Fifteen-year results from six cutting methods in second-growth northern hardwoods.

Treesearch

Gayne G. Erdmann; Robert R. Oberg

1973-01-01

Presents and compares stand growth and yield information from three single-tree selection cuts, a crop-tree release treatment, an 8-inch diameter limit cut, and an uncut control. Discusses the influence of stand density on basal area growth, cubic volume growth, and board-foot volume growth.

36 CFR 223.36 - Volume determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... other products, or by measuring the trees before cutting. If the contract or permit provides for the determination of volume by tree measurement and the timber has been paid for, the marking or otherwise designating of the tree authorizes cutting and removal. Otherwise no timber cut under any contract shall be...

36 CFR 223.36 - Volume determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... other products, or by measuring the trees before cutting. If the contract or permit provides for the determination of volume by tree measurement and the timber has been paid for, the marking or otherwise designating of the tree authorizes cutting and removal. Otherwise no timber cut under any contract shall be...

36 CFR 223.36 - Volume determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... other products, or by measuring the trees before cutting. If the contract or permit provides for the determination of volume by tree measurement and the timber has been paid for, the marking or otherwise designating of the tree authorizes cutting and removal. Otherwise no timber cut under any contract shall be...

36 CFR 223.36 - Volume determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... other products, or by measuring the trees before cutting. If the contract or permit provides for the determination of volume by tree measurement and the timber has been paid for, the marking or otherwise designating of the tree authorizes cutting and removal. Otherwise no timber cut under any contract shall be...

Effects of cutting time, stump height, parent tree characteristics, and harvest variables on development of bigleaf maple sprout clumps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tappeiner, J. C.; Zasada, J.; Maxwell, B.

1996-01-01

In order to determine the effects of stump height, year of cutting, parent-tree size, logging damage, and deer browsing on bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) sprout clump development, maple trees were cut to two stump heights at three different times. Stump height had the greatest impact on sprout clump size. Two years after clearcutting, the sprout clump volume for short stumps was significantly less than that for tall stumps. The sprout clump volume, area, and number of sprouts were significantly less for trees cut 1 and 2 yr before harvest than for trees cut at harvest. Sprout clump size was positively correlated with parent tree stem diameter and stump volume, and negatively correlated with the percentage of bark removed during logging. Browsing had no significant impact on average clump size. Uncut trees produced sprout clumps at their base and epicormic branches along the length of their stems; thus their crown volume averaged four to five times that of cut trees. Cutting maple in clearcuts to low stumps may reduce maple competition with Douglas-fir regeneration and still maintain maple in the next stand.

Optimized path planning for soft tissue resection via laser vaporization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Weston; Cornwell, Neil; Tucker, Matthew; Mann, Brian; Codd, Patrick

2018-02-01

Robotic and robotic-assisted surgeries are becoming more prevalent with the promise of improving surgical outcomes through increased precision, reduced operating times, and minimally invasive procedures. The handheld laser scalpel in neurosurgery has been shown to provide a more gentle approach to tissue manipulation on or near critical structures over classical tooling, though difficulties of control have prevented large scale adoption of the tool. This paper presents a novel approach to generating a cutting path for the volumetric resection of tissue using a computer-guided laser scalpel. A soft tissue ablation simulator is developed and used in conjunction with an optimization routine to select parameters which maximize the total resection of target tissue while minimizing the damage to surrounding tissue. The simulator predicts the ablative properties of tissue from an interrogation cut for tuning and simulates the removal of a tumorous tissue embedded on the surface of healthy tissue using a laser scalpel. We demonstrate the ability to control depth and smoothness of cut using genetic algorithms to optimize the ablation parameters and cutting path. The laser power level, cutting rate and spacing between cuts are optimized over multiple surface cuts to achieve the desired resection volumes.

How to recover more value from small pine trees: Essential oils and resins

Treesearch

Vasant M. Kelkar; Brian W. Geils; Dennis R. Becker; Steven T. Overby; Daniel G. Neary

2006-01-01

In recent years, the young dense forests of northern Arizona have suffered extreme droughts, wildfires, and insect outbreaks. Improving forest health requires reducing forest density by cutting many small-diameter trees with the consequent production of large volumes of residual biomass. To offset the cost of handling this low-value timber, additional marketing options...

Comparison of Echocardiographic Measures in a Hispanic/Latino Population with the 2005 and 2015 American Society of Echocardiography Reference Limits [The Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL)

PubMed Central

Qureshi, Waqas T.; Leigh, J. Adam; Swett, Katrina; Ajay, Dharod; Allison, Matthew A.; Cai, Jianwen; Gonzalez, Franklyn; Hurwitz, Barry E.; Shah, Sanjiv J.; Desai, Ankit A.; Spevack, Daniel M.; Rodriguez, Carlos J.

2015-01-01

Background Reference limits for echocardiographic quantification of cardiac chambers in Hispanics are not well studied. Methods and Results We examined the reference values of left atrium (LA) and ventricle (LV) structure in a large ethnically diverse Hispanic cohort. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 1,818 participants of the Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL). Individuals with body mass index ≥30kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation were excluded leaving 525 participants defined as healthy reference-cohort. We estimated 95th weighted percentiles of LV end systolic volume, LV end diastolic volume, relative wall and septal thickness, LV mass and left atrial volume. We then used upper reference limits of the 2005 and 2015 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and 95th percentile of reference cohort to classify the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) target population into abnormal and normal. Reference limits were also calculated for each of 6 Hispanic origins. Using ASE 2015 defined reference values we categorized 7%, 21%, 57% and 17% of males and 18%, 29%, 60% and 26% of females as having abnormal LV mass index, relative, septal and posterior wall thickness, respectively. Conversely, 10%, and 11% of males and 4% and 2% of females were classified as having abnormal end-diastolic volume and internal diameter by ASE 2015 cut-offs, respectively. Similar differences were found when we used 2005 ASE cut offs. Several differences were noted in distribution of cardiac structure and volumes among various Hispanic/Latino origins. Cubans had highest values of echocardiographic measures and Central Americans had the lowest. Conclusions This is the first large study that provides normal reference values for cardiac structure. It further demonstrates that a considerable segment of Hispanic/Latinos residing in US may be classified as having abnormal measures of cardiac chambers when 2015 and 2005 ASE reference cut-offs are used. PMID:26712159

Ratio of Cut Surface Area to Leaf Sample Volume for Water Potential Measurements by Thermocouple Psychrometers

PubMed Central

Walker, Sue; Oosterhuis, Derrick M.; Wiebe, Herman H.

1984-01-01

Evaporative losses from the cut edge of leaf samples are of considerable importance in measurements of leaf water potential using thermocouple psychrometers. The ratio of cut surface area to leaf sample volume (area to volume ratio) has been used to give an estimate of possible effects of evaporative loss in relation to sample size. A wide range of sample sizes with different area to volume ratios has been used. Our results using Glycine max L. Merr. cv Bragg indicate that leaf samples with area to volume values less than 0.2 square millimeter per cubic millimeter give psychrometric leaf water potential measurements that compare favorably with pressure chamber measurements. PMID:16663578

Secondary bremsstrahlung and the energy-conservation aspects of kerma in photon-irradiated media.

PubMed

Kumar, Sudhir; Nahum, Alan E

2016-02-07

Kerma, collision kerma and absorbed dose in media irradiated by megavoltage photons are analysed with respect to energy conservation. The user-code DOSRZnrc was employed to compute absorbed dose D, kerma K and a special form of kerma, K ncpt, obtained by setting the charged-particle transport energy cut-off very high, thereby preventing the generation of 'secondary bremsstrahlung' along the charged-particle paths. The user-code FLURZnrc was employed to compute photon fluence, differential in energy, from which collision kerma, K col and K were derived. The ratios K/D, K ncpt/D and K col/D have thereby been determined over a very large volumes of water, aluminium and copper irradiated by broad, parallel beams of 0.1 to 25 MeV monoenergetic photons, and 6, 10 and 15 MV 'clinical' radiotherapy qualities. Concerning depth-dependence, the 'area under the kerma, K, curve' exceeded that under the dose curve, demonstrating that kerma does not conserve energy when computed over a large volume. This is due to the 'double counting' of the energy of the secondary bremsstrahlung photons, this energy being (implicitly) included in the kerma 'liberated' in the irradiated medium, at the same time as this secondary bremsstrahlung is included in the photon fluence which gives rise to kerma elsewhere in the medium. For 25 MeV photons this 'violation' amounts to 8.6%, 14.2% and 25.5% in large volumes of water, aluminium and copper respectively but only 0.6% for a 'clinical' 6 MV beam in water. By contrast, K col/D and K ncpt/D, also computed over very large phantoms of the same three media, for the same beam qualities, are equal to unity within (very low) statistical uncertainties, demonstrating that collision kerma and the special type of kerma, K ncpt, do conserve energy over a large volume. A comparison of photon fluence spectra for the 25 MeV beam at a depth of  ≈51 g cm−2 for both very high and very low charged-particle transport cut-offs reveals the considerable contribution to the total photon fluence by secondary bremsstrahlung in the latter case. Finally, a correction to the 'kerma integral' has been formulated to account for the energy transferred to charged particles by photons with initial energies below the Monte-Carlo photon transport cut-off PCUT; for 25 MeV photons this 'photon track end' correction is negligible for all PCUT below 10 keV.

Automated Cell-Cutting for Cell Cloning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichikawa, Akihiko; Tanikawa, Tamio; Matsukawa, Kazutsugu; Takahashi, Seiya; Ohba, Kohtaro

We develop an automated cell-cutting technique for cell cloning. Animal cells softened by the cytochalasin treatment are injected into a microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip contains two orthogonal channels: one microchannel is wide, used to transport cells, and generates the cutting flow; the other is thin and used for aspiration, fixing, and stretching of the cell. The injected cell is aspirated and stretched in the thin microchannel. Simultaneously, the volumes of the cell before and after aspiration are calculated; the volumes are used to calculate the fluid flow required to aspirate half the volume of the cell into the thin microchannel. Finally, we apply a high-speed flow in the orthogonal microchannel to bisect the cell. This paper reports the cutting process, the cutting system, and the results of the experiment.

Increasing the amount of corticotomy does not affect orthodontic tooth movement or root resorption, but accelerates alveolar bone resorption in rats.

PubMed

Kurohama, Takeshi; Hotokezaka, Hitoshi; Hashimoto, Megumi; Tajima, Takako; Arita, Kotaro; Kondo, Takanobu; Ino, Airi; Yoshida, Noriaki

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships among the volume of bone cut during corticotomy, amount of tooth movement, volume of root resorption, and volume of the resultant alveolar bone resorption after tooth movement. Ten-week-old female Wistar rats were distributed into the corticotomy groups and a control group that underwent sham corticotomy. Two experiments employing two different orthodontic forces (10 or 25g) and experimental periods (14 or 21 days) were performed. The volumes of the bone cut by corticotomy were 0.1, 1.0, and 1.7mm3 in the 25g groups, and 1.0 and 1.7mm3 in the 10g groups. Nickel-titanium closed-coil springs were set on the maxillary left first molars to induce mesial movement. After orthodontic tooth movement, the amount of tooth movement, volume of root resorption, and volume of alveolar bone resorption were measured. Despite differences in the volume of bone cut among the different corticotomy groups, there were not significant differences in the amount of tooth movement and volume of root resorption between the control group and any of the corticotomy groups. However, higher volume of bone cut during corticotomy was significantly related to the decreased alveolar bone volume-in particular, to the reduced height of the alveolar bone crest after tooth movement. The volume of the alveolar bone cut during corticotomy does not affect tooth movement or root resorption in 10-week-old female Wistar rats; however, it may increase alveolar bone loss after tooth movement. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

50 CFR Figures 18a, 18b and 18c to... - Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts and Leading Edge Cut; Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Points...—Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED...

50 CFR Figures 18a, 18b and 18c to... - Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts and Leading Edge Cut; Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Points...—Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED...

50 CFR Figures 18a, 18b and 18c to... - Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts and Leading Edge Cut; Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Points...—Large Frame TED Escape Opening; Minimum Dimensions Using All-Bar Cuts (Triangular Cuts); Large Frame TED...

49 CFR 393.136 - What are the rules for securing large boulders?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... adequately secured. (3) Rock which has been formed or cut to a shape and which provides a stable base for... blocking used to support the boulder. (e) Securement of a non-cubic shaped boulder—with a stable base. In... piece of natural, irregularly shaped rock weighing in excess of 5,000 kg (11,000 lb.) or with a volume...

Applying a crop-tree release in small-sawtimber white oak stands

Treesearch

Jeffrey W Stringer; Gary W. Miller; Robert F. Wittwer; Robert F. Wittwer

1988-01-01

Small-sawtimber white oak crop trees in Kentucky were released by a crown-touching technique. In two cutting treatments, 20 and 34 crop trees were released per acre at a total cost of $35 and $42, respectively. Both treatments yielded commercial volumes of cut material. Total mean merchantable volume (> 5.0 inches d.b.h.) in cut trees was 693 cubic feet/acre, with...

[Definition of low threshold volumes for quality assurance: conceptual and methodological issues involved in the definition and evaluation of thresholds for volume outcome relations in clinical care].

PubMed

Wetzel, Hermann

2006-01-01

In a large number of mostly retrospective association studies, a statistical relationship between volume and quality of health care has been reported. However, the relevance of these results is frequently limited by methodological shortcomings. In this article, criteria for the evidence and definition of thresholds for volume-outcome relations are proposed, e.g. the specification of relevant outcomes for quality indicators, analysis of volume as a continuous variable with an adequate case-mix and risk adjustment, accounting for cluster effects and considering mathematical models for the derivation of cut-off values. Moreover, volume thresholds are regarded as surrogate parameters for the indirect classification of the quality of care, whose diagnostic validity and effectiveness in improving health care quality need to be evaluated in prospective studies.

Weight-Volume relationships of Aspen and Winter-Cut Black Spruce Pulpwood in Northern Minnesota

Treesearch

David C. Lothner; Richard M. Marden; Edwin Kallio

1974-01-01

Seasonal weight-volume relationships were determined for rough (bark on) aspen and black spruce 100-inch pulpwood that was delivered withing 1 week after cutting in northern Minnesota during 1971-72. For aspen, the weight of wood and bark per cubic foot of wood averaged 56 pounds in the winter and 61 pounds in the summer. This relationshipfor winter-cut black spruce...

Canopy volume removal from oil and gas development activity in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York (USA): An assessment using lidar data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, John A.; Maloney, Kelly O.; Slonecker, Terry; Milheim, Lesley E.; Siripoonsup, David

2018-01-01

Oil and gas development is changing the landscape in many regions of the United States and globally. However, the nature, extent, and magnitude of landscape change and development, and precisely how this development compares to other ongoing land conversion (e.g. urban/sub-urban development, timber harvest) is not well understood. In this study, we examine land conversion from oil and gas infrastructure development in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York, an area that has experienced much oil and gas development over the past 10 years. We quantified land conversion in terms of forest canopy geometric volume loss in contrast to previous studies that considered only areal impacts. For the first time in a study of this type, we use fine-scale lidar forest canopy geometric models to assess the volumetric change due to forest clearing from oil and gas development and contrast this land change to clear cut forest harvesting, and urban and suburban development. Results show that oil and gas infrastructure development removed a large volume of forest canopy from 2006 to 2013, and this removal spread over a large portion of the study area. Timber operations (clear cutting) on Pennsylvania State Forest lands removed a larger total volume of forest canopy during the same time period, but this canopy removal was concentrated in a smaller area. Results of our study point to the need to consider volumetric impacts of oil and gas development on ecosystems, and to place potential impacts in context with other ongoing land conversions.

36 CFR 223.36 - Volume determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., measuring, weighing, or counting the logs or other products, or by measuring the trees before cutting. If the contract or permit provides for the determination of volume by tree measurement and the timber has been paid for, the marking or otherwise designating of the tree authorizes cutting and removal...

Three diameter-limit cuttings in West Virginia hardwoods a 5-year report

Treesearch

Russell J. Hutnik

1958-01-01

Mine timbers are a basic need of West Virginia's giant coal industry. The annual requirement of sawed mine timbers is roughly 250 million board feet. The mines also use a large volume of wood in rough form for props and lagging. Yet, compared to sawlogs and veneer logs, these mine timbers are low-value products. This means that they must be produced at low cost....

Volume reduction of hot cell plastic wastes

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

Dykes, F W; Henscheid, J P; Lewis, L C

1989-09-19

The disposal of radioactively-contaminated solid wastes has become a national crisis. In such circumstances, it is imperative that this waste be reduced to minimum volume and be packaged to prevent pollution of the environment. The majority of the solid waste generated at the hot cell under consideration is plastic lab ware. Cutting this waste into small pieces with a hot wire technique reduced the volume 66%. Melting the waste, although more time consuming, reduced the volume 90%. The hot wire technique can also be used to cut up damaged master slave manipulator boots, greatly reducing their disposal volume.

A cut-cell finite volume – finite element coupling approach for fluid–structure interaction in compressible flow

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

Pasquariello, Vito, E-mail: vito.pasquariello@tum.de; Hammerl, Georg; Örley, Felix

2016-02-15

We present a loosely coupled approach for the solution of fluid–structure interaction problems between a compressible flow and a deformable structure. The method is based on staggered Dirichlet–Neumann partitioning. The interface motion in the Eulerian frame is accounted for by a conservative cut-cell Immersed Boundary method. The present approach enables sub-cell resolution by considering individual cut-elements within a single fluid cell, which guarantees an accurate representation of the time-varying solid interface. The cut-cell procedure inevitably leads to non-matching interfaces, demanding for a special treatment. A Mortar method is chosen in order to obtain a conservative and consistent load transfer. Wemore » validate our method by investigating two-dimensional test cases comprising a shock-loaded rigid cylinder and a deformable panel. Moreover, the aeroelastic instability of a thin plate structure is studied with a focus on the prediction of flutter onset. Finally, we propose a three-dimensional fluid–structure interaction test case of a flexible inflated thin shell interacting with a shock wave involving large and complex structural deformations.« less

Novel Technology for Enrichment of Biomolecules from Cell-Free Body Fluids and Subsequent DNA Sizing.

PubMed

Patel, Vipulkumar; Celec, Peter; Grunt, Magdalena; Schwarzenbach, Heidi; Jenneckens, Ingo; Hillebrand, Timo

2016-01-01

Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) is a promising diagnostic tool and its size fractionation is of interest. However, kits for isolation of ccfDNA available on the market are designed for small volumes hence processing large sample volumes is laborious. We have tested a new method that enables enrichment of ccfDNA from large volumes of plasma and subsequently allows size-fractionation of isolated ccfDNA into two fractions with individually established cut-off levels of ccfDNA length. This method allows isolation of low-abundant DNA as well as separation of long and short DNA molecules. This procedure may be important e.g., in prenatal diagnostics and cancer research that have been already confirmed by our primary experiments. Here, we report the results of selective separation of 200- and 500-bp long synthetic DNA fragments spiked in plasma samples. Furthermore, we size-fractionated ccfDNA from the plasma of pregnant women and verified the prevalence of fetal ccfDNA in all fractions.

Estimating allowable-cut by area-scheduling

Treesearch

William B. Leak

2011-01-01

Estimation of the regulated allowable-cut is an important step in placing a forest property under management and ensuring a continued supply of timber over time. Regular harvests also provide for the maintenance of needed wildlife habitat. There are two basic approaches: (1) volume, and (2) area/volume regulation, with many variations of each. Some require...

Detectability of large-scale power suppression in the galaxy distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibelyou, Cameron; Huterer, Dragan; Fang, Wenjuan

2010-12-01

Suppression in primordial power on the Universe’s largest observable scales has been invoked as a possible explanation for large-angle observations in the cosmic microwave background, and is allowed or predicted by some inflationary models. Here we investigate the extent to which such a suppression could be confirmed by the upcoming large-volume redshift surveys. For definiteness, we study a simple parametric model of suppression that improves the fit of the vanilla ΛCDM model to the angular correlation function measured by WMAP in cut-sky maps, and at the same time improves the fit to the angular power spectrum inferred from the maximum likelihood analysis presented by the WMAP team. We find that the missing power at large scales, favored by WMAP observations within the context of this model, will be difficult but not impossible to rule out with a galaxy redshift survey with large-volume (˜100Gpc3). A key requirement for success in ruling out power suppression will be having redshifts of most galaxies detected in the imaging survey.

Errors in Measuring Water Potentials of Small Samples Resulting from Water Adsorption by Thermocouple Psychrometer Chambers 1

PubMed Central

Bennett, Jerry M.; Cortes, Peter M.

1985-01-01

The adsorption of water by thermocouple psychrometer assemblies is known to cause errors in the determination of water potential. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of sample size and psychrometer chamber volume on measured water potentials of leaf discs, leaf segments, and sodium chloride solutions. Reasonable agreement was found between soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) leaf water potentials measured on 5-millimeter radius leaf discs and large leaf segments. Results indicated that while errors due to adsorption may be significant when using small volumes of tissue, if sufficient tissue is used the errors are negligible. Because of the relationship between water potential and volume in plant tissue, the errors due to adsorption were larger with turgid tissue. Large psychrometers which were sealed into the sample chamber with latex tubing appeared to adsorb more water than those sealed with flexible plastic tubing. Estimates are provided of the amounts of water adsorbed by two different psychrometer assemblies and the amount of tissue sufficient for accurate measurements of leaf water potential with these assemblies. It is also demonstrated that water adsorption problems may have generated low water potential values which in prior studies have been attributed to large cut surface area to volume ratios. PMID:16664367

Errors in measuring water potentials of small samples resulting from water adsorption by thermocouple psychrometer chambers.

PubMed

Bennett, J M; Cortes, P M

1985-09-01

The adsorption of water by thermocouple psychrometer assemblies is known to cause errors in the determination of water potential. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of sample size and psychrometer chamber volume on measured water potentials of leaf discs, leaf segments, and sodium chloride solutions. Reasonable agreement was found between soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) leaf water potentials measured on 5-millimeter radius leaf discs and large leaf segments. Results indicated that while errors due to adsorption may be significant when using small volumes of tissue, if sufficient tissue is used the errors are negligible. Because of the relationship between water potential and volume in plant tissue, the errors due to adsorption were larger with turgid tissue. Large psychrometers which were sealed into the sample chamber with latex tubing appeared to adsorb more water than those sealed with flexible plastic tubing. Estimates are provided of the amounts of water adsorbed by two different psychrometer assemblies and the amount of tissue sufficient for accurate measurements of leaf water potential with these assemblies. It is also demonstrated that water adsorption problems may have generated low water potential values which in prior studies have been attributed to large cut surface area to volume ratios.

Coastal Benthic Boundary Layer (CBBL) Research Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-09-01

of gas volume and bubble size distribution on the basis of field seismo-acoustic signature remains . Indirect seismic evidence (large scale) of gas...regime was dominated by reversing tidal currents with typical speeds of 10-cm s -1 or less. Maximum bed shear stresses remained too low to resuspend or...Waals attractive force are assumed to remain unchanged for separations less than the cut-off distance, and (2) the mechanical interparticle normal force

Development of rigor mortis is not affected by muscle volume.

PubMed

Kobayashi, M; Ikegaya, H; Takase, I; Hatanaka, K; Sakurada, K; Iwase, H

2001-04-01

There is a hypothesis suggesting that rigor mortis progresses more rapidly in small muscles than in large muscles. We measured rigor mortis as tension determined isometrically in rat musculus erector spinae that had been cut into muscle bundles of various volumes. The muscle volume did not influence either the progress or the resolution of rigor mortis, which contradicts the hypothesis. Differences in pre-rigor load on the muscles influenced the onset and resolution of rigor mortis in a few pairs of samples, but did not influence the time taken for rigor mortis to reach its full extent after death. Moreover, the progress of rigor mortis in this muscle was biphasic; this may reflect the early rigor of red muscle fibres and the late rigor of white muscle fibres.

Impact of the number of image planes of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography on the accuracy of left atrial and ventricular volume measurements.

PubMed

Li, Fang; Wang, Qian; Yao, Gui Hua; Zhang, Peng Fei; Ge, Zhi Ming; Zhang, Mei; Zhang, Yun

2008-01-01

Real-time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (RT-3DE) has emerged as a new technique in measuring left atrial and ventricular volume. However, the impact of cutting planes of RT-3DE on the accuracy of volume measurement in patients with a normal or enlarged heart is still unknown. We enrolled 30 normal subjects (control group) and 30 patients with heart failure (patient group). RT-3DE was performed to measure maximal volume of the left atrium (LAVmax) and left ventricular end-diastole volume (LVEDV) with 2-, 4-, 8- and 16-cutting planes, compared with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). In both groups, LAVmax by RT-3DE using 2- and 4-cutting planes was significantly underestimated (mean difference: -10.4 +/- 16.6 mL, p = 0.001 and -8.8 +/- 14.2 mL, p = 0.002 in the control group and -13.4 +/- 19.6 mL, p = 0.001 and -11.2 +/- 17.5 mL, p = 0.001 in the patient group, respectively). These differences became nonsignificant when 8- and 16-cutting planes were adopted (mean difference: -2.1 +/- 7.6 mL and -1.9 +/- 7.4 mL in the control group and -2.7 +/- 8.4 mL and -2.2 +/- 8.3 mL in the patient group, respectively). The agreement for LVEDV was acceptable when 4- or more cutting planes were used in the control group and when 8- or 16-cutting planes were used in the patient group. The time expense for data analysis of LAVmax with 8-image planes was only 7 +/- 4 min in the control group and 6 +/- 5 min in the patient group, almost halving that of the 16-image planes. Similarly, 4- and 8-cutting planes were required for an accurate measurement of LVEDV in the control and patient groups, respectively. In conclusion, RT-3DE with 8-cutting planes is both accurate and timesaving for measurement of LAVmax and LVEDV in patients with normal or enlarged left atria and ventricles.

Stability analysis of multipoint tool equipped with metal cutting ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksarov, V. V.; Khalimonenko, A. D.; Matrenichev, K. G.

2017-10-01

The article highlights the issues of determining the stability of the cutting process by a multipoint cutting tool equipped with cutting ceramics. There were some recommendations offered on the choice of parameters of replaceable cutting ceramic plates for milling based of the conducted researches. Ceramic plates for milling are proposed to be selected on the basis of value of their electrical volume resistivity.

Sound wood residue left after experimental cuttings in old-growth redwood

Treesearch

Kenneth N. Boe

1967-01-01

An estimate was made of the sound wood logging residue remaining after three different experimental cuttings on the Redwood Experimental Forest, north coastal California. The statistics on volume, size, and soundness classes are indicators of what to expect where similar volumes are harvested. The information can be useful to those planning use of logging residues,...

Modeling nanostructural surface modifications in metal cutting by an approach of thermodynamic irreversibility: Derivation and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchkremer, S.; Klocke, F.

2017-01-01

Performance and operational safety of many metal parts in engineering depend on their surface integrity. During metal cutting, large thermomechanical loads and high gradients of the loads concerning time and location act on the surfaces and may yield significant structural material modifications, which alter the surface integrity. In this work, the derivation and validation of a model of nanostructural surface modifications in metal cutting are presented. For the first time in process modeling, initiation and kinetics of these modifications are predicted using a thermodynamic potential, which considers the interdependent developments of plastic work, dissipation, heat conduction and interface energy as well as the associated productions and flows of entropy. The potential is expressed based on the free Helmholtz energy. The irreversible thermodynamic state changes in the workpiece surface are homogenized over the volume in order to bridge the gap between discrete phenomena involved with the initiation and kinetics of dynamic recrystallization and its macroscopic implications for surface integrity. The formulation of the thermodynamic potential is implemented into a finite element model of orthogonal cutting of steel AISI 4140. Close agreement is achieved between predicted nanostructures and those obtained in transmission electron microscopical investigations of specimen produced in cutting experiments.

Joint Force Quarterly. Issue 52, 1st Quarter, January 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

hazard potential n self -contained operations with minimal heat or waste effluents n largely robotic operation n inherently safe operation volume...Moreover, even if a node is destroyed or a link cut, these systems are self - healing , allowing them to continue functioning with no apparent degra...Maxie Y. Davis, and Lee T. Wight 97 Irregular Warfare Is Warfare By Kenneth C. Coons, Jr., and Glenn M. Harned 104 Wired for War? Robots and Military

An improved FIB sample preparation technique for site-specific plan-view specimens: A new cutting geometry.

PubMed

Li, Chen; Habler, Gerlinde; Baldwin, Lisa C; Abart, Rainer

2018-01-01

Focused ion beam (FIB) sample preparation technique in plan-view geometry allows direct correlations of the atomic structure study via transmission electron microscopy with micrometer-scale property measurements. However, one main technical difficulty is that a large amount of material must be removed underneath the specimen. Furthermore, directly monitoring the milling process is difficult unless very large material volumes surrounding the TEM specimen site are removed. In this paper, a new cutting geometry is introduced for FIB lift-out sample preparation with plan-view geometry. Firstly, an "isolated" cuboid shaped specimen is cut out, leaving a "bridge" connecting it with the bulk material. Subsequently the two long sides of the "isolated" cuboid are wedged, forming a triangular prism shape. A micromanipulator needle is used for in-situ transfer of the specimen to a FIB TEM grid, which has been mounted parallel with the specimen surface using a simple custom-made sample slit. Finally, the grid is transferred to the standard FIB grid holder for final thinning with standard procedures. This new cutting geometry provides clear viewing angles for monitoring the milling process, which solves the difficulty of judging whether the specimen has been entirely detached from the bulk material, with the least possible damage to the surrounding materials. With an improved success rate and efficiency, this plan-view FIB lift-out specimen preparation technique should have a wide application for material science. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Orthogonal In-Situ Machining of Single and Polycrystalline Aluminum and Copper, Volume 1. Ph.D. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, P. H.

1982-01-01

Metal cutting is a unique deformation process characterized by large strains, exceptionally high strain rates and few constraints to the deformation. These factors, along with the difficulty of directly measuring the shear angle, make chip formation difficult to model and understand. One technique for skirting the difficulty of post mortem chip measurement is to perform a cutting experiment dynamically in a scanning electron microscope. The performance of the in-situ experiment with full instrumentation allows for component force measurement, orientation measurement (on a round single crystal disk) and a timing device, all superimposed below the deformation on the TV monitor and recorded for future viewing. This allows the sher angle to be directly measured for the screen along with the other needed information.

Genetic parameters of Visual Image Analysis primal cut carcass traits of commercial prime beef slaughter animals.

PubMed

Moore, K L; Mrode, R; Coffey, M P

2017-10-01

Visual Image analysis (VIA) of carcass traits provides the opportunity to estimate carcass primal cut yields on large numbers of slaughter animals. This allows carcases to be better differentiated and farmers to be paid based on the primal cut yields. It also creates more accurate genetic selection due to high volumes of data which enables breeders to breed cattle that better meet the abattoir specifications and market requirements. In order to implement genetic evaluations for VIA primal cut yields, genetic parameters must first be estimated and that was the aim of this study. Slaughter records from the UK prime slaughter population for VIA carcass traits was available from two processing plants. After edits, there were 17 765 VIA carcass records for six primal cut traits, carcass weight as well as the EUROP conformation and fat class grades. Heritability estimates after traits were adjusted for age ranged from 0.32 (0.03) for EUROP fat to 0.46 (0.03) for VIA Topside primal cut yield. Adjusting the VIA primal cut yields for carcass weight reduced the heritability estimates, with estimates of primal cut yields ranging from 0.23 (0.03) for Fillet to 0.29 (0.03) for Knuckle. Genetic correlations between VIA primal cut yields adjusted for carcass weight were very strong, ranging from 0.40 (0.06) between Fillet and Striploin to 0.92 (0.02) between Topside and Silverside. EUROP conformation was also positively correlated with the VIA primal cuts with genetic correlation estimates ranging from 0.59 to 0.84, whereas EUROP fat was estimated to have moderate negative correlations with primal cut yields, estimates ranged from -0.11 to -0.46. Based on these genetic parameter estimates, genetic evaluation of VIA primal cut yields can be undertaken to allow the UK beef industry to select carcases that better meet abattoir specification and market requirements.

High pressure infiltration sintering behavior of WC-Co alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xiaoqin; He, Duanwei; Wang, Pei; Li, Dong; Liu, Yinjuan; Ma, Dejiang; Du, Yanchun; Gao, Shangpan; Kou, Zili

2016-10-01

In this paper, two average tungsten carbide particle sizes of 2, 0.5 μm are placed respectively, in contact with a WC-16Co substrate, pressed at the pressure of 4.5-5.5 GPa, and heated to temperatures ranging from 1350°C to 1500°C in a large-volume cubic press. During the process Co was forced out of the WC-16Co substrate into the compressed powder. The resulting infiltrated samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Vickers hardness and cutting performance tests. The results of XRD confirmed that the sintered bulks have WC and Co phases. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals that the WC grains in well-sintered alloys are round in shape and cobalt with lower content is uniformly dispersed in the WC grain boundaries. The sintered sub-micron WC-Co alloy with a cobalt content of 3.8 wt% exhibits a prominent combination of high hardness value of 23.1 GPa and a large fracture toughness value of 8.6 MPa m½. The high-speed cutting tests indicating its cutting performance is significantly superior to the commercial YG6X (WC-6 wt%Co with WC grain size of 0.5 μm).

Sodium-cutting: a new top-down approach to cut open nanostructures on nonplanar surfaces on a large scale.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Deng, Da

2014-11-11

We report a new, low-cost and simple top-down approach, "sodium-cutting", to cut and open nanostructures deposited on a nonplanar surface on a large scale. The feasibility of sodium-cutting was demonstrated with the successfully cutting open of ∼100% carbon nanospheres into nanobowls on a large scale from Sn@C nanospheres for the first time.

Core Research Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hicks, Joshua; Adrian, Betty

2009-01-01

The Core Research Center (CRC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), located at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colo., currently houses rock core from more than 8,500 boreholes representing about 1.7 million feet of rock core from 35 States and cuttings from 54,000 boreholes representing 238 million feet of drilling in 28 States. Although most of the boreholes are located in the Rocky Mountain region, the geologic and geographic diversity of samples have helped the CRC become one of the largest and most heavily used public core repositories in the United States. Many of the boreholes represented in the collection were drilled for energy and mineral exploration, and many of the cores and cuttings were donated to the CRC by private companies in these industries. Some cores and cuttings were collected by the USGS along with other government agencies. Approximately one-half of the cores are slabbed and photographed. More than 18,000 thin sections and a large volume of analytical data from the cores and cuttings are also accessible. A growing collection of digital images of the cores are also becoming available on the CRC Web site Internet http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/crc/.

3D segmentation of lung CT data with graph-cuts: analysis of parameter sensitivities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Jung won; Dunlap, Neal; Wang, Brian; Amini, Amir

2016-03-01

Lung boundary image segmentation is important for many tasks including for example in development of radiation treatment plans for subjects with thoracic malignancies. In this paper, we describe a method and parameter settings for accurate 3D lung boundary segmentation based on graph-cuts from X-ray CT data1. Even though previously several researchers have used graph-cuts for image segmentation, to date, no systematic studies have been performed regarding the range of parameter that give accurate results. The energy function in the graph-cuts algorithm requires 3 suitable parameter settings: K, a large constant for assigning seed points, c, the similarity coefficient for n-links, and λ, the terminal coefficient for t-links. We analyzed the parameter sensitivity with four lung data sets from subjects with lung cancer using error metrics. Large values of K created artifacts on segmented images, and relatively much larger value of c than the value of λ influenced the balance between the boundary term and the data term in the energy function, leading to unacceptable segmentation results. For a range of parameter settings, we performed 3D image segmentation, and in each case compared the results with the expert-delineated lung boundaries. We used simple 6-neighborhood systems for n-link in 3D. The 3D image segmentation took 10 minutes for a 512x512x118 ~ 512x512x190 lung CT image volume. Our results indicate that the graph-cuts algorithm was more sensitive to the K and λ parameter settings than to the C parameter and furthermore that amongst the range of parameters tested, K=5 and λ=0.5 yielded good results.

Cutting a young-growth, mixed-conifer stand to California Forest Practice Act Standards

Treesearch

Philip M. McDonald

1973-01-01

Cutting by the minimum standard of the Rules of California's North Sierra Pine Forest District was evaluated for effects on species composition, seed fall, regeneration, and residual growth at the Challenge Experimental Forest, central California. Cutting removed 74 percent of the stand basal area and 94 percent of the merchantable volume. The heavy cut changed...

Entropy of level-cut random Gaussian structures at different volume fractions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marčelja, Stjepan

2017-10-01

Cutting random Gaussian fields at a given level can create a variety of morphologically different two- or several-phase structures that have often been used to describe physical systems. The entropy of such structures depends on the covariance function of the generating Gaussian random field, which in turn depends on its spectral density. But the entropy of level-cut structures also depends on the volume fractions of different phases, which is determined by the selection of the cutting level. This dependence has been neglected in earlier work. We evaluate the entropy of several lattice models to show that, even in the cases of strongly coupled systems, the dependence of the entropy of level-cut structures on molar fractions of the constituents scales with the simple ideal noninteracting system formula. In the last section, we discuss the application of the results to binary or ternary fluids and microemulsions.

Comparative seed-tree and selection harvesting costs in young-growth mixed-conifer stands

Treesearch

William A. Atkinson; Dale O. Hall

1963-01-01

Little difference was found between yarding and felling costs in seed-tree and selection harvest cuts. The volume per acre logged was 23,800 board feet on the seed-tree compartments and 10,600 board feet on the selection compartments. For a comparable operation with this range of volumes, cutting method decisions should be based on factors other than logging costs....

Assessment of the Accuracy and Cut-Failure Rates of Eye Bank-Cut Corneas for Use in Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Comparison of Outcomes Between 2010 and 2013.

PubMed

Katzman, Lee R; Hoover, Caroline K; Khalifa, Yousuf M; Jeng, Bennie H

2015-11-01

To evaluate the accuracy of eye bank-prepared precut donor corneas over time by comparing cut-failure rates and corneal thickness measurements in 2010 and 2013. A total of 2511 human corneas cut by a technician-operated mechanical microkeratome intended for endothelial keratoplasty were evaluated prospectively at one large eye bank facility in 2010 and in 2013. The endothelium was evaluated by slit lamp, and specular microscopy both before and after cutting was performed. Graft thickness as measured by pachymetry and/or optical coherence tomography was collected to assess the accuracy of the cut tissue. Cut-failure rates were compared between normal donor tissue and tissue with significant preexisting scarring. The combined cut-failure rate in 2010 and 2013 was 2.3% (23/1000) and 1.6% (24/1511), respectively (P = 0.23). The cut-failure rate among normal tissue in 2010 and 2013 was 2.0% (19/927) and 1.4% (19/1400), respectively (P = 0.24). The cut-failure rate among previously scarred tissue in 2010 and 2013 was 5.5% (4/73) and 4.5% (5/111), respectively (P = 0.74). The mean surgeon-requested graft thickness was 144.7 μm (range 100-150, SD 13.6) and 127.2 μm (range 75-150, SD 25.2) in 2010 and 2013, respectively (P < 0.0001). The mean deviation from target graft thickness was 21.3 μm (SD 16.3) and 13.6 μm (SD 12.5) in 2010 and 2013, respectively (P < 0.0001). From 2010 to 2013, the combined cut-failure rates trended toward improvement, while the accuracy of graft thickness improved. This study suggests that the accuracy and success rates of tissue preparation for endothelial keratoplasty improve with experience and volume.

Silvicultural cutting opportunities in oak-hickory forests of West Virginia

Treesearch

S. L. Arner; D.A. Gansner; M.E. Dale; H.C. Smith

1991-01-01

Analysis of cutting opportunities of oak-hickory forests of West Virginia reveals a storehouse of economic opportunity. The potential cut from silviculturally sound thinning, regeneration, and harvest opportunities totals 100 million cords, or 60 times the current annual harvest of growing stock volume from the state.

Large area substrate for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using glass-drawing technique

DOEpatents

Ivanov, Ilia N; Simpson, John T

2012-06-26

A method of making a large area substrate comprises drawing a plurality of tubes to form a plurality of drawn tubes, and cutting the plurality of drawn tubes into cut drawn tubes. Each cut drawn tube has a first end and a second end along the longitudinal direction of the respective cut drawn tube. The cut drawn tubes collectively have a predetermined periodicity. The method of making a large area substrate also comprises forming a metal layer on the first ends of the cut drawn tubes to provide a large area substrate.

Relationship of stump diameter to d.b.h. for white pine in the northeast

Treesearch

Jesse D. Diller

1954-01-01

A need to estimate the volume cut from a timber tract when only the stumps are left is often felt by foresters, timber operators, and landowners. This need arises in areas where timber sales are based on stump diameters, in timber trespass cases, in check cruises on marked timber sales (to determine volume cut from unmarked trees), and as an aid in piecing together the...

Swept Mechanism of Micro-Milling Tool Geometry Effect on Machined Oxygen Free High Conductivity Copper (OFHC) Surface Roughness

PubMed Central

Shi, Zhenyu; Liu, Zhanqiang; Li, Yuchao; Qiao, Yang

2017-01-01

Cutting tool geometry should be very much considered in micro-cutting because it has a significant effect on the topography and accuracy of the machined surface, particularly considering the uncut chip thickness is comparable to the cutting edge radius. The objective of this paper was to clarify the influence of the mechanism of the cutting tool geometry on the surface topography in the micro-milling process. Four different cutting tools including two two-fluted end milling tools with different helix angles of 15° and 30° cutting tools, as well as two three-fluted end milling tools with different helix angles of 15° and 30° were investigated by combining theoretical modeling analysis with experimental research. The tool geometry was mathematically modeled through coordinate translation and transformation to make all three cutting edges at the cutting tool tip into the same coordinate system. Swept mechanisms, minimum uncut chip thickness, and cutting tool run-out were considered on modeling surface roughness parameters (the height of surface roughness Rz and average surface roughness Ra) based on the established mathematical model. A set of cutting experiments was carried out using four different shaped cutting tools. It was found that the sweeping volume of the cutting tool increases with the decrease of both the cutting tool helix angle and the flute number. Great coarse machined surface roughness and more non-uniform surface topography are generated when the sweeping volume increases. The outcome of this research should bring about new methodologies for micro-end milling tool design and manufacturing. The machined surface roughness can be improved by appropriately selecting the tool geometrical parameters. PMID:28772479

Performance of a cut-to-length harvester in a single-tree and group selection cut

Treesearch

Neil K. Huyler; Chris LeDoux

1999-01-01

Presents production and cost data for a mechanized and cut-to-length (CTL) harvester used in a single-tree and group-selection cut on the Groton State Forest in central Vermont. For trees whose average volume (size) was 7 to 18 ft3, production ranged from 464 to 734 ft3 per productive machine hour (PMH). The cycle time for processing trees into bunches to forward to a...

Prognostic Value of the Amount of Bleeding After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Quantitative Volumetric Study.

PubMed

Lagares, Alfonso; Jiménez-Roldán, Luis; Gomez, Pedro A; Munarriz, Pablo M; Castaño-León, Ana M; Cepeda, Santiago; Alén, José F

2015-12-01

Quantitative estimation of the hemorrhage volume associated with aneurysm rupture is a new tool of assessing prognosis. To determine the prognostic value of the quantitative estimation of the amount of bleeding after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, as well the relative importance of this factor related to other prognostic indicators, and to establish a possible cut-off value of volume of bleeding related to poor outcome. A prospective cohort of 206 patients consecutively admitted with the diagnosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage to Hospital 12 de Octubre were included in the study. Subarachnoid, intraventricular, intracerebral, and total bleeding volumes were calculated using analytic software. For assessing factors related to prognosis, univariate and multivariate analysis (logistic regression) were performed. The relative importance of factors in determining prognosis was established by calculating their proportion of explained variation. Maximum Youden index was calculated to determine the optimal cut point for subarachnoid and total bleeding volume. Variables independently related to prognosis were clinical grade at admission, age, and the different bleeding volumes. The proportion of variance explained is higher for subarachnoid bleeding. The optimal cut point related to poor prognosis is a volume of 20 mL both for subarachnoid and total bleeding. Volumetric measurement of subarachnoid or total bleeding volume are both independent prognostic factors in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A volume of more than 20 mL of blood in the initial noncontrast computed tomography is related to a clear increase in poor outcome risk. : aSAH, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 11, Number 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amos, Jason, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Last Cut Is the Deepest: Final FY 2011 Spending Agreement Cuts Spending by Nearly $40 Billion, Includes More Cuts for Education…

CORY: A Computer Program for Determining Dimension Stock Yields

Treesearch

Charles C Brunner; Marshall S. White; Fred M. Lamb; James G. Schroeder

1989-01-01

CORY is a computer program that calculates random-width, fixed-length cutting yields and best sawing sequences for either rip- or crosscut-first operations. It differs from other yield calculating programs by evaluating competing cuttings through conflict resolution models. Comparisons with Program YIELD resulted in a 9 percent greater cutting volume and a 98 percent...

Method of making large area conformable shape structures for detector/sensor applications using glass drawing technique and postprocessing

DOEpatents

Ivanov, Ilia N [Knoxville, TN; Simpson, John T [Clinton, IN

2012-01-24

A method of making a large area conformable shape structure comprises drawing a plurality of tubes to form a plurality of drawn tubes, and cutting the plurality of drawn tubes into cut drawn tubes of a predetermined shape. The cut drawn tubes have a first end and a second end along the longitudinal direction of the cut drawn tubes. The method further comprises conforming the first end of the cut drawn tubes into a predetermined curve to form the large area conformable shape structure, wherein the cut drawn tubes contain a material.

Prospective, Multicenter Validation Study of Magnetic Resonance Volumetry for Response Assessment After Preoperative Chemoradiation in Rectal Cancer: Can the Results in the Literature be Reproduced?

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

Martens, Milou H., E-mail: mh.martens@hotmail.com; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht; GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht

2015-12-01

Purpose: To review the available literature on tumor size/volume measurements on magnetic resonance imaging for response assessment after chemoradiotherapy, and validate these cut-offs in an independent multicenter patient cohort. Methods and Materials: The study included 2 parts. (1) Review of the literature: articles were included that assessed the accuracy of tumor size/volume measurements on magnetic resonance imaging for tumor response assessment. Size/volume cut-offs were extracted; (2) Multicenter validation: extracted cut-offs from the literature were tested in a multicenter cohort (n=146). Accuracies were calculated and compared with reported results from the literature. Results: The review included 14 articles, in which 3more » different measurement methods were assessed: (1) tumor length; (2) 3-dimensonial tumor size; and (3) whole volume. Study outcomes consisted of (1) complete response (ypT0) versus residual tumor; (2) tumor regression grade 1 to 2 versus 3 to 5; and (3) T-downstaging (ypT« less

Heat Transfer Enhancement of Laminar Nanofluids Flow in a Circular Tube Fitted with Parabolic-Cut Twisted Tape Inserts

PubMed Central

Salman, Sami D.; Kadhum, Abdul Amir H.; Takriff, Mohd S.; Mohamad, Abu Bakar

2014-01-01

Numerical investigation has been carried out on heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of copper-water nanofluid flow in a constant heat-fluxed tube with the existence of new configuration of vortex generator using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Two types of swirl flow generator: Classical twisted tape (CTT) and Parabolic-cut twisted tape (PCT) with a different twist ratio (y = 2.93, 3.91 and 4.89) and different cut depth (w = 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 cm) with 2% and 4% volume concentration of CuO nanofluid were used for simulation. The effect of different parameters such as flow Reynolds number, twist ratio, cut depth and nanofluid were considered. The results show that the enhancement of heat transfer rate and the friction factor induced by the Classical (CTT) and Parabolic-cut (PCT) inserts increases with twist ratio and cut depth decreases. The results also revealed that the heat transfer enhancement increases with an increase in the volume fraction of the CuO nanoparticle. Furthermore, the twisted tape with twist ratio (y = 2.93) and cut depth w = 0.5 cm offered 10% enhancement of the average Nusselt number with significant increases in friction factor than those of Classical twisted tape. PMID:24605055

Earth observing system. Output data products and input requirements, version 2.0. Volume 1: Instrument data product characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Yun-Chi; Chang, Hyo Duck; Krupp, Brian; Kumar, Ravindra; Swaroop, Anand

1992-01-01

Information on Earth Observing System (EOS) output data products and input data requirements that has been compiled by the Science Processing Support Office (SPSO) at GSFC is presented. Since Version 1.0 of the SPSO Report was released in August 1991, there have been significant changes in the EOS program. In anticipation of a likely budget cut for the EOS Project, NASA HQ restructured the EOS program. An initial program consisting of two large platforms was replaced by plans for multiple, smaller platforms, and some EOS instruments were either deselected or descoped. Updated payload information reflecting the restructured EOS program superseding the August 1991 version of the SPSO report is included. This report has been expanded to cover information on non-EOS data products, and consists of three volumes (Volumes 1, 2, and 3). Volume 1 provides information on instrument outputs and input requirements. Volume 2 is devoted to Interdisciplinary Science (IDS) outputs and input requirements, including the 'best' and 'alternative' match analysis. Volume 3 provides information about retrieval algorithms, non-EOS input requirements of instrument teams and IDS investigators, and availability of non-EOS data products at seven primary Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC's).

Operationalizing hippocampal volume as an enrichment biomarker for amnestic MCI trials: effect of algorithm, test-retest variability and cut-point on trial cost, duration and sample size

PubMed Central

Yu, P.; Sun, J.; Wolz, R.; Stephenson, D.; Brewer, J.; Fox, N.C.; Cole, P.E.; Jack, C.R.; Hill, D.L.G.; Schwarz, A.J.

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effect of computational algorithm, measurement variability and cut-point on hippocampal volume (HCV)-based patient selection for clinical trials in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods We used normal control and amnestic MCI subjects from ADNI-1 as normative reference and screening cohorts. We evaluated the enrichment performance of four widely-used hippocampal segmentation algorithms (FreeSurfer, HMAPS, LEAP and NeuroQuant) in terms of two-year changes in MMSE, ADAS-Cog and CDR-SB. We modeled the effect of algorithm, test-retest variability and cut-point on sample size, screen fail rates and trial cost and duration. Results HCV-based patient selection yielded not only reduced sample sizes (by ~40–60%) but also lower trial costs (by ~30–40%) across a wide range of cut-points. Overall, the dependence on the cut-point value was similar for the three clinical instruments considered. Conclusion These results provide a guide to the choice of HCV cut-point for aMCI clinical trials, allowing an informed trade-off between statistical and practical considerations. PMID:24211008

Cutting efficiency of air-turbine burs on cast titanium and dental casting alloys.

PubMed

Watanabe, I; Ohkubo, C; Ford, J P; Atsuta, M; Okabe, T

2000-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the cutting efficiency of air-turbine burs on cast free-machining titanium alloy (DT2F) and to compare the results with those for cast commercially pure (CP) Ti, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and dental casting alloys. The cast metal (DT2F, CP Ti, Ti-6Al-4V, Type IV gold alloy and Co-Cr alloy) specimens were cut with air-turbine burs (carbide burs and diamond points) at air pressures of 138 or 207 kPa and a cutting force of 0.784 N. The cutting efficiency of each bur was evaluated as volume loss calculated from the weight loss cut for 5 s and the density of each metal. The bulk microhardness was measured to correlate the machinability and the hardness of each metal. The amounts of DT2F cut with the carbide burs were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than for the other titanium specimens at either 138 or 207 kPa. The diamond points exhibited similar machining efficiency among all metals except for Type IV gold alloy. The increase in the volume loss of Co-Cr alloy (Vitallium) cut with the diamond points showed a negative value (-29%) with an increase in air pressure from 138 to 207 kPa. There was a negative correlation between the amounts of metal removed (volume loss) and the hardness (r2 = 0.689) when the carbide burs were used. The results of this study indicated that a free-machining titanium alloy (DT2F) exhibited better machinability compared to CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy when using carbide fissure burs. When machining cast CP Ti and its alloys, carbide fissure burs possessed a greater machining efficiency than the diamond points and are recommended for titanium dental prostheses.

Evolution of energy deposition during glass cutting with pulsed femtosecond laser radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalupka, C.; Großmann, D.; Reininghaus, M.

2017-05-01

We report on investigations of the energy deposition in the volume of thin glass during an ablation cutting process with pulsed femtosecond laser radiation by time-resolved pump-probe shadowgraphy. For a single laser pulse, the temporal evolution of the transient electronic excitation of the glass volume is imaged up to 10 ps after initial excitation. For an increasing number of laser pulses, the spatial excitation of the glass volume significantly changes compared to single pulse irradiation. Sharp spikes are observed, which reduce the transmission of the illuminating probe pulse. This indicates local maxima of the absorption and, therefore, energy deposition of the pump pulse energy in the glass volume. Furthermore, for an increasing number of pulses, different shapes of the surface ablation crater are observed. To study the correlation between the shape of the surface ablation crater and the energy deposition in the glass volume, simulations of the spatial intensity distribution of the pump pulse are executed by means of linear beam propagation method. We show that the transient excitation spikes observed by pump-probe shadowgraphy can be explained by refraction and diffraction of the laser radiation at the surface ablation crater. Our results provide an experimental validation for the physical reason of an ablation stop for an ablation cutting process. Moreover, the simulations allow for the prediction of damage inside the glass volume.

Predictors of laparoscopic simulation performance among practicing obstetrician gynecologists.

