the traditional marker set placed on top of shoes. Researchers may be confident that applying either foot model does not change the calculation of the KAM using Plug-in-Gait.

Water-Floating Giant Nanosheets from Helical Peptide Pentamers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaehun; Nam, Ki Tae

One of the important challenges in the development of protein-mimetic materials is to understand the sequence specific assembly behavior and the dynamic folding change. Conventional strategies to construct two dimensional nanostructures from the peptides have been limited to beta-sheet forming sequences in use of basic building blocks because of their natural tendency to form sheet like aggregations. Here we identified a new peptide sequence, YFCFY that can form dimers by the disulfide bridge, fold into helix and assemble into macroscopic flat sheet at the air/water interface. Because of large driving force for two dimensional assembly and high elastic modulus of the resulting sheet, the peptide assembly induces the flattening of initially round water droplet. Additionally, we found that stabilization of helix by the dimerization is a key determinant for maintaining macroscopic flatness over a few tens centimeter even with a uniform thickness below 10 nm. Furthermore, the capability to transfer 2D film from water droplet to other substrates allows for the multiple stacking of 2D peptide nanostructure, suggesting possible applications in the biomimetic catalysts, biosensor and 2D related electronic devices. This work was supported by Samsung Research Funding Center of Samsung Electronics under Project Number SRFC-MA1401-01.

Understanding self-assembly of charged-neutral block copolymer (BCP) and surfactant complexes using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, Monojoy; Sumpter, Bobby; Kilbey, Michael

Here we report the formation of phase separated BCP-surfactant complexes resulting from the electrostatic self-assembly of charge-neutral block copolymers with oppositely charged surfactants. Complexation behaviors of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes has gained considerable attention in the field of soft condensed matter physics due to their potential application as functional nanomaterials for batteries, wastewater treatment and drug delivery systems. Numerous experiments have examined the self-assembled structures resulting from complexation of charge-neutral BCP and surfactants, however, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding at the fundamental level. To help bridge this gap, we use, MD simulations to study self-assembly and dynamics of the BCP-surfactant complex at the molecular level. Our results show an overcharging effect in BCPs with hydrophobic neutral blocks and a formation of core-shell colloidal structure. Hydrophilic neutral blocks, on the other hand, show stable, hairy colloidal structures with neutral blocks forming a loosely-bound, fuzzy outer layer. Our results qualitatively agree with previous SANS and SAXS experiments. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division.

Well sealing via thermite reactions

DOEpatents

Lowry, William Edward; Dunn, Sandra Dalvit

2016-11-15

A platform is formed in a well below a target plug zone by lowering a thermite reaction charge into the well and igniting it, whereby the products of the reaction are allowed to cool and expand to form a platform or support in the well. A main thermite reaction charge is placed above the platform and ignited to form a main sealing plug for the well. In some embodiments an upper plug is formed by igniting an upper thermite reaction charge above the main thermite reaction charge. The upper plug confines the products of ignition of the main thermite reaction charge.

Vas deferens occlusion by percutaneous injection of polyurethane elastomer plugs: clinical experience and reversibility.

PubMed

Zhao, S C

1990-05-01

A non-incision method of vas occlusion based on the percutaneous injection of polyurethane elastomer solution to form plugs is described. The results are based on clinical experience in 12,000 men in which only 56 cases of minor complications were recorded. Follow-up of 500 men for up to 3 years demonstrated an azoospermia rate of 98%. Plugs have been removed from 86 men and, to date, 51 have made their wives pregnant. In those from which the plugs have been removed for more than 1 year (n = 31), the pregnancy rate is 100%.

Electronic-type vacuum gauges with replaceable elements

DOEpatents

Edwards, Jr., David

1984-01-01

In electronic devices for measuring pressures in vacuum systems, the metal elements which undergo thermal deterioration are made readily replaceable by making them parts of a simple plug-in unit. Thus, in ionization gauges, the filament and grid or electron collector are mounted on the novel plug-in unit. In thermocouple pressure gauges, the heater and attached thermocouple are mounted on the plug-in unit. Plug-in units have been designed to function, alternatively, as ionization gauge and as thermocouple gauge, thus providing new gauges capable of measuring broader pressure ranges than is possible with either an ionization gauge or a thermocouple gauge.