PubMed

Mathews, Shyama; Brodman, Michael; D'Angelo, Debra; Chudnoff, Scott; McGovern, Peter; Kolev, Tamara; Bensinger, Giti; Mudiraj, Santosh; Nemes, Andreea; Feldman, David; Kischak, Patricia; Ascher-Walsh, Charles

2017-11-01

While simulation training has been established as an effective method for improving laparoscopic surgical performance in surgical residents, few studies have focused on its use for attending surgeons, particularly in obstetrics and gynecology. Surgical simulation may have a role in improving and maintaining proficiency in the operating room for practicing obstetrician gynecologists. We sought to determine if parameters of performance for validated laparoscopic virtual simulation tasks correlate with surgical volume and characteristics of practicing obstetricians and gynecologists. All gynecologists with laparoscopic privileges (n = 347) from 5 academic medical centers in New York City were required to complete a laparoscopic surgery simulation assessment. The physicians took a presimulation survey gathering physician self-reported characteristics and then performed 3 basic skills tasks (enforced peg transfer, lifting/grasping, and cutting) on the LapSim virtual reality laparoscopic simulator (Surgical Science Ltd, Gothenburg, Sweden). The association between simulation outcome scores (time, efficiency, and errors) and self-rated clinical skills measures (self-rated laparoscopic skill score or surgical volume category) were examined with regression models. The average number of laparoscopic procedures per month was a significant predictor of total time on all 3 tasks (P = .001 for peg transfer; P = .041 for lifting and grasping; P < .001 for cutting). Average monthly laparoscopic surgical volume was a significant predictor of 2 efficiency scores in peg transfer, and all 4 efficiency scores in cutting (P = .001 to P = .015). Surgical volume was a significant predictor of errors in lifting/grasping and cutting (P < .001 for both). Self-rated laparoscopic skill level was a significant predictor of total time in all 3 tasks (P < .0001 for peg transfer; P = .009 for lifting and grasping; P < .001 for cutting) and a significant predictor of nearly all efficiency scores and errors scores in all 3 tasks. In addition to total time, there was at least 1 other objective performance measure that significantly correlated with surgical volume for each of the 3 tasks. Higher-volume physicians and those with fellowship training were more confident in their laparoscopic skills. By determining simulation performance as it correlates to active physician practice, further studies may help assess skill and individualize training to maintain skill levels as case volumes fluctuate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the closed form mechanistic modeling of milling: Specific cutting energy, torque, and power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayoumi, A. E.; Yücesan, G.; Hutton, D. V.

1994-02-01

Specific energy in metal cutting, defined as the energy expended in removing a unit volume of workpiece material, is formulated and determined using a previously developed closed form mechanistic force model for milling operations. Cutting power is computed from the cutting torque, cutting force, kinematics of the cutter, and the volumetric material removal rate. Closed form expressions for specific cutting energy were formulated and found to be functions of the process parameters: pressure and friction for both rake and flank surfaces and chip flow angle at the rake face of the tool. Friction is found to play a very important role in cutting torque and power. Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of feedrate, cutting speed, workpiece material, and flank wear land width on specific cutting energy. It was found that the specific cutting energy increases with a decrease in the chip thickness and with an increase in flank wear land.

Role of naturally occurring gas hydrates in sediment transport

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

McIver, R.D.

1982-06-01

Naturally occurring gas hydrates have the potential to store enormous volumes of both gas and water in semi-solid form in ocean-bottom sediments and then to release that gas and water when the hydrate's equilibrium condition are disturbed. Therefore, hydrates provide a potential mechanism for transporting large volumes of sediments. Under the combined low bottom-water temperatures and moderate hydrostatic pressures that exist over most of the continental slopes and all of the continental rises and abyssal plains, hydrocarbon gases at or near saturation in the interstitial waters of the near-bottom sediments will form hydrates. The gas can either be autochthonous, microbiallymore » produced gas, or allochthonous, catagenic gas from deeper sediments. Equilibrium conditions that stabilize hydrated sediments may be disturbed, for example, by continued sedimentation or by lowering of sea level. In either case, some of the solid gas-water matrix decomposes. Released gas and water volume exceeds the volume occupied by the hydrate, so the internal pressure rises - drastically if large volumes of hydrate are decomposed. Part of the once rigid sediment is converted to a gas- and water-rich, relatively low density mud. When the internal pressure, due to the presence of the compressed gas or to buoyancy, is sufficiently high, the overlying sediment may be lifted and/or breached, and the less dense, gas-cut mud may break through. Such hydrate-related phenomena can cause mud diapirs, mud volcanos, mud slides, or turbidite flows, depending on sediment configuration and bottom topography. 4 figures.« less

Comparison of conventional versus three-dimensional ultrasound in fetal renal pelvis measurement and their potential prediction of neonatal uropathies.

PubMed

Duin, L K; Nijhuis, J G; Scherjon, S A; Vossen, M; Willekes, C

2016-01-01

To establish a threshold value for fetal renal pelvis dilatation measured by automatic volume calculation (SonoAVC) in the third trimester of pregnancy to predict neonatal uropathies, and to compare these results with conventional antero-posterior (AP) measurement, fetal kidney 3D volume and renal parenchymal thickness. In a prospective cohort study, 125 fetuses with renal pelvis AP diameter of ≥5 mm both at 20 weeks of gestation and in the third trimester, underwent an additional 3D volume measurement of the fetal kidney in the third trimester. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for establishing threshold values for fetal renal pelvis volume, AP measurement, fetal kidney volume and renal parenchymal thickness to predict neonatal uropathies were analyzed. Also, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and likelihood ratios were calculated. A cut-off point of 1.58 cm³ was identified in the third trimester of pregnancy (AUC 0.865 (95% CI 0.789-0.940), sensitivity 76.3%, specificity 87.4%, LR+ 6.06, LR- 0.27) for measurements with SonoAVC. A cut-off value of 11.5 mm was established in the third trimester of pregnancy (AUC 0.828 (95% CI 0.737-0.918), sensitivity 71.1%, specificity 85.1%, LR+ 4.77, LR- 0.34) for the conventional AP measurement. A cut-off point for fetal kidney volume was calculated at 13.29 cm³ (AUC 0.769 (95% CI 0.657-0.881), sensitivity 71%, specificity 66%, LR+ 2.09, LR- 0.44). For renal parenchymal thickness, a cut-off point of 8.4 mm was established (AUC 0.216 (95% CI 0.117-0.315), sensitivity 31.6%, specificity 32.6%, LR+ 0.47, LR- 2.10). This study demonstrates that 3D fetal renal pelvis volume measurements and AP measurements both have a good and comparable diagnostic performance, fetal renal volume a fair accuracy and renal parenchymal thickness a poor accuracy in predicting postnatal renal outcome.

Investigating the impact of blood pressure increase to the brain using high resolution serial histology and image processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesage, F.; Castonguay, A.; Tardif, P. L.; Lefebvre, J.; Li, B.

2015-09-01

A combined serial OCT/confocal scanner was designed to image large sections of biological tissues at microscopic resolution. Serial imaging of organs embedded in agarose blocks is performed by cutting through tissue using a vibratome which sequentially cuts slices in order to reveal new tissue to image, overcoming limited light penetration encountered in microscopy. Two linear stages allow moving the tissue with respect to the microscope objective, acquiring a 2D grid of volumes (1x1x0.3 mm) with OCT and a 2D grid of images (1x1mm) with the confocal arm. This process is repeated automatically, until the entire sample is imaged. Raw data is then post-processed to re-stitch each individual acquisition and obtain a reconstructed volume of the imaged tissue. This design is being used to investigate correlations between white matter and microvasculature changes with aging and with increase in pulse pressure following transaortic constriction in mice. The dual imaging capability of the system allowed to reveal different contrast information: OCT imaging reveals changes in refractive indices giving contrast between white and grey matter in the mouse brain, while transcardial perfusion of FITC or pre-sacrifice injection of Evans Blue shows microsvasculature properties in the brain with confocal imaging.

Thinking Outside the Box...Inside the Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkel, Brian

2012-01-01

We consider an oblique approach to cutting regions out of a flat rectangular sheet and folding to make a maximum volume container. We compare our approach to the traditional approach of cutting out squares at each vertex of the sheet. (Contains 4 figures.)

Laser circular cutting of Kevlar sheets: Analysis of thermal stress filed and assessment of cutting geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilbas, B. S.; Akhtar, S. S.; Karatas, C.

2017-11-01

A Kevlar laminate has negative thermal expansion coefficient, which makes it difficult to machine at room temperaures using the conventional cutting tools. Contararily, laser machining of a Kevlar laminate provides advantages over the conventional methods because of the non-mechanical contact between the cutting tool and the workpiece. In the present study, laser circular cutting of Kevlar laminate is considered. The experiment is carried out to examine and evaluate the cutting sections. Temperature and stress fields formed in the cutting section are simulated in line with the experimental study. The influence of hole diameters on temperature and stress fields are investigated incorporating two different hole diameters. It is found that the Kevlar laminate cutting section is free from large size asperities such as large scale sideways burnings and attachemnt of charred residues. The maximum temperature along the cutting circumference remains higher for the large diameter hole than that of the small diameter hole. Temperature decay is sharp around the cutting section in the region where the cutting terminates. This, in turn, results in high temperature gradients and the thermal strain in the cutting region. von Mises stress remains high in the region where temperature gradients are high. von Mises stress follows similar to the trend of temperature decay around the cutting edges.

Proton Radiography Peers into Metal Solidification

DOE PAGES

Clarke, Amy J.; Imhoff, Seth D.; Gibbs, Paul J.; ...

2013-06-19

Historically, metals are cut up and polished to see the structure and to infer how processing influences the evolution. We can now peer into a metal during processing without destroying it using proton radiography. Understanding the link between processing and structure is important because structure profoundly affects the properties of engineering materials. Synchrotron x-ray radiography has enabled real-time glimpses into metal solidification. However, x-ray energies favor the examination of small volumes and low density metals. In this study, we use high energy proton radiography for the first time to image a large metal volume (>10,000 mm 3) during melting andmore » solidification. We also show complementary x-ray results from a small volume (<1mm 3), bridging four orders of magnitude. In conclusion, real-time imaging will enable efficient process development and the control of the structure evolution to make materials with intended properties; it will also permit the development of experimentally informed, predictive structure and process models.« less

A proposed framework for consensus-based lung tumour volume auto-segmentation in 4D computed tomography imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Spencer; Brophy, Mark; Palma, David; Louie, Alexander V.; Yu, Edward; Yaremko, Brian; Ahmad, Belal; Barron, John L.; Beauchemin, Steven S.; Rodrigues, George; Gaede, Stewart

2015-02-01

This work aims to propose and validate a framework for tumour volume auto-segmentation based on ground-truth estimates derived from multi-physician input contours to expedite 4D-CT based lung tumour volume delineation. 4D-CT datasets of ten non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were manually segmented by 6 physicians. Multi-expert ground truth (GT) estimates were constructed using the STAPLE algorithm for the gross tumour volume (GTV) on all respiratory phases. Next, using a deformable model-based method, multi-expert GT on each individual phase of the 4D-CT dataset was propagated to all other phases providing auto-segmented GTVs and motion encompassing internal gross target volumes (IGTVs) based on GT estimates (STAPLE) from each respiratory phase of the 4D-CT dataset. Accuracy assessment of auto-segmentation employed graph cuts for 3D-shape reconstruction and point-set registration-based analysis yielding volumetric and distance-based measures. STAPLE-based auto-segmented GTV accuracy ranged from (81.51  ±  1.92) to (97.27  ±  0.28)% volumetric overlap of the estimated ground truth. IGTV auto-segmentation showed significantly improved accuracies with reduced variance for all patients ranging from 90.87 to 98.57% volumetric overlap of the ground truth volume. Additional metrics supported these observations with statistical significance. Accuracy of auto-segmentation was shown to be largely independent of selection of the initial propagation phase. IGTV construction based on auto-segmented GTVs within the 4D-CT dataset provided accurate and reliable target volumes compared to manual segmentation-based GT estimates. While inter-/intra-observer effects were largely mitigated, the proposed segmentation workflow is more complex than that of current clinical practice and requires further development.

A proposed framework for consensus-based lung tumour volume auto-segmentation in 4D computed tomography imaging.

PubMed

Martin, Spencer; Brophy, Mark; Palma, David; Louie, Alexander V; Yu, Edward; Yaremko, Brian; Ahmad, Belal; Barron, John L; Beauchemin, Steven S; Rodrigues, George; Gaede, Stewart

2015-02-21

This work aims to propose and validate a framework for tumour volume auto-segmentation based on ground-truth estimates derived from multi-physician input contours to expedite 4D-CT based lung tumour volume delineation. 4D-CT datasets of ten non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were manually segmented by 6 physicians. Multi-expert ground truth (GT) estimates were constructed using the STAPLE algorithm for the gross tumour volume (GTV) on all respiratory phases. Next, using a deformable model-based method, multi-expert GT on each individual phase of the 4D-CT dataset was propagated to all other phases providing auto-segmented GTVs and motion encompassing internal gross target volumes (IGTVs) based on GT estimates (STAPLE) from each respiratory phase of the 4D-CT dataset. Accuracy assessment of auto-segmentation employed graph cuts for 3D-shape reconstruction and point-set registration-based analysis yielding volumetric and distance-based measures. STAPLE-based auto-segmented GTV accuracy ranged from (81.51  ±  1.92) to (97.27  ±  0.28)% volumetric overlap of the estimated ground truth. IGTV auto-segmentation showed significantly improved accuracies with reduced variance for all patients ranging from 90.87 to 98.57% volumetric overlap of the ground truth volume. Additional metrics supported these observations with statistical significance. Accuracy of auto-segmentation was shown to be largely independent of selection of the initial propagation phase. IGTV construction based on auto-segmented GTVs within the 4D-CT dataset provided accurate and reliable target volumes compared to manual segmentation-based GT estimates. While inter-/intra-observer effects were largely mitigated, the proposed segmentation workflow is more complex than that of current clinical practice and requires further development.

Forest resources of Mississippi - 1969

Treesearch

Charles C. van Sickle; Dwane D. van Hooser

1969-01-01

Mississippi forests contain 15 billion cubic feet of timber growing on 17 million acres of commercial forest land. Pine volume is rising, hardwood volume is static. Growth exceeds cut but is well below attainable levels.

Agriculture Supplies & Services. Volume 3 of 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kansas State Univ., Manhattan.

The third of three volumes included in a secondary agricultural supplies and services curriculum guide, this volume contains twenty-five units of instruction in the area of agricultural mechanics. Among the unit topics included are (1) Farm Safety, (2) Ignition Systems; (3) Servicing Wheel Bearings, (4) Oxyacetylene Cutting, (5) Servicing the…

Drill cuttings mount formation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teh, Su Yean; Koh, Hock Lye

2014-07-01

Oil, Gas and Energy sector has been identified as an essential driving force in the Malaysian Economic Transformation Programs (ETP). Recently confirmed discovery of many offshore oil and gas deposits in Malaysian waters has ignited new confidence in this sector. However, this has also spurred intense interest on safeguarding the health and environment of coastal waters in Malaysia from adverse impact resulting from offshore oil and gas production operation. Offshore discharge of spent drilling mud and rock cuttings is the least expensive and simplest option to dispose of large volumes of drilling wastes. But this onsite offshore disposal may have adverse environmental impacts on the water column and the seabed. It may also pose occupational health hazards to the workers living in the offshore platforms. It is therefore important to model the transport and deposition of drilling mud and rock cuttings in the sea to enable proper assessment of their adverse impacts on the environment and the workers. Further, accumulation of drill particles on the seabed may impede proper operation of pipelines on the seabed. In this paper, we present an in-house application model TUNA-PT developed to cater to local oil and gas industry needs to simulate the dispersion and mount formation of drill cuttings by offshore oil and gas exploration and production platforms. Using available data on Malaysian coastal waters, simulation analyses project a pile formation on the seabed with a maximum height of about 1 m and pile radius of around 30 to 50 m. Simulated pile heights are not sensitive to the heights of release of the cuttings as the sensitivity has been mitigated by the depth of water.

Visual illusion in mass estimation of cut food.

PubMed

Wada, Yuji; Tsuzuki, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Naoki; Hayakawa, Fumiyo; Kohyama, Kaoru

2007-07-01

We investigated the effect of the appearance of cut food on visual mass estimation. In this experiment, we manipulated the shape (e.g., a block, fine strips, or small cubes) of food samples of various masses, and presented them on a CRT display as stimuli. Eleven subjects participated in tasks to choose the picture of the food sample which they felt indicated a target mass. We used raw carrots and surimi (ground fish) gel as hard and soft samples, respectively. The results clearly confirm an existence of an illusion, and this indicates that the appearance of food interferes with visual mass estimation. Specifically, participants often overestimated the mass of finely cut food, especially fine strips, whereas they could accurately estimate the mass of block samples, regardless of the physical characteristics of the foods. The overestimation of the mass of cut food increased with the food's actual mass, and was particularly obvious with increases of apparent volume when cut into fine strips. These results suggest that the apparent volume of a food sample effects the visual estimation of its mass. Hence we can conclude that there are illusions associated with the visual presentation of food that may influence various food impressions, including satisfaction and eating behaviour.

Determining the Optimal Number of Core Needle Biopsy Passes for Molecular Diagnostics.

PubMed

Hoang, Nam S; Ge, Benjamin H; Pan, Lorraine Y; Ozawa, Michael G; Kong, Christina S; Louie, John D; Shah, Rajesh P

2018-03-01

The number of core biopsy passes required for adequate next-generation sequencing is impacted by needle cut, needle gauge, and the type of tissue involved. This study evaluates diagnostic adequacy of core needle lung biopsies based on number of passes and provides guidelines for other tissues based on simulated biopsies in ex vivo porcine organ tissues. The rate of diagnostic adequacy for pathology and molecular testing from lung biopsy procedures was measured for eight operators pre-implementation (September 2012-October 2013) and post-implementation (December 2013-April 2014) of a standard protocol using 20-gauge side-cut needles for ten core biopsy passes at a single academic hospital. Biopsy pass volume was then estimated in ex vivo porcine muscle, liver, and kidney using side-cut devices at 16, 18, and 20 gauge and end-cut devices at 16 and 18 gauge to estimate minimum number of passes required for adequate molecular testing. Molecular diagnostic adequacy increased from 69% (pre-implementation period) to 92% (post-implementation period) (p < 0.001) for lung biopsies. In porcine models, both 16-gauge end-cut and side-cut devices require one pass to reach the validated volume threshold to ensure 99% adequacy for molecular characterization, while 18- and 20-gauge devices require 2-5 passes depending on needle cut and tissue type. Use of 20-gauge side-cut core biopsy needles requires a significant number of passes to ensure diagnostic adequacy for molecular testing across all tissue types. To ensure diagnostic adequacy for molecular testing, 16- and 18-gauge needles require markedly fewer passes.

Forest management strategy affects saproxylic beetle assemblages: A comparison of even and uneven-aged silviculture using direct and indirect sampling.

PubMed

Joelsson, Klara; Hjältén, Joakim; Gibb, Heloise

2018-01-01

Management of forest for wood production has altered ecosystem structures and processes and led to habitat loss and species extinctions, worldwide. Deadwood is a key resource supporting forest biodiversity, and commonly declines following forest management. However, different forest management methods affect dead wood differently. For example, uneven-aged silviculture maintains an age-stratified forest with ongoing dead wood production, while even-aged silviculture breaks forest continuity, leading to long periods without large trees. We asked how deadwood-dependent beetles respond to different silvicultural practices and if their responses depend on deadwood volume, and beetles preference for decay stages of deadwood. We compared beetle assemblages in five boreal forest types with different management strategies: clearcutting and thinning (both representing even-aged silviculture), selective felling (representing uneven-aged silviculture), reference and old growth forest (both uneven-aged controls without a recent history [~50 years] of management, but the latter with high conservation values). We collected beetles using window traps and by sieving the bark from experimental logs (bolts). Beetle assemblages on clear-cuts differed from all other stand types, regardless of trapping method or decay stage preference. Thinning differed from reference stands, indicating incomplete recovery after clear-cutting, while selective felling differed only from clear-cuts. In contrast to our predictions, early and late successional species responded similarly to different silvicultural practices. However, there were indications of marginal assemblage differences both between thinned stands and selective felling and between thinned and old growth stands (p = 0.10). The stand volume of early decay stage wood influenced assemblage composition of early, but not late successional species. Uneven-aged silviculture maintained species assemblages similar to those of the reference and old growth stands and might therefore be a better management option when considering biodiversity conservation.

Heterogeneous seepage at the Nopal I natural analogue site, Chihuahua, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobson, Patrick F.; Ghezzehei, Teamrat A.; Cook, Paul J.; Rodríguez-Pineda, J. Alfredo; Villalba, Lourdes; de La Garza, Rodrigo

2012-02-01

A study of seepage occurring in an adit at the Nopal I uranium mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, was conducted as part of an integrated natural analogue study to evaluate the effects of infiltration and seepage on the mobilization and transport of radionuclides. An instrumented seepage collection system and local automated weather station permit direct correlation between local precipitation events and seepage. Field observations recorded between April 2005 and December 2006 indicate that seepage is highly heterogeneous with respect to time, location, and quantity. Seepage, precipitation, and fracture data were used to test two hypotheses: (1) that fast flow seepage is triggered by large precipitation events, and (2) that an increased abundance of fractures and/or fracture intersections leads to higher seepage volumes. A few zones in the back adit recorded elevated seepage volumes immediately following large (>20 mm/day) precipitation events, with transit times of less than 4 h through the 8-m thick rock mass. In most locations, there is a 1-6 month time lag between the onset of the rainy season and seepage, with longer times observed for the front adit. There is a less clear-cut relation between fracture abundance and seepage volume; processes such as evaporation and surface flow along the ceiling may also influence seepage.

An investigation of rock fall and pore water pressure using LIDAR in Highway 63 rock cuts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

The purpose of this research work is compare LIDAR scanning measurements of rock fall with the natural changes in groundwater level to determining the effect of water pressures (levels) on rock fall. To collect the information of rock cut volume chan...

Integrating drivers influencing the detection of plant pests carried in the international cut flower trade.

PubMed

Areal, F J; Touza, J; MacLeod, A; Dehnen-Schmutz, K; Perrings, C; Palmieri, M G; Spence, N J

2008-12-01

This paper analyses the cut flower market as an example of an invasion pathway along which species of non-indigenous plant pests can travel to reach new areas. The paper examines the probability of pest detection by assessing information on pest detection and detection effort associated with the import of cut flowers. We test the link between the probability of plant pest arrivals, as a precursor to potential invasion, and volume of traded flowers using count data regression models. The analysis is applied to the UK import of specific genera of cut flowers from Kenya between 1996 and 2004. There is a link between pest detection and the Genus of cut flower imported. Hence, pest detection efforts should focus on identifying and targeting those imported plants with a high risk of carrying pest species. For most of the plants studied, efforts allocated to inspection have a significant influence on the probability of pest detection. However, by better targeting inspection efforts, it is shown that plant inspection effort could be reduced without increasing the risk of pest entry. Similarly, for most of the plants analysed, an increase in volume traded will not necessarily lead to an increase in the number of pests entering the UK. For some species, such as Carthamus and Veronica, the volume of flowers traded has a significant and positive impact on the likelihood of pest detection. We conclude that analysis at the rank of plant Genus is important both to understand the effectiveness of plant pest detection efforts and consequently to manage the risk of introduction of non-indigenous species.

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... discharged from an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine... not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the...

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... discharged from an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine... not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the...

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... discharged from an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine... not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the...

Stocking and structure for maximum growth in sugar maple selection stands.

Treesearch

Thomas R. Crow; Carl H. Tubbs; Rodney D. Jacobs; Robert R. Oberg

1981-01-01

The impacts of stocking, structure, and cutting cycle on basal area, cubic foot volume, board foot volume, and diameter growth are considered. Recommendations are provided for maximum growth in uneven-aged sugar maple stands.

Microfabricated instrument for tissue biopsy and analysis

DOEpatents

Krulevitch, Peter A.; Lee, Abraham P.; Northrup, M. Allen; Benett, William J.

2001-01-01

A microfabricated biopsy/histology instrument which has several advantages over the conventional procedures, including minimal specimen handling, smooth cutting edges with atomic sharpness capable of slicing very thin specimens (approximately 2 .mu.m or greater), micro-liter volumes of chemicals for treating the specimens, low cost, disposable, fabrication process which renders sterile parts, and ease of use. The cutter is a "cheese-grater" style design comprising a block or substrate of silicon and which uses anisotropic etching of the silicon to form extremely sharp and precise cutting edges. As a specimen is cut, it passes through the silicon cutter and lies flat on a piece of glass which is bonded to the cutter. Microchannels are etched into the glass or silicon substrates for delivering small volumes of chemicals for treating the specimen. After treatment, the specimens can be examined through the glass substrate.

Advances in Education Research, Winter 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advances in Education Research, 1999

1999-01-01

This volume presents selected articles related to the impact of early intervention programs. This is part of a two volume set designed to showcase some of the best cutting edge research in these programs. This volume focuses specifically on aspects of the programs that have proven to be most successful in helping students and meeting programmatic…

Theoretical study of cut area of reduction of large surfaces of rotation parts on machines with rotary cutters “Extra”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondarenko, J. A.; Fedorenko, M. A.; Pogonin, A. A.

2018-03-01

Large parts can be treated without disassembling machines using “Extra”, having technological and design challenges, which differ from the challenges in the processing of these components on the stationary machine. Extension machines are used to restore large parts up to the condition allowing one to use them in a production environment. To achieve the desired accuracy and surface roughness parameters, the surface after rotary grinding becomes recoverable, which greatly increases complexity. In order to improve production efficiency and productivity of the process, the qualitative rotary processing of the machined surface is applied. The rotary cutting process includes a continuous change of the cutting edge surfaces. The kinematic parameters of a rotary cutting define its main features and patterns, the cutting operation of the rotary cutting instrument.

Issues of Commonality. Volume II. Issue Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

lubricating oil, and residual oil. 68 ° B Diesel fuel and kerosene make up what are known as the middle distillates. Jet fuels are blends from this...group of distillates which include some gasoline and some heavier oils. The range of hydrocarbons selected for this blending determines the "cut" of...the fuel. Wide-cut fuels are blended fram a wide range of hydrocarbons; narrow-cut fuels include only a small range of hydrocarbons from the

Lateral support systems and underpinning, volume I : design and construction.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

"This volume is a convenient reference on the design and construction of lateral support systems and underpinning which are often required in conjunction with cut-and-cover or soft ground tunneling. The design recommendations and construction methods...

Rooting cuttings of shrub species for plantings in California wildlands

Treesearch

Eamor C. Nord; J. R. Goodin

1970-01-01

Selected shrub species are being studied in southern California for their possible fuel volume or slow burning characteristics. In propagation tests, five species-fourwing, Gardner's, Nuttall's, and allscale saltbushes; and creeping sage - rooted successfully from green tip and ripewood stem cuttings taken in spring and fall and placed under intermittent mist...

Standing timber coefficients for Indiana walnut log production.

Treesearch

James E. Blyth; Edwin Kallio; John C. Callahan

1969-01-01

If the volume of walnut veneer logs and saw logs received at processing plants from Indiana forests is known, conversion factors developed in this paper can be used to determine how much timber was cut to provide these logs and the kinds of timber that were cut (sawtimber, cull trees, trees on nonforest land, etc.).

Microfabricated instrument for tissue biopsy and analysis

DOEpatents

Krulevitch, Peter A.; Lee, Abraham P.; Northrup, M. Allen; Benett, William J.

1999-01-01

A microfabricated biopsy/histology instrument which has several advantages over the conventional procedures, including minimal specimen handling, smooth cutting edges with atomic sharpness capable of slicing very thin specimens (approximately 2 .mu.m or greater), micro-liter volumes of chemicals for treating the specimens, low cost, disposable, fabrication process which renders sterile parts, and ease of use. The cutter is a "cheese-grater" style design comprising a block or substrate of silicon and which uses anisotropic etching of the silicon to form extremely sharp and precise cutting edges. As a specimen is cut, it passes through the silicon cutter and lies flat on a piece of glass which is bonded to the cutter. Microchannels are etched into the glass or silicon substrates for delivering small volumes of chemicals for treating the specimen. After treatment, the specimens can be examined through the glass substrate. For automation purposes, microvalves and micropumps may be incorporated. Also, specimens in parallel may be cut and treated with identical or varied chemicals. The instrument is disposable due to its low cost and thus could replace current expensive microtome and histology equipment.

Optimal Design of Magnetic ComponentsinPlasma Cutting Power Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, J. F.; Zhu, B. R.; Zhao, W. N.; Yang, X. J.; Tang, H. J.

2017-10-01

Phase-shifted transformer and DC reactor are usually needed in chopper plasma cutting power supply. Because of high power rate, the loss of magnetic components may reach to several kilowatts, which seriously affects the conversion efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to research and design low loss magnetic components by means of efficient magnetic materials and optimal design methods. The main task in this paper is to compare the core loss of different magnetic material, to analyze the influence of transformer structure, winding arrangement and wire structure on the characteristics of magnetic component. Then another task is to select suitable magnetic material, structure and wire in order to reduce the loss and volume of magnetic components. Based on the above outcome, the optimization design process of transformer and dc reactor are proposed in chopper plasma cutting power supply with a lot of solutions. These solutions are analyzed and compared before the determination of the optimal solution in order to reduce the volume and power loss of the two magnetic components and improve the conversion efficiency of plasma cutting power supply.

Nanofluid as coolant for grinding process: An overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kananathan, J.; Samykano, M.; Sudhakar, K.; Subramaniam, S. R.; Selavamani, S. K.; Manoj Kumar, Nallapaneni; Keng, Ngui Wai; Kadirgama, K.; Hamzah, W. A. W.; Harun, W. S. W.

2018-04-01

This paper reviews the recent progress and applications of nanoparticles in lubricants as a coolant (cutting fluid) for grinding process. The role of grinding machining in manufacturing and the importance of lubrication fluids during material removal are discussed. In grinding process, coolants are used to improve the surface finish, wheel wear, flush the chips and to reduce the work-piece thermal deformation. The conventional cooling technique, i.e., flood cooling delivers a large amount of fluid and mist which hazardous to the environment and humans. Industries are actively looking for possible ways to reduce the volume of coolants used in metal removing operations due to the economical and ecological impacts. Thus as an alternative, an advanced cooling technique known as Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) has been introduced to the enhance the surface finish, minimize the cost, to reduce the environmental impacts and to reduce the metal cutting fluid consumptions. Nanofluid is a new-fangled class of fluids engineered by dispersing nanometre-size solid particles into base fluids such as water, lubrication oils to further improve the properties of the lubricant or coolant. In addition to advanced cooling technique review, this paper also reviews the application of various nanoparticles and their performance in grinding operations. The performance of nanoparticles related to the cutting forces, surface finish, tool wear, and temperature at the cutting zone are briefly reviewed. The study reveals that the excellent properties of the nanofluid can be beneficial in cooling and lubricating application in the manufacturing process.

Lateral Support Systems And Underpinning. Volume I: Design And Construction

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

This volume is a convenient reference on the design and construction of lateral support systems and underpining which are often required in conjunction with cut-and-cover or soft ground tunneling. The design recommendations and construction methods d...

Lateral support systems and underpinning, volume III : construction methods.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

This report provides current information and design guidelines on cut-and-cover tunneling for practicing engineers. The main emphasis is on the geotechnical aspects of engineering. Included in this volume is a state-of-the-art summary of displacement...

Lateral support systems and underpinning, volume II : design fundamentals.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

This report provides current information and design guidelines on cut-and-cover : tunneling for practicing engineers. The main emphasis is on the geotechnical : aspects of engineering. Included in this volume is a state-of-the-art summary of : displa...

Lateral Support Systems And Underpinning. Volume II. Design Fundamentals

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

This report provides current information and design guidelines on cut-and-cover tunneling for practicing engineers. The main emphasis is on the geotechnical aspects of engineering. Included in this volume is a state-of-the-art summary of displacement...

Conductive resins improve charging and resolution of acquired images in electron microscopic volume imaging

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Huy Bang; Thai, Truc Quynh; Saitoh, Sei; Wu, Bao; Saitoh, Yurika; Shimo, Satoshi; Fujitani, Hiroshi; Otobe, Hirohide; Ohno, Nobuhiko

2016-01-01

Recent advances in serial block-face imaging using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have enabled the rapid and efficient acquisition of 3-dimensional (3D) ultrastructural information from a large volume of biological specimens including brain tissues. However, volume imaging under SEM is often hampered by sample charging, and typically requires specific sample preparation to reduce charging and increase image contrast. In the present study, we introduced carbon-based conductive resins for 3D analyses of subcellular ultrastructures, using serial block-face SEM (SBF-SEM) to image samples. Conductive resins were produced by adding the carbon black filler, Ketjen black, to resins commonly used for electron microscopic observations of biological specimens. Carbon black mostly localized around tissues and did not penetrate cells, whereas the conductive resins significantly reduced the charging of samples during SBF-SEM imaging. When serial images were acquired, embedding into the conductive resins improved the resolution of images by facilitating the successful cutting of samples in SBF-SEM. These results suggest that improving the conductivities of resins with a carbon black filler is a simple and useful option for reducing charging and enhancing the resolution of images obtained for volume imaging with SEM. PMID:27020327

Determining cutting efficiency of nickel-titanium coronal flaring instruments used in lateral action.

PubMed

Peters, O A; Morgental, R D; Schulze, K A; Paqué, F; Kopper, P M P; Vier-Pelisser, F V

2014-06-01

To develop a method to evaluate the cutting behaviour of nickel-titanium (NiTi) coronal flaring instruments. BioRaCe BR0 (BR), HyFlex CM 1 (HY), ProFile OS No. 2 (PF) and ProTaper Sx (PT) instruments were used in simulated coronal flaring using a lateral action against bovine dentine blocks, at 250 and 500 rpm. Cutting efficiency was assessed by three methods: first, areas of notches produced by instruments were directly measured under a stereomicroscope. Second, dentine specimens were then analysed by surface profilometry to determine the maximum cutting depth and finally by microcomputed tomography to assess the volume of removed dentine. Data were compared using parametric tests with the significance level set at 0.05. For all three methods, HY and PF were the most and the least cutting-efficient instruments, respectively (P < 0.05). Significant differences were detected between 250 and 500 rpm for HY and PT (area); for BR, HY and PT (depth); and for BR and HY (volume). There were strong positive correlations between the results obtained with those three different methods with r-values ranging from 0.81 to 0.92. Measuring the amount of material removed in a specific time under stereomicroscopy is a simple and rational way to assess the cutting behaviour of NiTi rotary instruments in lateral action. HyFlex, manufactured with thermomechanically treated NiTi wire, was the most efficient instrument, and increased rotational speed was associated with increased cutting efficiency. © 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Augmented Endoscopic Images Overlaying Shape Changes in Bone Cutting Procedures.

PubMed

Nakao, Megumi; Endo, Shota; Nakao, Shinichi; Yoshida, Munehito; Matsuda, Tetsuya

2016-01-01

In microendoscopic discectomy for spinal disorders, bone cutting procedures are performed in tight spaces while observing a small portion of the target structures. Although optical tracking systems are able to measure the tip of the surgical tool during surgery, the poor shape information available during surgery makes accurate cutting difficult, even if preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance images are used for reference. Shape estimation and visualization of the target structures are essential for accurate cutting. However, time-varying shape changes during cutting procedures are still challenging issues for intraoperative navigation. This paper introduces a concept of endoscopic image augmentation that overlays shape changes to support bone cutting procedures. This framework handles the history of the location of the measured drill tip as a volume label and visualizes the remains to be cut overlaid on the endoscopic image in real time. A cutting experiment was performed with volunteers, and the feasibility of this concept was examined using a clinical navigation system. The efficacy of the cutting aid was evaluated with respect to the shape similarity, total moved distance of a cutting tool, and required cutting time. The results of the experiments showed that cutting performance was significantly improved by the proposed framework.

Surface and cut-edge corrosion behavior of Zn-Mg-Al alloy-coated steel sheets as a function of the alloy coating microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Min-Suk; Kim, Sang-Heon; Kim, Jong-Sang; Lee, Jae-Won; Shon, Je-Ha; Jin, Young-Sool

2016-01-01

The effects of Mg and Al content on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of hot-dip Zn-Mg-Al alloycoated steel sheets were investigated. Pure Zn and Zn-based alloy coatings containing Mg (0-5 wt%) and Al (0.2-55 wt%) were produced by a hot-dip galvanizing method. Mg and Al addition induced formation of intermetallic microstructures, like primary Zn, Zn/MgZn2 binary eutectic, dendric Zn/Al eutectoid, and Zn/Al/MgZn2/ternary eutectic structures in the coating layer. MgZn2-related structures (Zn/MgZn2, Zn/Al/MgZn2, MgZn2) played an important role in increasing the corrosion resistance of Zn-Mg-Al alloy-coated steel sheets. Zn-3%Mg-2.5%Al coating layer containing a large volume of lamellar-shaped Zn/MgZn2 binary eutectic structures showed the best cut-edge corrosion resistance. The analysis indicated that Mg dissolved from MgZn2 in the early stage of corrosion and migrated to the cathodic region of steel-exposed cut-edge area to form dense and ordered protective corrosion products, leading to prolonged cathodic protection of Zn-Mg-Al alloy-coated steel sheets.

Volume and mass distribution in selected families of asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wlodarczyk, I.; Leliwa-Kopystynski, J.

2014-07-01

Members of five asteroid families (Vesta, Eos, Eunomia, Koronis, and Themis) were identified using the Hierarchical Clustering Method (HCM) for a data set containing 292,003 numbered asteroids. The influence of the choice of the best value of the parameter v_{cut} that controls the distances of asteroids in the proper elements space a, e, i was investigated with a step as small as 1 m/s. Results are given in a set of figures showing the families on the planes (a, e), (a, i), (e, i). Another form for the presentation of results is related to the secular resonances in the asteroids' motion with the giant planets, mostly with Saturn. Relations among asteroid radius, albedo, and absolute magnitude allow us to calculate the volumes of individual members of an asteroid family. After summation, the volumes of the parent bodies of the families were found. This paper presents the possibility and the first results of using a combined method for asteroid family identifications based on the following items: (i) Parameter v_{cut} is established with precision as high as 1 m/s; (ii) the albedo (if available) of the potential members is considered for approving or rejecting the family membership; (iii) a color classification is used for the same purpose as well. Searching for the most reliable parameter values for the family populations was performed by means of a consecutive application of the HCM with increasing parameter v_{cut}. The results are illustrated in the figure. Increasing v_{cut} in steps as small as 1 m/s allowed to observe the computational strength of the HCM: the critical value of the parameter v_{cut} (see the breaking-points of the plots in the figure) separates the assemblage of potential family members from 'an ocean' of background asteroids that are not related to the family. The critical values of v_{cut} vary from 57 m/s for the Vesta family to 92 m/s for the Eos family. If the parameter v_{cut} surpasses its critical value, the number of HCM-discovered family members increases enormously and without any physical reason.

Characterization of Flame Cut Heavy Steel: Modeling of Temperature History and Residual Stress Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jokiaho, T.; Laitinen, A.; Santa-aho, S.; Isakov, M.; Peura, P.; Saarinen, T.; Lehtovaara, A.; Vippola, M.

2017-12-01

Heavy steel plates are used in demanding applications that require both high strength and hardness. An important step in the production of such components is cutting the plates with a cost-effective thermal cutting method such as flame cutting. Flame cutting is performed with a controlled flame and oxygen jet, which burns the steel and forms a cutting edge. However, the thermal cutting of heavy steel plates causes several problems. A heat-affected zone (HAZ) is generated at the cut edge due to the steep temperature gradient. Consequently, volume changes, hardness variations, and microstructural changes occur in the HAZ. In addition, residual stresses are formed at the cut edge during the process. In the worst case, unsuitable flame cutting practices generate cracks at the cut edge. The flame cutting of thick steel plate was modeled using the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The results of modeling were verified by X-ray diffraction-based residual stress measurements and microstructural analysis. The model provides several outcomes, such as obtaining more information related to the formation of residual stresses and the temperature history during the flame cutting process. In addition, an extensive series of flame cut samples was designed with the assistance of the model.

40 CFR 440.143 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... which may be discharged from an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration... site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess...

40 CFR 440.143 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... which may be discharged from an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration... site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess...

Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 11, Number 22

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amos, Jason, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Deficit Committee's Failure Triggers Automatic Spending Cuts: Education Programs Could Face $3.5 Billion in Cuts; (2)…

Wood resource

Treesearch

John R. Jones; Norbert V. DeByle; Robert P. Winokur

1985-01-01

Aspen has not been cut extensively in the West; in fact, it has been grossly underutilized. For example, as recently as 1975, the aspen harvest from National Forests in four Forest Service regions in the Rocky Mountain area was 7.64 million board feet. Additional minor volumes were cut on special-use permits for products such as fuel and corral poles. The total amount...

Agricultural Construction Volume II. Oxy-Gas and Other Cutting/Welding Processes. Woodworking, Metals, Finishing. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Admire, Myron; Maricle, Gary

This guide contains instructor's materials for teaching a secondary agricultural construction course consisting of instructional units on oxy-gas and other cutting and welding processes (10 lessons), woodworking (6 lessons), metals (10 lessons), and finishing (4 lessons). The materials for each unit include student objectives, a list of…

Manufacturing Methods for Cutting, Machining and Drilling Composites. Volume 1. Composites Machining Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-08-01

12°±30’ 1180±2° OPTIONAL .0005 IN./IN. BACK TAPER 015 RAD LIPS TO BE WITHIN .002 OF TRUE ANGULAR POSITION NOTES: 1. LAND WIDTH: 28% ± .005... horoscope and dye-penetrant requirements. 79 PHASE 1 PHASE II PHASE III PHASE IV CUTTING DRILLING MACHINING NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION METHOD MATERIAL

Spatio-temporal change in forest cover and carbon storage considering actual and potential forest cover in South Korea.

PubMed

Nam, Kijun; Lee, Woo-Kyun; Kim, Moonil; Kwak, Doo-Ahn; Byun, Woo-Hyuk; Yu, Hangnan; Kwak, Hanbin; Kwon, Taesung; Sung, Joohan; Chung, Dong-Jun; Lee, Seung-Ho

2015-07-01

This study analyzes change in carbon storage by applying forest growth models and final cutting age to actual and potential forest cover for six major tree species in South Korea. Using National Forest Inventory data, the growth models were developed to estimate mean diameter at breast height, tree height, and number of trees for Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus rigida, Larix kaempferi, Castanea crenata and Quercus spp. stands. We assumed that actual forest cover in a forest type map will change into potential forest covers according to the Hydrological and Thermal Analogy Groups model. When actual forest cover reaches the final cutting age, forest volume and carbon storage are estimated by changed forest cover and its growth model. Forest volume between 2010 and 2110 would increase from 126.73 to 157.33 m(3) hm(-2). Our results also show that forest cover, volume, and carbon storage could abruptly change by 2060. This is attributed to the fact that most forests are presumed to reach final cutting age. To avoid such dramatic change, a regeneration and yield control scheme should be prepared and implemented in a way that ensures balance in forest practice and yield.

Stresses around large cut-outs in torsion boxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhn, Paul; Moggio, Edwin M

1946-01-01

The problem treated here is that of the stresses in a torsion box with a large rectangular cut-out. The theoretical treatment is confined to stresses termed the 'primary stresses.' Comparison of the theoretical results with strain gage data for a series of cut-outs indicates that the primary stresses are probably adequate for designing the major part of the structure, the only important exception being in the design of the cover sheet in the full section adjacent to the cut-out.

An investigation on co-axial water-jet assisted fiber laser cutting of metal sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madhukar, Yuvraj K.; Mullick, Suvradip; Nath, Ashish K.

2016-02-01

Water assisted laser cutting has received significant attention in recent times with assurance of many advantages than conventional gas assisted laser cutting. A comparative study between co-axial water-jet and gas-jet assisted laser cutting of thin sheets of mild steel (MS) and titanium (Ti) by fiber laser is presented. Fiber laser (1.07 μm wavelength) was utilised because of its low absorption in water. The cut quality was evaluated in terms of average kerf, projected dross height, heat affected zone (HAZ) and cut surface roughness. It was observed that a broad range process parameter could produce consistent cut quality in MS. However, oxygen assisted cutting could produce better quality only with optimised parameters at high laser power and high cutting speed. In Ti cutting the water-jet assisted laser cutting performed better over the entire range of process parameters compared with gas assisted cutting. The specific energy, defined as the amount of laser energy required to remove unit volume of material was found more in case of water-jet assisted laser cutting process. It is mainly due to various losses associated with water assisted laser processing such as absorption of laser energy in water and scattering at the interaction zone.

In vivo evaluation of DIAGNOdent for the quantification of occlusal dental caries.

PubMed

Khalife, Moufida A; Boynton, James R; Dennison, Joseph B; Yaman, Peter; Hamilton, James C

2009-01-01

The accurate diagnosis of non-cavitated occlusal caries is generally considered problematic. Induced fluorescence quantified by the DIAGNOdent device (KaVo) gives a reading from 0-99, which may help in the caries diagnostic process. There is some controversy around the implication of increased severity of decay with increased DIAGNOdent readings. This in vivo study assessed the correlation of depth and volume of decay as it was removed by traditional rotary handpieces with DIAGNOdent readings and determined sensitivities/specificities of the device at different cut-off points. Included in the current study were 31 patients providing 60 permanent molar and premolar occlusal surfaces suspected of dentinal decay. DIAGNOdent readings were recorded, along with lesion depth (as measured by periodontal probe) and volume measurements (as calculated from measuring the mass of a polyvinyl siloxane impression of the cavity, divided by the material's calculated density). Clinical detection of decay at the DEJ was used as the gold-standard to calculate an appropriate cut-off. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that DIAGNOdent readings were weakly correlated with lesion depth (r = 0.47) and lesion volume (also r = 0.47). An appropriate cut-off point for the sample in the current study was calculated between 35 and 40; a more specific cut-off point could not be determined due to the sample size distribution. It was concluded that the DIAGNOdent device should be used as an adjunct in the caries diagnosis and treatment planning process.

Behavioural responses of poultry during kosher slaughter and their implications for the birds' welfare.

PubMed

Barnett, J L; Cronin, G M; Scott, P C

2007-01-13

Measurements were made during Shechita (kosher) slaughter of 692 meat chickens, including the behaviour of the birds during the procedure and the times from their removal from the crate, to neck cutting, bleed-out and shackling. Four of 100 birds showed a mild physical response to neck cutting but the others showed no response. Approximately 60 per cent of the birds showed a physical response to touching the eye or eyelid at up to 5 seconds after neck cutting, but by 15 seconds none showed this response. The birds became unable to retain their posture and suffered involuntary muscular contractions at 12 to 15 seconds after neck cutting and had lost approximately 40 per cent of their total blood volume by 30 seconds after neck cutting.

In-situ stabilization of radioactive zirconium swarf

DOEpatents

Hess, Clay C.

1999-01-01

The method for treating ignitable cutting swarf in accordance with the present invention involves collecting cutting swarf in a casting mold underwater and injecting a binder mixture comprising vinyl ester styrene into the vessel to fill void volume; and form a mixture comprising swarf and vinyl ester styrene; and curing the mixture. The method is especially useful for stabilizing the ignitable characteristics of radioactive zirconium cutting swarf, and can be used to solidify zirconium swarf, or other ignitable finely divided material, underwater. The process could also be performed out of water with other particulate wastes.

Handbook of Early Literacy Research. Volume 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickinson, David K., Ed.; Neuman, Susan B., Ed.

2006-01-01

Current research increasingly highlights the role of early literacy in young children's development--and informs practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. This handbook presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the early years. Volume 2 provides additional perspectives on important topics…

Black Cherry Volume Tables for Furniture-Type, Flat, 4/4-Inch Dimension from Small Low-Quality Trees.

Treesearch

Eugene F. Landt

1974-01-01

Volume tables are given for yield of clear-one-side, flat dimension from small, low-quality trees and boldts removed in a stand improvement cut of 54- to 76-year-old black cherry trees from northern Pennsylvania.

Soft Maple Volume Tables for Furniture-Type, Flat, 4/4-Inch Dimension from Small Low-Quality Trees

Treesearch

Eugene F. Landt

1974-01-01

Volume tables are given for yield of clear-one-side, flat dimension from small low-quality trees and bolts removed in a stand improvemtn cut of 18- to 44-year-old soft maple trees in southern Illinois.

A Multi-Cohort Study of ApoE ɛ4 and Amyloid-β Effects on the Hippocampus in Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Khan, Wasim; Giampietro, Vincent; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J.; Bokde, Arun L.W.; Büchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia; Flor, Herta; Frouin, Vincent; Garavan, Hugh; Gowland, Penny; Heinz, Anreas; Ittermann, Bernd; Lemaître, Hervé; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Rietschel, Marcella; Smolka, Michael N.; Ströhle, Andreas; Gallinat, Jeurgen; Vellas, Bruno; Soininen, Hilkka; Kloszewska, Iwona; Tsolaki, Magda; Mecocci, Patrizia; Spenger, Christian; Villemagne, Victor L.; Masters, Colin L.; Muehlboeck, J-Sebastian; Bäckman, Lars; Fratiglioni, Laura; Kalpouzos, Grégoria; Wahlund, Lars-Olof; Schumann, Gunther; Lovestone, Simon; Williams, Steven C.R.; Westman, Eric; Simmons, Andrew

2017-01-01

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene has been consistently shown to modulate the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, using an AD and normal aging dataset primarily consisting of three AD multi-center studies (n = 1,781), we compared the effect of APOE and amyloid-β (Aβ) on baseline hippocampal volumes in AD patients, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects, and healthy controls. A large sample of healthy adolescents (n = 1,387) was also used to compare hippocampal volumes between APOE groups. Subjects had undergone a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and APOE genotyping. Hippocampal volumes were processed using FreeSurfer. In the AD and normal aging dataset, hippocampal comparisons were performed in each APOE group and in ɛ4 carriers with positron emission tomography (PET) Aβ who were dichotomized (Aβ+/Aβ–) using previous cut-offs. We found a linear reduction in hippocampal volumes with ɛ4 carriers possessing the smallest volumes, ɛ3 carriers possessing intermediate volumes, and ɛ2 carriers possessing the largest volumes. Moreover, AD and MCI ɛ4 carriers possessed the smallest hippocampal volumes and control ɛ2 carriers possessed the largest hippocampal volumes. Subjects with both APOE ɛ4 and Aβ positivity had the lowest hippocampal volumes when compared to Aβ- ɛ4 carriers, suggesting a synergistic relationship between APOE ɛ4 and Aβ. However, we found no hippocampal volume differences between APOE groups in healthy 14-year-old adolescents. Our findings suggest that the strongest neuroanatomic effect of APOE ɛ4 on the hippocampus is observed in AD and groups most at risk of developing the disease, whereas hippocampi of old and young healthy individuals remain unaffected. PMID:28157104

Commissioning a hobby cutting device for radiochromic film preparation.

PubMed

Zolfaghari, Somayeh; Francis, Kirby E; Kairn, Tanya; Crowe, Scott B

2017-06-01

In addition to a high spatial resolution and well characterised dose response, one of the major advantages of radiochromic film as a dosimeter is that sheets of film can be cut into pieces suitable for use as calibration films, and for in vivo and phantom measurements. The cutting of film is typically done using scissors or a guillotine, and this process can be time-consuming, limited in precision, requires extensive handling and does not allow holes to be cut from the film without cutting from an existing edge. This study investigated the use of a Brother ScanNCut hobby cutting system for EBT3 film preparation. The optimal operating parameters (blade size, pressure, speed) that resulted in precise cuts with minimal delamination at cut edges were identified using test cutting patterns. These parameters were then used to cut a large film insert for a stereotactic head phantom for comparison against an insert cut with scissors. While the hobby cutting system caused a wider region of delamination at the film edge (1.8 mm) compared to scissors (1 mm), the hobby cutting system was found to be able to produce reproducible cuts more efficiently and more accurately than scissors. The use of the hobby cutting system is recommended for complex phantom inserts (containing sharp corners or holes for alignment rods) or in situations where large numbers of film pieces need to be prepared.

Natural loblolly and shortleaf pine productivity through 53 years of management under four reproduction cutting methods

Treesearch

Michael D. Cain; Michael G. Shelton

2001-01-01

A study was initiated in 1943 to evaluate the long-term productivity of loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf pines (P. echinata Mill.) when managed under four reproduction cutting methods—clearcut, heavy seedtree, diameter-limit, and selection—on the Upper Coastal Plain of southeastern Arkansas. Early volume production...

User's manual for a computer program for simulating intensively managed allowable cut.

Treesearch

Robert W. Sassaman; Ed Holt; Karl Bergsvik

1972-01-01

Detailed operating instructions are described for SIMAC, a computerized forest simulation model which calculates the allowable cut assuming volume regulation for forests with intensively managed stands. A sample problem illustrates the required inputs and expected output. SIMAC is written in FORTRAN IV and runs on a CDC 6400 computer with a SCOPE 3.3 operating system....

Invertebrate enemies and nest associates of the leaf-cutting ant Atta texana (Buckley) (Formicudae, Attini)

Treesearch

D.A. Waller; John C. Moser

1990-01-01

The complex nests of leaf-cutting ants (Formicidae; Attini) provide rich habitats for ant associates. These mounds consist of interconnected subterranean cavities that average 0.002 m3 in volume (Waler et al. 1938) and extend to depths of 7 m (Moser 1963). Many cavities contain fungus gardens, cultivated on live plant material, frass and debris....

Multiple-objective optimization in precision laser cutting of different thermoplastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamrin, K. F.; Nukman, Y.; Choudhury, I. A.; Shirley, S.

2015-04-01

Thermoplastics are increasingly being used in biomedical, automotive and electronics industries due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. Due to the localized and non-contact process, use of lasers for cutting could result in precise cut with small heat-affected zone (HAZ). Precision laser cutting involving various materials is important in high-volume manufacturing processes to minimize operational cost, error reduction and improve product quality. This study uses grey relational analysis to determine a single optimized set of cutting parameters for three different thermoplastics. The set of the optimized processing parameters is determined based on the highest relational grade and was found at low laser power (200 W), high cutting speed (0.4 m/min) and low compressed air pressure (2.5 bar). The result matches with the objective set in the present study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is then carried out to ascertain the relative influence of process parameters on the cutting characteristics. It was found that the laser power has dominant effect on HAZ for all thermoplastics.

Energy balance in high-quality cutting of steel by fiber and CO2 lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomin, V. M.; Golyshev, A. A.; Orishich, A. M.; Shulyat'ev, V. B.

2017-03-01

The energy balance of laser cutting of low-carbon and stainless steel sheets with the minimum roughness of the cut surface is experimentally studied. Experimental data obtained in wide ranges of cutting parameters are generalized with the use of dimensionless parameters (Peclet number and absorbed laser energy). It is discovered for the first time that the minimum roughness is ensured at a certain value of energy per unit volume of the melt (approximately 26 J/mm3), regardless of the gas type (oxygen or nitrogen) and laser type (fiber laser with a wavelength of 1.07 μm or CO2 laser with a wavelength of 10.6 μm).

Environmental projects. Volume 13: Underground storage tanks, removal and replacement. Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bengelsdorf, Irv

1991-01-01

The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), located in the Mojave Desert about 40 miles north of Barstow, California, and about 160 miles northeast of Pasadena, is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Deep Space Network, one of the world's largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications and radio navigation networks. Activities at the GDSCC are carried out in support of six large parabolic dish antennas. As a large-scale facility located in a remote, isolated desert region, the GDSCC operations require numerous on-site storage facilities for gasoline, diesel oil, hydraulic oil, and waste oil. These fluids are stored in underground storage tanks (USTs). This present volume describes what happened to the 26 USTs that remained at the GDSCC. Twenty-four of these USTs were constructed of carbon steel without any coating for corrosion protection, and without secondary containment or leak detection. Two remaining USTs were constructed of fiberglass-coated carbon steel but without secondary containment or leak protection. Of the 26 USTs that remained at the GDSCC, 23 were cleaned, removed from the ground, cut up, and hauled away from the GDSCC for environmentally acceptable disposal. Three USTs were permanently closed (abandoned in place).

Submarine melting from repeat UAV surveys of icebergs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, A., II; Ryan, J.; Smith, L. C.; Hamilton, G. S.

2017-12-01

Greenland's tidewater glaciers are a primary contributor to global sea-level rise, yet their future trajectory remains uncertain due to their non-linear response to oceanic forcing: particularly with respect to rapid submarine melting and under-cutting of their calving fronts. To improve understanding of ice-ocean interactions, we conducted repeat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys across the terminus of Store Glacier and its adjacent fjord between May and June 2014. The derived imagery provides insight into frontal plume dynamics and the changing freeboard volume of icebergs in the fjord as they ablate. Following the methodology of Enderlin and Hamilton (2014), by differencing iceberg freeboard volume, we constrain submarine melt rates adjacent to the calving front. We find that plume and submarine melt rates are critical to mass loss variability across the calving front. Although the frontal ablation of Store Glacier is dominated by large mechanical calving events, the undercutting induced by the meltwater plume increases the frequency of calving and initiates frontal retreat. We conclude that even small increases in submarine melting due to changes in the meltwater plume duration and/or circulation patterns can have important consequences for frontal mass loss from large outlet glaciers draining the Greenland ice sheet.

Effect of cutting fluids and cutting conditions on surface integrity and tool wear in turning of Inconel 713C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hikiji, R.

2018-01-01

The trend toward downsizing of engines helps to increase the number of turbochargers around Europe. As for the turbocharger, the temperature of the exhaust gas is so high that the parts made of nickel base super alloy Inconel 713C are used as high temperature strength metals. External turning of Inconel 713C which is used as the actual automotive parts was carried out. The effect of the cutting fluids and cutting conditions on the surface integrity and tool wear was investigated, considering global environment and cost performance. As a result, in the range of the cutting conditions used this time, when the depth of cut was small, the good surface integrity and tool life were obtained. However, in the case of the large corner radius, it was found that the more the cutting length increased, the more the tool wear increased. When the cutting length is so large, the surface integrity and tool life got worse. As for the cutting fluids, it was found that the synthetic type showed better performance in the surface integrity and tool life than the conventional emulsion. However, it was clear that the large corner radius made the surface roughness and tool life good, but it affected the size error etc. in machining the workpiece held in a cantilever style.

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

Treesearch

Allan E. Tiarks; V. Clark Baldwin

1999-01-01

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

Cutting Diameter Influences Early Survival and Growth of Several Populus Clones

Treesearch

Donald Dickmann; Howard Phipps; Daniel Netzer

1980-01-01

The effects of cutting diameter on early survival and growth of several Populus clones were studied in field tests in Wisconsin and Michigan. Generally, large diameter cuttings survived and grew better than small diameter cuttings. Response differences among clones were evident.

Novel use of an ultrasonic bone-cutting device for endoscopic-assisted craniosynostosis surgery.

PubMed

Chaichana, Kaisorn L; Jallo, George I; Dorafshar, Amir H; Ahn, Edward S

2013-07-01

Endoscopic-assisted craniosynostosis surgery is associated with less blood loss and shorter operative times as compared to open surgery. However, in infants who have low circulating blood volumes, the endoscopic approach is still associated with significant blood loss. A major source of blood loss is the bone that is cut during surgery. We discuss the novel use of an ultrasonic bone-cutting device for craniosynostosis surgery, which decreases bone bleeding. This device, which has primarily only been used for spine and skull base surgery, may help reduce blood loss in these infants. All patients with single suture craniosynostosis who were operated on with the use of an ultrasonic bone-cutting device were identified. The information retrospectively recorded from patient charts included patient age, suture involved, blood loss, operative times, complications, preoperative hemoglobin, postoperative hemoglobin, length of hospital stay, and follow-up times. Thirteen patients (12 males, 1 female) underwent surgery with an ultrasonic bone-cutting device during the reviewed period. The average age (±standard deviation) of the patients was 11.8 (±1.6) weeks. Four patients had metopic synostosis and nine patients had sagittal synostosis. The average surgery time was 84 (±13) min. The median (interquartile range) blood loss was 20 (10-70) cc. No patients required blood transfusions. Three patients had dural tears. We demonstrate the novel use of an ultrasonic bone-cutting device for endoscopic-assisted craniosynostosis surgery. This device limited blood loss while maintaining short operative times for infants with low circulating blood volumes.

On the Cutting Performance of Segmented Diamond Blades when Dry-Cutting Concrete

PubMed Central

Martynenko, V.; Martínez Krahmer, D.; Benítez, A.; Genovese, G.

2018-01-01

The objective of the present study is to analyze and compare the cutting performance of segmented diamond blades when dry-cutting concrete. A cutting criteria is proposed to characterize the wear of the blades by measuring the variation of the external diameter and the weight loss of the blade. The results exhibit the cutting blade SB-A, which has twice the density of diamonds and large contact area, exhibits less wear even though the material removal rate is higher compared with the other two cutting blades. Additionally, the surface topography of the different blades is evaluated to examine the impact of wear depending on the surface profile and the distribution of the diamonds in the blade’s matrix. Large number of diamonds pull-out are found in blades type SB-C, which additionally shows the worst wear resistant capability. As a conclusion, the cutting efficiency of the blade is found to be related to the density of embedded diamonds and the type of the surface profile of the cutting blade after reaching the stop criteria. PMID:29425125

On the Cutting Performance of Segmented Diamond Blades when Dry-Cutting Concrete.

PubMed

Sánchez Egea, A J; Martynenko, V; Martínez Krahmer, D; López de Lacalle, L N; Benítez, A; Genovese, G

2018-02-09

The objective of the present study is to analyze and compare the cutting performance of segmented diamond blades when dry-cutting concrete. A cutting criteria is proposed to characterize the wear of the blades by measuring the variation of the external diameter and the weight loss of the blade. The results exhibit the cutting blade SB-A, which has twice the density of diamonds and large contact area, exhibits less wear even though the material removal rate is higher compared with the other two cutting blades. Additionally, the surface topography of the different blades is evaluated to examine the impact of wear depending on the surface profile and the distribution of the diamonds in the blade's matrix. Large number of diamonds pull-out are found in blades type SB-C, which additionally shows the worst wear resistant capability. As a conclusion, the cutting efficiency of the blade is found to be related to the density of embedded diamonds and the type of the surface profile of the cutting blade after reaching the stop criteria.

Adaptive Meshing of Ship Air-Wake Flowfields

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-21

performs cut- cell operations at geometry boundaries. A second-order spatial finite-volume scheme has been incorporated with explicit first order...The cells intersected by the geometry are handled using the “cut- cell ” approach, which is basically creating arbitrary polyhedral elements with...appropriate surface boundary conditions. Any cells completely outside the computational domain are tagged external and not solved in the flow solution

GSRP/David Marshall: Fully Automated Cartesian Grid CFD Application for MDO in High Speed Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

With the renewed interest in Cartesian gridding methodologies for the ease and speed of gridding complex geometries in addition to the simplicity of the control volumes used in the computations, it has become important to investigate ways of extending the existing Cartesian grid solver functionalities. This includes developing methods of modeling the viscous effects in order to utilize Cartesian grids solvers for accurate drag predictions and addressing the issues related to the distributed memory parallelization of Cartesian solvers. This research presents advances in two areas of interest in Cartesian grid solvers, viscous effects modeling and MPI parallelization. The development of viscous effects modeling using solely Cartesian grids has been hampered by the widely varying control volume sizes associated with the mesh refinement and the cut cells associated with the solid surface. This problem is being addressed by using physically based modeling techniques to update the state vectors of the cut cells and removing them from the finite volume integration scheme. This work is performed on a new Cartesian grid solver, NASCART-GT, with modifications to its cut cell functionality. The development of MPI parallelization addresses issues associated with utilizing Cartesian solvers on distributed memory parallel environments. This work is performed on an existing Cartesian grid solver, CART3D, with modifications to its parallelization methodology.

Impacts of changing hydrology on permanent gully growth: experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Stephanie S.; Gran, Karen B.; Paola, Chris

2018-06-01

Permanent gullies grow through head cut propagation in response to overland flow coupled with incision and widening in the channel bottom leading to hillslope failures. Altered hydrology can impact the rate at which permanent gullies grow by changing head cut propagation, channel incision, and channel widening rates. Using a set of small physical experiments, we tested how changing overland flow rates and flow volumes alter the total volume of erosion and resulting gully morphology. Permanent gullies were modeled as both detachment-limited and transport-limited systems, using two different substrates with varying cohesion. In both cases, the erosion rate varied linearly with water discharge, such that the volume of sediment eroded was a function not of flow rate, but of total water volume. This implies that efforts to reduce peak flow rates alone without addressing flow volumes entering gully systems may not reduce erosion. The documented response in these experiments is not typical when compared to larger preexisting channels where higher flow rates result in greater erosion through nonlinear relationships between water discharge and sediment discharge. Permanent gullies do not respond like preexisting channels because channel slope remains a free parameter and can adjust relatively quickly in response to changing flows.

Characteristics of new solid nodules detected in incidence screening rounds of low-dose CT lung cancer screening: the NELSON study.

PubMed

Walter, Joan E; Heuvelmans, Marjolein A; Bock, Geertruida H de; Yousaf-Khan, Uraujh; Groen, Harry J M; Aalst, Carlijn M van der; Nackaerts, Kristiaan; Ooijen, Peter M A van; Koning, Harry J de; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Oudkerk, Matthijs

2018-04-16

New nodules after baseline are regularly found in low-dose CT lung cancer screening and have a high lung cancer probability. It is unknown whether morphological and location characteristics can improve new nodule risk stratification by size. Solid non-calcified nodules detected during incidence screening rounds of the randomised controlled Dutch-Belgian lung cancer screening (NELSON) trial and registered as new or previously below detection limit (15 mm 3 ) were included. A multivariate logistic regression analysis with lung cancer as outcome was performed, including previously established volume cut-offs (<30 mm 3 , 30-<200 mm 3 and ≥200 mm 3 ) and nodule characteristics (location, distribution, shape, margin and visibility <15 mm 3 in retrospect). Overall, 1280 new nodules were included with 73 (6%) being lung cancer. Of nodules ≥30 mm 3 at detection and visible <15 mm 3 in retrospect, 22% (6/27) were lung cancer. Discrimination based on volume cut-offs (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.80, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.84) and continuous volume (AUC: 0.82, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.87) was similar. After adjustment for volume cut-offs, only location in the right upper lobe (OR 2.0, P=0.012), central distribution (OR 2.4, P=0.001) and visibility <15 mm 3 in retrospect (OR 4.7, P=0.003) remained significant predictors for lung cancer. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P=0.75) and assessment of bootstrap calibration curves indicated adequate model fit. Discrimination based on the continuous model probability (AUC: 0.85, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.89) was superior to volume cut-offs alone, but when stratified into three risk groups (AUC: 0.82, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.86), discrimination was similar. Contrary to morphological nodule characteristics, growth-independent characteristics may further improve volume-based new nodule lung cancer prediction, but in a three-category stratification approach, this is limited. ISRCTN63545820; pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Progress Towards a Cartesian Cut-Cell Method for Viscous Compressible Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, Marsha; Aftosmis, Michael J.

2012-01-01

We present preliminary development of an approach for simulating high Reynolds number steady compressible flow in two space dimensions using a Cartesian cut-cell finite volume method. We consider both laminar and turbulent flow with both low and high cell Reynolds numbers near the wall. The approach solves the full Navier-Stokes equations in all cells, and uses a wall model to address the resolution requirements near boundaries and to mitigate mesh irregularities in cut cells. We present a quadratic wall model for low cell Reynolds numbers. At high cell Reynolds numbers, the quadratic is replaced with a newly developed analytic wall model stemming from solution of a limiting form of the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model which features a forward evaluation for flow velocity and exactly matches characteristics of the SA turbulence model in the field. We develop multigrid operators which attain convergence rates similar to inviscid multigrid. Investigations focus on preliminary verification and validation of the method. Flows over flat plates and compressible airfoils show good agreement with both theoretical results and experimental data. Mesh convergence studies on sub- and transonic airfoil flows show convergence of surface pressures with wall spacings as large as approx.0.1% chord. With the current analytic wall model, one or two additional refinements near the wall are required to obtain mesh converged values of skin friction.

Precipitation-centered Conceptual Model for Sub-humid Uplands in Lampasas Cut Plains, TX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, S. R.; Tu, M.; Wilcox, B. P.

2011-12-01

Conceptual understandings of dominant hydrological processes, system interactions and feedbacks, and external forcings operating within catchments often defy simple definition and explanation, especially catchments encompassing transition zones, degraded landscapes, rapid development, and where climate forcings exhibit large variations across time and space. However, it is precisely those areas for which understanding and knowledge are most needed to innovate sustainable management strategies and counter past management blunders and failed restoration efforts. The cut plain of central Texas is one such area. Complex geographic and climatic factors lead to spatially and temporally variable precipitation having frequent dry periods interrupted by intense high-volume precipitation. Fort Hood, an army post located in the southeast cut plain contains landscapes ranging from highly degraded to nearly pristine with a topography mainly comprised of flat-topped mesas separated by broad u-shaped valleys. To understand the hydrology of the area and responses to wet-dry cycles we analyzed 4-years of streamflow and rainfall from 8 catchments, sized between 1819 and 16,000 ha. Since aquifer recharge/discharge and surface stream-groundwater interactions are unimportant, we hypothesized a simple conceptual model driven by precipitation and radiative forcings and having stormflow, baseflow, ET, and two hypothetical storage components. The key storage component was conceptualized as a buffer that was highly integrated with the ET component and exerted controls on baseflow. Radiative energy controlled flux from the buffer to ET. We used the conceptual model in making a bimonthly hydrologic budget, which included buffer volumes and a deficit-surplus indicator. Through the analysis, we were led to speculate that buffer capacity plays key roles in these landscapes and even relatively minor changes in capacity, due to soil compaction for example, might lead to ecological shifts. The model led us to other hypotheses concerning stormflow mechanisms and controls on baseflow, which we then tested against observations. It was instructive that such a simple model could lead to interesting new theories.

Gastrointestinal Dose-Histogram Effects in the Context of Dose-Volume–Constrained Prostate Radiation Therapy: Analysis of Data From the RADAR Prostate Radiation Therapy Trial

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

Ebert, Martin A., E-mail: Martin.Ebert@health.wa.gov.au; School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia; Foo, Kerwyn

Purpose: To use a high-quality multicenter trial dataset to determine dose-volume effects for gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity following radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma. Influential dose-volume histogram regions were to be determined as functions of dose, anatomical location, toxicity, and clinical endpoint. Methods and Materials: Planning datasets for 754 participants in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial were available, with Late Effects of Normal Tissues (LENT) Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic (SOMA) toxicity assessment to a median of 72 months. A rank sum method was used to define dose-volume cut-points as near-continuous functions of dose to 3 GI anatomical regions, together with amore » comprehensive assessment of significance. Univariate and multivariate ordinal regression was used to assess the importance of cut-points at each dose. Results: Dose ranges providing significant cut-points tended to be consistent with those showing significant univariate regression odds-ratios (representing the probability of a unitary increase in toxicity grade per percent relative volume). Ranges of significant cut-points for rectal bleeding validated previously published results. Separation of the lower GI anatomy into complete anorectum, rectum, and anal canal showed the impact of mid-low doses to the anal canal on urgency and tenesmus, completeness of evacuation and stool frequency, and mid-high doses to the anorectum on bleeding and stool frequency. Derived multivariate models emphasized the importance of the high-dose region of the anorectum and rectum for rectal bleeding and mid- to low-dose regions for diarrhea and urgency and tenesmus, and low-to-mid doses to the anal canal for stool frequency, diarrhea, evacuation, and bleeding. Conclusions: Results confirm anatomical dependence of specific GI toxicities. They provide an atlas summarizing dose-histogram effects and derived constraints as functions of anatomical region, dose, toxicity, and endpoint for informing future radiation therapy planning.« less

In-situ stabilization of radioactive zirconium swarf

DOEpatents

Hess, C.C.

1999-08-31

The method for treating ignitable cutting swarf in accordance with the present invention involves collecting cutting swarf in a casting mold underwater and injecting a binder mixture comprising vinyl ester styrene into the vessel to fill void volume; and form a mixture comprising swarf and vinyl ester styrene; and curing the mixture. The method is especially useful for stabilizing the ignitable characteristics of radioactive zirconium cutting swarf, and can be used to solidify zirconium swarf, or other ignitable finely divided material, underwater. The process could also be performed out of water with other particulate wastes. 6 figs.

Transport properties of the mung bean (Vigna radiata) non-aerial hypocotyl membrane: permselectivity to hydrophilic compounds.

PubMed

Aponte, John; Baur, Peter

2014-01-01

Aerial plant surfaces are covered by a lipophilic cuticular membrane (CM) that restricts the transport of water and small solutes. Non-aerial tissues do not exhibit such a barrier. Recent data have shown that large relative to CM hydrophilic agrochemicals were able to pass at high rates through the non-aerial coleoptile. A moderately large hydrophilic solute like PEG 1000 with a mean molar volume of 782 cm(3) mol(-1) was rejected by the non-aerial hypocotyl. Uptake of smaller solutes like urea (46.5 cm(3) mol(-1) ) was fast and with 99% after 1 day. Cut-off size estimations suggest a pore size diameter below 1.5 nm. Aerial and non-aerial CM differ largely in their absolute barrier properties. This difference is related to the absence of embedded cuticular waxes in the non-aerial hypocotyl membrane, which make the CM physically dense and cause low solubility of hydrophilic solutes. The free volume for diffusion at the interface of the non-aerial hypocotyl cuticle to the environment is much larger resulting in higher penetration rates. It is suggested that diffusion through the non-aerial hypocotyl does not proceed in a real channel system with continuous aqueous phase but is more like transport through a filter with restricted diffusion in the pore openings. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Languages and Education in Africa a Comparative and Transdisciplinary Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock-Utne, Birgit, Ed.; Skattum, Ingse, Ed.

2009-01-01

The theme of this book cuts across disciplines. Contributors to this volume are specialized in education and especially classroom research as well as in linguistics, most being transdisciplinary themselves. Around 65 sub-Saharan languages figure in this volume as research objects: as means of instruction, in connection with teacher training,…

Left atrial volume and function in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease.

PubMed

Höllmer, M; Willesen, J L; Tolver, A; Koch, J

2017-02-01

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) induces progressive left atrial (LA) enlargement. The LA modulates left ventricular filling and performance through its reservoir, conduit, and contractile function. Assessment of LA size and function may provide valuable information on the level of cardiac compensation. Left atrial function in dogs with naturally occurring MMVD remains largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate LA volume and function in dogs with naturally occurring MMVD. This prospective study included 205 client-owned dogs of different breeds, 114 healthy dogs, and 91 dogs with MMVD of different disease severities. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, the biplane area-length method was applied to assess LA volume and calculate volumetric indices of LA reservoir, conduit, and contractile function. Left atrial volume and LA stroke volume increased, whereas LA reservoir and contractile function decreased with increasing disease severity. A maximal LA volume <2.25mL/kg was the optimal cut off identified for excluding congestive heart failure in dogs with chronic MMVD with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 100%. An active LA emptying fraction <24% and/or a LA expansion index <126% were suggestive of congestive heart failure in dogs with chronic MMVD with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 89% and a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 82%, respectively. Dogs with MMVD appear to have larger LA volumes with poorer LA function. Deteriorating LA function, characterized by a decreasing reservoir and active contractile function, was evident in dogs with MMVD with increasing disease severity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Full-band error control and crack-free surface fabrication techniques for ultra-precision fly cutting of large-aperture KDP crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F. H.; Wang, S. F.; An, C. H.; Wang, J.; Xu, Q.

2017-06-01

Large-aperture potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals are widely used in the laser path of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) systems. The most common method of manufacturing half-meter KDP crystals is ultra-precision fly cutting. When processing KDP crystals by ultra-precision fly cutting, the dynamic characteristics of the fly cutting machine and fluctuations in the fly cutting environment are translated into surface errors at different spatial frequency bands. These machining errors should be suppressed effectively to guarantee that KDP crystals meet the full-band machining accuracy specified in the evaluation index. In this study, the anisotropic machinability of KDP crystals and the causes of typical surface errors in ultra-precision fly cutting of the material are investigated. The structures of the fly cutting machine and existing processing parameters are optimized to improve the machined surface quality. The findings are theoretically and practically important in the development of high-energy laser systems in China.

Growth and mortality after regeneration cuttings in old-growth redwood

Treesearch

Kenneth N. Boe

1974-01-01

To convert old-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) to younger managed stands, three types of regeneration cuttings are being tried at the Redwood Experimental Forest, northern California: clearcutting, shelterwood, and selection cutting. Logging mortality was heavy for all tree sizes and greatest where the heaviest cuts were made. The large size of...

Welding And Cutting A Nickel Alloy By Laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banas, C. M.

1990-01-01

Technique effective and energy-efficient. Report describes evaluation of laser welding and cutting of Inconel(R) 718. Notes that electron-beam welding processes developed for In-718, but difficult to use on large or complex structures. Cutting of In-718 by laser fast and produces only narrow kerf. Cut edge requires dressing, to endure fatigue.

Experimental comparison of laser energy losses in high-quality laser-oxygen cutting of low-carbon steel using radiation from fibre and CO{sub 2} lasers

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

Golyshev, A A; Malikov, A G; Orishich, A M

We report a comparative experimental study of laseroxygen cutting of low-carbon steel using a fibre laser with a wavelength of 1.07 μm and a CO{sub 2} laser with a wavelength of 10.6 μm at the sheet thickness of 3 – 16 mm. For the two lasers we have measured the dependence of the cutting speed on the radiation power and determined the cutting speed at which the surface roughness is minimal. The coefficient of laser radiation absorption in the laser cutting process is measured for these lasers at different values of the cutting speed and radiation power. It is foundmore » that the minimal roughness of the cut surface is reached at the absorbed laser energy per unit volume of the removed material, equal to 11 – 13 J mm{sup -3}; this value is the same for the two lasers and does not depend on the sheet thickness. (laser technologies)« less

A Computer Vision System for Automated Grading of Rough Hardwood Lumber Using a Knowledge-Based Approach

Treesearch

Tai-Hoon Cho; Richard W. Conners; Philip A. Araman

1990-01-01

A sawmill cuts logs into lumber and sells this lumber to secondary remanufacturers. The price a sawmiller can charge for a volume of lumber depends on its grade. For a number of species the price of a given volume of material can double in going from one grade to the next higher grade. Thus, accurately establishing the grade of a volume of hardwood lumber is very...

Operationalizing hippocampal volume as an enrichment biomarker for amnestic mild cognitive impairment trials: effect of algorithm, test-retest variability, and cut point on trial cost, duration, and sample size.

PubMed

Yu, Peng; Sun, Jia; Wolz, Robin; Stephenson, Diane; Brewer, James; Fox, Nick C; Cole, Patricia E; Jack, Clifford R; Hill, Derek L G; Schwarz, Adam J

2014-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of computational algorithm, measurement variability, and cut point on hippocampal volume (HCV)-based patient selection for clinical trials in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We used normal control and amnestic MCI subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 1 (ADNI-1) as normative reference and screening cohorts. We evaluated the enrichment performance of 4 widely used hippocampal segmentation algorithms (FreeSurfer, Hippocampus Multi-Atlas Propagation and Segmentation (HMAPS), Learning Embeddings Atlas Propagation (LEAP), and NeuroQuant) in terms of 2-year changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), and Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB). We modeled the implications for sample size, screen fail rates, and trial cost and duration. HCV based patient selection yielded reduced sample sizes (by ∼40%-60%) and lower trial costs (by ∼30%-40%) across a wide range of cut points. These results provide a guide to the choice of HCV cut point for amnestic MCI clinical trials, allowing an informed tradeoff between statistical and practical considerations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of roughing machining simulation by using visual basic programming in NX CAM system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafiz Mohamad, Mohamad; Nafis Osman Zahid, Muhammed

2018-03-01

This paper outlines a simulation study to investigate the characteristic of roughing machining simulation in 4th axis milling processes by utilizing visual basic programming in NX CAM systems. The selection and optimization of cutting orientation in rough milling operation is critical in 4th axis machining. The main purpose of roughing operation is to approximately shape the machined parts into finished form by removing the bulk of material from workpieces. In this paper, the simulations are executed by manipulating a set of different cutting orientation to generate estimated volume removed from the machine parts. The cutting orientation with high volume removal is denoted as an optimum value and chosen to execute a roughing operation. In order to run the simulation, customized software is developed to assist the routines. Operations build-up instructions in NX CAM interface are translated into programming codes via advanced tool available in the Visual Basic Studio. The codes is customized and equipped with decision making tools to run and control the simulations. It permits the integration with any independent program files to execute specific operations. This paper aims to discuss about the simulation program and identifies optimum cutting orientations for roughing processes. The output of this study will broaden up the simulation routines performed in NX CAM systems.

Cutting efficiency of a mid-infrared laser on human enamel.

PubMed

Levy, G; Koubi, G F; Miserendino, L J

1998-02-01

In this study, the cutting ability of a newly developed dental laser was compared with a dental high-speed handpiece and rotary bur for removal of enamel. Measurements of the volume of tissue removed, energy emitted, and time of exposure were used to quantify the ablation rate (rate of tissue removal) for each test group and compared. Cutting efficiency (mm3/s) of the laser was calculated based on the mean volume of tissue removed per pulse (mm3/pulse) and unit energy expended (mm3/J) over the range of applied powers (2, 4, 6, and 8 W). The specimens were then examined by light microscopy and scanning electron micrographs for qualitative analysis of the amount of remaining debris and the presence of the smear layer on the prepared enamel surface. Calculations of the cutting efficiency of the laser over the range of powers tested revealed a linear relationship with the level of applied power. The maximum average rate of tissue removal by the laser was 0.256 mm3/s at 8 W, compared with 0.945 mm3/s by the dental handpiece. Light microscopy and scanning electron micrograph examinations revealed a reduction in the amount of remaining debris and smear layer in the laser-prepared enamel surfaces, compared with the conventional method. Based on the results of this study, the cutting efficiency of the high-speed handpiece and dental bur was 3.7 times greater than the laser over the range of powers tested, but the laser appeared to create a cleaner enamel surface with minimal thermal damage. Further modifications of the laser system are suggested for improvement of laser cutting efficiency.

Features of precision slot cutting with a large number of calibers using the radiation of a single-mode fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitshas, A. A.; Zelentsov, A. G.; Lopota, V. A.; Menakhin, V. P.; Panchenko, V. P.; Soroka, A. M.

2014-02-01

The results of the experimental and theoretical investigations aimed at determining the characteristics and features of precision slot cutting with a large number of calibers in sheets of low-carbon steel using the radiation of a single-mode fiber laser with pulse power up to 1 kW are presented. The description of the experimental installation, performance conditions of investigations, and variable parameters are described. Precision cutting of low-carbon steel up to 10 mm with the number of calibers ranging from 30 to 70 at a slot width of ≈60 μm is performed for the first time. Such cutting occurs only in the pulsed-periodic mode using single-mode radiation with a pulse duration of 2-3 ms, a pulse ratio of 2-4, and oxygen, whose influence differs in principle both in various cut regions over the sheet thickness and from cutting with a CO2 laser. The cutting velocity (100-50 mm/min) of sheet steel up to thicknesses of 10 mm with deep channeling, roughness parameters, hardness of the cut surface, which insignificantly (by ≈20%) exceeds the hardness of untreated steel, the phase structure of steel, and the scales of their varying inside metal are measured. The efficiency (≈3%) of precision cutting and the efficiency of transportation of radiation (25%) in large-caliber slot orifices in the "waveguide" mode are determined by the experimental data. The useful specific energy contribution of the laser radiation is w l = N l/( hbv) ≈ 2 × 1012 J/m2 for all studied thicknesses of sheet samples accurate to 20%. A qualitative model of the laser-oxygen precision cutting with deep channeling, which explains the cyclic and interrupting character of cutting and necessity of using oxygen as the cutting gas, is proposed.

Method of modifying a volume mesh using sheet insertion

DOEpatents

Borden, Michael J [Albuquerque, NM; Shepherd, Jason F [Albuquerque, NM

2006-08-29

A method and machine-readable medium provide a technique to modify a hexahedral finite element volume mesh using dual generation and sheet insertion. After generating a dual of a volume stack (mesh), a predetermined algorithm may be followed to modify (refine) the volume mesh of hexahedral elements. The predetermined algorithm may include the steps of locating a sheet of hexahedral mesh elements, determining a plurality of hexahedral elements within the sheet to refine, shrinking the plurality of elements, and inserting a new sheet of hexahedral elements adjacently to modify the volume mesh. Additionally, another predetermined algorithm using mesh cutting may be followed to modify a volume mesh.

Automatic 3D liver location and segmentation via convolutional neural network and graph cut.

PubMed

Lu, Fang; Wu, Fa; Hu, Peijun; Peng, Zhiyi; Kong, Dexing

2017-02-01

Segmentation of the liver from abdominal computed tomography (CT) images is an essential step in some computer-assisted clinical interventions, such as surgery planning for living donor liver transplant, radiotherapy and volume measurement. In this work, we develop a deep learning algorithm with graph cut refinement to automatically segment the liver in CT scans. The proposed method consists of two main steps: (i) simultaneously liver detection and probabilistic segmentation using 3D convolutional neural network; (ii) accuracy refinement of the initial segmentation with graph cut and the previously learned probability map. The proposed approach was validated on forty CT volumes taken from two public databases MICCAI-Sliver07 and 3Dircadb1. For the MICCAI-Sliver07 test dataset, the calculated mean ratios of volumetric overlap error (VOE), relative volume difference (RVD), average symmetric surface distance (ASD), root-mean-square symmetric surface distance (RMSD) and maximum symmetric surface distance (MSD) are 5.9, 2.7 %, 0.91, 1.88 and 18.94 mm, respectively. For the 3Dircadb1 dataset, the calculated mean ratios of VOE, RVD, ASD, RMSD and MSD are 9.36, 0.97 %, 1.89, 4.15 and 33.14 mm, respectively. The proposed method is fully automatic without any user interaction. Quantitative results reveal that the proposed approach is efficient and accurate for hepatic volume estimation in a clinical setup. The high correlation between the automatic and manual references shows that the proposed method can be good enough to replace the time-consuming and nonreproducible manual segmentation method.

An enzyme-mediated assay to quantify inoculation volume delivered by suture needlestick injury: two gloves are better than one.

PubMed

Lefebvre, Daniel R; Strande, Louise F; Hewitt, Charles W

2008-01-01

Acquiring a blood-borne disease is a risk of performing operations. Most data about seroconversion are based on hollow-bore needlesticks. Some studies have examined the inoculation volumes of pure blood delivered by suture needles. There is a lack of data about the effect of double-gloving on contaminant transmission in less viscous fluids that are not prone to coagulation. We used enzymatic colorimetry to quantify the volume of inoculation delivered by a suture needle that was coated with an aqueous contaminant. Substrate color change was measured using a microplate reader. Both cutting and tapered suture needles were tested against five different glove types and differing numbers of glove layers (from zero to three). One glove layer removed 97% of contaminant from tapered needles and 65% from cutting needles, compared with the no-glove control data. Additional glove layers did not significantly improve contaminant removal from tapered needles (p > 0.05). For the cutting needle, 2 glove layers removed 91% of contaminant, which was significantly better than a single glove (p = 0.002). Three glove layers did not afford statistically significant additional protection (p = 0.122). There were no statistically significant differences between glove types (p = 0.41). With an aqueous needle contaminant, a single glove layer removes contaminant from tapered needles as effectively as multiple glove layers. For cutting needles, double-glove layering offers superior protection. There is no advantage to triple-glove layering. A surgeon should double-glove for maximum safety. Additionally, a surgeon should take advantage of other risk-reduction strategies, such as sharps safety, risk management, and use of sharpless instrumentation when possible.

Mars: A water-rich planet?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.

1986-01-01

Mars had outgassed at least 0.5 to 1 km of water, 10 to 20 bar of CO2, and 0.1 to 0.3 bar of N2. The volatiles that have been retained are mostly in the cratered uplands. Terrain softening, fretted channels, debris flows, and closed depressions indicate that at least the upper 2 km of the cratered uplands at high latitudes (>30??) contain ice in amounts that exceed the porosity, estimated to be 10-20%. Theoretical studies, and lack of these features in the cratered uplands at low latitudes, suggest that the upper 1 km of the uplands at low latitudes is ice poor. However, valley networks indicate that water was present near the surface early in the planet's history, although in amounts smaller than at high latitudes. The entire upper 1 km, planetwide is estimated to have contained 75-125 m of water at the end of heavy bombardment. The largest sink for water is the megaregolith below 1 km. Episodic eruption of water from the deep megaregolith cut many of the large outflow channels. From the volume of water needed to cut the circum-Chryse channels, and assuming uniform planetwide distribution of water, the deep megaregolith is estimated to have contained at least 350 m of water at the end of heavy bombardment, thereby giving a total minimum inventory of 424-475 m planetwide. Most of the water lost from the low-latitude uplands by diffusion and in cutting the valley networks is now believed to be in the polar layered terrains. Most of the water involved in cutting the outflow channels is in the low-lying northern plains where a variety of features that have been attributed to ground ice is present. A large fraction of the planet's surface has been overplated with water-poor volcanics, of which we have samples in the SNC meteorites. The younger volcanics have reacted extensively with the old volatile-rich basement. Some of the CO2 and N2 outgassed was lost during heavy bombardment by impact erosion of the atmosphere and other processes. The remaining was fixed carbonates and folded deep into the megaregolith during heavy bombardment. ?? 1986.

The timber resources of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

Treesearch

C.L. Bolsinger

1969-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resources of the Olympic Peninsula shows a total of 3,105,000 acres of commercial forest land and 81,464 million board feet (International 114-inch scale) of sawtimber volume. Total timber volume has remained about the same for the past 12 years, and cut and growth currently are nearly in balance.

Birch timber resources of North America

Treesearch

Kenneth L. Quigley; Harold M. Babcock

1969-01-01

The genus Betula is composed of about 40 species of trees and shrubs. This paper deals with two of the most important: paper birch and yellow birch—their geographic ranges, areas of importance, cover types in which they are found, cubic- and board-foot volumes, estimates of growth-allowable cut, removal, and future volume trends. Our data are drawn from...

A logging residue "yield" table for Appalachian hardwoods

Treesearch

A. Jeff Martin

1976-01-01

An equation for predicting logging-residue volume per acre for Appalachian hardwoods was developed from data collected on 20 timber sales in national forests in West Virginia and Virginia. The independent variables of type-of-cut, products removed, basal area per acre, and stand age explained 95 percent of the variation in residue volume per acre. A "yield"...

Modified soldering iron speeds cutting of synthetic materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schafer, W. G., Jr.

1966-01-01

Modified soldering iron cuts large lots of synthetic materials economically without leaving frayed or jagged edges. The soldering iron is modified by machining an axial slot in its heating element tip and mounting a cutting disk in it. An alternate design has an axially threaded bore in the tip to permit the use of various shapes of cutting blades.

Laser cutting of ultra-thin glasses based on a nonlinear laser interaction effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jian; Wu, Zhouling

2013-07-01

Glass panel substrates have been widely used in consumer electronics such as in flat panel TVs, laptops, and cell phones. With the advancement in the industry, the glass substrates are becoming thinner and stronger for reduced weight and volume, which brings great challenges for traditional mechanical processes in terms of cut quality, yield, and throughput. Laser glass cutting provides a non-contact process with minimum impact and superior quality compared to the mechanical counterparts. In this paper, we presented recent progresses in advanced laser processing of ultra-thin glass substrates, especially laser-cutting of ultra-thin glasses by a high power laser through a nonlinear interaction effect. Our results indicate that this technique has great potential of application for mass production of ultra-thin glass substrates.

Slicing of Silicon into Sheet Material: Silicon Sheet Growth Development for the Large Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, J. R.

1979-01-01

Testing of low cost low suspension power slurry vehicles is presented. Cutting oils are unlikely to work, but a mineral oil with additives should be workable. Two different abrasives were tested. A cheaper silicon carbide from Norton gave excellent results except for excessive kerf loss: the particles were too big. An abrasive treated for lubricity showed no lubricity improvement in mineral oil vehicle. The bounce fixture was tested for the first time under constant cut rate conditions (rather than constant force). Although the cut was not completed before the blades broke, the blade lifetime of thin (100 micrometer) blades was 120 times the lifetime without the fixture. The large prototype saw completed a successful run, producing 90% cutting yield (849 wafers) at 20 wafers/cm. Although inexperience with large numbers of wafers caused cleaning breakage to reduce this yield to 74%, the yield was high enough that the concept of the large saw is proven workable.

Growth and Flowering Responses of Cut Chrysanthemum Grown under Restricted Root Volume to Irrigation Frequency

PubMed Central

Taweesak, Viyachai; Lee Abdullah, Thohirah; Hassan, Siti Aishah; Kamarulzaman, Nitty Hirawaty; Wan Yusoff, Wan Abdullah

2014-01-01

Influences of irrigation frequency on the growth and flowering of chrysanthemum grown under restricted root volume were tested. Chrysanthemum cuttings (Chrysanthemum morifolium “Reagan White”) were grown in seedling tray which contained coconut peat in volumes of 73 and 140 cm3. Plants were irrigated with drip irrigation at irrigation frequencies of 4 (266 mL), 6 (400 mL), and 8 (533 mL) times/day to observe their growth and flowering performances. There was interaction between irrigation frequency and substrate volume on plant height of chrysanthemum. Plants grown in 140 cm3 substrates and irrigated 6 times/day produced the tallest plant of 109.25 cm. Plants irrigated 6 and 8 times/day had significantly higher level of phosphorus content in their leaves than those plants irrigated 4 times/day. The total leaf area, number of internodes, leaf length, and leaf width of chrysanthemums grown in 140 cm3 substrate were significantly higher than those grown in 73 cm3 substrate. The numbers of flowers were affected by both irrigation frequencies and substrate volumes. Chrysanthemums irrigated 8 times/day had an average of 19.56 flowers while those irrigated 4 times/day had an average of 16.63 flowers. Increasing irrigation frequency can improve the growth and flowering of chrysanthemums in small substrate volumes. PMID:25478586

Industrial Technology Modernization Program. Project 44. Modernize Facility Equipment and Processes. Volume 1. Revision 2. Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

OF EXTRUSION HLSGFLN XRSO ICO-F XTUINPPER PATE CUT-OFF EXTRUSION I I 7 TUMBLE S TUMBLE HEAT &SORT TML I IEC SPANK & PIERCE P A SPANK & PIERCEI IF...implementation, the Walnut Cell will utilize 50% of the "As-Is" floor space. 106 -EGREflSEII HSL 59 i.CUT OFF EXTRUSION 2. SPANK & PIERCE I 3.DEGREASE 4...FEMALE MALE CUT-OFF EXTRUSION I HOUSNG HOUNG I SPANK & PIERCE SPANK & PIERCE I CLEAN I DEG SE I I DEGREASEI I C P P E R PL A TE I HEAT TREAT I HEAT

Raise cutting diameters for increased returns

Treesearch

H. Clay Smith; G. R., Jr. Trimble; Paul S. DeBald

1979-01-01

Diameter-limit cutting is widely used to harvest logs in eastern hardwoods. Studies show that cutting limits are often set so low that they sacrifice financial returns. The value of lumber cut from logs is largely dependent on the diameter, grade, and tree species. As tree size increases so does the proportion of higher grade lumber, and this is reflected in improved...

Analysis of differences in bone removal during femoral box osteotomy for primary total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Graceffa, Angelo; Indelli, Pier Francesco; Basnett, Kaitlyn; Marcucci, Massimiliano

2014-01-01

this study was conducted to compare the quantity of intercondylar bone removed during femoral box osteotomy for implantation of three contemporary posterior stabilized (PS) total knee arthroplasty designs: Sigma PS (DePuy), Vanguard (Biomet) and Persona (Zimmer). we compared the maximum volumetric bone resection required for the housing of the PS mechanism of these three designs. Bone removal by each PS box cutting jig was three-dimensionally measured. The differences between the three designs were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for pairwise comparisons. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. for small-size implants, the average box osteotomy volume of Persona was significantly smaller than the Vanguard and Sigma PS volumes (p=0.003). The mean difference between Vanguard and Sigma PS (p=0.01) was also significant. For medium size implants, the mean difference between Persona and Sigma PS (p=0.008) and the mean difference between Vanguard and Sigma PS (p=0.01) were statistically significant. For large size implants, the mean difference between Vanguard and Sigma PS (p=0.01) and the mean difference between Sigma PS and Persona (p=0.008) were statistically significant. irrespective of implant size, the Persona cutting jig always resected significantly less bone than did Vanguard and Sigma PS. although this study does not establish any clinical relevance of removing more or less bone at primary TKA, its results suggest that if a PS design is indicated, it is preferable to select a model which resects less distal femoral bone.

Measurement of breast volume is a useful supplement to select candidates for surgical breast reduction.

PubMed

Ikander, Peder; Drejøe, Jennifer Berg; Lumholt, Pavia; Sjøstrand, Helle; Matzen, Steen; Quirinia, Anne; Siersen, Hans Erik; Ringberg, Anita; Lambaa, Susanne; Hölmich, Lisbet Rosenkrantz

2014-01-01

The indication for breast reduction in a public welfare or an insurance paid setting depends on the severity of the subjective symptoms and the clinical evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of breast volume as an objective criterion to establish the indication for breast reduction surgery, thus establishing a standard decision basis that can be shared by surgeons and departments to secure patients fair and equal treatment opportunities. A total of 427 patients who were referred to three Danish public hospitals with breast hypertrophy in the period from January 2007 to March 2011 were included prospectively in the study. The patients' subjective complaints, height, weight and standard breast measurements were registered as well as the decision for or against surgery. Breast volume was measured using transparent plastic cups. Cut-off values for breast volume were calculated based on whether or not the patients were offered reduction surgery. Most patients (93%) with a breast volume below 800 cc were not offered surgery, while most with a volume exceeding 900 cc were offered surgery (94%). In the grey zone between 800 and 900 cc, the indication seemed to be less clear-cut, and additional parameters need to be included. Breast volume can be used as an objective criterion in addition to the presently used criteria. Breast volume can easily be measured and has become appreciated by plastic surgeons dealing with patients with breast hypertrophy as a tool which facilitates their decision-making and patients' acceptance of the decisions made. not relevant. not relevant.

Intestine Transplant

MedlinePlus

... more information on caring for patients . Prepare a phone/email tree. This will make it easier for ... update friends and family while cutting down on phone or email volume. Organize your personal affairs. Consider ...

Minimization of energy and surface roughness of the products machined by milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belloufi, A.; Abdelkrim, M.; Bouakba, M.; Rezgui, I.

2017-08-01

Metal cutting represents a large portion in the manufacturing industries, which makes this process the largest consumer of energy. Energy consumption is an indirect source of carbon footprint, we know that CO2 emissions come from the production of energy. Therefore high energy consumption requires a large production, which leads to high cost and a large amount of CO2 emissions. At this day, a lot of researches done on the Metal cutting, but the environmental problems of the processes are rarely discussed. The right selection of cutting parameters is an effective method to reduce energy consumption because of the direct relationship between energy consumption and cutting parameters in machining processes. Therefore, one of the objectives of this research is to propose an optimization strategy suitable for machining processes (milling) to achieve the optimum cutting conditions based on the criterion of the energy consumed during the milling. In this paper the problem of energy consumed in milling is solved by an optimization method chosen. The optimization is done according to the different requirements in the process of roughing and finishing under various technological constraints.

The Correlation Between Green Density and the Occurrence of Honeycomb in Kiln-Dried

Treesearch

Robert A. Harris; Philip A. Araman

1995-01-01

Fresh-cut, 5/4 red oak (Quercus sp.) boards were weighed, measured to determine volume and then kiln-dried to determine if the initial green density (green weight/green volume) was correlated to the occurrence of honeycomb. A positive relationship was found between the occurrence of honeycomb during drying and the initial green density. These results...

Partial harvesting of hardwood sawtimber in Kentucky and Tennessee, 2002–2014

Treesearch

Thomas J. Brandeis

2017-01-01

Partial harvesting is the predominant but not exclusive cutting treatment applied to the hardwood forests of Kentucky and Tennessee. Hardwood harvest in Kentucky showed a slight downward trend from 2006 to 2014, with most of the volume harvested in partial logging operations. Tennessee did not show this same downward trend, and the amount of hardwood volume harvested...

Logging residues under different stand and harvesting conditions, Rocky Mountains

Treesearch

Robert E. Benson; Cameron M. Johnston

1976-01-01

Volume and characteristics of logging residues from 34 harvest areas are presented. Clearcuts and partial cuts logged to conventional utilization levels and to close utilization levels are included. Residue volumes ranged from almost 3, 600 ft3 /acre of wood 3-inches-plus down to about 550 ft3 /acre, depending on treatment. More than 60 percent of the residues were...

Accuracy in estimation of timber assortments and stem distribution - A comparison of airborne and terrestrial laser scanning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kankare, Ville; Vauhkonen, Jari; Tanhuanpää, Topi; Holopainen, Markus; Vastaranta, Mikko; Joensuu, Marianna; Krooks, Anssi; Hyyppä, Juha; Hyyppä, Hannu; Alho, Petteri; Viitala, Risto

2014-11-01

Detailed information about timber assortments and diameter distributions is required in forest management. Forest owners can make better decisions concerning the timing of timber sales and forest companies can utilize more detailed information to optimize their wood supply chain from forest to factory. The objective here was to compare the accuracies of high-density laser scanning techniques for the estimation of tree-level diameter distribution and timber assortments. We also introduce a method that utilizes a combination of airborne and terrestrial laser scanning in timber assortment estimation. The study was conducted in Evo, Finland. Harvester measurements were used as a reference for 144 trees within a single clear-cut stand. The results showed that accurate tree-level timber assortments and diameter distributions can be obtained, using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) or a combination of TLS and airborne laser scanning (ALS). Saw log volumes were estimated with higher accuracy than pulpwood volumes. The saw log volumes were estimated with relative root-mean-squared errors of 17.5% and 16.8% with TLS and a combination of TLS and ALS, respectively. The respective accuracies for pulpwood were 60.1% and 59.3%. The differences in the bucking method used also caused some large errors. In addition, tree quality factors highly affected the bucking accuracy, especially with pulpwood volume.

Analytical Modeling of Plasma Arc Cutting of Steel Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cimbala, John; Fisher, Lance; Settles, Gary; Lillis, Milan

2000-11-01

A transferred-arc plasma torch cuts steel plate, and in the process ejects a molten stream of iron and ferrous oxides ("ejecta"). Under non-optimum conditions - especially during low speed cuts and/or small-radius corner cuts - "dross" is formed. Dross is re-solidified molten metal that sticks to the underside of the cut and renders it rough. The present research is an attempt to analytically model this process, with the goal of predicting dross formation. With the aid of experimental data, a control volume formulation is used in a steady frame of reference to predict the mass flow of molten material inside the cut. Although simple, the model is three-dimensional, can predict the shear stress driving the molten material in the direction of the plasma jet, and can predict the velocity of molten material exiting the bottom of the plate. In order to predict formation of dross, a momentum balance is performed on the flowing melt, considering the resisting viscous and surface tension forces. Preliminary results are promising, and provide a potential means of predicting dross formation without resorting to detailed computational analyses.

The impact of cuts in legal aid funding on charities.

PubMed

Morris, Debra; Barr, Warren

2013-03-01

This article focusses on the specific impact of the cuts in legal aid funding on the charitable sector. The sector plays a significant role in advice giving. Some charities have the provision of legal advice as their sole purpose, whilst the work of other charities includes the giving of legal advice. Funding comes via a number of sources including legal aid, local authorities and charitable trusts. Whilst this volume highlights the legal aid reforms that will lead to significant cuts in funding, this article notes that charitable providers of legal advice have also suffered major cuts from their other traditional funding sources. Against this background, the article considers the serious and often unforeseen consequences for charities of the legal aid reforms, which go far beyond the impact on the high street law firm and access to justice for claimants.

The impact of cuts in legal aid funding on charities

PubMed Central

Morris, Debra; Barr, Warren

2013-01-01

This article focusses on the specific impact of the cuts in legal aid funding on the charitable sector. The sector plays a significant role in advice giving. Some charities have the provision of legal advice as their sole purpose, whilst the work of other charities includes the giving of legal advice. Funding comes via a number of sources including legal aid, local authorities and charitable trusts. Whilst this volume highlights the legal aid reforms that will lead to significant cuts in funding, this article notes that charitable providers of legal advice have also suffered major cuts from their other traditional funding sources. Against this background, the article considers the serious and often unforeseen consequences for charities of the legal aid reforms, which go far beyond the impact on the high street law firm and access to justice for claimants. PMID:23667296

Cutting a Drop of Water Pinned by Wire Loops Using a Superhydrophobic Surface and Knife

PubMed Central

Yanashima, Ryan; García, Antonio A.; Aldridge, James; Weiss, Noah; Hayes, Mark A.; Andrews, James H.

2012-01-01

A water drop on a superhydrophobic surface that is pinned by wire loops can be reproducibly cut without formation of satellite droplets. Drops placed on low-density polyethylene surfaces and Teflon-coated glass slides were cut with superhydrophobic knives of low-density polyethylene and treated copper or zinc sheets, respectively. Distortion of drop shape by the superhydrophobic knife enables a clean break. The driving force for droplet formation arises from the lower surface free energy for two separate drops, and it is modeled as a 2-D system. An estimate of the free energy change serves to guide when droplets will form based on the variation of drop volume, loop spacing and knife depth. Combining the cutting process with an electrofocusing driving force could enable a reproducible biomolecular separation without troubling satellite drop formation. PMID:23029297

Thermal-mechanical modeling of laser ablation hybrid machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matin, Mohammad Kaiser

2001-08-01

Hard, brittle and wear-resistant materials like ceramics pose a problem when being machined using conventional machining processes. Machining ceramics even with a diamond cutting tool is very difficult and costly. Near net-shape processes, like laser evaporation, produce micro-cracks that require extra finishing. Thus it is anticipated that ceramic machining will have to continue to be explored with new-sprung techniques before ceramic materials become commonplace. This numerical investigation results from the numerical simulations of the thermal and mechanical modeling of simultaneous material removal from hard-to-machine materials using both laser ablation and conventional tool cutting utilizing the finite element method. The model is formulated using a two dimensional, planar, computational domain. The process simulation acronymed, LAHM (Laser Ablation Hybrid Machining), uses laser energy for two purposes. The first purpose is to remove the material by ablation. The second purpose is to heat the unremoved material that lies below the ablated material in order to ``soften'' it. The softened material is then simultaneously removed by conventional machining processes. The complete solution determines the temperature distribution and stress contours within the material and tracks the moving boundary that occurs due to material ablation. The temperature distribution is used to determine the distance below the phase change surface where sufficient ``softening'' has occurred, so that a cutting tool may be used to remove additional material. The model incorporated for tracking the ablative surface does not assume an isothermal melt phase (e.g. Stefan problem) for laser ablation. Both surface absorption and volume absorption of laser energy as function of depth have been considered in the models. LAHM, from the thermal and mechanical point of view is a complex machining process involving large deformations at high strain rates, thermal effects of the laser, removal of materials and contact between workpiece and tool. The theoretical formulation associated with LAHM for solving the thermal-mechanical problem using the finite element method is presented. The thermal formulation is incorporated in the user defined subroutines called by ABAQUS/Standard. The mechanical portion is modeled using ABAQUS/Explicit's general capabilities of modeling interactions involving contact and separation. The results obtained from the FEA simulations showed that the cutting force decrease considerably in both LAEM Surface Absorption (LARM-SA) and LAHM volume absorption (LAHM-VA) models relative to LAM model. It was observed that the HAZ can be expanded or narrowed depending on the laser speed and power. The cutting force is minimal at the last extent of the HAZ. In both the models the laser ablates material thus reducing material stiffness as well as relaxing the thermal stress. The stress values obtained showed compressive yield stress just below the ablated surface and chip. The failure occurs by conventional cutting where tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the material at that temperature. In this hybrid machining process the advantages of both the individual machining processes were realized.

Osteolipomatous metaplasia in the liver of cameloids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stroud, R.K.; Griner, L.A.; Higgins, W.Y.