LST CGM Generator and Viewer Final Report CRADA No. TSB-1558-98

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

Vickers, Don; Larson, Don

The purpose of this project was to jointly develop and test a software plug-in that would convert native Pro /ENGINEER digital engineering drawings to Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) format. If it was not feasible to convert the Pro/ENGINEER files, we planned to develop and test a similar conversion of native AutoCAD engineering drawings to CGM. CGM viewer plug-ins were developed as needed. There were four main tasks in this project: 1. Requirements for CGM Plug-in 2. Product Evaluation 3. Product Development Feasibility Study 4. Developing a "Plug-In" Application.

The ascent of man(made oxidoreductases).

PubMed

Grayson, Katie J; Anderson, Jl Ross

2018-05-10

Though established 40 years ago, the field of de novo protein design has recently come of age, with new designs exhibiting an unprecedented level of sophistication in structure and function. With respect to catalysis, de novo enzymes promise to revolutionise the industrial production of useful chemicals and materials, while providing new biomolecules as plug-and-play components in the metabolic pathways of living cells. To this end, there are now de novo metalloenzymes that are assembled in vivo, including the recently reported C45 maquette, which can catalyse a variety of substrate oxidations with efficiencies rivalling those of closely related natural enzymes. Here we explore the successful design of this de novo enzyme, which was designed to minimise the undesirable complexity of natural proteins using a minimalistic bottom-up approach. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Steady-State Thermal-Hydraulics Analyses for the Conversion of the BR2 Reactor to LEU

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

Licht, J. R.; Bergeron, A.; Dionne, B.

2015-12-01

BR2 is a research reactor used for radioisotope production and materials testing. It’s a tank-in-pool type reactor cooled by light water and moderated by beryllium and light water (Figure 1). The reactor core consists of a beryllium moderator forming a matrix of 79 hexagonal prisms in a hyperboloid configuration; each having a central bore that can contain a variety of different components such as a fuel assembly, a control or regulating rod, an experimental device, or a beryllium or aluminum plug. Based on a series of tests, the BR2 operation is currently limited to a maximum allowable heat flux ofmore » 470 W/cm2 to ensure fuel plate integrity during steady-state operation and after a loss-of-flow/loss-of-pressure accident.« less

NUCLEAR REACTOR FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY

DOEpatents

Stengel, F.G.

1963-12-24

A method of fabricating nuclear reactor fuel element assemblies having a plurality of longitudinally extending flat fuel elements in spaced parallel relation to each other to form channels is presented. One side of a flat side plate is held contiguous to the ends of the elements and a welding means is passed along the other side of the platertransverse to the direction of the longitudinal extension of the elements. The setting and speed of travel of the welding means is set to cause penetration of the side plate with welds at bridge the gap in each channel between adjacent fuel elements with a weld-through bubble of predetermined size. The fabrication of a high strength, dependable fuel element is provided, and the reduction of distortion and high production costs are facilitated by this method. (AEC)

Time-resolved spectra of dense plasma focus using spectrometer, streak camera, and CCD combination.

PubMed

Goldin, F J; Meehan, B T; Hagen, E C; Wilkins, P R

2010-10-01

A time-resolving spectrographic instrument has been assembled with the primary components of a spectrometer, image-converting streak camera, and CCD recording camera, for the primary purpose of diagnosing highly dynamic plasmas. A collection lens defines the sampled region and couples light from the plasma into a step index, multimode fiber which leads to the spectrometer. The output spectrum is focused onto the photocathode of the streak camera, the output of which is proximity-coupled to the CCD. The spectrometer configuration is essentially Czerny-Turner, but off-the-shelf Nikon refraction lenses, rather than mirrors, are used for practicality and flexibility. Only recently assembled, the instrument requires significant refinement, but has now taken data on both bridge wire and dense plasma focus experiments.

Quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIP) with selectively regrown N-GaAs plugs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsukura, Yusuke; Nishino, Hironori; Tanaka, Hitoshi; Fujii, Toshio

2001-10-01

We fabricated the GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photo detector (QWIP) focal plane array with selectively re-grown N- GaAs interconnection plugs and demonstrated its device operation, in order to establish the technology to obtain both complex device functions and device manufacturability. MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) grown QWIP MQW wafers were covered with SiON and SiNx mask films to obtain selectivity of the re-growth process. N-GaAs plugs were re-grown selectively with low-pressure MOCVD (Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) with AsH3 and Dimethylgalliumchloride as precursors, only on the bottom surfaces of the holes for the interconnection to extract the electrodes from the underlying epilayer. Cross- sectional SEM observation revealed that the feature of the re- grown N-GaAs plugs was triangular, rather than rectangular as expected. The reason for this discrepancy is not yet clear. The electrical contact between the epilayer and re-grown N- GaAs plug was 'ohmic-like,' without any trace of interfacial barrier. The Current-Voltage characteristics of the fabricated QWIP device showed no tangible leakage current between the N- GaAs plug and device structure, indicating that electrical insulation between the N-GaAs plugs and device structure was sufficient. Fabricated devices were successfully operated as a hybrid focal plane array, indicating the selective re-growth was a promising technique to realize complex QWIP based devices.

The induction and compensation of asymmetric eye movements following unilateral blockage of a horizontal semicircular canal in the rabbit.

PubMed

Barmack, N H; Pettorossi, V E

1988-08-01

The influence of unilateral plugs of the left horizontal semicircular canal (LHC plugs) of rabbits on the development and compensation of asymmetric eye movements evoked by horizontal vestibular stimulation was studied. LHC plugs caused an immediate reduction of 50-65% in the gain of the horizontal vestibuloocular reflex (HVOR). This reduction in gain was achieved without altering the symmetry of the HVOR, and was accompanied by a change in the axial alignment of eye movements evoked by vestibular stimulation about the vertical (HVOR) and longitudinal (VVOR) axes. Postoperative asymmetry of eye movements developed 12-48 hr after the plugging operation. The development of asymmetry was reduced if the rabbit was restrained for 24 hr, thereby minimizing vestibular stimulation following the plugging operation. Over a 3-4 week period, the normal symmetry of eye movements was restored and the axial alignments of the HVOR and VVOR returned to the preoperative values. The gain of the HVOR did not recover. The horizontal cervicoocular reflex (HCOR) was examined before the plugging operation and after compensation of asymmetry was complete. The gain and phase of the HCOR were not altered. A relatively simple set of explanations at a cellular level is proposed to account for the induction and compensation of asymmetric eye movements following a unilateral plug of the horizontal semicircular canal.

Liquid microjunction surface sampling probe fluid dynamics: Characterization and application of an analyte plug formation operational mode

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

ElNaggar, Mariam S.; Van Berkel, Gary J.

2011-08-10

The recently discovered sample plug formation and injection operational mode of a continuous flow, coaxial tube geometry, liquid microjunction surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP) (J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom, 2011) was further characterized and applied for concentration and mixing of analyte extracted from multiple areas on a surface and for nanoliter-scale chemical reactions of sampled material. A transparent LMJ-SSP was constructed and colored analytes were used so that the surface sampling process, plug formation, and the chemical reactions could be visually monitored at the sampling end of the probe before being analyzed by mass spectrometry of the injected sample plug. Injectionmore » plug peak widths were consistent for plug hold times as long as the 8 minute maximum attempted (RSD below 1.5%). Furthermore, integrated injection peak signals were not significantly different for the range of hold times investigated. The ability to extract and completely mix individual samples within a fixed volume at the sampling end of the probe was demonstrated and a linear mass spectral response to the number of equivalent analyte spots sampled was observed. Lastly, using the color and mass changing chemical reduction of the redox dye 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol with ascorbic acid, the ability to sample, concentrate, and efficiently run reactions within the same plug volume within the probe was demonstrated.« less