1982-01-01

An aged male Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus f. bactriana), originally from the San Diego Zoo, died suddenly. Necropsy showed acute bloat and chronic liver disease. In samples of liver tissue fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, approximately 25% of the total volume of tissue was comprised of multiple white to cream-colored circumscribed nodules up to 1 cm in diameter, which were gritty when cut (fig. 1).Samples of liver were cut at 6 μm for histologic examination. Microscopically, the nodules consisted of aggregations of large, vacuolated cells resembling fat cells with spicules of mature bone scattered throughout many nodules (fig. 2). Most nodules were circumscribed but not encapsulated. Single or small clusters of vacuolated cells, however, were scattered diffusely in the hepatic parenchyma surrounding the nodules. We found cholangitis and peribiliary fibrosis in some areas, but no generalized cirrhosis. Degeneration of hepatocytes was seen in some areas peripheral to the nodules. Compression of the hepatic architecture was evident in the liver parenchyma surrounding some nodules, but the primary change was infiltrative rather than expansive. Foci of lymphocytes and a few neutrophils were present in some nodules. Hematopoietic cells, described as a characteristic of myelolipomas, were not found in any of the nodules examined [2, 4].

Routine Chest X-ray: Still Valuable for the Assessment of Left Ventricular Size and Function in the Era of Super Machines?

PubMed Central

Morales, Maria-Aurora; Prediletto, Renato; Rossi, Giuseppe; Catapano, Giosuè; Lombardi, Massimo; Rovai, Daniele

2012-01-01

Objectives: The development of technologically advanced, expensive techniques has progressively reduced the value of chest X-ray in clinical practice for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) dilatation and dysfunction. Although controversial data are reported on the role of this widely available technique in cardiac assessment, it is known that the cardio-thoracic ratio is predictive of risk of progression in the NYHA Class, hospitalization, and outcome in patients with LV dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the transverse diameter of heart shadow [TDH] by chest X-ray for detecting LV dilatation and dysfunction as compared to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) performed for different clinical reasons. Materials and Methods: In 101 patients, TDH was measured in digital chest X-ray and LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF) by MRI, both exams performed within 2 days. Results: A direct correlation between TDH and end-diastolic volumes (r = .75, P<0.0001) was reported. TDH cut-off values of 14.5 mm in females identified LV end-diastolic volumes >150 mL (sensitivity: 82%, specificity: 69%); in males a cut-off value of 15.5 mm identified LV end-diastolic volumes >210 mL (sensitivity: 84%; specificity: 72%). A negative relation was found between TDH and LVEF (r = -.54, P<0.0001). The above cut-off values of TDH discriminated patients with LV systolic dysfunction – LVEF <35% (sensitivity and specificity: 67% and 57% in females; 76% and 59% in males, respectively). Conclusions: Chest X-ray may still be considered a reliable technique in predicting LV dilatation by the accurate measurement of TDH as compared to cardiac MRI. Technologically advanced, expensive, and less available imaging techniques should be performed on the basis of sound clinical requests. PMID:22754739

Routine Chest X-ray: Still Valuable for the Assessment of Left Ventricular Size and Function in the Era of Super Machines?

PubMed

Morales, Maria-Aurora; Prediletto, Renato; Rossi, Giuseppe; Catapano, Giosuè; Lombardi, Massimo; Rovai, Daniele

2012-01-01

The development of technologically advanced, expensive techniques has progressively reduced the value of chest X-ray in clinical practice for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) dilatation and dysfunction. Although controversial data are reported on the role of this widely available technique in cardiac assessment, it is known that the cardio-thoracic ratio is predictive of risk of progression in the NYHA Class, hospitalization, and outcome in patients with LV dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the transverse diameter of heart shadow [TDH] by chest X-ray for detecting LV dilatation and dysfunction as compared to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) performed for different clinical reasons. In 101 patients, TDH was measured in digital chest X-ray and LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF) by MRI, both exams performed within 2 days. A direct correlation between TDH and end-diastolic volumes (r = .75, P<0.0001) was reported. TDH cut-off values of 14.5 mm in females identified LV end-diastolic volumes >150 mL (sensitivity: 82%, specificity: 69%); in males a cut-off value of 15.5 mm identified LV end-diastolic volumes >210 mL (sensitivity: 84%; specificity: 72%). A negative relation was found between TDH and LVEF (r = -.54, P<0.0001). The above cut-off values of TDH discriminated patients with LV systolic dysfunction - LVEF <35% (sensitivity and specificity: 67% and 57% in females; 76% and 59% in males, respectively). Chest X-ray may still be considered a reliable technique in predicting LV dilatation by the accurate measurement of TDH as compared to cardiac MRI. Technologically advanced, expensive, and less available imaging techniques should be performed on the basis of sound clinical requests.

Sinuous Flow in Cutting of Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeung, Ho; Viswanathan, Koushik; Udupa, Anirudh; Mahato, Anirban; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2017-11-01

Using in situ high-speed imaging, we unveil details of a highly unsteady plastic flow mode in the cutting of annealed and highly strain-hardening metals. This mesoscopic flow mode, termed sinuous flow, is characterized by repeated material folding, large rotation, and energy dissipation. Sinuous flow effects a very large shape transformation, with local strains of ten or more, and results in a characteristic mushroomlike surface morphology that is quite distinct from the well-known morphologies of metal-cutting chips. Importantly, the attributes of this unsteady flow are also fundamentally different from other well-established unsteady plastic flows in large-strain deformation, like adiabatic shear bands. The nucleation and development of sinuous flow, its dependence on material properties, and its manifestation across material systems are demonstrated. Plastic buckling and grain-scale heterogeneity are found to play key roles in triggering this flow at surfaces. Implications for modeling and understanding flow stability in large-strain plastic deformation, surface quality, and preparation of near-strain-free surfaces by cutting are discussed. The results point to the inadequacy of the widely used shear-zone models, even for ductile metals.

FIB-SEM imaging of carbon nanotubes in mouse lung tissue.

PubMed

Købler, Carsten; Saber, Anne Thoustrup; Jacobsen, Nicklas Raun; Wallin, Håkan; Vogel, Ulla; Qvortrup, Klaus; Mølhave, Kristian

2014-06-01

Ultrastructural characterisation is important for understanding carbon nanotube (CNT) toxicity and how the CNTs interact with cells and tissues. The standard method for this involves using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, in particular, the sample preparation, using a microtome to cut thin sample sections for TEM, can be challenging for investigation of regions with agglomerations of large and stiff CNTs because the CNTs cut with difficulty. As a consequence, the sectioning diamond knife may be damaged and the uncut CNTs are left protruding from the embedded block surface excluding them from TEM analysis. To provide an alternative to ultramicrotomy and subsequent TEM imaging, we studied focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) of CNTs in the lungs of mice, and we evaluated the applicability of the method compared to TEM. FIB-SEM can provide serial section volume imaging not easily obtained with TEM, but it is time-consuming to locate CNTs in the tissue. We demonstrate that protruding CNTs after ultramicrotomy can be used to locate the region of interest, and we present FIB-SEM images of CNTs in lung tissue. FIB-SEM imaging was applied to lung tissue from mice which had been intratracheally instilled with two different multiwalled CNTs; one being short and thin, and the other longer and thicker. FIB-SEM was found to be most suitable for detection of the large CNTs (Ø ca. 70 nm), and to be well suited for studying CNT agglomerates in biological samples which is challenging using standard TEM techniques.

About the Operation: Heart Transplant

MedlinePlus

... more information on caring for patients . Prepare a phone/email tree. This will make it easier for ... update friends and family while cutting down on phone or email volume. Organize your personal affairs. Consider ...

Automated Propulsion Data Screening demonstration system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, W. Andes; Choate, Timothy D.; Whitehead, Bruce A.

1995-01-01

A fully-instrumented firing of a propulsion system typically generates a very large quantity of data. In the case of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), data analysis from ground tests and flights is currently a labor-intensive process. Human experts spend a great deal of time examining the large volume of sensor data generated by each engine firing. These experts look for any anomalies in the data which might indicate engine conditions warranting further investigation. The contract effort was to develop a 'first-cut' screening system for application to SSME engine firings that would identify the relatively small volume of data which is unusual or anomalous in some way. With such a system, limited and expensive human resources could focus on this small volume of unusual data for thorough analysis. The overall project objective was to develop a fully operational Automated Propulsion Data Screening (APDS) system with the capability of detecting significant trends and anomalies in transient and steady-state data. However, the effort limited screening of transient data to ground test data for throttle-down cases typical of the 3-g acceleration, and for engine throttling required to reach the maximum dynamic pressure limits imposed on the Space Shuttle. This APDS is based on neural networks designed to detect anomalies in propulsion system data that are not part of the data used for neural network training. The delivered system allows engineers to build their own screening sets for application to completed or planned firings of the SSME. ERC developers also built some generic screening sets that NASA engineers could apply immediately to their data analysis efforts.

Seasoning and surfacing degrade in kiln-drying ponderosa pine in eastern Washington.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss; E.H. Clarke

1961-01-01

This report presents results of a study to determine the degrade (loss in volume and value) of ponderosa pine lumber when cut, kiln-dried, and surfaced in accordance with commercial practice. The study measured (1) loss in volume due to culling and trimming surfaced dry lumber because of sawing, seasoning, and surfacing defects; (2) reduction in grade due to seasoning...

Seasoning and surfacing degrade in kiln-drying western hemlock in western Oregon.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss; E.H. Clarke

1961-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to determine the degrade (loss in volume and value) of western hemlock lumber cut, kiln-dried, and surfaced in accordance with commercial practice in western Oregon. The study measured (1) loss in volume due to culling and trimming surfaced dry lumber because of sawing, seasoning, and surfacing defects; (2) reduction in grade...

Characteristics of residues in a cable-logged area of old-growth Douglas-fir.

Treesearch

W.Y. Pong; John W. Henley

1984-01-01

The volume and character of woody material on the ground in four old-growth Douglas-fir cutting units in the Cascade Range in Oregon were determined before and after harvesting by cable and yarding of unutilized material (YUM). Total volume of residue increased after logging in all units. Coarse residues were reduced by YUM yarding. Small changes in the defect...

Innovation Study for Laser Cutting of Complex Geometries with Paper Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Happonen, A.; Stepanov, A.; Piili, H.; Salminen, A.

Even though technology for laser cutting of paper materials has existed for over 30 years, it seems that results of applications of this technology and possibilities of laser cutting systems are not easily available. The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of the complex geometry laser cutting of paper materials and to analyze the innovation challenges and potential of current laser cutting technologies offer. This research studied the potential and possible challenges in applying CO2 laser cutting technology for cutting of paper materials in current supply chains trying to fulfil the changing needs of customer in respect of shape, fast response during rapid delivery cycle. The study is focused on examining and analyzing the different possibilities of laser cutting of paper material in application area of complex low volume geometry cutting. The goal of this case was to analyze the feasibility of the laser cutting from technical, quality and implementation points of view and to discuss availability of new business opportunities. It was noticed that there are new business models still available within laser technology applications in complex geometry cutting. Application of laser technology, in business-to-consume markets, in synergy with Internet service platforms can widen the customer base and offer new value streams for technology and service companies. Because of this, existing markets and competition has to be identified, and appropriate new and innovative business model needs to be developed. And to be competitive in the markets, models like these need to include the earning logic and the stages from production to delivery as discussed in the paper.

62 percent of pine lumbar is cut from 10-inch or smaller logs in the Central Piedmont of South Carolina

Treesearch

William H.B. Haines

1953-01-01

Pine logs as small as 5 inches in diameter inside bark and trees 6 inches in diameter breast high are utilized for saw timber in the South Carolina Piedmont. More lumber is sawed from 8-inch logs than from any other size, while 12- and 14-inch trees provide nearly 50 percent of the board-foot volume cut. The bar graphs are based on measurements of 1,029 logs at 25...

Effect of abrasive water jet on the structure of the surface layer of Al-Mg alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabatchikova, T. I.; Tereshchenko, N. A.; Yakovleva, I. L.; Gudnev, N. Z.

2017-09-01

Optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy methods, and X-ray diffraction analysis have been used to study the changes in the structure and the microhardness in the surface layer of the Al-Mg (5.8-6.8 wt %) alloy after water jet cutting. The dislocation density, the sizes of coherent scattering regions, and microdistortions have been determined. The transformation of the fine structure has been revealed in the displacement from the alloy volume to the abrasive-waterjet cutting surface.

Validation of geometric measurements of the left atrium and pulmonary veins for analysis of reverse structural remodeling following ablation therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rettmann, M. E.; Holmes, D. R., III; Gunawan, M. S.; Ge, X.; Karwoski, R. A.; Breen, J. F.; Packer, D. L.; Robb, R. A.

2012-03-01

Geometric analysis of the left atrium and pulmonary veins is important for studying reverse structural remodeling following cardiac ablation therapy. It has been shown that the left atrium decreases in volume and the pulmonary vein ostia decrease in diameter following ablation therapy. Most analysis techniques, however, require laborious manual tracing of image cross-sections. Pulmonary vein diameters are typically measured at the junction between the left atrium and pulmonary veins, called the pulmonary vein ostia, with manually drawn lines on volume renderings or on image cross-sections. In this work, we describe a technique for making semi-automatic measurements of the left atrium and pulmonary vein ostial diameters from high resolution CT scans and multi-phase datasets. The left atrium and pulmonary veins are segmented from a CT volume using a 3D volume approach and cut planes are interactively positioned to separate the pulmonary veins from the body of the left atrium. The cut plane is also used to compute the pulmonary vein ostial diameter. Validation experiments are presented which demonstrate the ability to repeatedly measure left atrial volume and pulmonary vein diameters from high resolution CT scans, as well as the feasibility of this approach for analyzing dynamic, multi-phase datasets. In the high resolution CT scans the left atrial volume measurements show high repeatability with approximately 4% intra-rater repeatability and 8% inter-rater repeatability. Intra- and inter-rater repeatability for pulmonary vein diameter measurements range from approximately 2 to 4 mm. For the multi-phase CT datasets, differences in left atrial volumes between a standard slice-by-slice approach and the proposed 3D volume approach are small, with percent differences on the order of 3% to 6%.

Design and Test Research on Cutting Blade of Corn Harvester Based on Bionic Principle.

PubMed

Tian, Kunpeng; Li, Xianwang; Zhang, Bin; Chen, Qiaomin; Shen, Cheng; Huang, Jicheng

2017-01-01

Existing corn harvester cutting blades have problems associated with large cutting resistance, high energy consumption, and poor cut quality. Using bionics principles, a bionic blade was designed by extracting the cutting tooth profile curve of the B. horsfieldi palate. Using a double-blade cutting device testing system, a single stalk cutting performance contrast test for corn stalks obtained at harvest time was carried out. Results show that bionic blades have superior performance, demonstrated by strong cutting ability and good cut quality. Using statistical analysis of two groups of cutting test data, the average cutting force and cutting energy of bionic blades and ordinary blades were obtained as 480.24 N and 551.31 N and 3.91 J and 4.38 J, respectively. Average maximum cutting force and cutting energy consumption for the bionic blade were reduced by 12.89% and 10.73%, respectively. Variance analysis showed that both blade types had a significant effect on maximum cutting energy and cutting energy required to cut a corn stalk. This demonstrates that bionic blades have better cutting force and energy consumption reduction performance than ordinary blades.

Direct Volume Rendering with Shading via Three-Dimensional Textures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanGelder, Allen; Kim, Kwansik

1996-01-01

A new and easy-to-implement method for direct volume rendering that uses 3D texture maps for acceleration, and incorporates directional lighting, is described. The implementation, called Voltx, produces high-quality images at nearly interactive speeds on workstations with hardware support for three-dimensional texture maps. Previously reported methods did not incorporate a light model, and did not address issues of multiple texture maps for large volumes. Our research shows that these extensions impact performance by about a factor of ten. Voltx supports orthographic, perspective, and stereo views. This paper describes the theory and implementation of this technique, and compares it to the shear-warp factorization approach. A rectilinear data set is converted into a three-dimensional texture map containing color and opacity information. Quantized normal vectors and a lookup table provide efficiency. A new tesselation of the sphere is described, which serves as the basis for normal-vector quantization. A new gradient-based shading criterion is described, in which the gradient magnitude is interpreted in the context of the field-data value and the material classification parameters, and not in isolation. In the rendering phase, the texture map is applied to a stack of parallel planes, which effectively cut the texture into many slabs. The slabs are composited to form an image.

The cutting of metals via plastic buckling

PubMed Central

Viswanathan, Koushik; Ho, Yeung; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2017-01-01

The cutting of metals has long been described as occurring by laminar plastic flow. Here we show that for metals with large strain-hardening capacity, laminar flow mode is unstable and cutting instead occurs by plastic buckling of a thin surface layer. High speed in situ imaging confirms that the buckling results in a small bump on the surface which then evolves into a fold of large amplitude by rotation and stretching. The repeated occurrence of buckling and folding manifests itself at the mesoscopic scale as a new flow mode with significant vortex-like components—sinuous flow. The buckling model is validated by phenomenological observations of flow at the continuum level and microstructural characteristics of grain deformation and measurements of the folding. In addition to predicting the conditions for surface buckling, the model suggests various geometric flow control strategies that can be effectively implemented to promote laminar flow, and suppress sinuous flow in cutting, with implications for industrial manufacturing processes. The observations impinge on the foundations of metal cutting by pointing to the key role of stability of laminar flow in determining the mechanism of material removal, and the need to re-examine long-held notions of large strain deformation at surfaces. PMID:28690406

The cutting of metals via plastic buckling.

PubMed

Udupa, Anirudh; Viswanathan, Koushik; Ho, Yeung; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2017-06-01

The cutting of metals has long been described as occurring by laminar plastic flow. Here we show that for metals with large strain-hardening capacity, laminar flow mode is unstable and cutting instead occurs by plastic buckling of a thin surface layer. High speed in situ imaging confirms that the buckling results in a small bump on the surface which then evolves into a fold of large amplitude by rotation and stretching. The repeated occurrence of buckling and folding manifests itself at the mesoscopic scale as a new flow mode with significant vortex-like components-sinuous flow. The buckling model is validated by phenomenological observations of flow at the continuum level and microstructural characteristics of grain deformation and measurements of the folding. In addition to predicting the conditions for surface buckling, the model suggests various geometric flow control strategies that can be effectively implemented to promote laminar flow, and suppress sinuous flow in cutting, with implications for industrial manufacturing processes. The observations impinge on the foundations of metal cutting by pointing to the key role of stability of laminar flow in determining the mechanism of material removal, and the need to re-examine long-held notions of large strain deformation at surfaces.

The cutting of metals via plastic buckling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udupa, Anirudh; Viswanathan, Koushik; Ho, Yeung; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2017-06-01

The cutting of metals has long been described as occurring by laminar plastic flow. Here we show that for metals with large strain-hardening capacity, laminar flow mode is unstable and cutting instead occurs by plastic buckling of a thin surface layer. High speed in situ imaging confirms that the buckling results in a small bump on the surface which then evolves into a fold of large amplitude by rotation and stretching. The repeated occurrence of buckling and folding manifests itself at the mesoscopic scale as a new flow mode with significant vortex-like components-sinuous flow. The buckling model is validated by phenomenological observations of flow at the continuum level and microstructural characteristics of grain deformation and measurements of the folding. In addition to predicting the conditions for surface buckling, the model suggests various geometric flow control strategies that can be effectively implemented to promote laminar flow, and suppress sinuous flow in cutting, with implications for industrial manufacturing processes. The observations impinge on the foundations of metal cutting by pointing to the key role of stability of laminar flow in determining the mechanism of material removal, and the need to re-examine long-held notions of large strain deformation at surfaces.

Automated Cutting And Drilling Of Composite Parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Charles W.

1993-01-01

Proposed automated system precisely cuts and drills large, odd-shaped parts made of composite materials. System conceived for manufacturing lightweight composite parts to replace heavier parts in Space Shuttle. Also useful in making large composite parts for other applications. Includes robot locating part to be machined, positions cutter, and positions drill. Gantry-type robot best suited for task.

The Valgus Inclination of the Tibial Component Increases the Risk of Medial Tibial Condylar Fractures in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Inoue, Shinji; Akagi, Masao; Asada, Shigeki; Mori, Shigeshi; Zaima, Hironori; Hashida, Masahiko

2016-09-01

Medial tibial condylar fractures (MTCFs) are a rare but serious complication after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Although some surgical pitfalls have been reported for MTCFs, it is not clear whether the varus/valgus tibial inclination contributes to the risk of MTCFs. We constructed a 3-dimensional finite elemental method model of the tibia with a medial component and assessed stress concentrations by changing the inclination from 6° varus to 6° valgus. Subsequently, we repeated the same procedure adding extended sagittal bone cuts of 2° and 10° in the posterior tibial cortex. Furthermore, we calculated the bone volume that supported the tibial component, which is considered to affect stress distribution in the medial tibial condyle. Stress concentrations were observed on the medial tibial metaphyseal cortices and on the anterior and posterior tibial cortices in the corner of cut surfaces in all models; moreover, the maximum principal stresses on the posterior cortex were larger than those on the anterior cortex. The extended sagittal bone cuts in the posterior tibial cortex increased the stresses further at these 3 sites. In the models with a 10° extended sagittal bone cut, the maximum principal stress on the posterior cortex increased as the tibial inclination changed from 6° varus to 6° valgus. The bone volume decreased as the inclination changed from varus to valgus. In this finite element method, the risk of MTCFs increases with increasing valgus inclination of the tibial component and with increased extension of the sagittal cut in the posterior tibial cortex. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lung vessel segmentation in CT images using graph-cuts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Zhiwei; Staring, Marius; Stoel, Berend C.

2016-03-01

Accurate lung vessel segmentation is an important operation for lung CT analysis. Filters that are based on analyzing the eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix are popular for pulmonary vessel enhancement. However, due to their low response at vessel bifurcations and vessel boundaries, extracting lung vessels by thresholding the vesselness is not sufficiently accurate. Some methods turn to graph-cuts for more accurate segmentation, as it incorporates neighbourhood information. In this work, we propose a new graph-cuts cost function combining appearance and shape, where CT intensity represents appearance and vesselness from a Hessian-based filter represents shape. Due to the amount of voxels in high resolution CT scans, the memory requirement and time consumption for building a graph structure is very high. In order to make the graph representation computationally tractable, those voxels that are considered clearly background are removed from the graph nodes, using a threshold on the vesselness map. The graph structure is then established based on the remaining voxel nodes, source/sink nodes and the neighbourhood relationship of the remaining voxels. Vessels are segmented by minimizing the energy cost function with the graph-cuts optimization framework. We optimized the parameters used in the graph-cuts cost function and evaluated the proposed method with two manually labeled sub-volumes. For independent evaluation, we used 20 CT scans of the VESSEL12 challenge. The evaluation results of the sub-volume data show that the proposed method produced a more accurate vessel segmentation compared to the previous methods, with F1 score 0.76 and 0.69. In the VESSEL12 data-set, our method obtained a competitive performance with an area under the ROC curve of 0.975, especially among the binary submissions.

Large eddy simulation modeling of particle-laden flows in complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salesky, S.; Giometto, M. G.; Chamecki, M.; Lehning, M.; Parlange, M. B.

2017-12-01

The transport, deposition, and erosion of heavy particles over complex terrain in the atmospheric boundary layer is an important process for hydrology, air quality forecasting, biology, and geomorphology. However, in situ observations can be challenging in complex terrain due to spatial heterogeneity. Furthermore, there is a need to develop numerical tools that can accurately represent the physics of these multiphase flows over complex surfaces. We present a new numerical approach to accurately model the transport and deposition of heavy particles in complex terrain using large eddy simulation (LES). Particle transport is represented through solution of the advection-diffusion equation including terms that represent gravitational settling and inertia. The particle conservation equation is discretized in a cut-cell finite volume framework in order to accurately enforce mass conservation. Simulation results will be validated with experimental data, and numerical considerations required to enforce boundary conditions at the surface will be discussed. Applications will be presented in the context of snow deposition and transport, as well as urban dispersion.

Universal router concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesch, W. A.

1970-01-01

Portable universal router can cut holes of large diameter and irregular shapes, machine recesses, and drill holes with certain edge-distance limitations. Rectangular and round holes may be cut without a template.

Creating compact and microscale features in paper-based devices by laser cutting.

PubMed

Mahmud, Md Almostasim; Blondeel, Eric J M; Kaddoura, Moufeed; MacDonald, Brendan D

2016-11-14

In this work we describe a fabrication method to create compact and microscale features in paper-based microfluidic devices using a CO 2 laser cutting/engraving machine. Using this method we are able to produce the smallest features with the narrowest barriers yet reported for paper-based microfluidic devices. The method uses foil backed paper as the base material and yields inexpensive paper-based devices capable of using small fluid sample volumes and thus small reagent volumes, which is also suitable for mass production. The laser parameters (power and laser head speed) were adjusted to minimize the width of hydrophobic barriers and we were able to create barriers with a width of 39 ± 15 μm that were capable of preventing cross-barrier bleeding. We generated channels with a width of 128 ± 30 μm, which we found to be the physical limit for small features in the chromatography paper we used. We demonstrate how miniaturizing of paper-based microfluidic devices enables eight tests on a single bioassay device using only 2 μL of sample fluid volume.

Method for 3D noncontact measurements of cut trees package area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyaz, Vladimir A.; Vizilter, Yuri V.

2001-02-01

Progress in imaging sensors and computers create the background for numerous 3D imaging application for wide variety of manufacturing activity. Many demands for automated precise measurements are in wood branch of industry. One of them is the accurate volume definition for cut trees carried on the truck. The key point for volume estimation is determination of the front area of the cut tree package. To eliminate slow and inaccurate manual measurements being now in practice the experimental system for automated non-contact wood measurements is developed. The system includes two non-metric CCD video cameras, PC as central processing unit, frame grabbers and original software for image processing and 3D measurements. The proposed method of measurement is based on capturing the stereo pair of front of trees package and performing the image orthotranformation into the front plane. This technique allows to process transformed image for circle shapes recognition and calculating their area. The metric characteristics of the system are provided by special camera calibration procedure. The paper presents the developed method of 3D measurements, describes the hardware used for image acquisition and the software realized the developed algorithms, gives the productivity and precision characteristics of the system.

High Speed Metal Removal

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

AISI 1340, 4140 , 4340, and HF-1) which are commonly used in large caliber projectile manufacture were machined at...Tool Load Data for AISI 1340 "finishing" cuts Life-Line Data for AISI 4140 "roughing" cuts Tool Wear-Land Chart Data for AISI 4140 - "roughing...34 cuts; 570 Ceramic Coated Carbide Tool Wear-Land Chart Data for AISI 4140 - "roughing" cuts; G-10 Ceramic- Tool Wear-Land Chart Data for AISI 4140

Oxidation of gallium arsenide in a plasma multipole device. Study of the MOS structures obtained

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gourrier, S.; Mircea, A.; Simondet, F.

1980-01-01

The oxygen plasma oxidation of GaAs was studied in order to obtain extremely high frequency responses with MOS devices. In the multipole system a homogeneous oxygen plasma of high density can easily be obtained in a large volume. This system is thus convenient for the study of plasma oxidation of GaAs. The electrical properties of the MOS diodes obtained in this way are controlled by interface states, located mostly in the upper half of the band gap where densities in the 10 to the 13th power/(sq cm) (eV) range can be estimated. Despite these interface states the possibility of fabricating MOSFET transistors working mostly in the depletion mode for a higher frequency cut-off still exists.

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

40 CFR 440.144 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

43 CFR 5422.2 - Scale sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... determine the tree cruise volume within a reasonable degree of accuracy. (b) (1) BLM may order third party... scaling of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean diameter of the trees to be cut and...

43 CFR 5422.2 - Scale sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... determine the tree cruise volume within a reasonable degree of accuracy. (b) (1) BLM may order third party... scaling of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean diameter of the trees to be cut and...

43 CFR 5422.2 - Scale sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... determine the tree cruise volume within a reasonable degree of accuracy. (b) (1) BLM may order third party... scaling of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean diameter of the trees to be cut and...

43 CFR 5422.2 - Scale sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... determine the tree cruise volume within a reasonable degree of accuracy. (b) (1) BLM may order third party... scaling of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean diameter of the trees to be cut and...

How To Curb the Appetite for Energy in University Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zsirai, Ted; Wright, Michaella

2001-01-01

Discusses ways to cut rising energy costs within university laboratories by using heat recovery systems and variable volume exhaust hood systems. Explores the implementation of broad-based, sustainable laboratory classroom design concepts. (GR)

Automatic segmentation of airway tree based on local intensity filter and machine learning technique in 3D chest CT volume.

PubMed

Meng, Qier; Kitasaka, Takayuki; Nimura, Yukitaka; Oda, Masahiro; Ueno, Junji; Mori, Kensaku

2017-02-01

Airway segmentation plays an important role in analyzing chest computed tomography (CT) volumes for computerized lung cancer detection, emphysema diagnosis and pre- and intra-operative bronchoscope navigation. However, obtaining a complete 3D airway tree structure from a CT volume is quite a challenging task. Several researchers have proposed automated airway segmentation algorithms basically based on region growing and machine learning techniques. However, these methods fail to detect the peripheral bronchial branches, which results in a large amount of leakage. This paper presents a novel approach for more accurate extraction of the complex airway tree. This proposed segmentation method is composed of three steps. First, Hessian analysis is utilized to enhance the tube-like structure in CT volumes; then, an adaptive multiscale cavity enhancement filter is employed to detect the cavity-like structure with different radii. In the second step, support vector machine learning will be utilized to remove the false positive (FP) regions from the result obtained in the previous step. Finally, the graph-cut algorithm is used to refine the candidate voxels to form an integrated airway tree. A test dataset including 50 standard-dose chest CT volumes was used for evaluating our proposed method. The average extraction rate was about 79.1 % with the significantly decreased FP rate. A new method of airway segmentation based on local intensity structure and machine learning technique was developed. The method was shown to be feasible for airway segmentation in a computer-aided diagnosis system for a lung and bronchoscope guidance system.

TransCut: interactive rendering of translucent cutouts.

PubMed

Li, Dongping; Sun, Xin; Ren, Zhong; Lin, Stephen; Tong, Yiying; Guo, Baining; Zhou, Kun

2013-03-01

We present TransCut, a technique for interactive rendering of translucent objects undergoing fracturing and cutting operations. As the object is fractured or cut open, the user can directly examine and intuitively understand the complex translucent interior, as well as edit material properties through painting on cross sections and recombining the broken pieces—all with immediate and realistic visual feedback. This new mode of interaction with translucent volumes is made possible with two technical contributions. The first is a novel solver for the diffusion equation (DE) over a tetrahedral mesh that produces high-quality results comparable to the state-of-art finite element method (FEM) of Arbree et al. but at substantially higher speeds. This accuracy and efficiency is obtained by computing the discrete divergences of the diffusion equation and constructing the DE matrix using analytic formulas derived for linear finite elements. The second contribution is a multiresolution algorithm to significantly accelerate our DE solver while adapting to the frequent changes in topological structure of dynamic objects. The entire multiresolution DE solver is highly parallel and easily implemented on the GPU. We believe TransCut provides a novel visual effect for heterogeneous translucent objects undergoing fracturing and cutting operations.

Weight and volume variation in truckloads of logs hauled in the central Appalachians

Treesearch

Floyd G. Timson

1974-01-01

Variation in volume and weight was found among loaded log trucks even when such factors as truck type, logging job, and driver influence were eliminated. A load range of 10,000 pounds or 1,000 board feet was commonplace for the same truck, driver, and cutting site. Differences in log size, shape, weight, and species caused a major share of this variation. Yet,...

Volume requirements for aerated mud drilling

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

Guo, B.; Rajtar, J.M.

1995-09-01

Aerated mud drilling has been recognized as having many advantages over conventional mud drilling, such ass higher penetration rate, less formation damage, minimized lost circulation, and lower drilling cost. In some areas, the use of aerated mud as a circulating medium for drilling oil and gas wells is becoming an attractive practice. Maintaining an optimum combination of liquid and air flow rates is important in aerated drilling operations. However, most drilling operators are unclear on what constitutes the ``optimum combination of the liquid and air flow rates.`` Guo et al. presented a mathematical approach to determining the flowing bottomhole pressuremore » (BHP) for aerated mud drilling. This paper addresses the use of Guo et al.`s mathematical model to determine liquid and air volume requirements considering wellbore stability, pipe sticking, and formation damage as well as the cuttings-carry capacity of the aerated mud. For a formation-damage-prevention point of view, the liquid fraction in the fluid stream should e as low as possible. However, a sufficient mud flow rate is always required to make the hole stable and to maintain the cuttings-carrying capacity of the aerated mud without injecting much air volume. This paper provides a simple approach to determining the liquid and air volume requirements for aerated mud drilling.« less

Methanol production from Eucalyptus wood chips. Working Document 2. Vegetative propagation of Eucalypts

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

Fishkind, H.H.

1982-04-01

The feasibility of large-scale plantation establishment by various methods was examined, and the following conclusions were reached: seedling plantations are limited in potential yield due to genetic variation among the planting stock and often inadequate supplies of appropriate seed; vegetative propagation by rooted cuttings can provide good genetic uniformity of select hybrid planting stock; however, large-scale production requires establishment and maintenance of extensive cutting orchards. The collection of shoots and preparation of cuttings, although successfully implemented in the Congo and Brazil, would not be economically feasible in Florida for large-scale plantations; tissue culture propagation of select hybrid eucalypts offers themore » only opportunity to produce the very large number of trees required to establish the energy plantation. The cost of tissue culture propagation, although higher than seedling production, is more than off-set by the increased productivity of vegetative plantations established from select hybrid Eucalyptus.« less

Modeling and analysis of the chip formation and transient cutting force during elliptical vibration cutting process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jieqiong; Guan, Liang; Lu, Mingming; Han, Jinguo; Kan, Yudi

2017-12-01

In traditional diamond cutting, the cutting force is usually large and it will affect tool life and machining quality. Elliptical vibration cutting (EVC) as one of the ultra-precision machining technologies has a lot of advantages, such as reduces cutting force, extend tool life and so on. It's difficult to predict the transient cutting force of EVC due to its unique elliptical motion trajectory. Study on chip formation will helpfully to predict cutting force. The geometric feature of chip has important effects on cutting force, however, few scholars have studied the chip formation. In order to investigate the time-varying cutting force of EVC, the geometric feature model of chip is established based on analysis of chip formation, and the effects of cutting parameters on the geometric feature of chip are analyzed. To predict transient force quickly and effectively, the geometric feature of chip is introduced into the cutting force model. The calculated results show that the error between the predicted cutting force in this paper and that in the literature is less than 2%, which proves its feasibility.

Mechanical specific energy versus depth of cut in rock cutting and drilling

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

Zhou, Yaneng; Zhang, Wu; Gamwo, Isaac

The relationship between Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) and the Rate of Penetration (ROP), or equivalently the depth of cut per revolution, provides an important measure for strategizing a drilling operation. This study explores how MSE evolves with depth of cut, and presents a concerted effort that encompasses analytical, computational and experimental approaches. A simple model for the relationship between MSE and cutting depth is first derived with consideration of the wear progression of a circular cutter. This is an extension of Detournay and Defourny's phenomenological cutting model. Wear is modeled as a flat contact area at the bottom of amore » cutter referred to as a wear flat, and that wear flat in the past is often considered to be fixed during cutting. But during a drilling operation by a full bit that consists of multiple circular cutters, the wear flat length may increase because of various wear mechanisms involved. The wear progression of cutters generally results in reduced efficiency with either increased MSE or decreased ROP. Also, an accurate estimate of removed rock volume is found important for the evaluation of MSE. The derived model is compared with experiment results from a single circular cutter, for cutting soft rock under ambient pressure with actual depth measured through a micrometer, and for cutting high strength rock under high pressure with actual cutting area measured by a confocal microscope. Lastly, the model is employed to interpret the evolution of MSE with depth of cut for a full drilling bit under confining pressure. The general form of equation of the developed model is found to describe well the experiment data and can be applied to interpret the drilling data for a full bit.« less

Mechanical specific energy versus depth of cut in rock cutting and drilling

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Yaneng; Zhang, Wu; Gamwo, Isaac; ...

2017-12-07

The relationship between Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) and the Rate of Penetration (ROP), or equivalently the depth of cut per revolution, provides an important measure for strategizing a drilling operation. This study explores how MSE evolves with depth of cut, and presents a concerted effort that encompasses analytical, computational and experimental approaches. A simple model for the relationship between MSE and cutting depth is first derived with consideration of the wear progression of a circular cutter. This is an extension of Detournay and Defourny's phenomenological cutting model. Wear is modeled as a flat contact area at the bottom of amore » cutter referred to as a wear flat, and that wear flat in the past is often considered to be fixed during cutting. But during a drilling operation by a full bit that consists of multiple circular cutters, the wear flat length may increase because of various wear mechanisms involved. The wear progression of cutters generally results in reduced efficiency with either increased MSE or decreased ROP. Also, an accurate estimate of removed rock volume is found important for the evaluation of MSE. The derived model is compared with experiment results from a single circular cutter, for cutting soft rock under ambient pressure with actual depth measured through a micrometer, and for cutting high strength rock under high pressure with actual cutting area measured by a confocal microscope. Lastly, the model is employed to interpret the evolution of MSE with depth of cut for a full drilling bit under confining pressure. The general form of equation of the developed model is found to describe well the experiment data and can be applied to interpret the drilling data for a full bit.« less

Research on subsurface defects of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals fabricated by single point diamond turning technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tie, Guipeng; Dai, Yifan; Guan, Chaoliang; Chen, Shaoshan; Song, Bing

2013-03-01

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals, which are widely used in high-power laser systems, are required to be free of defects on fabricated subsurfaces. The depth of subsurface defects (SSD) of KDP crystals is significantly influenced by the parameters used in the single point diamond turning technique. In this paper, based on the deliquescent magnetorheological finishing technique, the SSD of KDP crystals is observed and the depths under various cutting parameters are detected and discussed. The results indicate that no SSD is generated under small parameters and with the increase of cutting parameters, SSD appears and the depth rises almost linearly. Although the ascending trends of SSD depths caused by cutting depth and feed rate are much alike, the two parameters make different contributions. Taking the same material removal efficiency as a criterion, a large cutting depth generates shallower SSD depth than a large feed rate. Based on the experiment results, an optimized cutting procedure is obtained to generate defect-free surfaces.

Secondary Maxillary and Orbital Floor Reconstruction With a Free Scapular Flap Using Cutting and Fixation Guides Created by Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing.

PubMed

Morita, Daiki; Numajiri, Toshiaki; Tsujiko, Shoko; Nakamura, Hiroko; Yamochi, Ryo; Sowa, Yoshihiro; Yasuda, Makoto; Hirano, Shigeru

2017-11-01

Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) guides are now widely used in maxillofacial reconstruction. However, there are few reports of CAD/CAM guides being used for scapular flaps. The authors performed the secondary maxillary and orbital floor reconstruction using a free latissimus dorsi muscle, cutaneous tissue, and scapular flap designed using CAD/CAM techniques in a 72-year-old man who had undergone partial maxillectomy four years previously. The patient had diplopia, the vertical dystopia of eye position, and a large oral-nasal-cutaneous fistula. After the operation, the authors confirmed that the deviation between the postoperative and preoperative planning three-dimensional images was less than 2 mm. Because scapular guides require 3 cutting surfaces, the shape of the scapular guide is more complex than that of a conventional fibular guide. In orbital floor reconstruction, the use of a CAM technique such as that used to manufacture the authors' fixation guide is as necessary for accurate, safe, and easy reconstruction as is preoperative CAD planning. The production of a fixation guide as well as a cutting guide is particularly useful because it is difficult to determine the angle for reconstructing the orbital floor by freehand techniques. In this case, the orbital floor was reconstructed based on a mirror image of the healthy side to avoid overcompression of the orbital tissue. Although the patient's vertical dystopia of eye position was improved, diplopia was not improved because, for greater safety, the authors did not plan overcorrection of the orbital volume.

Reinforced soil structures. Volume I. Design and construction guidelines

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-11-01

This report presents comprehensive guidelines for evaluating and using soil reinforcement techniques in the construction of retaining walls, embankment slopes, and natural or cut slopes. A variety of available systems for reinforced soil including in...

Reinforced soil structures. Volume I, Design and construction guidelines

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-11-01

This report presents comprehensive guidelines for evaluating and using soil reinforcement techniques in the construction of retaining walls, embankment slopes, and natural or cut slopes. A variety of available systems for reinforced soil including in...

The cutting mechanism of the electrosurgical scalpel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gjika, Eda; Pekker, Mikhail; Shashurin, Alexey; Shneider, Mikhail; Zhuang, Taisen; Canady, Jerome; Keidar, Michael

2017-01-01

Electrosurgical cutting is a well-known technique for creating incisions often used for the removal of benign and malignant tumors. The proposed mathematical model suggests that incisions are created due to the localized heating of the tissue. The model estimates a volume of tissue heating in the order of 2 · 10-4 mm3. This relatively small predicted volume explains why the heat generated from the very tip of the scalpel is unable to cause extensive damage to the tissue adjacent to the incision site. The scalpel exposes the target region to an RF field in 60 ms pulses until a temperature of around 100 °C is reached. This process leads to desiccation where the tissue is characterized by a significantly low electrical conductivity, which prevents further heating and charring. Subsequently, the incision is created from the mechanical scraping process that follows.

Effect of Yifukang oral liquid on gastric emptying and intestinal peristalsis in mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jianhua; Li, Jun; Li, Xianyu; Hao, Shaojun; Guo, Junyi; Ma, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Zhengchen

2018-04-01

To observe the effect of Yifukang oral liquid on gastric emptying and intestinal peristalsis in mice. Methods: 60 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups. The suspension of Baohe Pill and the same volume of normal saline group were given once a day for 7 days. After the last administration for 30 minutes, 0.25 ml of 0.04% phenolic red solution was administered by stomach. After 20 minutes, the animals were killed, the stomach was removed, the gastric contents were cleaned, and the lotion 5ml was centrifuged. The absorbance of the supernatant was measured by TU-1901 ultraviolet spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 560nm. The residual rate of gastric phenolic red was calculated. Rate was used to evaluate gastric emptying velocity.60 mice were randomly divided into five groups: group 5, large, medium, small Yifukang oral liquid dosage group, pill suspension and the same volume normal saline. After 20 min after the last dose of carbon powder suspension, the mice were sacrificed, the abdominal cavity was cut open, the intestine of the ileocecum was cut off, the intestinal mesentery was separated, the total length of the small intestine (cm) was measured, and the distance (cm) in the small intestine was measured, and the end-of-carbon propulsion rate was calculated. Compared with the blank group, small dose of Yi Fu Kang group and Baohe Pill group could significantly promote the ability of gastric emptying in mice. Compared with the blank group, small dose group and rehabilitation benefits Baohewan group can significantly promote the gastric emptying ability of mice (P<0.01), high dose group had no obvious benefit rehabilitation ability to promote gastric emptying in mice. Yi Fu Kang oral liquid group could significantly increase the percentage of small intestine carbon powder(P<0.01), Large, medium-dose Yifukang oral liquid and Baofuwan group could significantly increase the percentage of small intestinal carbon in mice (P<0.05). Yi Fukang oral liquid has the effect of promoting gastric emptying and small intestinal peristalsis.

Copper vapor laser precision processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikonchuk, Michail O.

1991-05-01

Copper vapor laser (CVL) was designed on the basis master oscillator (MO) - spatial filter - amplifier (AMP) system which is placed in thermostable volume. Processing material is moved by means of CNC system GPM-AP-400 with +/- 5 micrometers accuracy. Several cutting parameters are considered which define the quality and productivity of vaporization cutting: efficiency, cutwidth, height of upper and lower burr, roughness, laser and heat affected zones. Estimates are made for some metals with thickness 0.02 - 0.3 mm and cutwidth 0.01 - 0.03 mm. The examples of workpieces produced by CVL are presented.

ORACLE (Oversight of Resources and Capability for Logistics Effectiveness) and Requirements Forecasting. Volume 3. Predicting the Peacetime Spares Requirements.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

Shearing Machines WR/MMI DG 3446 Forging Machinery and Hammers WR/MMI DG 3447 Wire and Metal Ribbon Forming Machines WR/MMI DG 3448 Riveting Machines ...R/MN1I DG 3449 Miscellaneous Secondary Metal Forming & Cutting WR/MMI DG Machinery 3450 Machine Tools, Portable WR/MMI DG 3455 Cutting Tools for...Secondary Metalworking Machinery WR/MMI DG WR 3465 Production Jigs, Fixtures and Templates WR/MMI DG WR 3470 Machine Shop Sets, Kits, and Outfits WR/MMI DG

The forest ecosystem of southeast Alaska: 6. Forest diseases.

Treesearch

Thomas H. Laurent

1974-01-01

The disease problems of old growth are largely being taken care of by cutting. This same cutting is rapidly converting large areas of old growth to reproduction and young growth. It is in these areas of young growth that our disease problems will most probably arise. With a few exceptions the reproduction and young-growth stands appear quite healthy at this time with...

Three-dimensional transvaginal sonographic assessment of uterine volume as preoperative predictor of need to morcellate in women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy.

PubMed

Gerges, B; Mongelli, M; Casikar, I; Bignardi, T; Condous, G

2017-08-01

In light of recent statements from the United States Food and Drug Administration warning against the use of power morcellation of uterine leiomyomas during laparoscopy, we sought to evaluate the use of preoperative two- (2D) and three- (3D) dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (US) assessment of uterine volume to predict the need for morcellation in women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH). This was a prospective observational study performed between October 2008 and November 2011 in a tertiary referral laparoscopic unit. All women scheduled to undergo LH were included and underwent detailed preoperative transvaginal US. Uterine volumes were calculated using 2D-US measurements (ellipsoid formula), and using Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis (VOCAL™) having acquired 3D-US volumes of the uterus. Age, parity, need to morcellate and final uterine dry weight at histology were recorded. The estimated uterine volumes were then incorporated into a previously published logistic regression model to predict the need to morcellate for both nulliparous and parous women. The probability threshold cut-off of 0.14 (95% sensitivity) was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and likelihood ratios (LRs). The performance of the models incorporating 2D- and 3D-US calculations were compared with 2D- and 3D-US-generated volumes alone, using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Of 76 women who underwent LH during the study period, 79% (n = 60) had complete background and 3D-US data. Their mean age was 43.7 years, 91.7% were parous and 35% underwent morcellation. The greatest uterine volume that did not require morcellation was 404 mL estimated using 3D-US, which corresponded to a uterine volume of 688.8 mL using 2D-US. The smallest uterine volume that required morcellation was 118.9 mL using 3D-US, which corresponded to a uterine volume of 123.4 mL using 2D-US. The 3D-US uterine volume for parous women with a sensitivity of 95% based on ROC-curve analysis was approximately 120 mL, which equated to a predicted probability of morcellation cut-off of 0.14. For this cut-off, specificity was 55.00%, PPV was 51.35%, NPV was 95.65%, LR+ was 2.11 and LR- was 0.09. Areas under the ROC curves for the morcellation logistic regression model were 0.769 (95% CI, 0.653-0.886) and 0.586 (95% CI, 0.419-0.753) using uterine volumes obtained by 3D-US and by 2D-US, respectively, and they were 0.938 (95% CI, 0.879-0.996) and 0.815 (95% CI, 0.681-0.948) using 3D-US and 2D-US volumes alone. The need to morcellate can be predicted preoperatively using 3D-US uterine volumes obtained by transvaginal US with a fair degree of accuracy. Uteri with volumes smaller than 120 mL at 3D-US are very unlikely to require morcellation. The incorporation of 3D-US-estimated uterine volume into the previously published logistic regression model does not seem to confer any significant improvement when compared with 3D-US uterine volume alone to predict the need to morcellate in women undergoing total LH. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Design for Production Manual. Volume 2. Design/Production Integration

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

woodworking equipment such as circular saw, cross cut saw, planer / thicknesser and sander. There is considerable use of hand tools in the shop. Joinery inclucies...PROGRAM BY SOCIETY OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE ENGINEERS SHIP PRODUCTION COMMITTEE PANEL SP- 4 DESIGN PRODUCTION INTEGRATION CONTRACT DTMA91-82-C...DEC 1985 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4 . TITLE AND SUBTITLE Design for Production Manual Volume 2 of 3 Design/Production

A composite cordwood volume table for pulpwood species in the Lake States

Treesearch

S.R. Gevorkiantz

1945-01-01

Because there is very little difference in the stacked unpeeled volumes of most native trees cut for pulpwood in the Lake States, a generalized cordwood table can be used. Tech. Note 202 (Aug. 1943) presented a table for trees from 6 to 14 inches d.b.h. and 1 to -7 bolts in usable height. Because of the demand for similar information for both smaller and larger trees,...

New Compatible Estimators for Survivor Growth and Ingrowth from Remeasured Horizontal Point Samples

Treesearch

Francis A. Roesch; Edwin J. Green; Charles T. Scott

1989-01-01

Forest volume growth between two measurements is often decomposed into the components of survivor growth (S), ingrowth(Z), mortality (M), and cut (C) (for example, Beers 1962 or Van Deusen et al. 1986). Net change between volumes at times 1 and 2 (V1 - V2) is then represented by the equation V,-V,=S+I-M-C. Two new compatible pairs of estimators for S and Z in this...

Regeneration after cutting of old-growth northern hardwoods in New Hampshire

Treesearch

William B. Leak; Robert W., Jr. Wilson

1958-01-01

Past experience with cuttings in old-growth northern hardwoods has demonstrated that the primary regeneration problem is to obtain a large proportion of desirable species of good quality. Regardless of method or intensity of cutting, the total amount of reproduction usually is adequate. Second-growth stands are a different story: this report pertains only to old-growth...

Suggestions for getting more forestry in the logging plan.

Treesearch

Robert H. Ruth; Roy R. Silen

1950-01-01

The staggered-setting system of clear-cutting is fast becoming prevailing practice in the Douglas-fir region. The trend is away from large, continuous clear cuts to clear-cutting smaller units of timber of less than 80 acres. These are called staggered settings because the surrounding stand is left uncut to provide seed and serve as a firebreak. Major aims of this...

Comparison of Fixed Diameter-Limit and Selection Cutting in Northern Conifers

Treesearch

Laura S. Kenefic; Paul E. Sendak; John C. Brissette

2005-01-01

Diameter-limit cutting is a common type of harvest in which all merchantable trees above specific size thresholds are removed. Despite a long history of application, controlled experiments of these harvests are rare and the cumulative effects of repeated diameter-limit cuts are largely unknown. The Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine is the location of a long-term...

First-Year Survival and Height Growth of Cottonwood Plantations at Stoneville, Miss.

Treesearch

Henry Bull; J. A. Putnam

1941-01-01

Most cut-over forest land in the bottomland hardwood region does not need to be planted to obtain another stand of timber. Natural reproduction usually is satisfactory in amount, although often predominated by relatively undesirable species. cut-over areas that do need planting, however, are not uncommon. Very heavy cutting and repeated severe fires are largely...

The Induced Seismicity Roller Coaster: Up, and then Down, and then Up Again

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riffault, J.; Dempsey, D.

2017-12-01

Diverse industries from oil & gas, to geothermal and CO2 storage have triggered significant numbers of earthquakes in the last decade. There is broad agreement that the underlying cause is injection of large volumes of fluid and subsequent pressure rise in the disposal and connected formations. Thus, it stands to reason that reducing injection will have a flow-through effect on the seismicity. For example, in an attempt to mitigate earthquakes in Oklahoma, a 40% injection rate reduction was enforced, resulting in a significant decrease in the seismicity rate. Here, we show that, under certain conditions, cutting the injection rate leads to transients in the seismicity rate that could mislead operators and regulators into a false sense of security. We used semi-analytic solutions of injection and fluid flow in a radial geometry coupled with a model that links the pressure rise with the rate of induced seismicity. We find that cutting the injection rate causes complex pressure transients around the injection well: (i) initially, pressure will continue to increase; (ii), then, it reaches a peak and starts to decline; (iii) finally, the decline is reversed and pressure starts to increase again. Depending on the stress criticality of the system and the size of the injection rate cut, the outcome can be a short-term decrease, or even a total cessation, of the seismicity. However, over the longer term, seismicity will increase to a new steady-state (which is nevertheless lower than that preceding the rate cut.) Our results imply that it can be misleading to rely on observations of the seismicity rate shortly after mitigation measures are implemented as an indicator of their efficacy. It is also possible to use this model to interpret the results injection well step tests, with the aim of quantifying aspects of the crustal stress state.

EPA Science Matters Newsletter: Volume 2, Number 4

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

While continuing to advance the kinds of cutting edge research efforts that are the hallmark of EPA, we also are taking ambitious steps to ensure that we are as effective as we can be for the American people.

Flushing Out Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baz, Jose

1997-01-01

Discusses the use of pressure-assist technology to cut water usage volume in schools. It answers questions concerning whether to retrofit school washrooms with pressure-assisted technology and how much water would be conserved. Where to get more information on washrooms is provided. (GR)

Timber resources of the Sacramento area, California, 1972.

Treesearch

Brian R. Wall

1978-01-01

This report summarizes the 1972 timber resource inventory of the Sacramento area, California. Included are detailed tables of forest area, timber volume, growth, mortality, and timber cut and a discussion of the current timber resource and timber industry situation.

EPA Science Matters Newsletter: Volume 2, Number 4

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-02-14

While continuing to advance the kinds of cutting edge research efforts that are the hallmark of EPA, we also are taking ambitious steps to ensure that we are as effective as we can be for the American people.

Development of a 2-stage shear-cutting-process to reduce cut-edge-sensitivity of steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gläsner, T.; Sunderkötter, C.; Hoffmann, H.; Volk, W.; Golle, R.

2017-09-01

The edge cracking sensitivity of AHSS and UHSS is a challenging factor in the cold forming process. Expanding cut holes during flanging operations is rather common in automotive components. During these flanging operations the pierced hole is stretched so that its diameter is increased. These flanging operations stretch material that has already been subjected to large amounts of plastic deformation, therefore forming problems may occur. An innovative cutting process decreases micro cracks in the cutting surface and facilitates the subsequent cold forming process. That cutting process consists of two stages, which produces close dimensional tolerance and smooth edges. As a result the hole expanding ratio was increased by nearly 100 % when using thick high strength steels for suspension components. The paper describes the mechanisms of the trimming process at the cut edge, and the positive effect of the 2-stage shear-cutting process on the hole extension capability of multiphase steels.

Influence of cutting parameters on the depth of subsurface deformed layer in nano-cutting process of single crystal copper.

PubMed

Wang, Quanlong; Bai, Qingshun; Chen, Jiaxuan; Su, Hao; Wang, Zhiguo; Xie, Wenkun

2015-12-01

Large-scale molecular dynamics simulation is performed to study the nano-cutting process of single crystal copper realized by single-point diamond cutting tool in this paper. The centro-symmetry parameter is adopted to characterize the subsurface deformed layers and the distribution and evolution of the subsurface defect structures. Three-dimensional visualization and measurement technology are used to measure the depth of the subsurface deformed layers. The influence of cutting speed, cutting depth, cutting direction, and crystallographic orientation on the depth of subsurface deformed layers is systematically investigated. The results show that a lot of defect structures are formed in the subsurface of workpiece during nano-cutting process, for instance, stair-rod dislocations, stacking fault tetrahedron, atomic clusters, vacancy defects, point defects. In the process of nano-cutting, the depth of subsurface deformed layers increases with the cutting distance at the beginning, then decreases at stable cutting process, and basically remains unchanged when the cutting distance reaches up to 24 nm. The depth of subsurface deformed layers decreases with the increase in cutting speed between 50 and 300 m/s. The depth of subsurface deformed layer increases with cutting depth, proportionally, and basically remains unchanged when the cutting depth reaches over 6 nm.

Comparison of Numerical Modeling Methods for Soil Vibration Cutting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Jiandong; Zhang, Enguang

2018-01-01

In this paper, we studied the appropriate numerical simulation method for vibration soil cutting. Three numerical simulation methods, commonly used for uniform speed soil cutting, Lagrange, ALE and DEM, are analyzed. Three models of vibration soil cutting simulation model are established by using ls-dyna.The applicability of the three methods to this problem is analyzed in combination with the model mechanism and simulation results. Both the Lagrange method and the DEM method can show the force oscillation of the tool and the large deformation of the soil in the vibration cutting. Lagrange method shows better effect of soil debris breaking. Because of the poor stability of ALE method, it is not suitable to use soil vibration cutting problem.

Broadband spatial optical filtering with a volume Bragg grating and a blazed grating pair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Guanjin; Sun, Xiaojie; Yuan, Xiao; Zhang, Guiju

2017-10-01

A broadband spatial optical filtering system is presented in this paper, which is composed of a Volume Bragg Grating (VBG) and a blazed grating pair. The diffraction efficiency and filtering properties are calculated and simulated by using Fourier diffraction analysis and Coupled Wave Theory. A blazed grating pair and VBG structures are designed and optimized in our simulation. The diffraction efficiency of filtering system shows more than 77.2% during the wavelength period from 953nm to 1153nm, especially 84.1% at the center wavelength. The beam quality is described with near-field modulation (M) and contrast ratio (C). The M of filtering beam are 1.44, 1.49 and 1.55, respectively and the C of filtering beam are 10.1%, 10.2% and 10.5% , respectively and the beam intensity distribution is great improved. The cut-off frequencies of three filtering systems are 1.57mm-1 , 2.06 mm-1 and 2.38 mm-1 , respectively from power spectral density (PSD) curve. It's clear that the cut-off frequency of filtering system is closely related to the angular selectivity of VBG, and the value of cut-off frequency is decided by VBG's Half Width at First Zero (HWFZ) and center wavelength.

Racking Response of Reinforced Concrete Cut and Cover Tunnel

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-01-01

Currently, the knowledge base and quantitative data sets concerning cut and cover tunnel seismic response are scarce. In this report, a large-scale experimental program is conducted to assess: i) stiffness, capacity, and potential seismically-induced...

Displaying CFD Solution Parameters on Arbitrary Cut Planes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pao, S. Paul

2008-01-01

USMC6 is a Fortran 90 computer program for post-processing in support of visualization of flows simulated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The name "USMC6" is partly an abbreviation of "TetrUSS - USM3D Solution Cutter," reflecting its origin as a post-processor for use with USM3D - a CFD program that is a component of the Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System and that solves the Navier-Stokes equations on tetrahedral unstructured grids. "Cutter" here refers to a capability to acquire and process solution data on (1) arbitrary planes that cut through grid volumes, or (2) user-selected spheroidal, conical, cylindrical, and/or prismatic domains cut from within grids. Cutting saves time by enabling concentration of post-processing and visualization efforts on smaller solution domains of interest. The user can select from among more than 40 flow functions. The cut planes can be trimmed to circular or rectangular shape. The user specifies cuts and functions in a free-format input file using simple and easy-to-remember keywords. The USMC6 command line is simple enough that the slicing process can readily be embedded in a shell script for assembly-line post-processing. The output of USMC6 is a data file ready for plotting.

Numerical analysis on the cutting and finishing efficiency of MRAFF process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lih, F. L.

2016-03-01

The aim of the present research is to conduct a numerical study of the characteristic of a two-phase magnetorheological fluid with different operation conditions by the finite volume method called SIMPLE with an add-on MHD code.

Dual expression of MYC and BCL2 proteins predicts worse outcomes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Clark Schneider, Kelli M; Banks, Peter M; Collie, Angela M B; Lanigan, Christopher P; Manilich, Elena; Durkin, Lisa M; Hill, Brian T; Hsi, Eric D

2016-07-01

Recent studies suggested that MYC and BCL2 protein co-expression is an independent indicator of poor prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, the immunohistochemistry protocols for dual-expression staining and the scoring cut-offs vary by study. Sixty-nine cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were evaluated for MYC and BCL2 protein expression using various cut-offs that have been recommended in prior studies. Independent of the International Prognostic Index risk group, cases with dual protein expression of BCL2 and MYC using ≥50%/40% cut-offs and ≥70%/40% had significantly shorter overall survival than cases without. It was verified in this patient population that the use of BCL2 and MYC immunohistochemistry, performed with available in vitro diagnostic-cleared antibodies, provides rapid prognostic information in patients with de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This study has practical implications for diagnostic laboratories and serves as a guide for implementation in the setting of future clinical trials.

Tooth segmentation system with intelligent editing for cephalometric analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shoupu

2015-03-01

Cephalometric analysis is the study of the dental and skeletal relationship in the head, and it is used as an assessment and planning tool for improved orthodontic treatment of a patient. Conventional cephalometric analysis identifies bony and soft-tissue landmarks in 2D cephalometric radiographs, in order to diagnose facial features and abnormalities prior to treatment, or to evaluate the progress of treatment. Recent studies in orthodontics indicate that there are persistent inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the results provided using conventional 2D cephalometric analysis. Obviously, plane geometry is inappropriate for analyzing anatomical volumes and their growth; only a 3D analysis is able to analyze the three-dimensional, anatomical maxillofacial complex, which requires computing inertia systems for individual or groups of digitally segmented teeth from an image volume of a patient's head. For the study of 3D cephalometric analysis, the current paper proposes a system for semi-automatically segmenting teeth from a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) volume with two distinct features, including an intelligent user-input interface for automatic background seed generation, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration mechanism for three-dimensional GrowCut volume segmentation. Results show a satisfying average DICE score of 0.92, with the use of the proposed tooth segmentation system, by 15 novice users who segmented a randomly sampled tooth set. The average GrowCut processing time is around one second per tooth, excluding user interaction time.

Cutting work in thick section cryomicrotomy.

PubMed

Saubermann, A J; Riley, W D; Beeuwkes, R

1977-09-01

The forces during cryosectioning were measured using miniature strain gauges attached to a load cell fitted to the drive arm of the Porter-Blum MT-2 cryomicrotome. Work was calculated and the data normalized to a standard (1 mm X 1 mm X 0.5 micrometer) section. Thermal energy generated was also calculated. Five parameters were studied: cutting angle, thickness, temperature, hardness, and block shape. Force patterns could be divided into three major groups thought to represent cutting (Type I), large fracture planes greater than 10 micrometer in length (Type II), and small fracture planes less than 10 micrometer in length (Type III). Type I and Type II produced satisfactory sections. Work in cutting ranged from an average of 78.4 muJ to 568.8 muJ. Cutting angle and temperature had the greatest effect on sectioning. Heat generated would be sufficient to cause through-section melting for 0.5 micrometer thick sections assuming the worst possible case, namely that all heat went into the section without loss. Presence of a Type II pattern (large fracture pattern) is thought to be presumptive evidence against thawing.

Spectroscopy of the Schwarzschild black hole at arbitrary frequencies.

PubMed

Casals, Marc; Ottewill, Adrian

2012-09-14

Linear field perturbations of a black hole are described by the Green function of the wave equation that they obey. After Fourier decomposing the Green function, its two natural contributions are given by poles (quasinormal modes) and a largely unexplored branch cut in the complex frequency plane. We present new analytic methods for calculating the branch cut on a Schwarzschild black hole for arbitrary values of the frequency. The branch cut yields a power-law tail decay for late times in the response of a black hole to an initial perturbation. We determine explicitly the first three orders in the power-law and show that the branch cut also yields a new logarithmic behavior T(-2ℓ-5)lnT for late times. Before the tail sets in, the quasinormal modes dominate the black hole response. For electromagnetic perturbations, the quasinormal mode frequencies approach the branch cut at large overtone index n. We determine these frequencies up to n(-5/2) and, formally, to arbitrary order. Highly damped quasinormal modes are of particular interest in that they have been linked to quantum properties of black holes.

INTERACTION OF LASER RADIATION WITH MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Calculation of mass transfer in the remote cutting of metals by radiation of a high-power repetitively pulsed CO2 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gladush, G. G.; Rodionov, N. B.

2002-01-01

The mechanism of remote cutting of steel plates by radiation of a high-power repetitively pulsed CO2 laser is theoretically studied. The models of melt removal by the gravity force and the recoil pressure of material vapour are proposed and the sufficient conditions for the initiation of cutting are determined. A numerical model of a thermally thin plate was employed to describe the cutting for large focal spots.

Multi-cut solutions in Chern-Simons matrix models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, Takeshi; Sugiyama, Kento

2018-04-01

We elaborate the Chern-Simons (CS) matrix models at large N. The saddle point equations of these matrix models have a curious structure which cannot be seen in the ordinary one matrix models. Thanks to this structure, an infinite number of multi-cut solutions exist in the CS matrix models. Particularly we exactly derive the two-cut solutions at finite 't Hooft coupling in the pure CS matrix model. In the ABJM matrix model, we argue that some of multi-cut solutions might be interpreted as a condensation of the D2-brane instantons.

Maple sap uptake, exudation, and pressure changes correlated with freezing exotherms and thawing endotherms.

PubMed

Tyree, M T

1983-10-01

Sap flow rates and sap pressure changes were measured in dormant sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum Marsh.). In the forest, sap flow rates and pressure changes were measured from tap holes drilled into tree trunks in mature trees and sap flow rates were measured from the base of excised branches. Excised branches were also brought into the laboratory where air temperature could be carefully controlled in a refrigerated box and sap flow rates and sap pressures were measured from the cut base of the branches.Under both forest and laboratory conditions, sap uptake occurred as the wood temperature declined but much more rapid sap uptake correlated with the onset of the freezing exotherm. When sap pressures were measured under conditions of negligible volume displacement, the sap pressure rapidly fell to -60 to -80 kilopascals at the start of the freezing exotherm. The volume of water uptake and the rate of uptake depended on the rate of freezing. A slow freezing rate correlated with a large volume of water uptake, a fast freezing rate induced a smaller volume of water uptake. The volume of water uptake ranged from 0.02 to 0.055 grams water per gram dry weight of sapwood. The volume of water exuded after thawing was usually less than the volume of uptake so that after several freezing and thawing cycles the sapwood water content increased from 0.7 to 0.8 grams water per gram dry weight.These results are discussed in terms of a physical model of the mechanism of maple sap uptake and exudation first proposed by P. E. R. O'Malley. The proposed mechanism of sap uptake is by vapor distillation in air filled wood fiber lumina during the freezing of minor branches. Gravity and pressurized air bubbles (compressed during freezing) cause sap flow from the canopy down the tree after the thaw.

Maple Sap Uptake, Exudation, and Pressure Changes Correlated with Freezing Exotherms and Thawing Endotherms 1

PubMed Central

Tyree, Melvin T.

1983-01-01

Sap flow rates and sap pressure changes were measured in dormant sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum Marsh.). In the forest, sap flow rates and pressure changes were measured from tap holes drilled into tree trunks in mature trees and sap flow rates were measured from the base of excised branches. Excised branches were also brought into the laboratory where air temperature could be carefully controlled in a refrigerated box and sap flow rates and sap pressures were measured from the cut base of the branches. Under both forest and laboratory conditions, sap uptake occurred as the wood temperature declined but much more rapid sap uptake correlated with the onset of the freezing exotherm. When sap pressures were measured under conditions of negligible volume displacement, the sap pressure rapidly fell to −60 to −80 kilopascals at the start of the freezing exotherm. The volume of water uptake and the rate of uptake depended on the rate of freezing. A slow freezing rate correlated with a large volume of water uptake, a fast freezing rate induced a smaller volume of water uptake. The volume of water uptake ranged from 0.02 to 0.055 grams water per gram dry weight of sapwood. The volume of water exuded after thawing was usually less than the volume of uptake so that after several freezing and thawing cycles the sapwood water content increased from 0.7 to 0.8 grams water per gram dry weight. These results are discussed in terms of a physical model of the mechanism of maple sap uptake and exudation first proposed by P. E. R. O'Malley. The proposed mechanism of sap uptake is by vapor distillation in air filled wood fiber lumina during the freezing of minor branches. Gravity and pressurized air bubbles (compressed during freezing) cause sap flow from the canopy down the tree after the thaw. PMID:16663208

Redwoods, restoration, and implications for carbon budgets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madej, Mary Ann

2010-01-01

The coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) of California have several unique characteristics that influence interactions between vegetation and geomorphic processes. Case studies, using a combination of in-channel wood surveys and an air photo inventory of landslides, illustrate current conditions in a redwood-dominated watershed undergoing restoration work, and the influence of wood loading and landslides on the carbon budget. Redwood trees have extremely large biomass (trunk wood volumes of 700 to 1000 m3) and are very decay-resistant; consequently, they have a large and persistent influence on in-channel wood loading. Large wood surveys indicate high wood loading in streams in uncut forests (0.3-0.5 m3/m2 of channel), but also show that high wood loading can persist in logged basin with unlogged riparian buffers because of the slow decay of fallen redwoods. Through a watershed restoration program, Redwood National Park increases in-channel wood loading in low-order streams, but the effectiveness of this technique has not yet been tested by a large flood. Another unique characteristic of redwood is its ability to resprout from basal burls after cutting, so that root strength may not decline as sharply following logging as in other types of forests. An air photo inventory of landslides following a large storm in 1997 indicated: 1) that in the Redwood Creek watershed the volume of material displaced by landslides in harvested areas was not related to the time elapsed since logging, suggesting that the loss of root strength was not a decisive factor in landslide initiation, 2) landslide production on decommissioned logging roads was half that of untreated roads, and 3) landslides removed an estimated 28 Mg of organic carbon/km2 from hillslopes. The carbon budget of a redwood-dominated catchment is dominated by the vegetative component, but is also influenced by the extent of mass movement, erosion control work, and in-channel storage of wood.

40 CFR 440.143 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

40 CFR 440.143 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... an open-cut mine plant site shall not exceed the volume of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage... of infiltration, drainage and mine drainage waters which is in excess of the make up water required...

Sudden jump in VAP spurs QI to cut rate to near zero.

PubMed

2005-07-01

New device allows staff to brush ventilated patients' teeth three times a day. Just-in-time training for teams includes reorientation to cause/effect diagrams, control charts. Benchmarking data helps earn trust, business support of high-volume payer.

Timber resources of Douglas County, Oregon.

Treesearch

Colin D. MacLean

1976-01-01

This report summarizes a 1973 timber resource inventory of Douglas County, Oregon. Detailed tables of forest area, timber volume, growth, mortality, and cut are presented. A discussion of the present resource situation highlights the condition of cutover lands and the opportunities for silvicultural treatment.

Plant succession on a cut-over, burned, and grazed Douglas fir area.

Treesearch

Elbert H. Reid; Leo A. Isaac; G.D. Pickford

1938-01-01

In the Douglas-fir region of Oregon and Washington the protection and use of cut-over forest land are matters of utmost importance. In view of the large acreage of cut-over land and the additions that are being made to it each year, any use of such land that mill bring an immediate financial return, or reduce the fire hazard, without hindering the establishment of a...

Genetic consequences of selection cutting on sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall).

PubMed

Graignic, Noémie; Tremblay, Francine; Bergeron, Yves

2016-07-01

Selection cutting is a treatment that emulates tree-by-tree replacement for forests with uneven-age structures. It creates small openings in large areas and often generates a more homogenous forest structure (fewer large leaving trees and defective trees) that differs from old-growth forest. In this study, we evaluated whether this type of harvesting has an impact on genetic diversity of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall). Genetic diversity among seedlings, saplings, and mature trees was compared between selection cut and old-growth forest stands in Québec, Canada. We found higher observed heterozygosity and a lower inbreeding coefficient in mature trees than in younger regeneration cohorts of both forest types. We detected a recent bottleneck in all stands undergoing selection cutting. Other genetic indices of diversity (allelic richness, observed and expected heterozygosity, and rare alleles) were similar between forest types. We concluded that the effect of selection cutting on the genetic diversity of sugar maple was recent and no evidence of genetic erosion was detectable in Québec stands after one harvest. However, the cumulative effect of recurring applications of selection cutting in bottlenecked stands could lead to fixation of deleterious alleles, and this highlights the need for adopting better forest management practices.

Fundamentals of cutting.

PubMed

Williams, J G; Patel, Y

2016-06-06

The process of cutting is analysed in fracture mechanics terms with a view to quantifying the various parameters involved. The model used is that of orthogonal cutting with a wedge removing a layer of material or chip. The behaviour of the chip is governed by its thickness and for large radii of curvature the chip is elastic and smooth cutting occurs. For smaller thicknesses, there is a transition, first to plastic bending and then to plastic shear for small thicknesses and smooth chips are formed. The governing parameters are tool geometry, which is principally the wedge angle, and the material properties of elastic modulus, yield stress and fracture toughness. Friction can also be important. It is demonstrated that the cutting process may be quantified via these parameters, which could be useful in the study of cutting in biology.

Comparison of two cut-to-length harvesting systems operating in eastern hardwoods

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Niel K. Huyler

2001-01-01

We compared production rates, operating costs, and break-even points (BEP) for small and large cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting systems operating at several machine utilization rates (MUR) in mixed hardwood and softwood stands in Vermont.

Comparison of four methods of surface roughness assessment of corneal stromal bed after lamellar cutting

PubMed Central

Jumelle, Clotilde; Hamri, Alina; Egaud, Gregory; Mauclair, Cyril; Reynaud, Stephanie; Dumas, Virginie; Pereira, Sandrine; Garcin, Thibaud; Gain, Philippe; Thuret, Gilles

2017-01-01

Corneal lamellar cutting with a blade or femtosecond laser (FSL) is commonly used during refractive surgery and corneal grafts. Surface roughness of the cutting plane influences postoperative visual acuity but is difficult to assess reliably. For the first time, we compared chromatic confocal microscopy (CCM) with scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and focus-variation microscopy (FVM) to characterize surfaces of variable roughness after FSL cutting. The small area allowed by AFM hinders conclusive roughness analysis, especially with irregular cuts. FVM does not always differentiate between smooth and rough surfaces. Finally, CCM allows analysis of large surfaces and differentiates between surface states. PMID:29188095

Automatic liver segmentation from abdominal CT volumes using graph cuts and border marching.

PubMed

Liao, Miao; Zhao, Yu-Qian; Liu, Xi-Yao; Zeng, Ye-Zhan; Zou, Bei-Ji; Wang, Xiao-Fang; Shih, Frank Y

2017-05-01

Identifying liver regions from abdominal computed tomography (CT) volumes is an important task for computer-aided liver disease diagnosis and surgical planning. This paper presents a fully automatic method for liver segmentation from CT volumes based on graph cuts and border marching. An initial slice is segmented by density peak clustering. Based on pixel- and patch-wise features, an intensity model and a PCA-based regional appearance model are developed to enhance the contrast between liver and background. Then, these models as well as the location constraint estimated iteratively are integrated into graph cuts in order to segment the liver in each slice automatically. Finally, a vessel compensation method based on the border marching is used to increase the segmentation accuracy. Experiments are conducted on a clinical data set we created and also on the MICCAI2007 Grand Challenge liver data. The results show that the proposed intensity, appearance models, and the location constraint are significantly effective for liver recognition, and the undersegmented vessels can be compensated by the border marching based method. The segmentation performances in terms of VOE, RVD, ASD, RMSD, and MSD as well as the average running time achieved by our method on the SLIVER07 public database are 5.8 ± 3.2%, -0.1 ± 4.1%, 1.0 ± 0.5mm, 2.0 ± 1.2mm, 21.2 ± 9.3mm, and 4.7 minutes, respectively, which are superior to those of existing methods. The proposed method does not require time-consuming training process and statistical model construction, and is capable of dealing with complicated shapes and intensity variations successfully. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitigating cutting-induced plasticity in the contour method, Part 2: Numerical analysis

DOE PAGES

Muránsky, O.; Hamelin, C. J.; Hosseinzadeh, F.; ...

2016-02-10

Cutting-induced plasticity can have a significant effect on the measurement accuracy of the contour method. The present study examines the benefit of a double-embedded cutting configuration that relies on self-restraint of the specimen, relative to conventional edge-crack cutting configurations. A series of finite element analyses are used to simulate the planar sectioning performed during double-embedded and conventional edge-crack contour cutting configurations. The results of numerical analyses are first compared to measured results to validate the cutting simulations. The simulations are then used to compare the efficacy of different cutting configurations by predicting the deviation of the residual stress profile frommore » an original (pre-cutting) reference stress field, and the extent of cutting-induced plasticity. Comparisons reveal that while the double-embedded cutting configuration produces the most accurate residual stress measurements, the highest levels of plastic flow are generated in this process. As a result, this cutting-induced plastic deformation is, however, largely confined to small ligaments formed as a consequence of the sample sectioning process, and as such it does not significantly affect the back-calculated residual stress field.« less

Mitigating cutting-induced plasticity in the contour method, Part 2: Numerical analysis

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

Muránsky, O.; Hamelin, C. J.; Hosseinzadeh, F.

Cutting-induced plasticity can have a significant effect on the measurement accuracy of the contour method. The present study examines the benefit of a double-embedded cutting configuration that relies on self-restraint of the specimen, relative to conventional edge-crack cutting configurations. A series of finite element analyses are used to simulate the planar sectioning performed during double-embedded and conventional edge-crack contour cutting configurations. The results of numerical analyses are first compared to measured results to validate the cutting simulations. The simulations are then used to compare the efficacy of different cutting configurations by predicting the deviation of the residual stress profile frommore » an original (pre-cutting) reference stress field, and the extent of cutting-induced plasticity. Comparisons reveal that while the double-embedded cutting configuration produces the most accurate residual stress measurements, the highest levels of plastic flow are generated in this process. As a result, this cutting-induced plastic deformation is, however, largely confined to small ligaments formed as a consequence of the sample sectioning process, and as such it does not significantly affect the back-calculated residual stress field.« less

The effect of abrading and cutting instruments on machinability of dental ceramics.

PubMed

Sakoda, Satoshi; Nakao, Noriko; Watanabe, Ikuya

2018-03-16

The aim was to investigate the effect of machining instruments on machinability of dental ceramics. Four dental ceramics, including two zirconia ceramics were machined by three types (SiC, diamond vitrified, and diamond sintered) of wheels with a hand-piece engine and two types (diamond and carbide) of burs with a high-speed air turbine. The machining conditions used were abrading speeds of 10,000 and 15,000 r.p.m. with abrading force of 100 gf for the hand-piece engine, and a pressure of 200 kPa and a cutting force of 80 gf for the air-turbine hand-piece. The machinability efficiency was evaluated by volume losses after machining the ceramics. A high-abrading speed had high-abrading efficiency (high-volume loss) compared to low-abrading speed in all abrading instruments used. The diamond vitrified wheels demonstrated higher volume loss for two zirconia ceramics than those of SiC and diamond sintered wheels. When the high-speed air-turbine instruments were used, the diamond points showed higher volume losses compared to the carbide burs for one ceramic and two zirconia ceramics with high-mechanical properties. The results of this study indicated that the machinability of dental ceramics depends on the mechanical and physical properties of dental ceramics and machining instruments. The abrading wheels show autogenous action of abrasive grains, in which ground abrasive grains drop out from the binder during abrasion, then the binder follow to wear out, subsequently new abrasive grains come out onto the instrument surface (autogenous action) and increase the grinding amount (volume loss) of grinding materials.

Riemannian and Lorentzian flow-cut theorems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Headrick, Matthew; Hubeny, Veronika E.

2018-05-01

We prove several geometric theorems using tools from the theory of convex optimization. In the Riemannian setting, we prove the max flow-min cut (MFMC) theorem for boundary regions, applied recently to develop a ‘bit-thread’ interpretation of holographic entanglement entropies. We also prove various properties of the max flow and min cut, including respective nesting properties. In the Lorentzian setting, we prove the analogous MFMC theorem, which states that the volume of a maximal slice equals the flux of a minimal flow, where a flow is defined as a divergenceless timelike vector field with norm at least 1. This theorem includes as a special case a continuum version of Dilworth’s theorem from the theory of partially ordered sets. We include a brief review of the necessary tools from the theory of convex optimization, in particular Lagrangian duality and convex relaxation.

Experiences in implementing uHTS--cutting edge technology meets the real world.

PubMed

Gribbon, Philip; Schaertl, Sabine; Wickenden, Malcolm; Williams, Gareth; Grimley, Rachel; Stuhmeier, Frank; Preckel, Hartwig; Eggeling, Christian; Kraemer, Joachim; Everett, Jeremy; Keighley, Wilma W; Sewing, Andreas

2004-01-01

Driven by growing corporate compound files, the demands of target biology, and attempts to cut cost, the number of solutions to HTS has spiralled. In quick succession new assay technologies and screening platforms are appearing on the market, with the promise of screening faster than ever in low volume high density formats whilst providing high quality data. Within this world of rapid change, Pfizer has applied cutting edge technology to HTS by introducing screening in 1 microl formats utilising single molecule detection technology. Instead of resource intensive in-house development, Pfizer entered into a collaboration with Evotec OAI / Evotec Technologies and introduced their Mark-II EVOscreen platform. In this article we will outline the benefits of the approach taken at Pfizer, Sandwich, and introduce the Mark-II EVOscreen platform, illustrating the potential but also possible pitfalls of HTS miniaturisation.

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

Moutanabbir, O.; Scholz, R.; Goesele, U.

We present a detailed study of the thermal evolution of H ion-induced vacancy related complexes and voids in bulk GaN implanted under ion-cut conditions. By using transmission electron microscopy, we found that the damage band in as-implanted GaN is decorated with a high density of nanobubbles of approx1-2 nm in diameter. Variable energy Doppler broadening spectroscopy showed that this band contains vacancy clusters and voids. In addition to vacancy clusters, the presence of V{sub Ga}, V{sub Ga}-H{sub 2}, and V{sub Ga}V{sub N} complexes was evidenced by pulsed low-energy positron lifetime spectroscopy. Subtle changes upon annealing in these vacancy complexes weremore » also investigated. As a general trend, a growth in open-volume defects is detected in parallel to an increase in both size and density of nanobubbles. The observed vacancy complexes appear to be stable during annealing. However, for temperatures above 450 deg. C, unusually large lifetimes were measured. These lifetimes are attributed to the formation of positronium in GaN. Since the formation of positronium is not possible in a dense semiconductor, our finding demonstrates the presence of sufficiently large open-volume defects in this temperature range. Based on the Tao-Eldrup model, the average lattice opening during thermal annealing was quantified. We found that a void diameter of 0.4 nm is induced by annealing at 600 deg. C. The role of these complexes in the subsurface microcracking is discussed.« less

Status of LUMINEU program to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 100Mo with cryogenic ZnMoO4 scintillating bolometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danevich, F. A.; Bergé, L.; Boiko, R. S.; Chapellier, M.; Chernyak, D. M.; Coron, N.; Devoyon, L.; Drillien, A.-A.; Dumoulin, L.; Enss, C.; Fleischmann, A.; Gastaldo, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gray, D.; Gros, M.; Hervé, S.; Humbert, V.; Ivanov, I. M.; Juillard, A.; Kobychev, V. V.; Koskas, F.; Loidl, M.; Magnier, P.; Makarov, E. P.; Mancuso, M.; de Marcillac, P.; Marnieros, S.; Marrache-Kikuchi, C.; Navick, X.-F.; Nones, C.; Olivieri, E.; Paul, B.; Penichot, Y.; Pessina, G.; Plantevin, O.; Poda, D. V.; Redon, T.; Rodrigues, M.; Shlegel, V. N.; Strazzer, O.; Tenconi, M.; Torres, L.; Tretyak, V. I.; Vasiliev, Ya. V.; Velazquez, M.; Viraphong, O.

2015-10-01

The LUMTNEU program aims at performing a pilot experiment on 0ν2β decay of 100Mo using radiopure ZnMoO4 crystals enriched in 100Mo operated as cryogenic scintillating bolometers. Large volume ZnMoO4 crystal scintillators (˜ 0.3 kg) were developed and tested showing high performance in terms of radiopurity, energy resolution and α/β particle discrimination capability. Zinc molybdate crystal scintillators enriched in 100Mo were grown for the first time by the low-thermal-gradient Czochralski technique with a high crystal yield and an acceptable level of enriched molybdenum irrecoverable losses. A background level of ˜ 0.5 counts/(yr keV ton) in the region of interest can be reached in a large detector array thanks to the excellent detectors radiopurity and particle discrimination capability, suppression of randomly coinciding events by pulse-shape analysis, and anticoincidence cut. These results pave the way to future sensitive searches based on the LUMTNEU technology, capable of approachingand exploring the inverted hierarchy region of the neutrino mass pattern.

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

Danevich, F. A., E-mail: danevich@kinr.kiev.ua; Boiko, R. S.; Chernyak, D. M.

The LUMTNEU program aims at performing a pilot experiment on 0ν2β decay of {sup 100}Mo using radiopure ZnMoO{sub 4} crystals enriched in {sup 100}Mo operated as cryogenic scintillating bolometers. Large volume ZnMoO{sub 4} crystal scintillators (∼ 0.3 kg) were developed and tested showing high performance in terms of radiopurity, energy resolution and α/β particle discrimination capability. Zinc molybdate crystal scintillators enriched in {sup 100}Mo were grown for the first time by the low-thermal-gradient Czochralski technique with a high crystal yield and an acceptable level of enriched molybdenum irrecoverable losses. A background level of ∼ 0.5 counts/(yr keV ton) in the regionmore » of interest can be reached in a large detector array thanks to the excellent detectors radiopurity and particle discrimination capability, suppression of randomly coinciding events by pulse-shape analysis, and anticoincidence cut. These results pave the way to future sensitive searches based on the LUMTNEU technology, capable of approachingand exploring the inverted hierarchy region of the neutrino mass pattern.« less

Experimental investigation of edge hardening and edge cracking sensitivity of burr-free parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senn, Sergei; Liewald, Mathias

2018-05-01

This experimental study is focused on characterisation of edge hardening of sheet metal and remaining formability of differently prepared cutted edges. Edge cracking sensitivity of counter cutted, shear cutted, recutted and water-jet cutted components are compared and evaluated. Subsequently, edge hardening and hole expansion ratio were correlated for material HC420 LA with sheet thickness of t = 2 mm. As other studies show, the cutting edge surface quality influences the hole expansion ratio: a high clear cut surface increases formability of cutting edges, whereas micro cracks and rough surfaces result into a large fracture surface, which impact remaining formability noticeably. Thus, cutting edges with lower edge hardening behaviour in conjunction with a higher clear cut surface exhibit higher hole expansion ratios. Counter cutting and the recutting do show a similar effect on edge hardening. Using the hole expansion test, it was possible to prove that counter cutted components show a significantly lower edge cracking sensitivity in comparison to conventionally shear cutted components. The hole expansion ratio of counter cutted specimens looks balanced and is comparable to the hole expansion ratio measured from specimens with recutted or water jet cutted edges. The significant difference of the investigated cutting processes is characterized by size of clear cutting area. This area of recutted edges emerges larger than the area of counter cutted specimens, which evidently leads to an increased hole expansion ratio of recutted specimens compared to conventionally shear cutted ones. However, it is important to note that the hole expansion ratio of counter cutted and recutted specimens appear fairly balanced, but counter cutted samples indeed can be produced burr-free. Using counter cutting technology, it is possible to produce burr free surfaces with high edge formability.

An analytical approach for the Propagation Saw Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedetti, Lorenzo; Fischer, Jan-Thomas; Gaume, Johan

2016-04-01

The Propagation Saw Test (PST) [1, 2] is an experimental in-situ technique that has been introduced to assess crack propagation propensity in weak snowpack layers buried below cohesive snow slabs. This test attracted the interest of a large number of practitioners, being relatively easy to perform and providing useful insights for the evaluation of snow instability. The PST procedure requires isolating a snow column of 30 centimeters of width and -at least-1 meter in the downslope direction. Then, once the stratigraphy is known (e.g. from a manual snow profile), a saw is used to cut a weak layer which could fail, potentially leading to the release of a slab avalanche. If the length of the saw cut reaches the so-called critical crack length, the onset of crack propagation occurs. Furthermore, depending on snow properties, the crack in the weak layer can initiate the fracture and detachment of the overlying slab. Statistical studies over a large set of field data confirmed the relevance of the PST, highlighting the positive correlation between test results and the likelihood of avalanche release [3]. Recent works provided key information on the conditions for the onset of crack propagation [4] and on the evolution of slab displacement during the test [5]. In addition, experimental studies [6] and simplified models [7] focused on the qualitative description of snowpack properties leading to different failure types, namely full propagation or fracture arrest (with or without slab fracture). However, beside current numerical studies utilizing discrete elements methods [8], only little attention has been devoted to a detailed analytical description of the PST able to give a comprehensive mechanical framework of the sequence of processes involved in the test. Consequently, this work aims to give a quantitative tool for an exhaustive interpretation of the PST, stressing the attention on important parameters that influence the test outcomes. First, starting from a pure mechanical point of view, a broad phenomenology of the main failure types of the PST is outlined. Then, the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is applied to the test setup, allowing an easy description of the snowpack stress state in the quasi-static regime. We assume an elastic-perfectly brittle model as constitutive law for the snow slab. Besides, considering the weak layer as a rigid bed of crystals with an a priori inclination, a local instability problem is formulated in order to take into account the combined effect of compressive and shear loading. As a result, the onset of slab and weak layer fracture is described in terms of cut length, slab dimensions and the main mechanical parameters. A condition on the possible propagation of the crack is proposed as well. References [1] C. Sigrist and J. Schweizer, "Critical energy release rates of weak snowpack layers determined in field experiments", Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 34, L03502, 2007. [2] D. Gauthier and B. Jamieson, "Evaluation of a prototype field test for fracture and failure propagation propensity in weak snowpack layers". Cold Regions Science and Technology, Volume 51, Issue 2, Pages 87-97, 2008. [3] R. Simenhois and K.W. Birkeland. "The extended column test: Test effectiveness, spatial variability, and comparison with the propagation saw test." Cold Regions Science and Technology, Volume 59, Issue 23, Pages 210-216, 2009. [4] J. Heierli, P. Gumbsch, M. Zaiser, "Anticrack Nucleation as Triggering Mecchanism for Snow Slab Avalanches", Science, Volume 321, Pages 240-243, 2008. [5] A. van Herwijnen, J. Schweizer, J. Heierli, "Measurement of the deformation field associated with fracture propagation in weak snowpack layers", Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 115, F03042, 2010. [6] K. W. Birkeland, A. van Herwijnen, E. Knoff, M. Staples, E. Bair, R. Simenhois, "The role of slabs and weak layers in fracture arrest", Proceedings of the International Snow Science Workshop, Banff, 2014. [7] J. Schweizer, B. Reuter, A. van Herwijnen, B. Jamieson, "On how the tensile strength of the slab affects crack propagation propensity", Proceedings of the International Snow Science Workshop, Banff, 2014. [8] J. Gaume, A. van Herwijnen, G. Chambon, K. W. Birkeland, J. Schweizer. "Modeling of crack propagation in weak snowpack layers using the discrete element method", The Cryosphere, Volume 9, Pages 1915-1932, 2015.

Subsurface Exploration Methods for Soft Ground Rapid Transit Tunnels : Volume 2. Appendixes A-F.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-04-01

This study assesses subsurface exploration methods with respect to their ability to provide adequate data for the construction of rapid transit, soft-ground bored and cut-and-cover tunnels. Geophysical and other exploration tools not now widely used ...

Regenerating eastern hemlock in the Lake States

Treesearch

Richard M. Godman

1992-01-01

The eastern hemlock type is declining in area faster than any other. Growing-stock volume, for example, declined 71 percent in only 20 years in Michigan, and has declined similarly in Wisconsin. Many land management agencies have stopped cutting hemlock until satisfactory regeneration can be assured.

A finite volume Fokker-Planck collision operator in constants-of-motion coordinates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Z.; Xu, X. Q.; Cohen, B. I.; Cohen, R.; Dorr, M. R.; Hittinger, J. A.; Kerbel, G.; Nevins, W. M.; Rognlien, T.

2006-04-01

TEMPEST is a 5D gyrokinetic continuum code for edge plasmas. Constants of motion, namely, the total energy E and the magnetic moment μ, are chosen as coordinate s because of their advantage in minimizing numerical diffusion in advection operato rs. Most existing collision operators are written in other coordinates; using them by interpolating is shown to be less satisfactory in maintaining overall numerical accuracy and conservation. Here we develop a Fokker-Planck collision operator directly in (E,μ) space usin g a finite volume approach. The (E, μ) grid is Cartesian, and the turning point boundary represents a straight line cutting through the grid that separates the ph ysical and non-physical zones. The resulting cut-cells are treated by a cell-mergin g technique to ensure a complete particle conservation. A two dimensional fourth or der reconstruction scheme is devised to achieve good numerical accuracy with modest number of grid points. The new collision operator will be benchmarked by numerical examples.

Upper and lower bounds for the speed of pulled fronts with a cut-off

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benguria, R. D.; Depassier, M. C.; Loss, M.

2008-02-01

We establish rigorous upper and lower bounds for the speed of pulled fronts with a cut-off. For all reaction terms of KPP type a simple analytic upper bound is given. The lower bounds however depend on details of the reaction term. For a small cut-off parameter the two leading order terms in the asymptotic expansion of the upper and lower bounds coincide and correspond to the Brunet-Derrida formula. For large cut-off parameters the bounds do not coincide and permit a simple estimation of the speed of the front.

A novel toolpath force prediction algorithm using CAM volumetric data for optimizing robotic arthroplasty.

PubMed

Kianmajd, Babak; Carter, David; Soshi, Masakazu

2016-10-01

Robotic total hip arthroplasty is a procedure in which milling operations are performed on the femur to remove material for the insertion of a prosthetic implant. The robot performs the milling operation by following a sequential list of tool motions, also known as a toolpath, generated by a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. The purpose of this paper is to explain a new toolpath force prediction algorithm that predicts cutting forces, which results in improving the quality and safety of surgical systems. With a custom macro developed in the CAM system's native application programming interface, cutting contact patch volume was extracted from CAM simulations. A time domain cutting force model was then developed through the use of a cutting force prediction algorithm. The second portion validated the algorithm by machining a hip canal in simulated bone using a CNC machine. Average cutting forces were measured during machining using a dynamometer and compared to the values predicted from CAM simulation data using the proposed method. The results showed the predicted forces matched the measured forces in both magnitude and overall pattern shape. However, due to inconsistent motion control, the time duration of the forces was slightly distorted. Nevertheless, the algorithm effectively predicted the forces throughout an entire hip canal procedure. This method provides a fast and easy technique for predicting cutting forces during orthopedic milling by utilizing data within a CAM software.

Fully-automated segmentation of fluid regions in exudative age-related macular degeneration subjects: Kernel graph cut in neutrosophic domain

PubMed Central

Rashno, Abdolreza; Nazari, Behzad; Koozekanani, Dara D.; Drayna, Paul M.; Sadri, Saeed; Rabbani, Hossein

2017-01-01

A fully-automated method based on graph shortest path, graph cut and neutrosophic (NS) sets is presented for fluid segmentation in OCT volumes for exudative age related macular degeneration (EAMD) subjects. The proposed method includes three main steps: 1) The inner limiting membrane (ILM) and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layers are segmented using proposed methods based on graph shortest path in NS domain. A flattened RPE boundary is calculated such that all three types of fluid regions, intra-retinal, sub-retinal and sub-RPE, are located above it. 2) Seed points for fluid (object) and tissue (background) are initialized for graph cut by the proposed automated method. 3) A new cost function is proposed in kernel space, and is minimized with max-flow/min-cut algorithms, leading to a binary segmentation. Important properties of the proposed steps are proven and quantitative performance of each step is analyzed separately. The proposed method is evaluated using a publicly available dataset referred as Optima and a local dataset from the UMN clinic. For fluid segmentation in 2D individual slices, the proposed method outperforms the previously proposed methods by 18%, 21% with respect to the dice coefficient and sensitivity, respectively, on the Optima dataset, and by 16%, 11% and 12% with respect to the dice coefficient, sensitivity and precision, respectively, on the local UMN dataset. Finally, for 3D fluid volume segmentation, the proposed method achieves true positive rate (TPR) and false positive rate (FPR) of 90% and 0.74%, respectively, with a correlation of 95% between automated and expert manual segmentations using linear regression analysis. PMID:29059257

Forest structure of oak plantations after silvicultural treatment to enhance habitat for wildlife

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twedt, Daniel J.; Phillip, Cherrie-Lee P.; Guilfoyle, Michael P.; Wilson, R. Randy; Schweitzer, Callie Jo; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Oswalt, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

During the past 30 years, thousands of hectares of oak-dominated bottomland hardwood plantations have been planted on agricultural fields in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Many of these plantations now have closed canopies and sparse understories. Silvicultural treatments could create a more heterogeneous forest structure, with canopy gaps and increased understory vegetation for wildlife. Lack of volume sufficient for commercial harvest in hardwood plantations has impeded treatments, but demand for woody biomass for energy production may provide a viable means to introduce disturbance beneficial for wildlife. We assessed forest structure in response to prescribed pre-commercial perturbations in hardwood plantations resulting from silvicultural treatments: 1) row thinning by felling every fourth planted row; 2) multiple patch cuts with canopy gaps of <1 0.25 – 2 ha; and 3) tree removal on intersecting corridors diagonal to planted rows. These 3 treatments, and an untreated control, were applied to oak plantations (20 - 30 years post-planting) on three National Wildlife Refuges (Cache River, AR; Grand Cote, LA; and Yazoo, MS) during summer 2010. We sampled habitat using fixed-radius plots in 2009 (pre-treatment) and in 2012 (post-treatment) at random locations. Retained basal area was least in diagonal corridor treatments but had greater variance in patch-cut treatments. All treatments increased canopy openness and the volume of coarse woody debris. Occurrence of birds using early successional habitats was greater on sites treated with patch cuts and diagonal intersections. Canopy openings on row-thinned stands are being filled by lateral crown growth of retained trees whereas patch cut and diagonal intersection gaps appear likely to be filled by regenerating saplings.

Time-resolved study of femtosecond laser induced micro-modifications inside transparent brittle materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendricks, F.; Matylitsky, V. V.; Domke, M.; Huber, Heinz P.

2016-03-01

Laser processing of optically transparent or semi-transparent, brittle materials is finding wide use in various manufacturing sectors. For example, in consumer electronic devices such as smartphones or tablets, cover glass needs to be cut precisely in various shapes. The unique advantage of material processing with femtosecond lasers is efficient, fast and localized energy deposition in nearly all types of solid materials. When an ultra-short laser pulse is focused inside glass, only the localized region in the neighborhood of the focal volume absorbs laser energy by nonlinear optical absorption. Therefore, the processing volume is strongly defined, while the rest of the target stays unaffected. Thus ultra-short pulse lasers allow cutting of the chemically strengthened glasses such as Corning Gorilla glass without cracking. Non-ablative cutting of transparent, brittle materials, using the newly developed femtosecond process ClearShapeTM from Spectra-Physics, is based on producing a micron-sized material modification track with well-defined geometry inside. The key point for development of the process is to understand the induced modification by a single femtosecond laser shot. In this paper, pump-probe microscopy techniques have been applied to study the defect formation inside of transparent materials, namely soda-lime glass samples, on a time scale between one nanosecond to several tens of microseconds. The observed effects include acoustic wave propagation as well as mechanical stress formation in the bulk of the glass. Besides better understanding of underlying physical mechanisms, our experimental observations have enabled us to find optimal process parameters for the glass cutting application and lead to better quality and speed for the ClearShapeTM process.

Study on processing parameters of glass cutting by nanosecond 532 nm fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jin; Gao, Fan; Xiong, Baoxing; Zhang, Xiang; Yuan, Xiao

2018-03-01

The processing parameters of soda-lime glass cutting with several nanosecond 532 nm pulsed fiber laser are studied in order to obtain sufficiently large ablation rate and better processing quality. The influences of laser processing parameters on effective cutting speed and cutting quality of 1 2 mm thick soda-lime glass are studied. The experimental results show that larger laser pulse energy will lead to higher effective cutting speed and larger maximum edge collapse of the front side of the glass samples. Compared with that of 1.1 mm thick glass samples, the 2.0 mm thick glass samples is more difficult to cut. With the pulse energy of 51.2 μJ, the maximum edge collapse is more than 200 μm for the 2.0 mm thick glass samples. In order to achieve the high effective cutting speed and good cutting quality at the same time, the dual energy overlapping method is used to obtain the better cutting performance for the 2.0 mm thick glass samples, and the cutting speed of 194 mm/s and the maximum edge collapse of less than 132 μm are realized.

Cut-cell method based large-eddy simulation of tip-leakage flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogorelov, Alexej; Meinke, Matthias; Schröder, Wolfgang

2015-07-01

The turbulent low Mach number flow through an axial fan at a Reynolds number of 9.36 × 105 based on the outer casing diameter is investigated by large-eddy simulation. A finite-volume flow solver in an unstructured hierarchical Cartesian setup for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations is used. To account for sharp edges, a fully conservative cut-cell approach is applied. A newly developed rotational periodic boundary condition for Cartesian meshes is introduced such that the simulations are performed just for a 72° segment, i.e., the flow field over one out of five axial blades is resolved. The focus of this numerical analysis is on the development of the vortical flow structures in the tip-gap region. A detailed grid convergence study is performed on four computational grids with 50 × 106, 250 × 106, 1 × 109, and 1.6 × 109 cells. Results of the instantaneous and the mean fan flow field are thoroughly analyzed based on the solution with 1 × 109 cells. High levels of turbulent kinetic energy and pressure fluctuations are generated by a tip-gap vortex upstream of the blade, the separating vortices inside the tip gap, and a counter-rotating vortex on the outer casing wall. An intermittent interaction of the turbulent wake, generated by the tip-gap vortex, with the downstream blade, leads to a cyclic transition with high pressure fluctuations on the suction side of the blade and a decay of the tip-gap vortex. The disturbance of the tip-gap vortex results in an unsteady behavior of the turbulent wake causing the intermittent interaction. For this interaction and the cyclic transition, two dominant frequencies are identified which perfectly match with the characteristic frequencies in the experimental sound power level and therefore explain their physical origin.

Efficient Segmentation of a Breast in B-Mode Ultrasound Tomography Using Three-Dimensional GrabCut (GC3D)

PubMed Central

Wu, Shibin; Zhuang, Ling; Wei, Xinhua; Sak, Mark; Neb, Duric; Hu, Jiani; Xie, Yaoqin

2017-01-01

As an emerging modality for whole breast imaging, ultrasound tomography (UST), has been adopted for diagnostic purposes. Efficient segmentation of an entire breast in UST images plays an important role in quantitative tissue analysis and cancer diagnosis, while major existing methods suffer from considerable time consumption and intensive user interaction. This paper explores three-dimensional GrabCut (GC3D) for breast isolation in thirty reflection (B-mode) UST volumetric images. The algorithm can be conveniently initialized by localizing points to form a polygon, which covers the potential breast region. Moreover, two other variations of GrabCut and an active contour method were compared. Algorithm performance was evaluated from volume overlap ratios (TO, target overlap; MO, mean overlap; FP, false positive; FN, false negative) and time consumption. Experimental results indicate that GC3D considerably reduced the work load and achieved good performance (TO = 0.84; MO = 0.91; FP = 0.006; FN = 0.16) within an average of 1.2 min per volume. Furthermore, GC3D is not only user friendly, but also robust to various inputs, suggesting its great potential to facilitate clinical applications during whole-breast UST imaging. In the near future, the implemented GC3D can be easily automated to tackle B-mode UST volumetric images acquired from the updated imaging system. PMID:28786946

Vocabulary Acquisition: Implications for Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Richard K., Ed.; Muse, Andrea E., Ed.; Tannenbaum, Kendra R., Ed.

2006-01-01

Understanding a text requires more than the ability to read individual words: it depends greatly on vocabulary knowledge. This important book brings together leading literacy scholars to synthesize cutting-edge research on vocabulary development and its connections to reading comprehension. The volume also reviews an array of approaches to…

Ten-year growth of planted slash pine after thinnings

Treesearch

Hans G. Enghardt; W.F. Mann

1972-01-01

volume growth of slash pine between ages 17 and 27 years was directly related to residual basal area per acre after thinning. Diameter growth was inversely related to stand density, and very heavy cutting was required to attain a rate of 3 inches in 10 years.

Multicenter prospective study of magnetic resonance imaging prior to breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer.

PubMed

Liu, Qian; Liu, Yinhua; Xu, Ling; Duan, Xuening; Li, Ting; Qin, Naishan; Kang, Hua; Jiang, Hongchuan; Yang, Deqi; Qu, Xiang; Jiang, Zefei; Yu, Chengze

2014-01-01

This multicenter prospective study aimed to assess the utility of dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer. The research subjects were drawn from patients with primary early resectable breast cancer treated in the breast disease centers of six three-level hospitals in Beijing from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012. The participants were allocated to a breast-conserving surgery group (breast-conserving group) or a total mastectomy group (total mastectomy group). Enhanced MRI was used to measure breast volume, longest diameter of tumor and tumor volume. The correlations between these measurements and those derived from histopathologic findings were assessed. The relationships between the success rate of breast-conserving surgery and MRI- and pathology-based measurement results were statistically analyzed in the breast-conserving group. The study included 461 cases in the total mastectomy group and 195 in the breast-conserving group. Allocation to these groups was based on clinical indications and patient preferences. The cut-off for concurrence between MRI- and pathology-based measurements of the longest diameter of tumor was set at 0.3 cm. In the total mastectomy group, the confidence interval for 95% concurrence of these measurements was 35.41%-44.63%. Correlation coefficients for MRI and histopathology-based measurements of breast volume, tumor volume and tumor volume/breast volume ratio were r = 0.861, 0.569, and 0.600, respectively (all P < 0.001). In the breast-conserving group, with 0.30 cm taken as the cut-off for concurrence, the 95% confidence interval for MRI and pathology-based measurements of the longest diameter of tumor was 29.98%-44.01%. The subjective and objective success rates for breast-conserving surgery were 100% and 88.54%, respectively. There were significant correlations between dynamic enhanced MRI- and histopathology-based measurements of the longest diameter of breast lesions, breast and tumor volumes, and breast volume/tumor volume ratios. Preoperative MRI examination improves the success rate of breast-conserving surgery.

Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content on Diagnosis for Iron Deficiency Anemia in Chinese Adults.

PubMed

Cai, Jie; Wu, Meng; Ren, Jie; Du, Yali; Long, Zhangbiao; Li, Guoxun; Han, Bing; Yang, Lichen

2017-05-02

Our aim was to evaluate the cut-off value and efficiency of using reticulocyte hemoglobin content as a marker to diagnose iron deficiency anemia in Chinese adults. 140 adults who needed bone marrow aspiration for diagnosis at the hematology department of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria. Venous blood samples were collected to detect complete blood count, including hemoglobin, reticulocyte hemoglobin content, hematocrit, mean cellular volume, corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin content, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin; iron indexes of serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptor, and unsaturated iron-binding capacity; and inflammation markers of C-reactive protein and α-acid glycoprotein. Bone marrow samples were obtained for the bone marrow iron staining, which was used as the standard for the evaluation of iron status in this study. Subjects were divided into three groups according to hemoglobin levels and bone marrow iron staining results: the IDA (iron deficiency anemia) group, the NIDA (non-iron deficiency anemia) group, and the control group. The differences of the above-mentioned indexes were compared among the three groups and the effect of inflammation was also considered. The cut-off value of reticulocyte hemoglobin content was determined by receiver operation curves. The IDA group ( n = 56) had significantly lower reticulocyte hemoglobin content, mean cellular volume, corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin content, and serum ferritin; and higher free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, and serum transferrin receptor ( p < 0.05) compared with the NIDA group ( n = 38) and control group ( n = 46). Hematocrit, serum ferritin, and unsaturated iron-binding capacity were significantly affected by inflammation while reticulocyte hemoglobin content and other parameters were not. The cut-off value of reticulocyte hemoglobin content for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia was 27.2 pg, with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 92.9%. The cut-off values for mean cellular volume, serum ferritin, and serum transferrin receptor were 76.6, 12.9, and 4.89 mg/L, respectively. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content had the largest area under the curve of 0.929, while those for mean cellular volume, serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptor were 0.922, 0.887, and 0.900, respectively. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia, and its comprehensive diagnostic efficacy is better than other traditional indicators-such as serum ferritin and serum transferrin receptor.

Post-dural puncture headache

PubMed Central

Ghaleb, Ahmed; Khorasani, Arjang; Mangar, Devanand

2012-01-01

Since August Bier reported the first case in 1898, post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) has been a problem for patients following dural puncture. Clinical and laboratory research over the last 30 years has shown that use of smaller-gauge needles, particularly of the pencil-point design, are associated with a lower risk of PDPH than traditional cutting point needle tips (Quincke-point needle). A careful history can rule out other causes of headache. A postural component of headache is the sine qua non of PDPH. In high-risk patients < 50 years, post-partum, in the event a large-gauge needle puncture is initiated, an epidural blood patch should be performed within 24–48 hours of dural puncture. The optimum volume of blood has been shown to be 12–20 mL for adult patients. Complications caused by autologous epidural blood patching (AEBP) are rare. PMID:22287846

Postdural Puncture Headache

PubMed Central

Ghaleb, Ahmed

2010-01-01

Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) has been a problem for patients, following dural puncture, since August Bier reported the first case in 1898. His paper discussed the pathophysiology of low-pressure headache resulting from leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the subarachnoid to the epidural space. Clinical and laboratory research over the last 30 years has shown that use of small-gauge needles, particularly of the pencil-point design, is associated with a lower risk of PDPH than traditional cutting point needle tips (Quincke-point needle). A careful history can rule out other causes of headache. A postural component of headache is the sine qua non of PDPH. In high-risk patients , for example, age < 50 years, postpartum, large-gauge needle puncture, epidural blood patch should be performed within 24–48 h of dural puncture. The optimum volume of blood has been shown to be 12–20 mL for adult patients. Complications of AEBP are rare. PMID:20814596

Compensation in the presence of deep turbulence using tiled-aperture architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spencer, Mark F.; Brennan, Terry J.

2017-05-01

The presence of distributed-volume atmospheric aberrations or "deep turbulence" presents unique challenges for beam-control applications which look to sense and correct for disturbances found along the laser-propagation path. This paper explores the potential for branch-point-tolerant reconstruction algorithms and tiled-aperture architectures to correct for the branch cuts contained in the phase function due to deep-turbulence conditions. Using wave-optics simulations, the analysis aims to parameterize the fitting-error performance of tiled-aperture architectures operating in a null-seeking control loop with piston, tip, and tilt compensation of the individual optical beamlet trains. To evaluate fitting-error performance, the analysis plots normalized power in the bucket as a function of the Fried coherence diameter, the log-amplitude variance, and the number of subapertures for comparison purposes. Initial results show that tiled-aperture architectures with a large number of subapertures outperform filled-aperture architectures with continuous-face-sheet deformable mirrors.

Multiphase flowmeter successfully measures three-phase flow at extremely high gas-volume fractions -- Gulf of Suez, Egypt

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

Leggett, R.B.; Borling, D.C.; Powers, B.S.

1998-02-01

A multiphase flowmeter (MPFM) installed in offshore Egypt has accurately measured three-phase flow in extremely gassy flow conditions. The meter is completely nonintrusive, with no moving parts, requires no flow mixing before measurement, and has no bypass loop to remove gas before multiphase measurement. Flow regimes observed during the field test of this meter ranged from severe slugging to annular flow caused by the dynamics of gas-lift gas in the production stream. Average gas-volume fraction ranged from 93 to 98% during tests conducted on seven wells. The meter was installed in the Gulf of Suez on a well protector platformmore » in the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co. (Gupco) October field, and was placed in series with a test separator located on a nearby production platform. Wells were individually tested with flow conditions ranging from 1,300 to 4,700 B/D fluid, 2.4 to 3.9 MMscf/D of gas, and water cuts from 1 to 52%. The meter is capable of measuring water cuts up to 100%. Production was routed through both the MPFM and the test separator simultaneously as wells flowed with the assistance of gas-lift gas. The MPFM measured gas and liquid rates to within {+-} 10% of test-separator reference measurement flow rates, and accomplished this at gas-volume fractions from 93 to 96%. At higher gas-volume fractions up to 98%, accuracy deteriorated but the meter continued to provide repeatable results.« less

Coding Instead of Splitting - Algebraic Combinations in Time and Space

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-09

sources message. For certain classes of two-unicast-Z networks, we show that the rate-tuple ( N ,1) is achievable as long as the individual source...destination cuts for the two source-destination pairs are respectively at least as large as N and 1, and the generalized network sharing cut - a bound...previously defined by Kamath et. al. - is at least as large as N + 1. We show this through a novel achievable scheme which is based on random linear coding at

Diamond fly cutting of aluminum thermal infrared flat mirrors for the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groppi, Christopher E.; Underhill, Matthew; Farkas, Zoltan; Pelham, Daniel

2016-07-01

We present the fabrication and measurement of monolithic aluminum flat mirrors designed to operate in the thermal infrared for the OSIRIS-Rex Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) space instrument. The mirrors were cut using a conventional fly cutter with a large radius diamond cutting tool on a high precision Kern Evo 3-axis CNC milling machine. The mirrors were measured to have less than 150 angstroms RMS surface error.

Viscosity Prediction for Petroleum Fluids Using Free Volume Theory and PC-SAFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoshnamvand, Younes; Assareh, Mehdi

2018-04-01

In this study, free volume theory ( FVT) in combination with perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory is implemented for viscosity prediction of petroleum reservoir fluids containing ill-defined components such as cuts and plus fractions. FVT has three adjustable parameters for each component to calculate viscosity. These three parameters for petroleum cuts (especially plus fractions) are not available. In this work, these parameters are determined for different petroleum fractions. A model as a function of molecular weight and specific gravity is developed using 22 real reservoir fluid samples with API grades in the range of 22 to 45. Afterward, the proposed model accuracy in comparison with the accuracy of De la Porte et al. with reference to experimental data is presented. The presented model is used for six real samples in an evaluation step, and the results are compared with available experimental data and the method of De la Porte et al. Finally, the method of Lohrenz et al. and the method of Pedersen et al. as two common industrial methods for viscosity calculation are compared with the proposed approach. The absolute average deviation was 9.7 % for free volume theory method, 15.4 % for Lohrenz et al., and 22.16 for Pedersen et al.

CHARACTERIZATION OF AORTIC TISSUE CUTTING PROCESS: EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION USING PORCINE ASCENDING AORTA

PubMed Central

Hu, Zhongwei; Sun, Wei; Zhang, Bi

2012-01-01

Understanding biomechanical responses during soft tissue cutting is important for developing surgical simulators and robot-assisted surgery with haptic feedback. The biomechanics involved in the aortic tissue cutting process is largely unknown. In this study, porcine ascending aorta was selected as a representative aortic tissue, and tissue cutting experiments were performed using a novel tissue cutting apparatus. The tissue cutting responses under various cutting conditions were investigated, including differing initial tissue lateral holding force and distance, cutting speed, cutter inclination angle, tissue anatomical orientation and thickness. The results from this study suggest that a “break-in” cutting force of about 4 – 12 N, a cutter “break-in” distance of 5 – 15 mm, and a continuous cutting force of 2 – 4 N were needed to cut through the porcine ascending aorta tissue. For all testing conditions investigated in this study, the cutting force vs. the cutter displacement curves exhibited similar characteristics. More importantly, this study demonstrated that tissue cutting involving one or more of the following conditions: a larger lateral holding force, a smaller lateral hold distance, a higher cutting speed or a larger inclination angle, could result in a smaller “break in” cutting force and a smaller “break-in” distance. In addition, it was found that the cutting force in the vessel longitudinal direction was larger than that in the circumferential direction. There was a strong correlation between the tissue thickness and the cutting force. The experimental results reported in this study could provide a basis for understanding the characteristic response of aortic tissue to scalpel cutting, and offer insight into the development of surgical simulators. PMID:23262306

Regulation and specificity of antifungal metapleural gland secretion in leaf-cutting ants

PubMed Central

Yek, Sze Huei; Nash, David R.; Jensen, Annette B.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

2012-01-01

Ants have paired metapleural glands (MGs) to produce secretions for prophylactic hygiene. These exocrine glands are particularly well developed in leaf-cutting ants, but whether the ants can actively regulate MG secretion is unknown. In a set of controlled experiments using conidia of five fungi, we show that the ants adjust the amount of MG secretion to the virulence of the fungus with which they are infected. We further applied fixed volumes of MG secretion of ants challenged with constant conidia doses to agar mats of the same fungal species. This showed that inhibition halos were significantly larger for ants challenged with virulent and mild pathogens/weeds than for controls and Escovopsis-challenged ants. We conclude that the MG defence system of leaf-cutting ants has characteristics reminiscent of an additional cuticular immune system, with specific and non-specific components, of which some are constitutive and others induced. PMID:22915672

Microseismic Monitoring of the Mounds Drill Cuttings Injection Tests

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

Branagan, P.T.; Mahrer, K.D.; Moschovidis, Z.A.

This paper describes the microseismic mapping of repeated injections of drill cuttings into two separate formations at a test site near Mounds, OK. Injections were performed in sandstone and shale formations at depths of 830 and 595 m, respectively. Typical injection disposal was simulated using multiple small-volume injections over a three-day period, with long shut-in periods interspersed between the injections. Microseismic monitoring was achieved using a 5-level array of wireline-run, triaxial- accelerometer receivers in a monitor well 76 m from the disposed well. Results of the mapped microseismic locations showed that the disposal domti W= generally aligns with the majormore » horizontal stress with some variations in azimuth and that wide variations in height and length growth occurred with continued injections. These experiments show that the cuttings injection process cm be adequately monitored from a downhole, wireline-run receiver array, thus providing process control and environmental assurance.« less

Triphasic Tooling with Small Oriented Diamond Tip for Turning and Smoothing Lightweight Mirrors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voronov, O. A.; Tompa, G. S.; Kear, B. H.; Veress, V.

2004-01-01

We are developing a new method for the growth of small diamond crystals at very high temperatures and pressures directly from a carbon melt. A prototype "Supercell" has been developed for this purpose. This system is capable of high rate crystal growth in relatively large working volumes. The resulting high quality diamond crystals will be incorporated into a triphasic diamond/titanium carbide/titanium composite tool, with an oriented diamond crystal at its tip. High pressure is needed to prevent degradation of diamond at high temperature, and to ensure the formation of a crack & composite structure. After grinding and polishing, the composite material will be joined to a steel holder, thus forming a diamond-tipped tool for turning and smoothing of a mirror surface. A properly oriented single-crystal diamond cuts and smoothes much better than a conventional polycrystalline diamond crystal. This is because the hardness depends on crystallographic orientation-the difference corresponds to 60-100 GPa on the Knoop scale. Our goal is to achieve surface roughness of about 1 nm, which will be accomplished by precision cutting and smoothing. The hardness of the functionally-graded diamond/titanium carbide/titanium composite tool varies from 100 GPa at its tip to 15 GPa at its base. Previous work has shown that the mass of machined material using an oriented-diamond tool is much larger than that for a standard diamond-metal composite tool.

Investigating Created Properties of Nanoparticles Based Drilling Mud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasemi, Nahid; Mirzaee, Mojtaba; Aghayari, Reza; Maddah, Heydar

2018-05-01

The success of drilling operations is heavily dependent on the drilling fluid. Drilling fluids cool down and lubricate the drill bit, remove cuttings, prevent formation damage, suspend cuttings and also cake off the permeable formation, thus retarding the passage of fluid into the formation. Typical micro or macro sized loss circulation materials (LCM) show limited success, especially in formations dominated by micropores, due to their relatively large sizes. Due to unique characteristics of nanoparticles such as their size and high surface area to volume ratio, they play an effective role in solving problems associated with the drilling fluid. In this study, we investigate the effect of adding Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles into the drilling mud. Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles were used in 20 and 60 nm of size and 0.05 wt% in concentration. Investigating the effects of temperature and pressure has shown that an increase in temperature can reduce the drilling mud rheological properties such as plastic viscosity, while an increase in pressure can enhance these properties. Also, the effects of pressure in high temperatures were less than those in low temperatures. Studying the effects of adding nanoparticles has shown that they can reduce the drilling mud rheological properties. Moreover, they can increase gel strength, reduce capillary suction time and decrease formation damage.

Annular array and method of manufacturing same

DOEpatents

Day, Robert A.

1989-01-01

A method for manufacturing an annular acoustic transducer array from a plate of transducer material, which enables production of precision aligned arrays at low cost. The circular plate is sawed along at least two lines that are radial to the axis of the plate. At steps along each radial cut, the plate is rotated first in one direction and then in an opposite direction by a predetermined angle such as slightly less than 90.degree.. The cuts result in the forming of several largely ring-shaped lands, each largely ring-shaped land being joined to the other rings of different radii by thin portions of the plate, and each ring being cut into segments. The bridges that join different rings, hold the transducer together until it can be mounted on a lens.

Means of manufacturing annular arrays

DOEpatents

Day, R.A.

1985-10-10

A method is described for manufacturing an annular acoustic transducer array from a plate of transducer material, which enables production of precision aligned arrays at low cost. The circular plate is sawed along at least two lines that are radial to the axis of the plate. At steps along each radial cut, the plate is rotated first in one direction and then in an opposite direction by a predetermined angle such as slightly less than 90/sup 0/. The cuts result in the forming of several largely ring-shaped lands, each largely ring-shaped land being joined to the other rings of different radii by thin portions of the plate, and each ring being cut into segments. The bridges that join different rings hold the transducer together until it can be mounted on a lens.

Study of the influence of the cutting temperature on the magnitude of the contact forces in the machining fixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cioată, V. G.; Kiss, I.; Alexa, V.; Raţiu, S. A.; Racov, M.

2018-01-01

In the machining process, the workpieces are installed in machining fixtures in order to establish a strictly determined position with the cutting tool or its trajectory. During the cutting process, the weight of the workpiece, the forces and moments of inertia, cutting forces and moments, clamping forces, the heat released during the cutting process determine the contact forces between the locators and the workpiece. The magnitude of these forces is important because too large value can destroy the surface of the workpiece, and a too small value can cause the workpiece to slip on the locators or even the loss of the contact with the workpiece. Both situations must be avoided. The paper presents a study, realized with CAE software, regarding the influence of the cutting temperature on the magnitude of the contact forces in a machining fixture for the milling a rectangular workpiece.

Forest cutting and impacts on carbon in the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, Decheng; Liu, Shuguang; Oeding, Jennifer; Zhao, Shuqing

2013-01-01

Forest cutting is a major anthropogenic disturbance that affects forest carbon (C) storage and fluxes. Yet its characteristics and impacts on C cycling are poorly understood over large areas. Using recent annualized forest inventory data, we estimated cutting-related loss of live biomass in the eastern United States was 168 Tg C yr−1 from 2002 to 2010 (with C loss per unit forest area of 1.07 Mg ha−1 yr−1), which is equivalent to 70% of the total U.S. forest C sink or 11% of the national annual CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion over the same period. We further revealed that specific cutting-related C loss varied with cutting intensities, forest types, stand ages, and geographic locations. Our results provide new insights to the characteristics of forest harvesting activities in the eastern United States and highlight the significance of partial cutting to regional and national carbon budgets.

25 CFR 163.23 - Advance payment for timber products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... otherwise authorized by the Secretary, and except in the case of lump sum (predetermined volume) sales, contracts for the sale of timber from allotted, trust or restricted Indian forest land shall provide for an... advance deposits and advance payments previously applied against timber cut from each ownership in a sale...

Energy Information Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaddy, Carol T., Ed.; Wells, Kathy, Ed.

This document was published with the small energy user in mind--the student writing a term paper, the homemaker seeking tips on cutting utility bills, the elderly, farmers, small business owners, factory managers, and Arkansans in all walks of life. Although the volume contains a significant selection of books, magazines, films, and organizations…

Assessment for Intervention: A Problem-Solving Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown-Chidsey, Rachel, Ed.

2005-01-01

This cutting-edge volume offers a complete primer on conducting problem-solving based assessments in school or clinical settings. Presented are an effective framework and up-to-date tools for identifying and remediating the many environmental factors that may contribute to a student's academic, emotional, or behavioral difficulties, and for…

Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Alan

1993-01-01

"Edinburgh Working Papers" is intended to show a yearly cross-section of current work in Edinburgh's Department of Applied Linguistics and to elicit reactions and criticism. Articles in this volume include the following: "MSC Common Room Conversations: Topics and Terms" (Joan Cutting); "Speculation and Empiricism in Applied Linguistics" (Alan…

Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics. Number 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Alan, Ed.; Parkinson, Brian, Ed.

1994-01-01

The eight papers in this volume, prepared by staff and students of the Institute for Applied Language Studies of Edinburgh University, address a variety of issues in applied linguistics. The papers include: (1) "A Coding System for Analyzing a Spoken Database" (Joan Cutting); (2) "L2 Perceptual Acquisition: The Effect of…

General Mechanical Repair. Welding. Volume 2. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

East Texas State Univ., Commerce. Occupational Curriculum Lab.

Five units on welding are presented in this teacher's guide. The units are the following: introduction to oxyacetylene welding, oxyacetylene welding positions and applications, use of the cutting torch, introduction to shielded metal arc welding, and welding joints and positions. Each instructional unit generally contains eight components:…

Special Education for a New Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katzman, Lauren I., Ed.; Gandhi, Allison Gruner, Ed.; Harbour, Wendy S., Ed.; LaRock, J. D., Ed.

2005-01-01

"Special Education for a New Century" pays particularly close attention to how inclusive education practices can best be promoted in the era of standards-based accountability. An updated version of the best-selling "Special Education at the Century's End", this new volume combines cutting-edge research and theory about students…

Putting Writing Research into Practice: Applications for Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troia, Gary A., Ed.; Shankland, Rebecca K., Ed.; Heintz, Anne, Ed.

2010-01-01

What are the most effective methods for teaching writing across grade levels and student populations? What kind of training do teachers need to put research-validated methods into practice? This unique volume combines the latest writing research with clear-cut recommendations for designing high-quality professional development efforts. Prominent…

The New Literacies: Multiple Perspectives on Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Elizabeth A., Ed.

2010-01-01

With contributions from leading scholars, this compelling volume offers fresh insights into literacy teaching and learning--and the changing nature of literacy itself--in today's K-12 classrooms. The focus is on varied technologies and literacies such as social networking sites, text messaging, and online communities. Cutting-edge approaches to…

Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Subject Matters Volume 2, No. 2, Nov/Dec 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers, 2000

2000-01-01

Includes "Addressing the Critical Shortage of FACS [Family and Consumer Sciences] Educators"; "Leaving Home Economics in the Past" (Ruth E. Thaler-Carter); "Cutting-Edge Training and Career Relevance" (Ruth E. Thaler-Carter); and "Meeting the Demands of a Growth Industry" (Laird Livingston). (JOW)

Computer program for updating timber resource statistics by county, with tables for Mississippi

Treesearch

Roy C. Beltz; Joe F. Christopher

1970-01-01

A computer program is available for updating Forest Survey estimates of timber growth, cut, and inventory volume by species group, for sawtimber and growing stock. Changes in rate of product removal are estimated from changes in State severance tax data. Updated tables are given for Mississippi.

Meeting the Challenge of Adolescent Literacy: Research We Have, Research We Need

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conley, Mark W., Ed.; Freidhoff, Joseph R., Ed.; Sherry, Michael B., Ed.; Tuckey, Steven Forbes, Ed.

2008-01-01

In this concise, thought-provoking book, prominent researchers analyze existing knowledge on adolescent literacy, examine the implications for classroom instruction, and offer specific goals for future research. The volume reviews cutting-edge approaches to understanding the unique features of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Particular…

Frontiers in Sociology of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinan, Maureen T., Ed.

2011-01-01

Scholarly analysis in the sociology of education has burgeoned in recent decades. "Frontiers in Sociology of Education" aims to provide a roadmap for sociologists and other social scientists as they set bold new directions for future research on schools. In Part 1 of this forward-looking volume, the authors present cutting-edge research…

Natural Fiber Cut Machine Semi-Automatic Linear Motion System for Empty Fiber Bunches: Re-designing for Local Use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asfarizal; Kasim, Anwar; Gunawarman; Santosa

2017-12-01

Empty Palm bunches of fiber is local ingredient in Indonesia that easy to obtain. Empty Palm bunches of fiber can be obtained from the palm oil industry such as in West Pasaman. The character of the empty Palm bunches of fiber that is strong and pliable has high-potential for particle board. To transform the large quantities of fiber become particles in size 0-10 mm requires a specially designed cut machine. Therefore, the machine is designed in two-stage system that is mechanical system, structure and cutting knife. Components that have been made, assembled and then tested to reveal the ability of the machine to cut. The results showed that the straight back and forth motion cut machine is able to cut out the empty oil palm bunches of fiber with a length 0-1 cm, 2 cm, 8 cm and the surface of the cut is not stringy. The cutting capacity is at a length of 2 cm in the result 24.4 (kg/h) and 8 cm obtained results of up to 84 (kg/h)

Removal of methadone by extended dialysis using a high cut-off dialyzer: implications for the treatment of overdose and for pain management in patients undergoing light chain removal.

PubMed

Arelin, Viktor; Schmidt, Julius J; Kayser, Nathalie; Kühn-Velten, W Nikolaus; Suhling, Hendrik; Eden, Gabriele; Kielstein, Jan T

2016-06-01

The synthetic opioid methadone hydrochloride has a low molecular weight of 346 D, a high volume of distribution (4 - 7 L/kg), and is lipophilic. It is used as an analgesic and for the maintenance treatment of opiate dependence. In drug addicts, methadone is frequently involved in mixed intoxications that can lead to death. Here we present the case of a drug addict in whom a high cut-off dialysis membrane together with extended dialysis was used in the setting of suspected overdose and acute kidney injury. Although the observed dialyzer plasma clearance (31.5 mL/min) and reduction ratio (38%) were higher than previously reported for standard hemodialysis, the total amount of methadone in the spent dialysate after 1 extended dialysis session was quite low. Hence, even extended dialysis with a high cut-off membrane does not seem to offer a clinically relevant benefit in the setting of overdose for enhanced methadone removal. On the other hand, in patients undergoing high cut-off dialysis for the removal of light chains, methadone could still be used as an analgesic without an additional dose after high cut-off hemodialysis.

Finesse of transparent tissue cutting by ultrafast lasers at various wavelengths.

PubMed

Wang, Jenny; Schuele, Georg; Palanker, Daniel

2015-01-01

Transparent ocular tissues, such as the cornea and crystalline lens, can be ablated or dissected using short-pulse lasers. In refractive and cataract surgeries, the cornea, lens, and lens capsule can be cut by producing dielectric breakdown in the focus of a near-infrared (IR) femtosecond laser, which results in explosive vaporization of the interstitial water, causing mechanical rupture of the surrounding tissue. Here, we compare the texture of edges of lens capsule cut by femtosecond lasers with IR and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and explore differences in interactions of these lasers with biological molecules. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that a 400-nm laser is capable of producing very smooth cut edges compared to 800 or 1030 nm at a similar focusing angle. Using gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we observe laser-induced nonlinear breakdown of proteins and polypeptides by 400-nm femtosecond pulses above and below the dielectric breakdown threshold. On the other hand, 800-nm femtosecond lasers do not produce significant dissociation even above the threshold of dielectric breakdown. However, despite this additional interaction of UV femtosecond laser with proteins, we determine that efficient cutting requires plasma-mediated bubble formation and that remarkably smooth edges are the result of reduced thresholds and smaller focal volume.

Geomorphological relationships through the use of 2-D seismic reflection data, Lidar, and aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alesce, Meghan Elizabeth

Barrier Islands are crucial in protecting coastal environments. This study focuses on Dauphin Island, Alabama, located within the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Barrier Island complex. It is one of many islands serving as natural protection for NGOM ecosystems and coastal cities. The NGOM barrier islands formed at 4 kya in response to a decrease in rate of sea level rise. The morphology of these islands changes with hurricanes, anthropogenic activity, and tidal and wave action. This study focuses on ancient incised valleys and and the impact on island morphology on hurricane breaches. Using high frequency 2-D seismic reflection data four horizons, including the present seafloor, were interpreted. Subaerial portions of Dauphin Island were imaged using Lidar data and aerial imagery over a ten-year time span, as well as historical maps. Historical shorelines of Dauphin Island were extracted from aerial imagery and historical maps, and were compared to the location of incised valleys seen within the 2-D seismic reflection data. Erosion and deposition volumes of Dauphin Island from 1998 to 2010 (the time span covering hurricanes Ivan and Katrina) in the vicinity of Katrina Cut and Pelican Island were quantified using Lidar data. For the time period prior to Hurricane Ivan an erosional volume of 46,382,552 m3 and depositional volume of 16,113.6 m3 were quantified from Lidar data. The effects of Hurricane Ivan produced a total erosion volume of 4,076,041.5 m3. The erosional and depositional volumes of Katrina Cut being were 7,562,068.5 m3 and 510,936.7 m3, respectively. More volume change was found within Pelican Pass. For the period between hurricanes Ivan and Katrina the erosion volume was 595,713.8 m3. This was mostly located within Katrina Cut. Total deposition for the same period, including in Pelican Pass, was 15,353,961 m3. Hurricane breaches were compared to ancient incised valleys seen within the 2-D seismic reflection results. Breaches from hurricanes from 1849, 1916, and 2005 all correlated with incised valley. Interpretations from horizons A and P correlated well with the 1849 shoreline, while Horizon B correlated best with the 1916 and 2005 hurricane breaches. The correlation of incised valleys and breaches provides a probable causation of breach locations. With further investigations, determination of the impacts of these relict valleys can be validated and established. Preferential subsidence within the relict incised valleys would account for the lower elevations on the island surface. Very fine to fine grained sediment deposits from the Mobile Bay would contribute to preferential subsidence. The lower elevations are more likely to erode from overwash and surges during strong storm systems.

IS IT TIME TO RETHINK CORD MANAGEMENT WHEN RESUSCITATION IS NEEDED?

PubMed Central

Mercer, Judith S.; Erickson-Owens, Debra A.

2015-01-01

An infant who receives a placental transfusion at birth, either from cord milking or delayed cord clamping, obtains about 30% more blood volume than the infant whose cord is cut immediately. Receiving an adequate blood volume from placental transfusion at birth may be protective for the distressed neonate as it prevents hypovolemia and can support optimal perfusion to all organs. New research shows that ventilating before clamping the umbilical cord can reduce large swings in cardiovascular function and help to stabilize the infant. Hypovolemia, often associated with nuchal cord or shoulder dystocia, may lead to an inflammatory cascade and subsequent ischemic injury. A sudden unexpected neonatal asystole at birth may occur from severe hypovolemia. The restoration of blood volume is an important action to protect the hearts and brains of these neonates. Current protocols for resuscitation imply immediate cord clamping and the care of the infant away from the mother's bedside. We suggest that an obstetrical provider can achieve placental transfusion for the distressed neonate by milking the cord several times or resuscitating the infant at the perineum with an intact cord. Milking the cord can be done quickly within the current Neonatal Resuscitation Program guidelines. Cord blood gases can be collected with delayed cord clamping. “Bringing the resuscitation” to the mother's bedside is a novel concept and supports an intact cord. Adopting a policy for resuscitation with an intact cord in a hospital setting will take concentrated effort and team work by obstetrics, pediatrics, midwifery, and nursing. PMID:25297530

Cooperative hunting and meat sharing 400–200 kya at Qesem Cave, Israel

PubMed Central

Stiner, Mary C.; Barkai, Ran; Gopher, Avi

2009-01-01

Zooarchaeological research at Qesem Cave, Israel demonstrates that large-game hunting was a regular practice by the late Lower Paleolithic period. The 400- to 200,000-year-old fallow deer assemblages from this cave provide early examples of prime-age-focused ungulate hunting, a human predator–prey relationship that has persisted into recent times. The meat diet at Qesem centered on large game and was supplemented with tortoises. These hominins hunted cooperatively, and consumption of the highest quality parts of large prey was delayed until the food could be moved to the cave and processed with the aid of blade cutting tools and fire. Delayed consumption of high-quality body parts implies that the meat was shared with other members of the group. The types of cut marks on upper limb bones indicate simple flesh removal activities only. The Qesem cut marks are both more abundant and more randomly oriented than those observed in Middle and Upper Paleolithic cases in the Levant, suggesting that more (skilled and unskilled) individuals were directly involved in cutting meat from the bones at Qesem Cave. Among recent humans, butchering of large animals normally involves a chain of focused tasks performed by one or just a few persons, and butchering guides many of the formalities of meat distribution and sharing that follow. The results from Qesem Cave raise new hypotheses about possible differences in the mechanics of meat sharing between the late Lower Paleolithic and Middle Paleolithic. PMID:19666542

Cooperative hunting and meat sharing 400-200 kya at Qesem Cave, Israel.

PubMed

Stiner, Mary C; Barkai, Ran; Gopher, Avi

2009-08-11

Zooarchaeological research at Qesem Cave, Israel demonstrates that large-game hunting was a regular practice by the late Lower Paleolithic period. The 400- to 200,000-year-old fallow deer assemblages from this cave provide early examples of prime-age-focused ungulate hunting, a human predator-prey relationship that has persisted into recent times. The meat diet at Qesem centered on large game and was supplemented with tortoises. These hominins hunted cooperatively, and consumption of the highest quality parts of large prey was delayed until the food could be moved to the cave and processed with the aid of blade cutting tools and fire. Delayed consumption of high-quality body parts implies that the meat was shared with other members of the group. The types of cut marks on upper limb bones indicate simple flesh removal activities only. The Qesem cut marks are both more abundant and more randomly oriented than those observed in Middle and Upper Paleolithic cases in the Levant, suggesting that more (skilled and unskilled) individuals were directly involved in cutting meat from the bones at Qesem Cave. Among recent humans, butchering of large animals normally involves a chain of focused tasks performed by one or just a few persons, and butchering guides many of the formalities of meat distribution and sharing that follow. The results from Qesem Cave raise new hypotheses about possible differences in the mechanics of meat sharing between the late Lower Paleolithic and Middle Paleolithic.

Transformation diffusion reconstruction of three-dimensional histology volumes from two-dimensional image stacks.

PubMed

Casero, Ramón; Siedlecka, Urszula; Jones, Elizabeth S; Gruscheski, Lena; Gibb, Matthew; Schneider, Jürgen E; Kohl, Peter; Grau, Vicente

2017-05-01

Traditional histology is the gold standard for tissue studies, but it is intrinsically reliant on two-dimensional (2D) images. Study of volumetric tissue samples such as whole hearts produces a stack of misaligned and distorted 2D images that need to be reconstructed to recover a congruent volume with the original sample's shape. In this paper, we develop a mathematical framework called Transformation Diffusion (TD) for stack alignment refinement as a solution to the heat diffusion equation. This general framework does not require contour segmentation, is independent of the registration method used, and is trivially parallelizable. After the first stack sweep, we also replace registration operations by operations in the space of transformations, several orders of magnitude faster and less memory-consuming. Implementing TD with operations in the space of transformations produces our Transformation Diffusion Reconstruction (TDR) algorithm, applicable to general transformations that are closed under inversion and composition. In particular, we provide formulas for translation and affine transformations. We also propose an Approximated TDR (ATDR) algorithm that extends the same principles to tensor-product B-spline transformations. Using TDR and ATDR, we reconstruct a full mouse heart at pixel size 0.92µm×0.92µm, cut 10µm thick, spaced 20µm (84G). Our algorithms employ only local information from transformations between neighboring slices, but the TD framework allows theoretical analysis of the refinement as applying a global Gaussian low-pass filter to the unknown stack misalignments. We also show that reconstruction without an external reference produces large shape artifacts in a cardiac specimen while still optimizing slice-to-slice alignment. To overcome this problem, we use a pre-cutting blockface imaging process previously developed by our group that takes advantage of Brewster's angle and a polarizer to capture the outline of only the topmost layer of wax in the block containing embedded tissue for histological sectioning. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mercury concentrations in fish from forest harvesting and fire-impacted Canadian Boreal lakes compared using stable isotopes of nitrogen.

PubMed

Garcia, Edenise; Carignan, Richard

2005-03-01

Total mercury (Hg) concentration was determined in several piscivorous and nonpiscivorous species of fish from 38 drainage lakes with clear-cut, burnt, or undisturbed catchments located in the Canadian Boreal Shield. Mercury concentrations increased with increasing fish trophic position as estimated using stable isotopes of nitrogen (N; r2 = 0.52, 0.49, and 0.30 for cut, reference, and burnt lakes, respectively; p < 0.01). Mercury biomagnification per thousand delta15N varied from 22 to 29% in the three groups of lakes. Mercury availability to organisms at the base of the food chain in lakes with cut catchments was higher than that in reference lakes. In cut lakes, Hg concentrations in fish were significantly related to ratio of the clear-cut area to lake area (or lake volume; r = +0.82 and +0.74, respectively, p < 0.01). Both impact ratios were, in turn, significantly correlated with dissolved organic carbon. These findings suggest that differential loading of organic matter-bound Hg to lakes can affect Hg cycling. In addition, Hg concentrations exceeded the advisory limit for human consumption (0.5 microg/g wet wt) from the World Health Organization in all top predatory species (northern pike, walleye, and burbot) found in cut and in two partially burnt lakes. Thus, high Hg concentrations in fish from forest-harvested and partially burnt lakes may reflect increased exposure to Hg relative to that in lakes not having these watershed disturbances.

Enhancing cuttings removal with gas blasts while drilling on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, K. A.; Quayle, M. C.; Cooper, G. A.

2005-04-01

Future missions to Mars envision use of drills for subsurface exploration. Since the Martian atmosphere precludes the use of liquids for cuttings removal, proposed drilling machines utilize mechanical cuttings removal systems such as augers. However, an auger can substantially contribute to the total power requirements, and in the worst scenario it can choke. A number of experiments conducted under Martian pressures showed that intermittent blasts of gas at low differential pressures can effectively lift the cuttings out of the hole. A gas flushing system could be incorporated into the drill assembly for assistance in clearing the holes of rock cuttings or for redundancy in case of auger jamming. A number of variables such as the particle size distribution of the rock powder, the type of gas used, the bit and auger side clearances, the initial mass of cuttings, and the ambient pressure were investigated and found to affect the efficiency. In all tests the initial volume of gas was close to 1 L and the differential pressure was varied to achieve desired clearing efficiencies. Particles were being lifted out of the hole at a maximum speed of 6 m/s at a differential pressure of 25 torr and ambient pressure of 5 torr. Flushing tests lasted on average for 2 s. The power required to compress the thin Martian atmosphere to achieve a sufficient gas blast every minute or so at 10% efficiency was calculated to be of the order of a few watts.

Feasible Application Area Study for Linear Laser Cutting in Paper Making Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Happonen, A.; Stepanov, A.; Piili, H.

Traditional industry sectors, like paper making industry, tend to stay within well-known technology rather than going forward towards promising, but still quite new technical solutions and applications. This study analyses the feasibility of the laser cutting in large-scale industrial paper making processes. Aim was to reveal development and process related challenges and improvement potential in paper making processes by utilizing laser technology. This study has been carried out, because there still seems to be only few large-scale industrial laser processing applications in paper converting processes worldwide, even in the beginning of 2010's. Because of this, the small-scale use of lasers in paper material manufacturing industry is related to a shortage of well-known and widely available published research articles and published measurement data (e.g. actual achieved cut speeds with high quality cut edges, set-up times and so on). It was concluded that laser cutting has strong potential in industrial applications for paper making industries. This potential includes quality improvements and a competitive advantage for paper machine manufacturers and industry. The innovations have also added potential, when developing new paper products. An example of these kinds of products are ones with printed intelligence, which could be a new business opportunity for the paper industries all around the world.

Assessment and speciation of chlorine demand in fresh-cut produce wash water

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Production of high quality, fresh-cut produce is a key driver for the produce industry. A critical area of concern is the chlorinated wash water used during post-harvest processing in large industrial processing facilities. Predominantly using a batch process, wash water is recycled over 8hr shift...

Effect of degree of dark cutting on tenderness and flavor attributes of beef

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of degree of dark cutting (DC) on tenderness and flavor descriptive attributes of beef. During routine grading procedures at a large-scale U.S. beef harvesting facility, DC carcasses (n=160) and matching normal cohorts (NC; n=160; same ...

Historical perspective

Treesearch

Kenneth Smith

1986-01-01

The history of shortleaf pine in the South generally parallels that of the area having the largest concentration of shortleaf, the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. There, in the nineteenth century, agricultural settlers cut trees to clear land for crops and supply local needs for wood. Around 1900, cutting greatly expanded as large sawmills began to log by...

The Impacts of the Great Recession on State Natural Resource Extension Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serenari, Christopher; Peterson, M. Nils; Bardon, Robert E.; Brown, Robert D.

2013-01-01

The Great Recession contributed to major budget cuts for natural resource Extension programs in the United States. Despite the potentially large cuts, their impacts and how Extension has adapted their programs have not been evaluated. We begin addressing these needs with surveys of Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals members…

The effects of degree of dark cutting on tenderness and sensory attributes of beef

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of degree of dark cutting (DC) on the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor attributes of beef. During carcass grading at a large U.S. commercial beef harvesting facility, DC carcasses (n = 160) and matching normal control (NC) carcasses (n = 160)...

Selective cutting, rehabilitation, and alternatives for forests of northeastern North America and elsewhere

Treesearch

Laura S. Kenefic

2014-01-01

In the 1928 Journal of Forestry, Marinus Westveld commented that logging in the Northeast dating to the mid-1800s had been selective cutting that removed desirable species of large sizes. Later, commercial clearcuts removed progressively smaller trees of merchantable quality and desirable species. Indiscriminate logging damaged young growing stock...

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... 82165, Dec. 29, 2010. The major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round...

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round steak, beef round tip roast...

Mathematical model of simple spalling formation during coal cutting with extracting machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabov, V. V.; Zadkov, D. A.

2018-05-01

A single-mass model of a rotor shearer is analyzed. It is shown that rotor mining machines has large inertia moments and load dynamics. An extraction module model with selective movement of the cutting tool is represented. The peculiar feature of such extracting machines is fluid power drive cutter mechanism. They can steadily operate at large shear thickness, and locking modes are not an emergency for them. Comparing with shearers they have less inertional mass, but slower average cutting speed, and its momentary values depend on load. Basing on the equation of hydraulic fuel consumption balance the work of fluid power drive of extracting module cutter mechanism together with hydro pneumatic accumulator is analyzed. Spalling formation model during coal cutting with fluid power drive cutter mechanism and potential energy stores are suggested. Matching cutter speed with the speed of main crack expansion and amount of potential energy consumption, cutter load is determined only by ultimate stress at crack pole and friction. Tests of an extracting module cutter in real size model proved the stated theory.

Strategies for single-point diamond machining a large format germanium blazed immersion grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montesanti, R. C.; Little, S. L.; Kuzmenko, P. J.; Bixler, J. V.; Jackson, J. L.; Lown, J. G.; Priest, R. E.; Yoxall, B. E.

2016-07-01

A large format germanium immersion grating was flycut with a single-point diamond tool on the Precision Engineering Research Lathe (PERL) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in November - December 2015. The grating, referred to as 002u, has an area of 59 mm x 67 mm (along-groove and cross-groove directions), line pitch of 88 line/mm, and blaze angle of 32 degree. Based on total groove length, the 002u grating is five times larger than the previous largest grating (ZnSe) cut on PERL, and forty-five times larger than the previous largest germanium grating cut on PERL. The key risks associated with cutting the 002u grating were tool wear and keeping the PERL machine running uninterrupted in a stable machining environment. This paper presents the strategies employed to mitigate these risks, introduces pre-machining of the as-etched grating substrate to produce a smooth, flat, damage-free surface into which the grooves are cut, and reports on trade-offs that drove decisions and experimental results.

Discovery of two new large submarine canyons in the Bering Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlson, P.R.; Karl, Herman A.

1984-01-01

The Beringian continental margin is incised by some of the world's largest submarine canyons. Two newly discovered canyons, St. Matthew and Middle, are hereby added to the roster of Bering Sea canyons. Although these canyons are smaller and not cut back into the Bering shelf like the five very large canyons, they are nonetheless comparable in size to most of the canyons that have been cut into the U.S. eastern continental margin and much larger than the well-known southern California canyons. Both igneous and sedimentary rocks of Eocene to Pliocene age have been dredged from the walls of St. Matthew and Middle Canyons as well as from the walls of several of the other Beringian margin canyons, thus suggesting a late Tertiary to Quaternary genesis of the canyons. We speculate that the ancestral Yukon and possibly Anadyr Rivers were instrumental in initiating the canyon-cutting processes, but that, due to restrictions imposed by island and subsea bedrock barriers, cutting of the two newly discovered canyons may have begun later and been slower than for the other five canyons. ?? 1984.

Cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol policies.

PubMed

Johansson, Per; Pekkarinen, Tuomas; Verho, Jouko

2014-07-01

This paper studies the cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol taxes. We estimate the effect of a large cut in the Finnish alcohol tax on mortality, alcohol-related illnesses and work absenteeism in Sweden. This tax cut led to large differences in the prices of alcoholic beverages between these two countries and to a considerable increase in cross-border shopping. The effect is identified using differences-in-differences strategy where changes in these outcomes in regions near the Finnish border are compared to changes in other parts of northern Sweden. We use register data where micro level data on deaths, hospitalisations and absenteeism is merged to population-wide micro data on demographics and labour market outcomes. Our results show that the Finnish tax cut did not have any clear effect on mortality or alcohol-related hospitalisations in Sweden. However, we find that workplace absenteeism increased by 9% for males and by 15% for females near the Finnish border as a result of the tax cut. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of a Filter Cartridge for Filtration of Water Samples and Extraction of Environmental DNA.

PubMed

Miya, Masaki; Minamoto, Toshifumi; Yamanaka, Hiroki; Oka, Shin-Ichiro; Sato, Keiichi; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Sado, Tetsuya; Doi, Hideyuki

2016-11-25

Recent studies demonstrated the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) from fishes to be appropriate as a non-invasive monitoring tool. Most of these studies employed disk fiber filters to collect eDNA from water samples, although a number of microbial studies in aquatic environments have employed filter cartridges, because the cartridge has the advantage of accommodating large water volumes and of overall ease of use. Here we provide a protocol for filtration of water samples using the filter cartridge and extraction of eDNA from the filter without having to cut open the housing. The main portions of this protocol consists of 1) filtration of water samples (water volumes ≤4 L or >4 L); (2) extraction of DNA on the filter using a roller shaker placed in a preheated incubator; and (3) purification of DNA using a commercial kit. With the use of this and previously-used protocols, we perform metabarcoding analysis of eDNA taken from a huge aquarium tank (7,500 m 3 ) with known species composition, and show the number of detected species per library from the two protocols as the representative results. This protocol has been developed for metabarcoding eDNA from fishes, but is also applicable to eDNA from other organisms.

Photo series for quantifying forest residues in the coastal Douglas-fir-hemlock type.

Treesearch

W.G. Maxwell; F.R. Ward

1976-01-01

Six series of photographs display forest residue loading levels, by size classes, for areas of timber type and cutting practice. Information with each photo includes measured weights, volumes and other residue data, information about the timber stand and harvest or thinning actions and fuel ratings. These photo series provide...

Social Studies--The Next Generation: Re-Searching in the Postmodern. Counterpoints, Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education Volume 272

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segall, Avner, Ed.; Heilman, Elizabeth E., Ed.; Cherryholmes, Cleo H., Ed.

2006-01-01

This book broadens the imagination within social studies education by highlighting current, cutting-edge scholarship incorporating critical discourses. Drawing on postmodern, poststructural, postcolonial, and feminist theories often borrowed from cultural studies, curriculum theory, critical geography, women's studies, and queer studies, the…

Alabama forests

Treesearch

Herbert S. Sternitzke

1963-01-01

The decade that elapsed between the 1953 and 1963 Alabama forest surveys was a period of many changes. Shifts in land use and changes in product demand, timber growth, cutting, management, and many other factors importantly affected the State's forest resources. Some of these improved the ability If the forests to supply industry with the kind and volume of...

Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 12, Number 15

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2012

2012-01-01

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Appropriations Subcommittee Sharpens Budget Knife: Subcommittee's Bill Would Cut Education Programs by $1.1…

Games for Learning: Vast Wasteland or a Digital Promise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Michael H.; Vaala, Sarah E.

2013-01-01

Research about emerging best practices in the learning sciences points to the potential of deploying digital games as one possible solution to the twin challenges of weak student engagement and the need for more robust achievement in literacy, science, technology, and math. This chapter reviews key cross-cutting themes in this special volume,…

3.5 square meters: Constructive responses to natural disasters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vinitsky, Maya

2017-01-01

Natural disasters and their consequences dominate the news almost on a daily basis. Quick-impact preventive and aid measures are essential for the victims to survive. This volume presents a selection of projects which demonstrate impressively how both cutting-edge technology and locally available materials and resources can be used for this purpose.

New Directions for Self-Regulation of Learning in Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bembenutty, Hefer

2011-01-01

This chapter highlights the major contributions of this volume on self-regulation of learning and provides new directions for cutting-edge theoretical and empirical work that could serve to facilitate self-regulation of learning in postsecondary education. "Self-regulation of learning" refers to learners' beliefs about their ability to engage in…

Immigrant Families in Contemporary Society: The Duke Series in Child Development and Public Policy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lansford, Jennifer E., Ed.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby, Ed.; Bornstein, Marc H., Ed.

2007-01-01

How do some families successfully negotiate the linguistic, cultural, and psychological challenges of immigration, while others struggle to acculturate? This volume explores the complexities of immigrant family life in North America and analyzes the individual and contextual factors that influence health and well-being. Synthesizing cutting-edge…

High Power Laser Processing Of Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martyr, D. R.; Holt, T.

1987-09-01

The first practical demonstration of a laser device was in 1960 and in the following years, the high power carbon dioxide laser has matured as an industrial machine tool. Modern carbon dioxide gas lasers can be used for cutting, welding, heat treatment, drilling, scribing and marking. Since their invention over 25 years ago they are now becoming recognised as highly reliable devices capable of achieving huge savings in production costs in many situations. This paper introduces the basic laser processing techniques of cutting, welding and heat treatment as they apply to the most common engineering materials. Typical processing speeds achieved with a wide range of laser powers are reported. Accuracies achievable and fit-up tolerances required are presented. Methods of integrating lasers with machine tools are described and their suitability in a wide range of manufacturing industries is described by reference to recent installations. Examples from small batch manufacturing, high volume production using dedicated laser welding equipment, and high volume manufacturing using 'flexible' automated laser welding equipment are described Future applications of laser processing are suggested by reference to current process developments.

The Optimal Volume Fraction in Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Evaluated by Pain Relief, Cement Dispersion, and Cement Leakage: A Prospective Cohort Study of 130 Patients with Painful Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture in the Thoracolumbar Vertebra.

PubMed

Sun, Hai-Bo; Jing, Xiao-Shan; Liu, Yu-Zeng; Qi, Ming; Wang, Xin-Kuan; Hai, Yong

2018-06-01

To probe the relationship among cement volume/fraction, imaging features of cement distribution, and pain relief and then to evaluate the optimal volume during percutaneous vertebroplasty. From January 2014 to January 2017, a total of 130 patients eligible for inclusion criteria were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. According to the different degrees of pain relief, cement leakage, and cement distribution, all patients were allocated to 2 groups. Clinical and radiologic characteristics were assessed to identify independent factors influencing pain relief, cement leakage, and cement distribution, including age, sex, fracture age, bone mineral density, operation time, fracture level, fracture type, modified semiquantitative severity grade, intravertebral cleft, cortical disruption in the vertebral wall, endplate disruption, type of nutrient foramen, fractured vertebral body volume, intravertebral cement volume, and volume fraction. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of the cement volume/fraction and then to obtain the optional cut-off value. The preoperative visual analog scale scores in the responders versus nonresponders patient groups were 7.37 ± 0.61 versus 7.87 ± 0.92 and the postoperative VAS scores in the responders versus nonresponders were 2.04 ± 0.61 versus 4.33 ± 0.49 at 1 week. There were no independent factors influencing pain relief. There were 95 (73.08%) patients who experienced cement leakage, and cortical disruption in the vertebral wall and cement fraction percentage were identified as independent risk factors by binary logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.935, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.214-7.092, P = 0.017); (adjusted OR 1.134, 95% CI 1.026-1.254, P = 0.014). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of volume fraction (VF%) was 0.658 (95% CI 0.549-0.768, P = 0.006 < 0.05). The cut-off value of VF% for cement leakage was 21.545%, with a sensitivity of 69.50% and a specificity of 60.00%. The incidence of favorable cement distribution was 74.62% (97/130), and VF% were identified as independent protective factors (adjusted OR 1.185, 95% CI 1.067-1.317, P = 0.002) The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of VF% was 0.686 (95% CI 0.571-0.802, P = 0.001 < 0.05). The cut-off value of VF% to reach a favorable cement distribution was 19.78%, with a sensitivity of 86.60% and a specificity of 51.50%. In osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture with mild/moderate fracture severity at the single thoracolumbar level, the intravertebral cement volume of 4-6 mL could relieve pain rapidly. The optimal VF% was 19.78%, which could achieve satisfactory cement distribution. With the increase of VF%, the incidence of cement leakage would also increase. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental studies on laminar flow heat transfer in nanofluids flowing through a straight circular tube with and without V-cut twisted tape insert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arunachalam, U.; Edwin, M.

2018-03-01

This paper presents experimental studies on the convective heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of flows in a straight circular tube with and without V-cut twisted tapeinserts using Al2O3-Cu/water hybrid nanofluid as working fluid and also comparative studies between Alumina nanofluid and (Cu-Alumina) hybrid nanofluid is conducted. This work is restricted to one type of hybrid nanofluid only. It also does not include the effect of twisted tape dimensions on heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop.Itis observed that the experimental convective heat transfer coefficient increases slightly with an increase in particle volume concentration from 0.1 and 0.4%. The experimental data is in good agreement with the previous models and correlations.The experimental results showed a good enhancement in Nusselt number for Peclet number from 2580 to 11,780 compared to Nusselt number of water, when the copper nanofluid is 0.01% volume concentration and mixed with 0.4% concentration of Alumina nanofluid.Itis also noticed that 0.01% Al2O3-Cu/water hybrid nanofluidhas a higher friction factor than the Al2O3/water nanofluid and base fluid. Since the magnitude of thermal enhancement factor (η) has been observed to be only marginally higher than unity (1.01 to 1.05), the net benefit of inserting V - cut twisted tapes in nanofluids is also nevertheless marginal.

Combining watershed and graph cuts methods to segment organs at risk in radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolz, Jose; Kirisli, Hortense A.; Viard, Romain; Massoptier, Laurent

2014-03-01

Computer-aided segmentation of anatomical structures in medical images is a valuable tool for efficient radiation therapy planning (RTP). As delineation errors highly affect the radiation oncology treatment, it is crucial to delineate geometric structures accurately. In this paper, a semi-automatic segmentation approach for computed tomography (CT) images, based on watershed and graph-cuts methods, is presented. The watershed pre-segmentation groups small areas of similar intensities in homogeneous labels, which are subsequently used as input for the graph-cuts algorithm. This methodology does not require of prior knowledge of the structure to be segmented; even so, it performs well with complex shapes and low intensity. The presented method also allows the user to add foreground and background strokes in any of the three standard orthogonal views - axial, sagittal or coronal - making the interaction with the algorithm easy and fast. Hence, the segmentation information is propagated within the whole volume, providing a spatially coherent result. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated using 9 CT volumes, by comparing its segmentation performance over several organs - lungs, liver, spleen, heart and aorta - to those of manual delineation from experts. A Dicés coefficient higher than 0.89 was achieved in every case. That demonstrates that the proposed approach works well for all the anatomical structures analyzed. Due to the quality of the results, the introduction of the proposed approach in the RTP process will be a helpful tool for organs at risk (OARs) segmentation.

Quantifying uncertainty in morphologically-derived bedload transport rates for large braided rivers: insights from high-resolution, high-frequency digital elevation model differencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasington, J.; Hicks, M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Williams, R. D.; Vericat, D.

2013-12-01

Repeat surveys of channel morphology provide a means to quantify fluvial sediment storage and enable inferences about changes in long-term sediment supply, watershed delivery and bed level adjustment; information vital to support effective river and land management. Over shorter time-scales, direct differencing of fluvial terrain models may also offer a route to predict reach-averaged sediment transport rates and quantify the patterns of channel morphodynamics and the processes that force them. Recent and rapid advances in geomatics have facilitated these goals by enabling the acquisition of topographic data at spatial resolutions and precisions suitable for characterising river morphology at the scale of individual grains over multi-kilometre reaches. Despite improvements in topographic surveying, inverting the terms of the sediment budget to derive estimates of sediment transport and link these to morphodynamic processes is, nonetheless, often confounded by limited knowledge of either the sediment supply or efflux across a boundary of the control volume, or unobserved cut-and-fill taking place between surveys. This latter problem is particularly poorly constrained, as field logistics frequently preclude surveys at a temporal frequency sufficient to capture changes in sediment storage associated with each competent event, let alone changes during individual floods. In this paper, we attempt to quantify the principal sources of uncertainty in morphologically-derived bedload transport rates for the large, labile, gravel-bed braided Rees River which drains the Southern Alps of NZ. During the austral summer of 2009-10, a unique timeseries of 10 high quality DEMs was derived for a 3 x 0.7 km reach of the Rees, using a combination of mobile terrestrial laser scanning, aDcp soundings and aerial image analysis. Complementary measurements of the forcing flood discharges and estimates of event-based particle step lengths were also acquired during the field campaign. Together, the resulting dataset quantifies the evolution of the study reach over an annual flood season and provides an unprecedented insight into the patterns and processes of braiding. Uncertainties in the inferred rates of bedload transport are associated with the temporal and spatial frequency of measurements used to estimate the storage term of the sediment budget, and methods used to derive the boundary sediment flux. Results obtained reveal that over the annual flood season, over 80% of the braidplain was mobilised and that more than 50% of the bed experienced multiple cycles of cut and fill. Integration of cut and fill volumes event-by-event were found to be approximately 300% of the net change between October and May. While significant uncertainties reside in estimates of the boundary flux, rates of bedload transport derived for individual events are shown to correlate well with total energy expenditure and suggest that a relatively simple relationship may exist between the driving hydraulic forces at the reach scale and the geomorphic work performed.

Antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits using their own byproducts: looking for integral exploitation.

PubMed

Ayala-Zavala, J F; Rosas-Domínguez, C; Vega-Vega, V; González-Aguilar, G A

2010-10-01

Fresh-cut fruit consumption is increasing due to the rising public demand for convenience and awareness of fresh-cut fruit's health benefits. The entire tissue of fruits and vegetables is rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamins. The fresh-cut fruit industry deals with the perishable character of its products and the large percentage of byproducts, such as peels, seeds, and unused flesh that are generated by different steps of the industrial process. In most cases, the wasted byproducts can present similar or even higher contents of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds than the final produce can. In this context, this hypothesis article finds that the antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits, provided by the fruit's own byproducts, could be possible.

Antioxidant Enrichment and Antimicrobial Protection of Fresh-Cut Fruits Using Their Own Byproducts: Looking for Integral Exploitation

PubMed Central

Ayala-Zavala, JF; Rosas-Domínguez, C; Vega-Vega, V; González-Aguilar, GA

2010-01-01

Fresh-cut fruit consumption is increasing due to the rising public demand for convenience and awareness of fresh-cut fruit's health benefits. The entire tissue of fruits and vegetables is rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamins. The fresh-cut fruit industry deals with the perishable character of its products and the large percentage of byproducts, such as peels, seeds, and unused flesh that are generated by different steps of the industrial process. In most cases, the wasted byproducts can present similar or even higher contents of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds than the final produce can. In this context, this hypothesis article finds that the antioxidant enrichment and antimicrobial protection of fresh-cut fruits, provided by the fruit's own byproducts, could be possible. PMID:21535513

Slicing of silicon into sheet material. Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holden, S. C.; Fleming, J. R.

1978-01-01

Fabrication of a prototype large capacity multiple blade slurry saw is considered. Design of the bladehead which will tension up to 1000 blades, and cut a 45 cm long silicon ingot as large as 12 cm in diameter is given. The large blade tensioning force of 270,000 kg is applied through two bolts acting on a pair of scissor toggles, significantly reducing operator set-up time. Tests with an upside-down cutting technique resulted in 100% wafering yields and the highest wafer accuracy yet experienced with MS slicing. Variations in oil and abrasives resulted only in degraded slicing results. A technique of continuous abrasive slurry separation to remove silicon debris is described.

Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation of 532 nm radiation in 25 degrees -rotated, x-cut, near-stoichiometric, lithium tantalate fabricated by vapor transport equilibration.

PubMed

Hum, D S; Route, R K; Fejer, M M

2007-04-15

Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation of 532 nm radiation in 25 degrees -rotated, x-cut, near-stoichiometric lithium tantalate has been performed. Using a face-normal topology for frequency conversion applications allows scalable surface area to avoid surface and volume damage in high-power interactions. First-order, quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation was achieved using near-stoichiometric lithium tantalate fabricated by vapor transport equilibration. These crystals supported 1 J of 1064 nm radiation and generated 21 mJ of 532 nm radiation from a 7 ns, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser within a factor of 4.2 of expectation.

Reducing Coal Dust With Water Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangal, M. D.; Lewis, E. V.

1985-01-01

Jets also cool and clean cutting equipment. Modular pick-and-bucket miner suffers from disadvantage: Creates large quantities of potentially explosive coal dust. Dust clogs drive chain and other parts and must be removed by hand. Picks and bucket lips become overheated by friction and be resharpened or replaced frequently. Addition of oscillating and rotating water jets to pick-and-bucket machine keeps down dust, cools cutting edges, and flushes machine. Rotating jets wash dust away from drive chain. Oscillating jets cool cutting surfaces. Both types of jet wet airborne coal dust; it precipitates.

Adiabatic shear mechanisms for the hard cutting process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Caixu; Wang, Bo; Liu, Xianli; Feng, Huize; Cai, Chunbin

2015-05-01

The most important consequence of adiabatic shear phenomenon is formation of sawtooth chip. Lots of scholars focused on the formation mechanism of sawtooth, and the research often depended on experimental approach. For the present, the mechanism of sawtooth chip formation still remains some ambiguous aspects. This study develops a combined numerical and experimental approach to get deeper understanding of sawtooth chip formation mechanism for Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN) tools orthogonal cutting hard steel GCr15. By adopting the Johnson-Cook material constitutive equations, the FEM simulation model established in this research effectively overcomes serious element distortions and cell singularity in high strain domain caused by large material deformation, and the adiabatic shear phenomenon is simulated successfully. Both the formation mechanism and process of sawtooth are simulated. Also, the change features regarding the cutting force as well as its effects on temperature are studied. More specifically, the contact of sawtooth formation frequency with cutting force fluctuation frequency is established. The cutting force and effect of cutting temperature on mechanism of adiabatic shear are investigated. Furthermore, the effects of the cutting condition on sawtooth chip formation are researched. The researching results show that cutting feed has the most important effect on sawtooth chip formation compared with cutting depth and speed. This research contributes a better understanding of mechanism, feature of chip formation in hard turning process, and supplies theoretical basis for the optimization of hard cutting process parameters.

Uncertainties Associated with Theoretically Calculated N2-Broadened Half-Widths of H2O Lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ma, Q.; Tipping, R. H.; Gamache, R. R.

2010-01-01

With different choices of the cut-offs used in theoretical calculations, we have carried out extensive numerical calculations of the N2-broadend Lorentzian half-widths of the H2O lines using the modified Robert-Bonamy formalism. Based on these results, we are able to thoroughly check for convergence. We find that, with the low-order cut-offs commonly used in the literature, one is able to obtain converged values only for lines with large half-widths. Conversely, for lines with small half-widths, much higher cut-offs are necessary to guarantee convergence. We also analyse the uncertainties associated with calculated half-widths, and these are correlated as above. In general, the smaller the half-widths, the poorer the convergence and the larger the uncertainty associated with them. For convenience, one can divide all H2O lines into three categories, large, intermediate, and small, according to their half-width values. One can use this division to judge whether the calculated half-widths are converged or not, based on the cut-offs used, and also to estimate how large their uncertainties are. We conclude that with the current Robert- Bonamy formalism, for lines in category lone can achieve the accuracy requirement set by HITRAN, whereas for lines in category 3, it 'is impossible to meet this goal.

Downed wood in Micronesian mangrove forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.A.; Ewel, K.C.; Keeland, B.D.; Tara, T.; Smith, T. J.

2000-01-01

Dead, downed wood is an important component of upland forest and aquatic ecosystems, but its role in wetland ecosystems, including mangroves, is poorly understood. We measured downed wood in ten sites on the western Pacific islands of Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, all located within the Federated States of Micronesia. Our goals were to examine patterns of variability in the quantity of downed wood in these mangrove ecosystems, provide a general characterization of downed wood in a region with no previously published accounts, and investigate the relationship between harvesting practices and the amount of downed wood. The overall mean volume of downed wood at our study sites was estimated to be 60.8 m3 ha-1 (20.9 t ha-1), which is greater than most published data for forested wetlands. There were significant differences among islands, with the sites on Kosrae (104.2 m3 ha-1) having a much greater mean volume of downed wood than those on Pohnpei (43.1 m3 ha-1) or Yap (35.1 m3 ha-1). Part of the difference among islands may be attributable to differences in stand age and structure, but the most important factor seems to be the greater amount of wood harvesting on Kosrae, coupled with a low efficiency of use of cut trees. Of a total of 45 cut trees examined on Kosrae, no wood had been removed from 18 (40%); these are believed to be trees cut down because other, more valuable, trees were caught on them as they were felled. Of the other 27 trees, only 24 to 42% of the stem volume (to a 10 cm top) was removed from the forest, the amount varying by species. The impacts of current harvesting practices are unknown but may include important effects on tree regeneration and the abundance and species composition of crab populations.

Calculation of Water Entry Problem for Free-falling Bodies Using a Developed Cartesian Cut Cell Mesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenhua, Wang; Yanying, Wang

2010-05-01

This paper describes the development of free surface capturing method on Cartesian cut cell mesh to water entry problem for free-falling bodies with body-fluid interaction. The incompressible Euler equations for a variable density fluid system are presented as governing equations and the free surface is treated as a contact discontinuity by using free surface capturing method. In order to be convenient for dealing with the problem with moving body boundary, the Cartesian cut cell technique is adopted for generating the boundary-fitted mesh around body edge by cutting solid regions out of a background Cartesian mesh. Based on this mesh system, governing equations are discretized by finite volume method, and at each cell edge inviscid flux is evaluated by means of Roe's approximate Riemann solver. Furthermore, for unsteady calculation in time domain, a time accurate solution is achieved by a dual time-stepping technique with artificial compressibility method. For the body-fluid interaction, the projection method of momentum equations and exact Riemann solution are applied in the calculation of fluid pressure on the solid boundary. Finally, the method is validated by test case of water entry for free-falling bodies.

Research on subsurface deformed layer in ultra-precision cutting of single crystal copper by focused ion beam etching method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Huang, X. J.; Kong, J. X.

2018-03-01

In this paper, the focused ion beam was used to study the subsurface deformed layer of single crystal copper caused by the nanoscale single-point diamond fly cutting, and the possibility of using nanometer ultra-precision cutting to remove the larger deformation layer caused by traditional rough cutting process was explored. The maximum cutting thickness of single-point diamond cutting was about 146 nm, and the surface of the single-crystal copper after cutting was etched and observed by using the focused ion beam method. It was found that the morphology of the near-surface layer and the intermediate layer of the copper material were larger differences: the near-surface of the material was smaller and more compact, and the intermediate material layer of the material was more coarse sparse. The results showed that the traditional precision cutting would residual significant subsurface deformed layer and the thickness was on micron level. Even more, the subsurface deformed layer was obviously removed from about 12μm to 5μm after single-point diamond fly cutting in this paper. This paper proved that the large-scale subsurface deformed layer caused by traditional cutting process could be removed by nanometer ultra-precision cutting. It was of great significance to further establish the method that control of the deformation of weak rigid components by reducing the depth of the subsurface deformed layers.

Comparison of the Lag Screw Placements for the Treatment of Stable and Unstable Intertrochanteric Femoral Fractures regarding Trabecular Bone Failure.

PubMed

Celik, Talip; Mutlu, Ibrahim; Ozkan, Arif; Kisioglu, Yasin

2016-01-01

Background. In this study, the cut-out risk of Dynamic Hip Screw (DHS) was investigated in nine different positions of the lag screw for two fracture types by using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Methods. Two types of fractures (31-A1.1 and A2.1 in AO classification) were generated in the femur model obtained from Computerized Tomography images. The DHS model was placed into the fractured femur model in nine different positions. Tip-Apex Distances were measured using SolidWorks. In FEA, the force applied to the femoral head was determined according to the maximum value being observed during walking. Results. The highest volume percentage exceeding the yield strength of trabecular bone was obtained in posterior-inferior region in both fracture types. The best placement region for the lag screw was found in the middle of both fracture types. There are compatible results between Tip-Apex Distances and the cut-out risk except for posterior-superior and superior region of 31-A2.1 fracture type. Conclusion. The position of the lag screw affects the risk of cut-out significantly. Also, Tip-Apex Distance is a good predictor of the cut-out risk. All in all, we can supposedly say that the density distribution of the trabecular bone is a more efficient factor compared to the positions of lag screw in the cut-out risk.

Self-Cutting: Patient Characteristics Compared with Self-Poisoners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawton, Keith; Harriss, Louise; Simkin, Sue; Bale, Elizabeth; Bond, Alison

2004-01-01

A large (n = 14,892) consecutive sample of deliberate self-harm (attempted suicide) patients who presented to a general hospital in the United Kingdom during a 23-year study period was examined (over two consecutive time periods) in order to compare the characteristics of those who used self-cutting (n = 428) and those who self-poisoned (n =…

Building an Activist Union: The Massachusetts Society of Professors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Max; Clawson, Dan

2009-01-01

In 2002, during yet another budget crisis produced in large measure by the state's tax-cutting mania, Massachusetts proposed a massive cut in the university's budget. Through an early retirement incentive, the state wanted to reduce the faculty by 10 percent. No one was prepared to fight back. Despite UMass Amherst's long history of activism, and…

Localized gene expression changes during adventitious root formation in black walnut (Juglans nigra L.)

Treesearch

Micah E Stevens; Keith E Woeste; Paula M Pijut

2018-01-01

Cutting propagation plays a large role in the forestry and horticulture industries where superior genotypes need to be clonally multiplied. Integral to this process is the ability of cuttings to form adventitious roots. Recalcitrance to adventitious root development is a serious hurdle for many woody plant propagation systems including black walnut (Juglans...

Articulation of Cut Scores in the Context of the Next-Generation Assessments. Research Report. ETS RR-17-34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kannan, Priya; Sgammato, Adrienne

2017-01-01

Logistic regression (LR)-based methods have become increasingly popular for predicting and articulating cut scores. However, the precision of predictive relationships is largely dependent on the underlying correlations between the predictor and the criterion. In two simulation studies, we evaluated the impact of varying the underlying grade-level…

Cost Cuts Should Come from Research, Not Just Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Roald

2009-01-01

Even though the author and his colleagues are part of a major research university, they agonize, in meeting after meeting, over the 5 to 10-percent yearly cuts they need to make in their chemistry department's budget. By and large, those end up coming from education, not research, especially in faculty replacements and teaching assistants. The…

The Evolution of Galápagos Volcanoes: An Alternative Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harpp, Karen S.; Geist, Dennis J.

2018-05-01

The older eastern Galápagos are different in almost every way from the historically active western Galápagos volcanoes. The western Galápagos volcanoes have steep upper slopes and are topped by large calderas, whereas none of the older islands has a caldera, an observation that is supported by recent gravity measurements. Moreover, the eastern islands tend to have been constructed by linear fissure systems and many are cut by faults. Most of the western volcanoes erupt evolved basalts with an exceedingly small range of Mg#, Lan/Smn, and Smn/Ybn. This is attributed to homogenization in a crustal-scale magmatic mush column, which is maintained in a thermochemical steady state, owing to high magma supply directly over the Galápagos mantle plume. The exceptions are volcanoes at the leading edge of the hotspot, which have yet to develop mush columns, and volcanoes that are waning in activity, because they are being carried away from the plume. In contrast, the eastern volcanoes erupt relatively primitive magmas, with a large range in Mg#, Lan/Smn, and Smn/Ybn. This is attributed to isolated, ephemeral magmatic plumbing systems supplied by smaller magmatic fluxes throughout their histories. Consequently, each batch of magma follows an independent course of evolution, owing to the low volume of hypersolidus material beneath these volcanoes. The magmatic flux to Galápagos volcanoes negatively correlates with the distance to the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC). When the ridge was close to the plume, most of the plume-derived magma was directed to the ridge. Currently, the active volcanoes are much farther from the GSC, thus most of the plume-derived magma erupts on the Nazca Plate and can be focused beneath the large young shields. We define an intermediate sub-province comprising Rabida, Santiago and Pinzon volcanoes, which were most active about 1 Ma. They have all erupted dacites, rhyolites, and trachytes, similar to the dying stage of the western volcanoes, indicating that there was a relatively large volume of mush beneath them. Morphologically, however, they are more like the eastern volcanoes, and have erupted lavas with a large range in composition.

Chip formation and surface integrity in high-speed machining of hardened steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishawy, Hossam Eldeen A.

Increasing demands for high production rates as well as cost reduction have emphasized the potential for the industrial application of hard turning technology during the past few years. Machining instead of grinding hardened steel components reduces the machining sequence, the machining time, and the specific cutting energy. Hard turning Is characterized by the generation of high temperatures, the formation of saw toothed chips, and the high ratio of thrust to tangential cutting force components. Although a large volume of literature exists on hard turning, the change in machined surface physical properties represents a major challenge. Thus, a better understanding of the cutting mechanism in hard turning is still required. In particular, the chip formation process and the surface integrity of the machined surface are important issues which require further research. In this thesis, a mechanistic model for saw toothed chip formation is presented. This model is based on the concept of crack initiation on the free surface of the workpiece. The model presented explains the mechanism of chip formation. In addition, experimental investigation is conducted in order to study the chip morphology. The effect of process parameters, including edge preparation and tool wear on the chip morphology, is studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The dynamics of chip formation are also investigated. The surface integrity of the machined parts is also investigated. This investigation focusses on residual stresses as well as surface and sub-surface deformation. A three dimensional thermo-elasto-plastic finite element model is developed to predict the machining residual stresses. The effect of flank wear is introduced during the analysis. Although residual stresses have complicated origins and are introduced by many factors, in this model only the thermal and mechanical factors are considered. The finite element analysis demonstrates the significant effect of the heat generated during cutting on the residual stresses. The machined specimens are also examined using x-ray diffraction technique to clarify the effect of different speeds, feeds and depths of cut as well as different edge preparations on the residual stress distribution beneath the machined surface. A reasonable agreement between the predicted and measured residual stress is obtained. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of eliminating the existence of high tensile residual stresses in the workpiece surface by selecting the proper cutting conditions. The machined surfaces are examined using SEM to study the effect of different process parameters and edge preparations on the quality of the machined surface. The phenomenon of material side flow is investigated to clarify the mechanism of this phenomenon. The effect of process parameters and edge preparations on sub-surface deformation is also investigated.

Retarded correlators in kinetic theory: branch cuts, poles and hydrodynamic onset transitions

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

Romatschke, Paul

In this paper, the collective modes of an effective kinetic theory description based on the Boltzmann equation in a relaxation-time approximation applicable to gauge theories at weak but finite coupling and low frequencies are studied. Real time retarded two-point correlators of the energy-momentum tensor and the R-charge current are calculated at finite temperature in flat space-times for large N gauge theories. It is found that the real-time correlators possess logarithmic branch cuts which in the limit of large coupling disappear and give rise to non-hydrodynamic poles that are reminiscent of quasi-normal modes in black holes. In addition to branch cuts,more » correlators can have simple hydrodynamic poles, generalizing the concept of hydrodynamic modes to intermediate wavelength. Surprisingly, the hydrodynamic poles cease to exist for some critical value of the wavelength and coupling reminiscent of the properties of onset transitions.« less

Retarded correlators in kinetic theory: branch cuts, poles and hydrodynamic onset transitions

DOE PAGES

Romatschke, Paul

2016-06-24

In this paper, the collective modes of an effective kinetic theory description based on the Boltzmann equation in a relaxation-time approximation applicable to gauge theories at weak but finite coupling and low frequencies are studied. Real time retarded two-point correlators of the energy-momentum tensor and the R-charge current are calculated at finite temperature in flat space-times for large N gauge theories. It is found that the real-time correlators possess logarithmic branch cuts which in the limit of large coupling disappear and give rise to non-hydrodynamic poles that are reminiscent of quasi-normal modes in black holes. In addition to branch cuts,more » correlators can have simple hydrodynamic poles, generalizing the concept of hydrodynamic modes to intermediate wavelength. Surprisingly, the hydrodynamic poles cease to exist for some critical value of the wavelength and coupling reminiscent of the properties of onset transitions.« less

Vegetation response to western juniper slash treatments.

PubMed

O'Connor, Casey; Miller, Rick; Bates, Jonathan D

2013-09-01

The expansion of piñon-juniper woodlands the past 100 years in the western United States has resulted in large scale efforts to kill trees and recover sagebrush steppe rangelands. It is important to evaluate vegetation recovery following woodland control to develop best management practices. In this study, we compared two fuel reduction treatments and a cut-and-leave (CUT) treatment used to control western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis spp. occidentalis Hook.) of the northwestern United States. Treatments were; CUT, cut-and-broadcast burn (BURN), and cut-pile-and-burn the pile (PILE). A randomized complete block design was used with five replicates of each treatment located in a curl leaf mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray)/mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle)/Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis Elmer) association. In 2010, 4 years after tree control the cover of perennial grasses (PG) [Sandberg's bluegrass (Poa secunda J. Pres) and large bunchgrasses] were about 4 and 5 % less, respectively, in the BURN (7.1 ± 0.6 %) than the PILE (11.4 ± 2.3 %) and CUT (12.4 ± 1.7 %) treatments (P < 0.0015). In 2010, cover of invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) was greater in the BURN (6.3 ± 1.0 %) and was 50 and 100 % greater than PILE and CUT treatments, respectively. However, the increase in perennial bunchgrass density and cover, despite cheatgrass in the BURN treatment, mean it unlikely that cheatgrass will persist as a major understory component. In the CUT treatment mahogany cover increased 12.5 % and density increased in from 172 ± 25 to 404 ± 123 trees/ha. Burning, killed most or all of the adult mahogany, and mahogany recovery consisted of 100 and 67 % seedlings in the PILE and BURN treatments, respectively. After treatment, juniper presence from untreated small trees (<1 m tall; PILE and CUT treatments) and seedling emergence (all treatments) represented 25-33 % of pre-treatment tree density. To maintain recovery of herbaceous, shrub, and mahogany species additional control of reestablished juniper will be necessary.

Vegetation Response to Western Juniper Slash Treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Casey; Miller, Rick; Bates, Jonathan D.

2013-09-01

The expansion of piñon-juniper woodlands the past 100 years in the western United States has resulted in large scale efforts to kill trees and recover sagebrush steppe rangelands. It is important to evaluate vegetation recovery following woodland control to develop best management practices. In this study, we compared two fuel reduction treatments and a cut-and-leave (CUT) treatment used to control western juniper ( Juniperus occidentalis spp. occidentalis Hook.) of the northwestern United States. Treatments were; CUT, cut-and-broadcast burn (BURN), and cut-pile-and-burn the pile (PILE). A randomized complete block design was used with five replicates of each treatment located in a curl leaf mahogany ( Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray)/mountain big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle)/Idaho fescue ( Festuca idahoensis Elmer) association. In 2010, 4 years after tree control the cover of perennial grasses (PG) [Sandberg's bluegrass ( Poa secunda J. Pres) and large bunchgrasses] were about 4 and 5 % less, respectively, in the BURN (7.1 ± 0.6 %) than the PILE (11.4 ± 2.3 %) and CUT (12.4 ± 1.7 %) treatments ( P < 0.0015). In 2010, cover of invasive cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) was greater in the BURN (6.3 ± 1.0 %) and was 50 and 100 % greater than PILE and CUT treatments, respectively. However, the increase in perennial bunchgrass density and cover, despite cheatgrass in the BURN treatment, mean it unlikely that cheatgrass will persist as a major understory component. In the CUT treatment mahogany cover increased 12.5 % and density increased in from 172 ± 25 to 404 ± 123 trees/ha. Burning, killed most or all of the adult mahogany, and mahogany recovery consisted of 100 and 67 % seedlings in the PILE and BURN treatments, respectively. After treatment, juniper presence from untreated small trees (<1 m tall; PILE and CUT treatments) and seedling emergence (all treatments) represented 25-33 % of pre-treatment tree density. To maintain recovery of herbaceous, shrub, and mahogany species additional control of reestablished juniper will be necessary.

A high volume cost efficient production macrostructuring process. [for silicon solar cell surface treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chitre, S. R.

1978-01-01

The paper presents an experimentally developed surface macro-structuring process suitable for high volume production of silicon solar cells. The process lends itself easily to automation for high throughput to meet low-cost solar array goals. The tetrahedron structure observed is 0.5 - 12 micron high. The surface has minimal pitting with virtually no or very few undeveloped areas across the surface. This process has been developed for (100) oriented as cut silicon. Chemi-etched, hydrophobic and lapped surfaces were successfully texturized. A cost analysis as per Samics is presented.

Generation of segmental chips in metal cutting modeled with the PFEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Prieto, J. M.; Carbonell, J. M.; Cante, J. C.; Oliver, J.; Jonsén, P.

2018-06-01

The Particle Finite Element Method, a lagrangian finite element method based on a continuous Delaunay re-triangulation of the domain, is used to study machining of Ti6Al4V. In this work the method is revised and applied to study the influence of the cutting speed on the cutting force and the chip formation process. A parametric methodology for the detection and treatment of the rigid tool contact is presented. The adaptive insertion and removal of particles are developed and employed in order to sidestep the difficulties associated with mesh distortion, shear localization as well as for resolving the fine-scale features of the solution. The performance of PFEM is studied with a set of different two-dimensional orthogonal cutting tests. It is shown that, despite its Lagrangian nature, the proposed combined finite element-particle method is well suited for large deformation metal cutting problems with continuous chip and serrated chip formation.

Generation of segmental chips in metal cutting modeled with the PFEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Prieto, J. M.; Carbonell, J. M.; Cante, J. C.; Oliver, J.; Jonsén, P.

2017-09-01

The Particle Finite Element Method, a lagrangian finite element method based on a continuous Delaunay re-triangulation of the domain, is used to study machining of Ti6Al4V. In this work the method is revised and applied to study the influence of the cutting speed on the cutting force and the chip formation process. A parametric methodology for the detection and treatment of the rigid tool contact is presented. The adaptive insertion and removal of particles are developed and employed in order to sidestep the difficulties associated with mesh distortion, shear localization as well as for resolving the fine-scale features of the solution. The performance of PFEM is studied with a set of different two-dimensional orthogonal cutting tests. It is shown that, despite its Lagrangian nature, the proposed combined finite element-particle method is well suited for large deformation metal cutting problems with continuous chip and serrated chip formation.

Development of methods of producing large areas of silicon sheet by the slicing of silicon ingots using Inside Diameter (I.D.) saws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aharonyan, P.

1980-01-01

Modifications to a 16 inch STC automated saw included: a programmable feed system; a crystal rotating system; and a STC dynatrack blade boring and control system. By controlling the plating operation and by grinding the cutting edge, 16 inch I.D. blades were produced with a cutting edge thickness of .22 mm. Crystal rotation mechanism was used to slice 100 mm diameter crystals with a 16 inch blade down to a thickness of .20 mm. Cutting rates with crystal rotation were generally slower than with standard plunge I.D. slicing techniques. Using programmed feeds and programmed rotation, maximum cutting rates were from 0.3 to 1.0 inches per minute.

Variation of Shrinkage Strain within the Depth of Concrete Beams.

PubMed

Jeong, Jong-Hyun; Park, Yeong-Seong; Lee, Yong-Hak

2015-11-16

The variation of shrinkage strain within beam depth was examined through four series of time-dependent laboratory experiments on unreinforced concrete beam specimens. Two types of beam specimens, horizontally cast and vertically cast, were tested; shrinkage variation was observed in the horizontally cast specimens. This indicated that the shrinkage variation within the beam depth was due to water bleeding and tamping during the placement of the fresh concrete. Shrinkage strains were measured within the beam depth by two types of strain gages, surface-attached and embedded. The shrinkage strain distribution within the beam depth showed a consistent tendency for the two types of gages. The test beams were cut into four sections after completion of the test, and the cutting planes were divided into four equal sub-areas to measure the aggregate concentration for each sub-area of the cutting plane. The aggregate concentration increased towards the bottom of the beam. The shrinkage strain distribution was estimated by Hobbs' equation, which accounts for the change of aggregate volume concentration.

Variation of Shrinkage Strain within the Depth of Concrete Beams

PubMed Central

Jeong, Jong-Hyun; Park, Yeong-Seong; Lee, Yong-Hak

2015-01-01

The variation of shrinkage strain within beam depth was examined through four series of time-dependent laboratory experiments on unreinforced concrete beam specimens. Two types of beam specimens, horizontally cast and vertically cast, were tested; shrinkage variation was observed in the horizontally cast specimens. This indicated that the shrinkage variation within the beam depth was due to water bleeding and tamping during the placement of the fresh concrete. Shrinkage strains were measured within the beam depth by two types of strain gages, surface-attached and embedded. The shrinkage strain distribution within the beam depth showed a consistent tendency for the two types of gages. The test beams were cut into four sections after completion of the test, and the cutting planes were divided into four equal sub-areas to measure the aggregate concentration for each sub-area of the cutting plane. The aggregate concentration increased towards the bottom of the beam. The shrinkage strain distribution was estimated by Hobbs’ equation, which accounts for the change of aggregate volume concentration. PMID:28793677

The Dynamics of Plant Cell-Wall Polysaccharide Decomposition in Leaf-Cutting Ant Fungus Gardens

PubMed Central

Harholt, Jesper; Willats, William G. T.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

2011-01-01

The degradation of live plant biomass in fungus gardens of leaf-cutting ants is poorly characterised but fundamental for understanding the mutual advantages and efficiency of this obligate nutritional symbiosis. Controversies about the extent to which the garden-symbiont Leucocoprinus gongylophorus degrades cellulose have hampered our understanding of the selection forces that induced large scale herbivory and of the ensuing ecological footprint of these ants. Here we use a recently established technique, based on polysaccharide microarrays probed with antibodies and carbohydrate binding modules, to map the occurrence of cell wall polymers in consecutive sections of the fungus garden of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. We show that pectin, xyloglucan and some xylan epitopes are degraded, whereas more highly substituted xylan and cellulose epitopes remain as residuals in the waste material that the ants remove from their fungus garden. These results demonstrate that biomass entering leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens is only partially utilized and explain why disproportionally large amounts of plant material are needed to sustain colony growth. They also explain why substantial communities of microbial and invertebrate symbionts have evolved associations with the dump material from leaf-cutting ant nests, to exploit decomposition niches that the ant garden-fungus does not utilize. Our approach thus provides detailed insight into the nutritional benefits and shortcomings associated with fungus-farming in ants. PMID:21423735

A hybrid chip based on aerodynamics and electrostatics for the size-dependent classification of ultrafine and nano particles.

PubMed

Kim, Yong-Ho; Park, Dongho; Hwang, Jungho; Kim, Yong-Jun

2009-09-21

Conventional virtual impactors experience a large pressure drop when they classify particles according to size, in particular ultrafine particles smaller than 100 nm in diameter. Therefore, most virtual impactors have been used to classify particles larger than 100 nm. Their cut-off diameters are also fixed by the geometry of their flow channels. In the proposed virtual impactor, particles smaller than 100 nm are accelerated by applying DC potentials to an integrated electrode pair. By the electrical acceleration, the large pressure drop could be significantly decreased and new cut-off diameters smaller than 100 nm could be successfully added. The geometric cut-off diameter (GCD) of the proposed virtual impactor was designed to be 1.0 microm. Performances including the GCD and wall loss were examined by classifying dioctyl sebacate of 100 to 600 nm in size and carbon particles of 0.6 to 10 microm in size. The GCD was measured to be 0.95 microm, and the wall loss was highest at 1.1 microm. To add new cut-off diameters, monodisperse NaCl particles ranging from 15 to 70 nm were classified using the proposed virtual impactor with applying a DC potential of 0.25 to 3.0 kV. In this range of the potential, the new cut-off diameters ranging from 15 to 35 nm was added.

Large-angle correlations in the cosmic microwave background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efstathiou, George; Ma, Yin-Zhe; Hanson, Duncan

2010-10-01

It has been argued recently by Copi et al. 2009 that the lack of large angular correlations of the CMB temperature field provides strong evidence against the standard, statistically isotropic, inflationary Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology. We compare various estimators of the temperature correlation function showing how they depend on assumptions of statistical isotropy and how they perform on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 5-yr Internal Linear Combination (ILC) maps with and without a sky cut. We show that the low multipole harmonics that determine the large-scale features of the temperature correlation function can be reconstructed accurately from the data that lie outside the sky cuts. The reconstructions are only weakly dependent on the assumed statistical properties of the temperature field. The temperature correlation functions computed from these reconstructions are in good agreement with those computed from the ILC map over the whole sky. We conclude that the large-scale angular correlation function for our realization of the sky is well determined. A Bayesian analysis of the large-scale correlations is presented, which shows that the data cannot exclude the standard ΛCDM model. We discuss the differences between our results and those of Copi et al. Either there exists a violation of statistical isotropy as claimed by Copi et al., or these authors have overestimated the significance of the discrepancy because of a posteriori choices of estimator, statistic and sky cut.

Metabolic tumour volume and total lesion glycolysis, measured using preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT, predict the recurrence of endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Shim, S-H; Kim, D-Y; Lee, D-Y; Lee, S-W; Park, J-Y; Lee, J J; Kim, J-H; Kim, Y-M; Kim, Y-T; Nam, J-H

2014-08-01

To investigate the prognostic value of metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), measured by preoperative positron emission tomography and computerised tomography (PET/CT), in women with endometrial cancer. Retrospective cohort study. A tertiary referral centre. Women with endometrial cancer who underwent preoperative (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the period 2004-2009. Clinicopathological data for 84 women with endometrial cancer were reviewed from medical records. Cox proportional hazards modelling identified recurrence predictors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off value for predicting recurrence. Disease-free survival (DFS). The number of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages were: I (58); II (11); III (13); and IV (2). The median DFS was 48 (1-85) months. By univariate analysis, DFS was significantly associated with FIGO stage, histology, peritoneal cytology, myometrial invasion, nodal metastasis, serum CA-125, MTV, and TLG. Using multivariate analysis, the MTV (P = 0.010; hazard ratio, HR = 1.010; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 1.002-1.018) and TLG (P = 0.024; HR = 1.001; 95% CI = 1.000-1.002) were associated with DFS. The area under the ROC curve was 0.679 (95% CI = 0.505-0.836) after discriminating for recurrence using an MTV cut-off value of 17.15 ml. Regarding TLG, the cut-off value was 56.43 g and the area under the ROC plot was 0.661 (95% CI = 0.501-0.827). Kaplan-Meier survival graphs demonstrated a significant difference in DFS between groups categorised using the cut-off values for MTV and TLG (P < 0.022 for MTV and P < 0.047 for TLG, by log-rank test). Preoperative MTV and TLG could be independent prognostic factors predicting the recurrence of endometrial cancer. © 2014 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Physiological performance and work capacity of Sudanese cane cutters with Schistosoma mansoni infection.

PubMed

Collins, K J; Brotherhood, R J; Davies, C T; Doré, C; Hackett, A J; Imms, F J; Musgrove, J; Weiner, J S; Amin, M A; El Karim, M; Ismail, H M; Omer, A H; Sukkar, M Y

1976-05-01

Physiological tests of work performance and measurement of field productivity were made in 194 Sudanese cane cutters in order to study the effect of Schistosoma mansoni infection. The cane cutters were selected from two age ranges (16-24 and 25-45 years) and subdivided into three clinical groups: not infected, infected with, and infected without clinical signs of hepatosplenomegaly. Men infected with Schistosoma haemotobium, malaria (blood film), or with hemoglobin levels less than 10 g/100 ml were excluded. There was a statistically significant (P less than 0.002) higher mean hemoglobin concentration in those not infected but the mean difference was less than 1 g/100 ml. Submaximal responses to exercise on a stationary bicycle ergometer, oxygen intake, ventilation, tidal volume, cardiac frequency and estimated maximal aerobic power output calculated both in absolute terms and relative to lean body mass and leg volume were similar in the six groups of cane cutters. No significant differences were found in physique, body composition or in thermoregulatory function tests. The cane cutters were found to have little natural acclimatization to heat in terms of sweating capacity when compared with a group of fully acclimatized Sudanese soldiers. The mean productivity (mean daily weight of cane cut per man) was significantly correlated with the individual's estimated maximum aerobic capacity determined in the laboratory, but not with the degree of S. mansoni infection. The noninfected group was less "efficient" (mean productivity:oxygen intake) during cutting than the infected groups but a larger proportion of the noninfected were in their first season of cutting. There was a positive correlation between the number of seasons' cutting experience and the individual's age, degree of infection and mean productivity. Cane cutters studied in this investigation were a relatively fit, active population from whom the more seriously ill were excluded. These results do not, therefore necessarily reflect the effects of S. mansoni on physiological work capacity and productivity of more static populations in areas of high endemicity.

49 CFR 173.36 - Hazardous materials in Large Packagings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... an inner packaging is constructed of paper or flexible plastic, the inner packaging must be replaced...) The Large Packaging is free from corrosion, contamination, cracks, cuts, or other damage which would...

49 CFR 173.36 - Hazardous materials in Large Packagings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... an inner packaging is constructed of paper or flexible plastic, the inner packaging must be replaced...) The Large Packaging is free from corrosion, contamination, cracks, cuts, or other damage which would...

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

Hiranuma, Naruki; Möhler, Ottmar; Kulkarni, Gourihar

Separation of particles that play a role in cloud activation and ice nucleation from interstitial aerosols has become necessary to further understand aerosol-cloud interactions. The pumped counterflow virtual impactor (PCVI), which uses a vacuum pump to accelerate the particles and increase their momentum, provides an accessible option for dynamic and inertial separation of cloud elements. However, the use of a traditional PCVI to extract large cloud hydrometeors is difficult mainly due to its small cut-size diameters (< 5 µm). Here, for the first time we describe a development of an ice-selecting PCVI (IS-PCVI) to separate ice in controlled mixed-phase cloudmore » system based on the particle inertia with the cut-off diameter ≥ 10 µm. We also present its laboratory application demonstrating the use of the impactor under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. The computational fluid dynamics simulations were initially carried out to guide the design of the IS-PCVI. After fabrication, a series of validation laboratory experiments were performed coupled with the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion cloud simulation chamber. In the AIDA chamber, test aerosol particles were exposed to the ice supersaturation conditions (i.e., RH ice > 100 %), where a mixture of droplets and ice crystals was formed during the expansion experiment. In parallel, the flow conditions of the IS-PCVI were actively controlled, such that it separated ice crystals from a mixture of ice crystals and cloud droplets, which were of diameter ≥ 10 µm. These large ice crystals were passed through the heated evaporation section to remove the water content. Afterwards, the residuals were characterized with a suite of online and offline instruments downstream of the IS-PCVI. These results were used to assess the optimized operating parameters of the device in terms of (1) the critical cut-size diameter, (2) the transmission efficiency and (3) the counterflow-to-input flow ratio. Particle losses were characterized by comparing the residual number concentration to the rejected interstitial particle number concentration. Overall results suggest that the IS-PCVI enables inertial separation of particles with a volume-equivalent particle size in the range of ~ 10–30 µm in diameter with small inadvertent intrusion (~  5 %) of unwanted particles.« less

Development and characterization of an ice-selecting pumped counterflow virtual impactor (IS-PCVI) to study ice crystal residuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiranuma, Naruki; Möhler, Ottmar; Kulkarni, Gourihar; Schnaiter, Martin; Vogt, Steffen; Vochezer, Paul; Järvinen, Emma; Wagner, Robert; Bell, David M.; Wilson, Jacqueline; Zelenyuk, Alla; Cziczo, Daniel J.

2016-08-01

Separation of particles that play a role in cloud activation and ice nucleation from interstitial aerosols has become necessary to further understand aerosol-cloud interactions. The pumped counterflow virtual impactor (PCVI), which uses a vacuum pump to accelerate the particles and increase their momentum, provides an accessible option for dynamic and inertial separation of cloud elements. However, the use of a traditional PCVI to extract large cloud hydrometeors is difficult mainly due to its small cut-size diameters (< 5 µm). Here, for the first time we describe a development of an ice-selecting PCVI (IS-PCVI) to separate ice in controlled mixed-phase cloud system based on the particle inertia with the cut-off diameter ≥ 10 µm. We also present its laboratory application demonstrating the use of the impactor under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. The computational fluid dynamics simulations were initially carried out to guide the design of the IS-PCVI. After fabrication, a series of validation laboratory experiments were performed coupled with the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion cloud simulation chamber. In the AIDA chamber, test aerosol particles were exposed to the ice supersaturation conditions (i.e., RHice > 100 %), where a mixture of droplets and ice crystals was formed during the expansion experiment. In parallel, the flow conditions of the IS-PCVI were actively controlled, such that it separated ice crystals from a mixture of ice crystals and cloud droplets, which were of diameter ≥ 10 µm. These large ice crystals were passed through the heated evaporation section to remove the water content. Afterwards, the residuals were characterized with a suite of online and offline instruments downstream of the IS-PCVI. These results were used to assess the optimized operating parameters of the device in terms of (1) the critical cut-size diameter, (2) the transmission efficiency and (3) the counterflow-to-input flow ratio. Particle losses were characterized by comparing the residual number concentration to the rejected interstitial particle number concentration. Overall results suggest that the IS-PCVI enables inertial separation of particles with a volume-equivalent particle size in the range of ~ 10-30 µm in diameter with small inadvertent intrusion (~  5 %) of unwanted particles.

Port Needs Study (Vessel Traffic Services Benefits). Volume 2: Appendices, Part 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-01

34 (Reference 1) and with its companion , Point Arguello, has been the graveyard of many ships. The Point Conception area has been described as a transition...North entrance to the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, and that portion of the ICW Rigolets-New Orleans Cut west of a point one mile east of Chef

Laminated lumber may be more profitable than sawn lumber

Treesearch

P. Koch

1976-01-01

By laminating 1/4-in. rotary-cut veneer into structural lumber, manufacturers can expand lumber output by at least 30% without increasing volume logged. The idea merits intensive study. Manufacturing plus raw material costs should total about $142/Mbf; sales price for desirable widths and lengths of the strong laminated product should approach or exceed $200/Mbf.

Do Lower Lender Subsidies Reduce Guaranteed Student Loan Supply?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, D. Andrew

2010-01-01

The article analyzes effects of borrower interest rates and student lender subsidies on federally guaranteed student loan volumes from 1988 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2006. Some have argued that lender subsidy cuts would reduce loan supply or cause lenders to exit the student loan market. If lenders get economic rents due to overly generous…

Limitations of lumber-yield nomograms for predicting lumber requirements

Treesearch

Kristen Hoff

2000-01-01

Lumber yield nomograms developed during the last 30 years have limited use when predicting the volume of rough lumber required to fill a particular cutting bill. Inaccuracies occur when nomogram yields are applied to situations in which processing technologies differ from those used during data collection, and when a variety of lengths and widths are specified in the...

The Relation of Growth to Stand Density in Natural Loblolly Pine Stands

Treesearch

K.F. Wenger; T.C. Evans; T. Lotti; R.W. Cooper; E.V. Brender

1958-01-01

This is a progress report of a regional study on growing-space requirements for natural stands of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.).A primary objective is to measure the effects of residual stand density, obtained naturally or by cutting, during intermediate ages, upon volume yield and total production. By imposing real values and costs upon...

Minimal Solutions to the Box Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuang, Jer-Chin

2009-01-01

The "box problem" from introductory calculus seeks to maximize the volume of a tray formed by folding a strictly rectangular sheet from which identical squares have been cut from each corner. In posing such questions, one would like to choose integral side-lengths for the sheet so that the excised squares have rational or integral side-length.…

Global Weather Prediction and High-End Computing at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann; Atlas, Robert; Yeh, Kao-San

2003-01-01

We demonstrate current capabilities of the NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model an high-resolution global weather prediction, and discuss its development path in the foreseeable future. This model can be regarded as a prototype of a future NASA Earth modeling system intended to unify development activities cutting across various disciplines within the NASA Earth Science Enterprise.

Modeling Missing Remeasurement Tree Heights in Forest Inventory Data

Treesearch

Raymond M. Sheffield; Callie J. Schweitzer

2005-01-01

Missing tree heights are often problematic in compiling forest inventory remeasurement data. Heights for cut and mortality trees are usually not available; calculations of removal or mortality volumes must utilize either a modeled height at the time of tree death or the height assigned to the tree at a previous remeasurement. Less often, tree heights are not available...

Modeling missing remeasurement tree heights in forest inventory data

Treesearch

Raymond M. Sheffield; Callie J. Schweitzer

2002-01-01

Missing tree heights are often problematic in compiling forest inventory renleasureinent data. Heights for cut and niortality trees are usually not available; calculations of removal or mortality volumes must utilize either a modeled height at the time of tree death or the height assigned to the tree at a previous remeasurement. Less often, tree heights are not...

Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 11, Number 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amos, Jason, Ed.

2011-01-01

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Passes FY 2011 Spending Bill: Bill Cuts U.S. Department of Education Funding by $5 Billion; Title I, School…

A Literature Review of Concentrations and Size Distributions of Ambient Airborne Pb-Containing Particulate Matter

EPA Science Inventory

The final 2008 lead (Pb) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) revision maintains Pb in total suspended particulate matter as the indicator. However, the final rule permits the use of low-volume PM₁₀ (particulate matter sampled with a 50% cut-point of 10 μm) F...

Risk factors for frequent work-related burn and cut injuries and low back pain among commercial kitchen workers in Japan.

PubMed

Tomita, Shigeru; Muto, Takashi; Matsuzuki, Hiroe; Haruyama, Yasuo; Ito, Akiyoshi; Muto, Shigeki; Haratani, Takashi; Seo, Akihiko; Ayabe, Makoto; Katamoto, Shizuo

2013-01-01

This study investigated risk factors for frequent work-related burn and cut injuries and low back pain (LBP) among kitchen workers including personal, work-related and environmental factors. Subjects were 991 kitchen workers in 103 schools, 17 hospitals and nursing homes, and 6 restaurants in central Japan. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between frequent injuries/LBP and risk factors. The effective response rate was 75.1% (n=744), the mean age was 40.7 (SD 11.7) and 77.2% were female. Burn injury was associated with a smaller kitchen (OR 1.94; 95%CI, 1.13-3.33), and gas kitchens rather than electric kitchens (OR 2.30; 95%CI, 1.17-4.52). LBP was associated with female gender (OR 2.46; 95%CI, 1.37-4.43), high body height (>160 cm) (OR 2.03; 95%CI, 1.22-3.36), and large number of meals produced per person (≥ 150 meals) (OR 1.83; 95%CI, 1.12-3.00). The results of this study suggest that securing adequate work space and introducing electric kitchen systems may reduce the risk to kitchen workers, as well as the importance of adequate height of cooking equipment and selecting an appropriate volume of meals to produce per person to prevent LBP in kitchen workers.

Effect of Medialization Thyroplasty on Glottic Airway Anatomy: Cadaver Model.

PubMed

Shinghal, Tulika; Anderson, Jennifer; Chung, Janet; Hong, Aaron; Bharatha, Aditya

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in airway dimensions after medialization thyroplasty (MT) using a cadaveric model. Helical computerized tomography (CT) was performed before and after placement of a silastic block in human larynges to investigate the effect on airway anatomy at the level of the glottis. Tissue density (TD) of the medialized vocal fold (VF) was documented to understand the effect on tissue displacement. This is a cadaveric study. Thirteen human cadaveric larynges underwent fine-cut CT scan before and after MT was performed using carved blocks in two sizes (small block and large block [LB]). Clientstream software was used to measure laryngeal dimensions: intraglottic volume (IGV), cross-sectional area (CSA), posterior-glottic diameter (PGD), VF density (in Hounsfield units [HUs]), and anterior-posterior diameter (APD). Eight sequential axial sections 0.625 mm cuts) at the level of the true VFs were analyzed. There was a significant decrease between the three conditions for IGV (P < 0.0001) and CSA (P < 0.0001). TD of the VF was increased after MT as indicated by HU increase (P = 0.0003). APD was not significantly changed. PGD was significantly different between the no block to LB placement (P = 0.0012). MT significantly changes the IGV and CSA at the level of the glottis. Density in the true VF was significantly increased. These findings have important implications for understanding volumetric effects of MT. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contribution study to the thermal insulation of the builders in the desert regions of exploiting gypsum fiber reinforced palm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafsi, Fouad; Kriker, Abdelouahed; Abani, Said

2017-02-01

Algerian Desert areas were characterized by very hot climate in summer and very cold in winter. The most widely used building material in these areas are concrete, mortar cement, which has a bad thermal insulation, causing a significant increase in cooling and heating costs; in order to avoid this problem it become a must to replace these materials with a good thermal isolation material and lower production cost. This work is part of the evaluation of local materials by improving their performance in the field of thermal insulation, which is considered a first step in the development of new local materials to be used in the construction field, the material used in this study is the gypsum reinforced with date palm fiber. In fact, Algeria has extraordinary resources in natural fibers (from Palm, Abaca, Hemp…) but without any large valorization in building materials. The aim of this work is then to characterization of those date palm fibers in new building materials approved for use in the construction of buildings in the desert areas. The date palm fibers were added to samples of the gypsum material in the form of cutting layers at different volume fraction, so as to determine the extent of their impact in the improvement of the thermal performance. The results were very satisfactory, reaching improvement rate of 16% for samples gypsum reinforced with single cut fiber form, and 32% of the samples reinforced with fiber in the form of layers.

Protoplast Volume:Water Potential Relationship and Bound Water Fraction in Spinach Leaves 1

PubMed Central

Santakumari, Mane; Berkowitz, Gerald A.

1989-01-01

Methods used to estimate the (nonosmotic) bound water fraction (BWF) (i.e. apoplast water) of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves were evaluated. Studies using three different methods of pressure/volume (P/V) curve construction all resulted in a similar calculation of BWF; approximately 40%. The theoretically derived BWF, and the water potential (Ψw)/relative water content relationship established from P/V curves were used to establish the relationship between protoplast (i.e. symplast) volume and Ψw. Another method of establishing the protoplast volume/Ψw relationship in spinach leaves was compared with the results from P/V curve experiments. This second technique involved the vacuum infiltration of solutions at a range of osmotic potentials into discs cut from spinach leaves. These solutions contained radioactively labeled H2O and sorbitol. This dual label infiltration technique allowed for simultaneous measurement of the total and apoplast volumes in leaf tissue; the difference yielded the protoplast volume. The dual label infiltration experiments and the P/V curve constructions both showed that below −1 megapascals, protoplast volume decreases sharply with decreasing water potential; with 50% reduction in protoplast volume occurring at −1.8 megapascals leaf water potential. PMID:16666983

Aseptic minimum volume vitrification technique for porcine parthenogenetically activated blastocyst.

PubMed

Lin, Lin; Yu, Yutao; Zhang, Xiuqing; Yang, Huanming; Bolund, Lars; Callesen, Henrik; Vajta, Gábor

2011-01-01

Minimum volume vitrification may provide extremely high cooling and warming rates if the sample and the surrounding medium contacts directly with the respective liquid nitrogen and warming medium. However, this direct contact may result in microbial contamination. In this work, an earlier aseptic technique was applied for minimum volume vitrification. After equilibration, samples were loaded on a plastic film, immersed rapidly into factory derived, filter-sterilized liquid nitrogen, and sealed into sterile, pre-cooled straws. At warming, the straw was cut, the filmstrip was immersed into a 39 degree C warming medium, and the sample was stepwise rehydrated. Cryosurvival rates of porcine blastocysts produced by parthenogenetical activation did not differ from control, vitrified blastocysts with Cryotop. This approach can be used for minimum volume vitrification methods and may be suitable to overcome the biological dangers and legal restrictions that hamper the application of open vitrification techniques.

Lattice study of finite volume effect in HVP for muon g-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izubuchi, Taku; Kuramashi, Yoshinobu; Lehner, Christoph; Shintani, Eigo

2018-03-01

We study the finite volume effect of the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to muon g-2, aμhvp, in lattice QCD by comparison with two different volumes, L4 = (5.4)4 and (8.1)4 fm4, at physical pion. We perform the lattice computation of highly precise vector-vector current correlator with optimized AMA technique on Nf = 2 + 1 PACS gauge configurations in Wilson-clover fermion and stout smeared gluon action at one lattice cut-off, a-1 = 2.33 GeV. We compare two integrals of aμhvp, momentum integral and time-slice summation, on the lattice and numerically show that the different size of finite volume effect appears between two methods. We also discuss the effect of backward-state propagation into the result of aμhvp with the different boundary condition. Our model-independent study suggest that the lattice computation at physical pion is important for correct estimate of finite volume and other lattice systematics in aμhvp.

The impact of histology and delivered dose on local control of spinal metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.

PubMed

Yamada, Yoshiya; Katsoulakis, Evangelia; Laufer, Ilya; Lovelock, Michael; Barzilai, Ori; McLaughlin, Lily A; Zhang, Zhigang; Schmitt, Adam M; Higginson, Daniel S; Lis, Eric; Zelefsky, Michael J; Mechalakos, James; Bilsky, Mark H

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE An analysis of factors contributing to durable radiographic control of spinal metastases was undertaken, drawing from a large single-institution database in an attempt to elucidate indications and dose requirements for successful treatment. METHODS All patients treated at a single institution with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of the spine as first-line therapy were assessed for local progression of the treated site, defined as radiographic enlargement of the treated tumor and/or biopsy-proven evidence of active tumor cells. All patients were followed with CT, PET, or MR imaging every 3-6 months until death. Treatment decisions were made by a multidisciplinary team of radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists. Target volumes were defined according to the international consensus guidelines and were reviewed in a multidisciplinary conference. Image-guided techniques and intensity modulation were used for every case. The tumor's histological type, gross tumor volume (GTV), dose that covers 95% of the GTV (GTV D95), percentage of GTV covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (GTV V95), planning target volume (PTV), dose that covers 95% of the PTV (PTV D95), and percentage of PTV covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (PTV V95) were analyzed for significance in relation to local control, based on time to local progression. RESULTS A total of 811 lesions were treated in 657 patients between 2003 and 2015 at a single institution. The mean follow-up and overall survival for the entire cohort was 26.9 months (range 2-141 months). A total of 28 lesions progressed and the mean time to failure was 26 months (range 9.7-57 months). The median prescribed dose was 2400 cGy (range 1600-2600 cGy). Both GTV D95 and PTV D95 were highly significantly associated with local failure in univariate analysis, but GTV and PTV and histological type did not reach statistical significance. The median GTV D95 for the cohort equal to or above the GTV D95 1830 cGy cut point (high dose) was 2356 cGy, and it was 1709 cGy for the cohort of patients who received less than 1830 cGy (low dose). In terms of PTV D95, the median dose for those equal to or above the cut point of 1740 cGy (high dose) was 2233 cGy, versus 1644 cGy for those lesions below the PTV D95 cut point of 1740 cGy (low dose). CONCLUSIONS High-dose single-session SRS provides durable long-term control, regardless of the histological findings or tumor size. In this analysis, the only significant factors predictive of local control were related to the actual dose of radiation given. Although the target volumes were well treated with the intended dose, those lesions irradiated to higher doses (median GTV D95 2356 cGy, minimum 1830 cGy) had a significantly higher probability of durable local control than those treated with lower doses (median PTV D95 2232 cGy, minimum of 1740 cGy) (p < 0.001). Patients in the high-dose cohort had a 2% cumulative rate of local failure. Histological findings were not associated with local failure, suggesting that radioresistant histological types benefit in particular from radiosurgery. For patients with a favorable prognosis, a higher dose of SRS is important for long-term outcomes.

The impact of histology and delivered dose on local control of spinal metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery

PubMed Central

Yamada, Yoshiya; Katsoulakis, Evangelia; Laufer, Ilya; Lovelock, Michael; Barzilai, Ori; McLaughlin, Lily A.; Zhang, Zhigang; Schmitt, Adam M.; Higginson, Daniel S.; Lis, Eric; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Mechalakos, James; Bilsky, Mark H.

2017-01-01

Objective An analysis of factors contributing to durable radiographic control of spinal metastases was undertaken, drawing from a large single-institution database in an attempt to elucidate indications and dose requirements for successful treatment. Methods All patients treated at a single institution with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of the spine as first-line therapy were assessed for local progression of the treated site, defined as radiographic enlargement of the treated tumor and/or biopsy-proven evidence of active tumor cells. All patients were followed with CT, PET, or MR imaging every 3–6 months until death. Treatment decisions were made by a multidisciplinary team of radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists. Target volumes were defined according to the international consensus guidelines and were reviewed in a multidisciplinary conference. Image-guided techniques and intensity modulation were used for every case. The tumor’s histological type, gross tumor volume (GTV), dose that covers 95% of the GTV (GTV D95), percentage of GTV covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (GTV V95), planning target volume (PTV), dose that covers 95% of the PTV (PTV D95), and percentage of PTV covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (PTV V95) were analyzed for significance in relation to local control, based on time to local progression. Results A total of 811 lesions were treated in 657 patients between 2003 and 2015 at a single institution. The mean follow-up and overall survival for the entire cohort was 26.9 months (range 2–141 months). A total of 28 lesions progressed and the mean time to failure was 26 months (range 9.7–57 months). The median prescribed dose was 2400 cGy (range 1600–2600 cGy). Both GTV D95 and PTV D95 were highly significantly associated with local failure in univariate analysis, but GTV and PTV and histological type did not reach statistical significance. The median GTV D95 for the cohort equal to or above the GTV D95 1830 cGy cut point (high dose) was 2356 cGy, and it was 1709 cGy for the cohort of patients who received less than 1830 cGy (low dose). In terms of PTV D95, the median dose for those equal to or above the cut point of 1740 cGy (high dose) was 2233 cGy, versus 1644 cGy for those lesions below the PTV D95 cut point of 1740 cGy (low dose). Conclusions High-dose single-session SRS provides durable long-term control, regardless of the histological findings or tumor size. In this analysis, the only significant factors predictive of local control were related to the actual dose of radiation given. Although the target volumes were well treated with the intended dose, those lesions irradiated to higher doses (median GTV D95 2356 cGy, minimum 1830 cGy) had a significantly higher probability of durable local control than those treated with lower doses (median PTV D95 2232 cGy, minimum of 1740 cGy) (p < 0.001). Patients in the high-dose cohort had a 2% cumulative rate of local failure. Histological findings were not associated with local failure, suggesting that radioresistant histological types benefit in particular from radiosurgery. For patients with a favorable prognosis, a higher dose of SRS is important for long-term outcomes. PMID:28041329

PRospective Imaging of CErvical cancer and neoadjuvant treatment (PRICE) study: role of ultrasound to predict partial response in locally advanced cervical cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation and radical surgery.

PubMed

Testa, A C; Ferrandina, G; Moro, F; Pasciuto, T; Moruzzi, M C; De Blasis, I; Mascilini, F; Foti, E; Autorino, R; Collarino, A; Gui, B; Zannoni, G F; Gambacorta, M A; Valentini, A L; Rufini, V; Scambia, G

2018-05-01

Chemoradiation-based neoadjuvant treatment followed by radical surgery is an alternative therapeutic strategy for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), but ultrasound variables used to predict partial response to neoadjuvant treatment are not well defined. Our goal was to analyze prospectively the potential role of transvaginal ultrasound in early prediction of partial pathological response, assessed in terms of residual disease at histology, in a large, single-institution series of LACC patients triaged to neoadjuvant treatment followed by radical surgery. Between October 2010 and June 2014, we screened 108 women with histologically documented LACC Stage IB2-IVA, of whom 88 were included in the final analysis. Tumor volume, three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler indices and contrast parameters were obtained before (baseline examination) and after 2 weeks of treatment. The pathological response was defined as complete (absence of any residual tumor after treatment) or partial (microscopic and/or macroscopic residual tumor at pathological examination). Complete-response and partial-response groups were compared and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves were generated for ultrasound variables that were statistically significant on univariate analysis to evaluate their diagnostic ability to predict partial pathological response. There was a complete pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy in 40 (45.5%) patients and a partial response in 48 (54.5%). At baseline examination, tumor volume did not differ between the two groups. However, after 2 weeks of neoadjuvant treatment, the tumor volume was significantly greater in patients with partial response than it was in those with complete response (P = 0.019). Among the 3D vascular indices, the vascularization index (VI) was significantly lower in the partial-response compared with the complete-response group, both before and after 2 weeks of treatment (P = 0.037 and P = 0.024, respectively). At baseline examination in the contrast analysis, women with partial response had lower tumor peak enhancement (PE) as well as lower tumor wash-in rate (WiR) and longer tumor rise time (RT) compared with complete responders (P = 0.006, P = 0.003, P = 0.038, respectively). There was no difference in terms of contrast parameters after 2 weeks of treatment. ROC-curve analysis of baseline parameters showed that the best cut-offs for predicting partial pathological response were 41.5% for VI (sensitivity, 63.6%; specificity, 66.7%); 16123.5 auxiliary units for tumor PE (sensitivity, 47.9%; specificity, 84.2%); 7.8 s for tumor RT (sensitivity, 68.8%; specificity, 57.9%); and 4902 for tumor WiR (sensitivity, 77.1%; specificity, 60.5%). ROC curves of parameters after 2 weeks of treatment showed that the best cut-off for predicting partial pathological response was 18.1 cm 3 for tumor volume (sensitivity, 70.8%; specificity 60.0%) and 39.5% for VI (sensitivity; 62.5%; specificity, 73.5%). Ultrasound and contrast parameters differ between LACC patients with complete response and those with partial response before and after 2 weeks of neoadjuvant treatment. However, neither ultrasound parameters before treatment nor those after 2 weeks of treatment had cut-off values with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for predicting partial pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An investigation of the use of discriminant analysis for the classification of blade edge type from cut marks made by metal and bamboo blades.

PubMed

Bonney, Heather

2014-08-01

Analysis of cut marks in bone is largely limited to two dimensional qualitative description. Development of morphological classification methods using measurements from cut mark cross sections could have multiple uses across palaeoanthropological and archaeological disciplines, where cutting edge types are used to investigate and reconstruct behavioral patterns. An experimental study was undertaken, using porcine bone, to determine the usefulness of discriminant function analysis in classifying cut marks by blade edge type, from a number of measurements taken from their cross-sectional profile. The discriminant analysis correctly classified 86.7% of the experimental cut marks into serrated, non-serrated and bamboo blade types. The technique was then used to investigate a series of cut marks of unknown origin from a collection of trophy skulls from the Torres Strait Islands, to investigate whether they were made by bamboo or metal blades. Nineteen out of twenty of the cut marks investigated were classified as bamboo which supports the non-contemporaneous ethnographic accounts of the knives used for trophy taking and defleshing remains. With further investigation across a variety of blade types, this technique could prove a valuable tool in the interpretation of cut mark evidence from a wide variety of contexts, particularly in forensic anthropology where the requirement for presentation of evidence in a statistical format is becoming increasingly important. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of ethanol treatment on physiological and quality attributes of fresh-cut eggplant.

PubMed

Hu, Wenzhong; Jiang, Aili; Tian, Mixia; Liu, Chenghui; Wang, Yanying

2010-06-01

Fresh-cut eggplants, as other vegetables, have relatively short shelf life because of the large amount of tissue disruption and increased metabolism. There is a very rapid onset of enzymatic browning and tissue softening with consequent decrease in sensorial and nutritional quality. To reduce respiration and maintain the quality, various treatments have been applied to find the optimum conditions that provide more fresh and natural fresh-cut produce after minimal processing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanol vapour treatment on physiological and quality attributes of fresh-cut eggplant during the extension of shelf life. The fresh-cut eggplant treated with ethanol vapour showed that respiration rate and occurrence of enzymatic browning were reduced, and higher total phenol content was maintained during 8 days of storage at 10 degrees C. The polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in fresh-cut eggplant were also inhibited significantly by ethanol treatment. The ethanol treatment reduced the weight loss and maintained the integrity of cell membranes, as confirmed by the low value of electrolyte leakage. The ethanol treatment applied for fresh-cut eggplant was a practical approach to reduce the activity of physiological metabolism and maintain the fresh quality of fresh-cut eggplant. The experimental results revealed that ethanol treatment was effective for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut eggplant as a cheap, environmentally acceptable method. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

The inventory and distribution of water on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.

1987-01-01

Terrain softening, fretted channels, debris flows, and closed depressions indicate that at least the upper 2 km of the cratered uplands at high latitudes (>30??) contain ice in amounts that exceed the porosity, estimated to be 10-20 percent. Theoretical studies, and lack of these features in the cratered uplands at low latitudes, suggest that the upper 1 km of the uplands at low latitudes is ice poor. However, valley networks indicate that water was present near the surface early in the planet's history, although in amounts smaller than at high latitudes. On the basis of these observations, the entire upper 1 km, planet-wide is estimated to have contained 75-125 meters of water at the end of heavy bombardment. From the volume of water needed to cut the circum-Chryse channels, and assuming uniform planet-wide distribution of water, the deep megaregolith is estimated to have contained at least 350 meters of water at the end of heavy bombardment, thereby giving a total minimum inventory of 425-475 meters planet-wide. Most of the water lost from the low latitude uplands by diffusion and in cutting the valley networks is now believed to be in the polar layered terrains. Most of the water involved in cutting the outflow channels is in the low-lying northern plains where a variety of features that have been attributed to ground ice is present. Since the end of heavy bombardment, a large fraction of the planet's surface has been overplated with water-poor volcanics, of which we have samples in the SNC meteorites. The younger volcanics have reacted extensively with the old volatile-rich basement. Part of the 10-20 bars of CO2 and 0.1 to 0.3 bars of N2 outgassed with the water was lost during heavy bombardment by impact erosion of the atmosphere and other processes. The remaining was fixed carbonates and nitrates and folded deep into the megaregolith during heavy bombardment. ?? 1987.

Field repair of AH-16 helicopter window cutting assemblies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bement, L. J.

1984-01-01

The U.S. Army uses explosively actuated window cutting assemblies to provide emergency crew ground egress. Gaps between the system's explosive cords and acrylic windows caused a concern about functional reliability for a fleet of several hundred aircraft. A field repair method, using room temperature vulcanizing silicone compound (RTV), was developed and demonstrated to fill gaps as large as 0.250 inch.

Life under the Spending Caps: The Clinton Fiscal Year 1995 Budget.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Paul; Greenstein, Robert

The stage for the introduction of the Clinton Administration's fiscal year 1995 budget was largely set by the passage of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law in August 1993. In developing the budget, the Administration had to come up with enough spending cuts to meet the spending caps--as well as billions of dollars in additional cuts to…

Quantum cutting in nanoparticles producing two green photons

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

Lorbeer, C; Mudring, Anja -V

2014-01-01

A synthetic route to nanoscale NaGdF4:Ln is presented which allows for quantum cutting based on the Gd-Er-Tb system. This shows, that cross-relaxation and other energy transfer processes necessary for multiphoton emission can be achieved in nanoparticles even if the large surface and the potentially huge amount of killer traps would suggest a lack of subsequent emission.

Simulating cut-to-length harvesting operations in Appalachian hardwoods

Treesearch

Jingxin Wang; Chris B. LeDoux; Yaoxiang Li

2005-01-01

Cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting systems involving small and large harvesters and a forwarder were simulated using a modular computer simulation model. The two harvesters simulated were a modified John Deere 988 tracked excavator with a single grip sawhead and a Timbco T425 based excavator with a single grip sawhead. The forwarder used in the simulations was a Valmet 524...

Laser Cutting

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

gantry configuration, however, presents a cage-like barrier to the rapid loading and unloading of workpieces such as automobile bodies or body...assemblies almost as large as an automobile . System controls can follow cutting paths within a few thousandths of an inch while producing such path detail...are often called robots. Indeed, they meet the RIA* definition of an industrial robot as follows: "A reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed

Weighted graph cuts without eigenvectors a multilevel approach.

PubMed

Dhillon, Inderjit S; Guan, Yuqiang; Kulis, Brian

2007-11-01

A variety of clustering algorithms have recently been proposed to handle data that is not linearly separable; spectral clustering and kernel k-means are two of the main methods. In this paper, we discuss an equivalence between the objective functions used in these seemingly different methods--in particular, a general weighted kernel k-means objective is mathematically equivalent to a weighted graph clustering objective. We exploit this equivalence to develop a fast, high-quality multilevel algorithm that directly optimizes various weighted graph clustering objectives, such as the popular ratio cut, normalized cut, and ratio association criteria. This eliminates the need for any eigenvector computation for graph clustering problems, which can be prohibitive for very large graphs. Previous multilevel graph partitioning methods, such as Metis, have suffered from the restriction of equal-sized clusters; our multilevel algorithm removes this restriction by using kernel k-means to optimize weighted graph cuts. Experimental results show that our multilevel algorithm outperforms a state-of-the-art spectral clustering algorithm in terms of speed, memory usage, and quality. We demonstrate that our algorithm is applicable to large-scale clustering tasks such as image segmentation, social network analysis and gene network analysis.

Nitinol laser cutting: microstructure and functional properties of femtosecond and continuous wave laser processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biffi, C. A.; Tuissi, A.

2017-03-01

Thermal processing can affect the properties of smart materials, and the correct selection of the best manufacturing technology is fundamental for producing high tech smart devices, containing embedded functional properties. In this work cutting of thin superelastic Nitinol plates using a femtosecond (fs) and continuous wave (CW) laser was studied. Diamond shaped elements were cut to characterize the kerf qualitative features; microstructural analysis of the cross sections allowed identification of thermal damage characteristics introduced into the material during the laser processes. A thermally undamaged microstructure was observed for fs laser cutting, while CW was seen to be characterized by a large heat-affected zone. Functional properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and tensile testing of laser cut microelements and of the reference material. It was seen that the martensitic transformation behavior of Nitinol is not affected by fs regime, while cw cutting provokes an effect equivalent to a high temperature thermal treatment in the material surrounding the cutting kerf, degradating the material properties. Finally, tensile testing indicated that superelastic performances were guaranteed by fs regime, while strong reduction of the recoverable strain was detected in the CW processed sample.

Application of dynamic milling in stainless steel processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Wenju

2017-09-01

This paper mainly introduces the method of parameter setting for NC programming of stainless steel parts by dynamic milling. Stainless steel is of high plasticity and toughness, serious hard working, large cutting force, high temperature in cutting area and easy wear of tool. It is difficult to process material. Dynamic motion technology is the newest NC programming technology of Mastercam software. It is an advanced machining idea. The tool path generated by the dynamic motion technology is more smooth, more efficient and more stable in the machining process. Dynamic motion technology is very suitable for cutting hard machining materials.

Computer numeric control generation of toric surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Norman D.; Ball, Gary A.; Keller, John R.

1994-05-01

Until recently, the manufacture of toric ophthalmic lenses relied largely upon expensive, manual techniques for generation and polishing. Recent gains in computer numeric control (CNC) technology and tooling enable lens designers to employ single- point diamond, fly-cutting methods in the production of torics. Fly-cutting methods continue to improve, significantly expanding lens design possibilities while lowering production costs. Advantages of CNC fly cutting include precise control of surface geometry, rapid production with high throughput, and high-quality lens surface finishes requiring minimal polishing. As accessibility and affordability increase within the ophthalmic market, torics promise to dramatically expand lens design choices available to consumers.

Can mean platelet volume and mean platelet volume/platelet count ratio be used as a diagnostic marker for sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome?

PubMed Central

Ates, Selma; Oksuz, Hafıze; Dogu, Bırsen; Bozkus, Fulsen; Ucmak, Hasan; Yanıt, Fadime

2015-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether the mean platelet volume (MPV) and MPV/platelet (PLT) values can be used in the study of sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: In this retrospective case-controlled study, 69 sepsis, 69 SIRS patients, and 72 control group who were treated in the years 2012-2013 were reviewed, and both the MPV and MPV/PLT rates were evaluated in all groups at Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Intensive Care Unit, Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Results: Statistically significant difference was found between sepsis, SIRS, and control groups when comparing the MPV and MPV/PLT ratio (p<0.05), and no significant difference was found between sepsis and SIRS groups in terms of MPV and MPV/PLT ratio (p>0.05). Mean platelet volume values for sepsis and control groups was 10.07/8.731 femtoliter (fL) (p=0.000), and 9.45/8.731 fL (p=0.000) for SIRS and control groups. In the group of sepsis patients, the MPV was found to be at cut-off 8.915, sensitivity 71%, and specificity 63.9%. In the group of patients with SIRS, MPV was found to be at cut-off 8.85, sensitivity 69.6%, and specificity 62.5%. For the MPV/PLT values, the specificity and sensitivity were found to be insignificant. Conclusion: This study shows that although there was no significant reduction in the PLT values between the sepsis and SIRS patients, the MPV and MPV/PLT ratio values were found to have significant differences. However, the specificity and sensitivity of the values were not reliable standard to be used as a test. PMID:26446329

Characterization of Particulate Fume and Oxides Emission from Stainless Steel Plasma Cutting.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Hoang, Tien; Floyd, Evan L; Regens, James L

2017-04-01

Plasma cutting is a metal fabrication process that employs an electrically conductive plasma arc to cut metals. The metal fume emitted from stainless steel plasma cutting may consist of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), which is a carcinogen, and other toxicants. Overexposure to plasma cutting fume may cause pulmonary toxicity and other health effects. This study was to evaluate the effects of operation parameters (arc current and arc time) on the fume formation rates, Cr6+ and other oxides concentrations, particle size distributions (PSD), and particle morphology. A fume chamber and high-volume pump were used to collect fume produced from cutting ER308L stainless steel plates with arc currents varying between 20 and 50 A. The amount of fume collected on glass fiber filters was gravimetrically determined and normalized to arc time. Cr6+ and other oxides in the fume were analyzed using ion chromatography. PSD of the fume was examined using a scanning mobility particle sizer and an aerodynamic particle sizer for fine and coarse fractions, respectively. The particle morphology was imaged through a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Total fume generation rate increased with arc current and ranged from 16.5 mg min-1 at 20 A to 119.0 mg min-1 at 50 A. Cr6+ emissions (219.8-480.0 µg min-1) from the plasma cutting were higher than welding fume in a previous study. Nitrogen oxides level can be an indicator of oxidation level and Cr6+ formation (R = 0.93). Both PSD measurement and TEM images confirmed a multimodal size distribution. A high concentration of a fine fraction of particles with geometric mean sizes from 96 to 235 nm was observed. Higher arc current yielded more particles, while lower arc current was not able to penetrate the metal plates. Hence, the worker should optimize the arc current to balance cut performance and fume emission. The findings indicated that arc current was the dominant factor in fume emission from plasma cutting. Appropriate ventilation and respiratory protection should be used to reduce workers' exposure. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

An Online 3D Database System for Endangered Architectural and Archaeological Heritage in the South-Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abate, D.; Avgousti, A.; Faka, M.; Hermon, S.; Bakirtzis, N.; Christofi, P.

2017-10-01

This study compares performance of aerial image based point clouds (IPCs) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based point clouds in detection of thinnings and clear cuts in forests. IPCs are an appealing method to update forest resource data, because of their accuracy in forest height estimation and cost-efficiency of aerial image acquisition. We predicted forest changes over a period of three years by creating difference layers that displayed the difference in height or volume between the initial and subsequent time points. Both IPCs and LiDAR data were used in this process. The IPCs were constructed with the Semi-Global Matching (SGM) algorithm. Difference layers were constructed by calculating differences in fitted height or volume models or in canopy height models (CHMs) from both time points. The LiDAR-derived digital terrain model (DTM) was used to scale heights to above ground level. The study area was classified in logistic regression into the categories ClearCut, Thinning or NoChange with the values from the difference layers. We compared the predicted changes with the true changes verified in the field, and obtained at best a classification accuracy for clear cuts 93.1 % with IPCs and 91.7 % with LiDAR data. However, a classification accuracy for thinnings was only 8.0 % with IPCs. With LiDAR data 41.4 % of thinnings were detected. In conclusion, the LiDAR data proved to be more accurate method to predict the minor changes in forests than IPCs, but both methods are useful in detection of major changes.

Interdisciplinary Social Science: An Example of Vertical and Horizontal Integrative Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durlabhji, Subhash

2005-03-01

A "Concept-Centered" strategy for Integrative Studies was proposed and implemented in the creation of the book Power in Focus: Perspectives from Multiple Disciplines. Essays on the ubiquitous concept of Power were solicited internationally and a final cut of ten essays from ten different disciplines, written specifically for this project, were included. This provides an example of what might be called Horizontal Integration, as it cut across multiple disciplines. One of the essays in the volume provides an example of Vertical Integration, as it applies a psychodynamic hypothesis concerning the development of Power relations among humans across hierarchical levels, from the child to the family to other groups and institutions in society, including finally entire nations and regions of the world.

A mathematical simulation of the tip-apex distance and the calcar-referenced tip-apex distance for intertrochanteric fractures reduced with lag screws.

PubMed

Li, Shuang; Chang, Shi-Min; Jin, Yan-Min; Zhang, Ying-Qi; Niu, Wen-Xin; Du, Shou-Chao; Zhang, Li-Zhi; Ma, Hui

2016-06-01

As a predictor of the risk of lag screw cutout, it was recommended that keeping tip-apex distance (TAD)<25mm and placing the screw centrally or inferiorly, but positioning the lag screw too inferiorly in the head would produce TAD>25mm. We aim to simulate various positions of the lag screw in the femoral head and identify whether 25mm is a suitable cut-off value that favours all sizes of femoral heads with intertrochanteric fractures of the hip. Using a general mathematical software, the positions of the screw tip points were simulated. The virtual anterior-posterior and lateral views were then visualised, and the locus of the screw tips was projected into a Cartesian coordinate system according to the TAD and calcar-referenced tip-apex distance (CalTAD) formulas. Each original virtual anterior-posterior and lateral image was zoomed and compiled to match a calculated average image. The screw tip points were recorded, traced and compiled into volumes which could be used to visualise the screw's movements and positioning within the femoral head. The extracted volumes were calculated when 10mm

Advances and Challenges in Metal Sulfides/Selenides for Next-Generation Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Hu, Zhe; Liu, Qiannan; Chou, Shu-Lei; Dou, Shi-Xue

2017-12-01

Rechargeable sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), as the most promising alternative to commercial lithium-ion batteries, have received tremendous attention during the last decade. Among all the anode materials for SIBs, metal sulfides/selenides (MXs) have shown inspiring results because of their versatile material species and high theoretical capacity. They suffer from large volume expansion, however, which leads to bad cycling performance. Thus, methods such as carbon modification, nanosize design, electrolyte optimization, and cut-off voltage control are used to obtain enhanced performance. Here, recent progress on MXs is summarized in terms of arranging the crystal structure, synthesis methods, electrochemical performance, mechanisms, and kinetics. Challenges are presented and effective ways to solve the problems are proposed, and a perspective for future material design is also given. It is hoped that light is shed on the development of MXs to help finally find applications for next-generation rechargeable batteries. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SMALL ANGLE SCATTERING OF X-RAYS BY PLASTICALLY DEFORMED SINGLE CRYSTALS

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

Robinson, W.H.; Smoluchowski, R.

1959-05-01

The small-angle scattering of x rays from single crystals of magnesium plastically deformed by simple shear was measured in the angular range of 4' to 5 deg . The crystals were subjected to both unidirectional and cyclic shear stresses applied along the STAl 1 2-bar 0! direction. Thin slices of the deformed single crystals were prepared using strainfree cutting and polishing techniques. The thin slices had orientations such that the slip direction was either parallel or perpendicular to the incident x-ray beam in order to observe any anisotropy in the scattering that might be due to dislocations. It was foundmore » that those samples which contained deformation twins within the irradiated volume produced rather large scattered intensity. This scattered intensity is interpreted as being due to double Bragg scattering. The scattered intensity from other specimens was attributed to surface scattering. No evidence for small angle scattering by dislocations was found. (auth)« less

A novel computerised image analysis method for the measurement of production of conidia from the aphid pathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis.

PubMed

Bonner, Tony J; Pell, Judith K; Gray, Simon N

2003-03-14

A semi-automated method has been developed for the quantification and measurement of conidia discharged by the aphid pathogen Erynia neoaphidis. This was used to compare conidiation by E. neoaphidis-mycosed pea aphid cadavers, mycelial plugs cut from agar plates, mycelial pellets from shake flasks and by mycelial pellets from different phases of liquid batch fermenter culture. Aphid cadavers discharged significantly more and significantly smaller conidia than plugs or pellets. The volume of conidia discharged was stable over the period of discharge (80 h), but more detailed analysis of the size frequency distribution showed that more very small and very large conidia were discharged after 5 h incubation than after 75 h incubation. Biomass harvested at the end of the exponential growth phase in batch fermenter culture produced significantly more conidia than biomass from any other growth phase. The implications of these findings for the development of production and formulation processes for E. neoaphidis as a biological control agent are discussed.

Investigation of tool wear and surface roughness on machining of titanium alloy with MT-CVD cutting tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maity, Kalipada; Pradhan, Swastik

2018-04-01

In this study, machining of titanium alloy (grade 5) is carried out using MT-CVD coated cutting tool. Titanium alloys possess superior strength-to-weight ratio with good corrosion resistance. Most of the industries used titanium alloy for the manufacturing of various types of lightweight components. The parts made from Ti-6Al-4V largely used in aerospace, biomedical, automotive and marine sectors. The conventional machining of this material is very difficult, due to low thermal conductivity and high chemical reactivity properties. To achieve a good surface finish with minimum tool wear of cutting tool, the machining is carried out using MT-CVD coated cutting tool. The experiment is carried out using of Taguchi L27 array layout with three cutting variables and levels. To find out the optimum parametric setting desirability function analysis (DFA) approach is used. The analysis of variance is studied to know the percentage contribution of each cutting variables. The optimum parametric setting results calculated from DFA were validated through the confirmation test.

Operation Reliability Assessment for Cutting Tools by Applying a Proportional Covariate Model to Condition Monitoring Information

PubMed Central

Cai, Gaigai; Chen, Xuefeng; Li, Bing; Chen, Baojia; He, Zhengjia

2012-01-01

The reliability of cutting tools is critical to machining precision and production efficiency. The conventional statistic-based reliability assessment method aims at providing a general and overall estimation of reliability for a large population of identical units under given and fixed conditions. However, it has limited effectiveness in depicting the operational characteristics of a cutting tool. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an approach to assess the operation reliability of cutting tools. A proportional covariate model is introduced to construct the relationship between operation reliability and condition monitoring information. The wavelet packet transform and an improved distance evaluation technique are used to extract sensitive features from vibration signals, and a covariate function is constructed based on the proportional covariate model. Ultimately, the failure rate function of the cutting tool being assessed is calculated using the baseline covariate function obtained from a small sample of historical data. Experimental results and a comparative study show that the proposed method is effective for assessing the operation reliability of cutting tools. PMID:23201980

Microscopic study of spin cut-off factors of nuclear level densities

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

Gholami, M.; Kildir, M.; Behkami, A. N.

Level densities and spin cut-off factors have been investigated within the microscopic approach based on the BCS Hamiltonian. In particular, the spin cut-off parameters have been calculated at neutron binding energies over a large range of nuclear mass using the BCS theory. The spin cut-off parameters {sigma}{sup 2}(E) have also been obtained from the Gilbert and Cameron expression and from rigid body calculations. The results were compared with their corresponding macroscopic values. It was found that the values of {sigma}{sup 2}(E) did not increase smoothly with A as expected based on macroscopic theory. Instead, the values of {sigma}{sup 2}(E) showmore » structure reflecting the angular momentum of the shell model orbitals near the Fermi energy.« less

The Colorado Plateau II: biophysical, socioeconomic, and cultural research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, David J.; van Riper, Charles

2005-01-01

The publication of The Colorado Plateau: Cultural, Biological, and Physical Research in 2004 marked a timely summation of current research in the Four Corners states. This new volume, derived from the seventh Biennial Conference on the Colorado Plateau in 2003, complements the previous book by focusing on the integration of science into resource management issues. The 32 chapters range in content from measuring human impacts on cultural resources, through grazing and the wildland-urban interface issues, to parameters of climate change on the Plateau. The book also introduces economic perspectives by considering shifting patterns and regional disparities in the Colorado Plateau economy. A series of chapters on mountain lions explores the human-wildland interface. These chapters deal with the entire spectrum of challenges associated with managing this large mammal species in Arizona and on the Colorado Plateau, conveying a wealth of timely information of interest to wildlife managers and enthusiasts. Another provocative set of chapters on biophysical resources explores the management of forest restoration, from the micro scale all the way up to large-scale GIS analyses of ponderosa pine ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau. Given recent concerns for forest health in the wake of fires, severe drought, and bark-beetle infestation, these chapters will prove enlightening for forest service, park service, and land management professionals at both the federal and state level, as well as general readers interested in how forest management practices will ultimately affect their recreation activities. With broad coverage that touches on topics as diverse as movement patterns of rattlesnakes, calculating watersheds, and rescuing looted rockshelters, this volume stands as a compendium of cutting-edge research on the Colorado Plateau that offers a wealth of insights for many scholars.

Increasing global accessibility and understanding of water column sonar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wall, C.; Anderson, C.; Mesick, S.; Parsons, A. R.; Boyer, T.; McLean, S. J.

2016-02-01

Active acoustic (sonar) technology is of increasing importance for research examining the water column. NOAA uses water column sonar data to map acoustic properties from the ocean surface to the seafloor - from bubbles to biology to bottom. Scientific echosounders aboard fishery survey vessels are used to estimate biomass, measure fish school morphology, and characterize habitat. These surveys produce large volumes of data that are costly and difficult to maintain due to their size, complexity, and proprietary format that require specific software and extensive knowledge. However, through proper management they can deliver valuable information beyond their original collection purpose. In order to maximize the benefit to the public, the data must be easily discoverable and accessible. Access to ancillary data is also needed for complete environmental context and ecosystem assessment. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, in partnership with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Colorado, created a national archive for the stewardship and distribution of water column sonar data collected on NOAA and academic vessels. A web-based access page allows users to query the metadata and access the raw sonar data. Visualization products being developed allow researchers and the public to understand the quality and content of large volumes of archived data more easily. Such products transform the complex data into a digestible image or graphic and are highly valuable for a broad audience of varying backgrounds. Concurrently collected oceanographic data and bathymetric data are being integrated into the data access web page to provide an ecosystem-wide understanding of the area ensonified. Benefits of the archive include global access to an unprecedented nationwide dataset and the increased potential for researchers to address cross-cutting scientific questions to advance the field of marine ecosystem acoustics.

Laser-generated ultrasound for high-precision cutting of tissue-mimicking gels (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Taehwa; Luo, Wei; Li, Qiaochu; Guo, L. Jay

2017-03-01

Laser-generated focused ultrasound has shown great promise in precisely treating cells and tissues by producing controlled micro-cavitation within the acoustic focal volume (<100 um). However, the previous demonstration used cells and tissues cultured on glass substrates. The glass substrates were found to be critical to cavitation, because ultrasound amplitude doubles due to the reflection from the substrate, thus allowing for reaching pressure amplitude to cavitation threshold. In other words, without the sound reflecting substrate, pressure amplitude may not be strong enough to create cavitation, thus limiting its application to only cultured biomaterials on the rigid substrates. By using laser-generated focused ultrasound without relying on sound-reflecting substrates, we demonstrate free-field cavitation in water and its application to high-precision cutting of tissue-mimicking gels. In the absence of a rigid boundary, strong pressure for cavitation was enabled by recently optimized photoacoustic lens with increased focal gain (>30 MPa, negative pressure amplitude). By moving cavitation spots along pre-defined paths through a motorized stage, tissue-mimicking gels of different elastic moduli were cut into different shapes (rectangle, triangle, and circle), leaving behind the same shape of holes, whose sizes are less than 1 mm. The cut line width is estimated to be less than 50 um (corresponding to localized cavitation region), allowing for accurate cutting. This novel approach could open new possibility for in-vivo treatment of diseased tissues in a high-precision manner (i.e., high-precision invisible sonic scalpel).

Comparison of the Lag Screw Placements for the Treatment of Stable and Unstable Intertrochanteric Femoral Fractures regarding Trabecular Bone Failure

PubMed Central

Mutlu, Ibrahim; Ozkan, Arif; Kisioglu, Yasin

2016-01-01

Background. In this study, the cut-out risk of Dynamic Hip Screw (DHS) was investigated in nine different positions of the lag screw for two fracture types by using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Methods. Two types of fractures (31-A1.1 and A2.1 in AO classification) were generated in the femur model obtained from Computerized Tomography images. The DHS model was placed into the fractured femur model in nine different positions. Tip-Apex Distances were measured using SolidWorks. In FEA, the force applied to the femoral head was determined according to the maximum value being observed during walking. Results. The highest volume percentage exceeding the yield strength of trabecular bone was obtained in posterior-inferior region in both fracture types. The best placement region for the lag screw was found in the middle of both fracture types. There are compatible results between Tip-Apex Distances and the cut-out risk except for posterior-superior and superior region of 31-A2.1 fracture type. Conclusion. The position of the lag screw affects the risk of cut-out significantly. Also, Tip-Apex Distance is a good predictor of the cut-out risk. All in all, we can supposedly say that the density distribution of the trabecular bone is a more efficient factor compared to the positions of lag screw in the cut-out risk. PMID:27995133

Cross-validation of the Dot Counting Test in a large sample of credible and non-credible patients referred for neuropsychological testing.

PubMed

McCaul, Courtney; Boone, Kyle B; Ermshar, Annette; Cottingham, Maria; Victor, Tara L; Ziegler, Elizabeth; Zeller, Michelle A; Wright, Matthew

2018-01-18

To cross-validate the Dot Counting Test in a large neuropsychological sample. Dot Counting Test scores were compared in credible (n = 142) and non-credible (n = 335) neuropsychology referrals. Non-credible patients scored significantly higher than credible patients on all Dot Counting Test scores. While the original E-score cut-off of ≥17 achieved excellent specificity (96.5%), it was associated with mediocre sensitivity (52.8%). However, the cut-off could be substantially lowered to ≥13.80, while still maintaining adequate specificity (≥90%), and raising sensitivity to 70.0%. Examination of non-credible subgroups revealed that Dot Counting Test sensitivity in feigned mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was 55.8%, whereas sensitivity was 90.6% in patients with non-credible cognitive dysfunction in the context of claimed psychosis, and 81.0% in patients with non-credible cognitive performance in depression or severe TBI. Thus, the Dot Counting Test may have a particular role in detection of non-credible cognitive symptoms in claimed psychiatric disorders. Alternative to use of the E-score, failure on ≥1 cut-offs applied to individual Dot Counting Test scores (≥6.0″ for mean grouped dot counting time, ≥10.0″ for mean ungrouped dot counting time, and ≥4 errors), occurred in 11.3% of the credible sample, while nearly two-thirds (63.6%) of the non-credible sample failed one of more of these cut-offs. An E-score cut-off of 13.80, or failure on ≥1 individual score cut-offs, resulted in few false positive identifications in credible patients, and achieved high sensitivity (64.0-70.0%), and therefore appear appropriate for use in identifying neurocognitive performance invalidity.

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

Kreitman, Paul J.; Sirianni, Steve R.; Pillard, Mark M.

Entergy recently performed an Extended Power Up-rate (EPU) on their Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, near Port Gibson, Mississippi. To support the EPU, a new Steam Dryer Assembly was installed during the last refueling outage. Due to limited access into the containment, the large Replacement Steam Dryer (RSD) had to be brought into the containment in pieces and then final assembly was completed on the refueling floor before installation into the reactor. Likewise, the highly contaminated Original Steam Dryer (OSD) had to be segmented into manageable sections, loaded into specially designed shielded containers, and rigged out of containment where they willmore » be safely stored until final disposal is accomplished at an acceptable waste repository. Westinghouse Nuclear Services was contracted by Entergy to segment, package and remove the OSD from containment. This work was performed on critical path during the most recent refueling outage. The segmentation was performed underwater to minimize radiation exposure to the workers. Special hydraulic saws were developed for the cutting operations based on Westinghouse designs previously used in Sweden to segment ABB Reactor Internals. The mechanical cutting method was selected because of its proven reliability and the minimal cutting debris that is generated by the process. Maintaining stability of the large OSD sections during cutting was accomplished using a custom built support stand that was installed into the Moisture Separator Pool after the Moisture Separator was installed back in the reactor vessel. The OSD was then moved from the Steam Dryer Pool to the Moisture Separator Pool for segmentation. This scenario resolved the logistical challenge of having two steam dryers and a moisture separator in containment simultaneously. A water filtration/vacuum unit was supplied to maintain water clarity during the cutting and handling operations and to collect the cutting chips. (authors)« less

Defense AT and L. Volume 38, Number 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

trust of running the business or doing their job in the hands of employees, and allows a greater degree of autonomy (think Warren Buffet ). This can...Reserve Air Fleet and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement. Financial accountability for all its missions is extremely important, as the funds for...cutting-edge responsiveness. Your Dollars, Spent Responsibly Establishing Stronger Financial Accountability Alan “Keith” Bentley, USTRANSCOM

Uphill falling of old-growth Douglas-fir.

Treesearch

Douglas L. Hunt; John W. Henley

1981-01-01

Five timber sales were made in old-growth Douglas-fir with matched cutting units. On one unit of each sale uphill falling by either hydraulic jacks or tree-pulling machine was required; on the other unit free falling was required. Logging equipment and methods were the same in each unit. Uphill falling produced a larger volume of timber at less cost than free falling...

STUB - a manufacturing system for producing rough dimension cuttings from low-grade lumber

Treesearch

Edwin L. Lucas; Charles J. Gatchell

1976-01-01

A rough mill manufacturing system for producing high-value furniture parts from low-value raw material is described. Called STUB (Short Temporarily Upgraded Boards), the system is designed to convert low-grade hardwood lumber into rough dimension parts. Computer simulation trials showed that more than one-third of the volume of parts produced from No. 2 Common oak...

A volume table for Virginia pine in Prince Georges County, Maryland

Treesearch

Thomas W., Jr. Church

1953-01-01

During the last 50 years Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Miller) has emerged as a tree of commercial importance. Once regarded as a weed species, Virginia pine is short-lived and limby, but it makes rapid early growth. It is used chiefly for pulpwood. Some sawlogs are cut from older stands, but they yield only common-grade lumber. Occasionally an...

Photo series for quantifying forest residues in the: sierra mixed conifer type, sierra true fir type.

Treesearch

W.G. Maxwell; F.R. Ward

1979-01-01

Five series of photographs display different forest residue loading levels, by size classes, for areas of like timber type (Sierra mixed conifer and Sierra true fir) and cutting objective. Information with each photo includes measured weights, volumes and other residue data, information about the timber stand and harvest actions, and assessment of fire behavior and...

Research among Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language. Chinese Language Teachers Association Monograph Series. Volume IV

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Everson, Michael E., Ed.; Shen, Helen H., Ed.

2010-01-01

Cutting-edge in its approach and international in its authorship, this fourth monograph in a series sponsored by the Chinese Language Teachers Association features eight research studies that explore a variety of themes, topics, and perspectives important to a variety of stakeholders in the Chinese language learning community. Employing a wide…

Student Loan Forbearance and Its Relationship to Default. Synopsis: Higher Education Research Highlights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Derek V.

As the number and volume of student loans increase nationally, lenders and policymakers look more closely at the use of loan forbearance. This paper examines whether forbearance really cuts the risk of loan default by reporting on a study of more than 9,800 Stafford loans in forbearance in December 1996. That research shows that the default rate…

Cyber Compendium, Professional Continuing Education Course Papers. Volume 2, Issue 1, Spring 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

250,000 mobile devices.23 Cutting just 20% of this infrastructure would translate to a potential savings of over $7 Billion per year. Air...BYOD device extends beyond the device itself. There is the supporting infrastructure such as the Mobile Application Store (MAS), which provides access...96 Prioritizing Cyber Capabilities: to Protect U.S. Critical Infrastructure

Forest statistics for South Florida, 1988

Treesearch

Mark J. Brown; Michael T. Thompson

1988-01-01

Since 1980, area of timberland in South Florida has decreased by 21 percent to less than 659,000 acres. Area of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land has declined to 552,000 acres. Harvests and other cuttings occurred on 2,800 acres annually, while 2,500 acres regenerated each year. Volume of softwood growing stock increased by 19 percent to 558 million cubic feet,...

Vocational, Technical, and Practical Arts Education. Review of Educational Research, Volume 32, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC.

The major research findings for the 6-year period following October 1956 are reported in the categories: (1) Vocational, Technical, and Practical Arts Education which discusses the current status of research in vocational education and the practical arts and reviews significant research which cuts across or is relevant to two or more of the…

Simulated Long-term Effects of the MOFEP Cutting Treatments

Treesearch

David R. Larsen

1997-01-01

Changes in average basal area and volume per acre were simulated for a 35-year pertod using the treatments designated for sites 4, 5, and 6 of the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project. A traditional growth and yield model (Central States TWIGS variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator) was used with Landscape Management System Software to simulate and display...

The Kite Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Breast Reconstruction: An Attempt to Reduce Lateral Chest Wall Deformity and Axillary Bulking.

PubMed

Correia Anacleto, J; Mavioso, C; Gouveia, P F; Magalhães, A; Bastos Martins, J; Moura, A; Pinto, D; Cardoso, M J

2016-08-01

The latissimus dorsi flap is a commonly used tissue transfer for volume replacement in partial or total breast reconstruction. In this era of cosmetic awareness and oncoplastic breast surgery, two main defects are related to the conventional technique: the back scar and the bulkiness on the lateral chest wall, under the axilla. Axillary bulking, a disturbing defect for the majority of patients, is a persistent consequence, independent of the technique used, even when the proximal tendon is cut. We describe a new approach, the kite latissimus dorsi flap, consisting of harvesting the flap, partially or totally, with pedicle dissection from the muscle, extending dissection, perforator style if needed, until the external border of the breast (anterior axillary line) is reached. The muscle is then cut at that level, leaving no unnecessary volume under the axilla, which would cause bulkiness and chest wall deformity. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

"Cut-and-Paste" Manufacture of Multiparametric Epidermal Sensor Systems.

PubMed

Yang, Shixuan; Chen, Ying-Chen; Nicolini, Luke; Pasupathy, Praveenkumar; Sacks, Jacob; Su, Becky; Yang, Russell; Sanchez, Daniel; Chang, Yao-Feng; Wang, Pulin; Schnyer, David; Neikirk, Dean; Lu, Nanshu

2015-11-04

Multifunctional epidermal sensor systems (ESS) are manufactured with a highly cost and time effective, benchtop, and large-area "cut-and-paste" method. The ESS made out of thin and stretchable metal and conductive polymer ribbons can be noninvasively laminated onto the skin surface to sense electrophysiological signals, skin temperature, skin hydration, and respiratory rate. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

JPRS Report, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-21

as dried noodles , cut noodles , and rice flour, they did not carry large quantities. Following the 3d Plenary Session of the 11th Party Central...of economic diversification. Second, city grain shops made do with whatever was available for the mass processing of cut noodles , dried noodles ...still condone short- term behavior throughout society, including our eager- ness for quick success and instant benefits in economic growth? It

Woody plants selected by beavers in the Appalacian Ridge and Valley Province

Treesearch

Hewlette S. Crawford; R. G. Hooper; R. F. Harlow

1976-01-01

The availability of woody plants and the selection of plants by beavers along mountain streams was studied in four areas of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province in Virginia. Beavers' choice of woody plants varied between areas. Many species of woody plants were cut by beavers. They climbed slopes with gradients up to 80 percent to cut trees. Large as well as...

Stormflow response to roadbuilding and partial cutting in small streams of northern California

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

1981-01-01

To assess the influence of road building and logging on storm flow response, a pair of watersheds were studied at Caspar Creek near Fort Bragg in northern California from 1963 to 1975. Selection cutting and tractor yarding of 85-year-old second-growth redwood and Douglas-fir forest did not significantly affect large peak streamflows. The first streamflow peaks in the...

Changes after partial cutting of a spruce-fir stand in Maine

Treesearch

Arthur C. Hart

1956-01-01

In 1945 a partial-cutting experiment in spruce-fir silviculture was begun by the Penobscot Research Center of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. The Eastern Pulp Wood Company of Calais, Maine, made available for the study a tract of forest land, in Dyer Township, Washington County, Maine. This 20.6-acre tract is part of a large area that had been burned over...

The Snowmastodon Project: cutting-edge science on the blade of a bulldozer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pigati, Jeffery S.; Miller, Ian M.; Johnson, Kirk R.

2015-01-01

Cutting-edge science happens at a variety of scales, from the individual and intimate to the large-scale and collaborative. The publication of a special issue of Quaternary Research in Nov. 2014 dedicated to the scientific findings of the “Snowmastodon Project” highlights what can be done when natural history museums, governmental agencies, and academic institutions work toward a common goal.

New parton distributions from large-x and low-Q 2 data

DOE PAGES

Alberto Accardi; Christy, M. Eric; Keppel, Cynthia E.; ...

2010-02-11

We report results of a new global next-to-leading order fit of parton distribution functions in which cuts on W and Q are relaxed, thereby including more data at high values of x. Effects of target mass corrections (TMCs), higher twist contributions, and nuclear corrections for deuterium data are significant in the large-x region. The leading twist parton distributions are found to be stable to TMC model variations as long as higher twist contributions are also included. Furthermore, the behavior of the d quark as x → 1 is particularly sensitive to the deuterium corrections, and using realistic nuclear smearing modelsmore » the d-quark distribution at large x is found to be softer than in previous fits performed with more restrictive cuts.« less

First evidence of an extensive Acheulean large cutting tool accumulation in Europe from Porto Maior (Galicia, Spain).

PubMed

Méndez-Quintas, E; Santonja, M; Pérez-González, A; Duval, M; Demuro, M; Arnold, L J

2018-02-15

We describe a European Acheulean site characterised by an extensive accumulation of large cutting tools (LCT). This type of Lower Paleolithic assemblage, with dense LCT accumulations, has only been found on the African continent and in the Near East until now. The identification of a site with large accumulations of LCTs favours the hypothesis of an African origin for the Acheulean of Southwest Europe. The lithic tool-bearing deposits date back to 293-205 thousand years ago. Our chronological findings confirm temporal overlap between sites with clear "African" Acheulean affinities and Early Middle Paleolithic sites found elsewhere in the region. These complex technological patterns could be consistent with the potential coexistence of different human species in south-western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.

Data analytics identify glycated haemoglobin co-markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis.

PubMed

Jelinek, Herbert F; Stranieri, Andrew; Yatsko, Andrew; Venkatraman, Sitalakshmi

2016-08-01

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is being more commonly used as an alternative test for the identification of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or to add to fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance test results, because it is easily obtained using point-of-care technology and represents long-term blood sugar levels. HbA1c cut-off values of 6.5% or above have been recommended for clinical use based on the presence of diabetic comorbidities from population studies. However, outcomes of large trials with a HbA1c of 6.5% as a cut-off have been inconsistent for a diagnosis of T2DM. This suggests that a HbA1c cut-off of 6.5% as a single marker may not be sensitive enough or be too simple and miss individuals at risk or with already overt, undiagnosed diabetes. In this study, data mining algorithms have been applied on a large clinical dataset to identify an optimal cut-off value for HbA1c and to identify whether additional biomarkers can be used together with HbA1c to enhance diagnostic accuracy of T2DM. T2DM classification accuracy increased if 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), an oxidative stress marker, was included in the algorithm from 78.71% for HbA1c at 6.5% to 86.64%. A similar result was obtained when interleukin-6 (IL-6) was included (accuracy=85.63%) but with a lower optimal HbA1c range between 5.73 and 6.22%. The application of data analytics to medical records from the Diabetes Screening programme demonstrates that data analytics, combined with large clinical datasets can be used to identify clinically appropriate cut-off values and identify novel biomarkers that when included improve the accuracy of T2DM diagnosis even when HbA1c levels are below or equal to the current cut-off of 6.5%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cut By Troughs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

1 September 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an impact crater cut by troughs which formed after the crater formed. The crater and troughs have large windblown ripples on their floors. The ripples, troughs, craters, and other surfaces in this scene have all been mantled by dust. Dark streaks on slopes indicate areas where avalanches of dry dust have occurred. These features are located on Sacra Mena, a large mesa in the Kasei Valles region.

Location near: 25.4oN, 66.8oW Image width: width: 3 km (1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn

Ice streams of the Late Wisconsin Cordilleran Ice Sheet in western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyles, Nick; Arbelaez Moreno, Lina; Sookhan, Shane

2018-01-01

The Late Wisconsin Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) of western North America is thought to have reached its maximum extent (∼2.5 × 106 km2) as late at c. 14.5 ka. Most (80%) of the ice sheet's bed consists of high mountains but its 'core zone' sited on plateaux of the Intermontane Belt of British Columbia and coterminous parts of the USA, shows broad swaths of subglacially-streamlined rock and sediment. Broad scale mapping from new digital imagery data identifies three subglacial bed types: 1) 'hard beds' of variably streamlined bedrock; 2) drumlinized 'soft beds' of deformation till reworked from antecedent sediment, and 3) 'mixed beds' of variably-streamlined bedrock protruding through drumlinized sediment. Drumlins on soft beds appear to be erosional features cut into till and antecedent sediments, and identify the catchment areas of paleo ice streams expressed downglacier as flow sets of megascale glacial lineations (MSGLs). 'Grooved' and 'cloned' drumlins appear to record the transition from drumlins to MSGLs. The location of paleo ice streams reflects topographic funneling of ice from plateau surfaces through outlet valleys and a soft bed that sustained fast flow; rock-cut MSGLs are also present locally on the floors of outlet valleys. CIS disintegrated in <1000 years shortly after c. 13.0 ka releasing very large volumes of meltwater and sediment to the Pacific coast. Abrupt deglaciation may reflect unsustainable calving of marine-based ice streams along the glacio-isostatically depressed coast; large deep 'fiord lakes' in the ice sheet's interior may have played an analogous role. Mapping of the broad scale distribution of bed types across the Cordilleran Ice Sheet provides key information for paleoglaciological modelling and also for understanding the beds of modern ice masses such as the Greenland Ice Sheet which is of a comparable topographic setting.

Structural and functional studies of bioobjects prepared from femoral heads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirilova, I. A.; Sharkeev, Yu. P.; Podorozhnaya, V. T.; Popova, K. S.; Uvarkin, P. V.

2015-11-01

Results of examination of physicomechanical characteristics of samples of medial femoral head cuts are presented. The samples of medial femoral head cuts resected in 6 patients with coxarthrosis in primary endoprosthetic replacement of a coxofemoral joint have been tested for micro- and nanohardness. Young's modulus and elemental composition of bone tissue have been investigated. To estimate the architectonics of cancellous tissue of the femoral head, adjacent cuts of the same patient have been analyzed. The porosity of bone tissue was estimated from macroscopic images obtained using macrophotography. The total porosity is calculated as the ratio of the total length of straight line segments overlapping pores to the total length of secants. A three-point bending test of the samples has shown that their strength changed from 0.187 to 1.650 MPa and their elasticity modulus changes from 1.69 to 8.15 MPa. The microhardness of the samples changes in the range 220-265 MPa and the average microhardness of medial femoral head cuts is 240 MPa. The elemental composition of medial femoral head cuts is represented by basic Ca, P, O, Na and Mg elements as well as by Sn, S, Fe, Cr, and C in microamounts. The atomic Ca to P ratio for bone tissue is 1.55. It is revealed that pores of the upper part of the femoral head have a more regular shape and in the lower part they are more elongated along the cut and occupy a larger volume. The lower part of the femoral head has a higher porosity (39 and 33%) than the upper part (34 and 30%). The total porosity of all samples does not exceed 37%.

Structural and functional studies of bioobjects prepared from femoral heads

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

Kirilova, I. A., E-mail: IKirilova@niito.ru; Podorozhnaya, V. T., E-mail: VPodorognaya@niito.ru; Sharkeev, Yu. P., E-mail: sharkeev@ispms.tsc.ru

2015-11-17

Results of examination of physicomechanical characteristics of samples of medial femoral head cuts are presented. The samples of medial femoral head cuts resected in 6 patients with coxarthrosis in primary endoprosthetic replacement of a coxofemoral joint have been tested for micro- and nanohardness. Young’s modulus and elemental composition of bone tissue have been investigated. To estimate the architectonics of cancellous tissue of the femoral head, adjacent cuts of the same patient have been analyzed. The porosity of bone tissue was estimated from macroscopic images obtained using macrophotography. The total porosity is calculated as the ratio of the total length ofmore » straight line segments overlapping pores to the total length of secants. A three-point bending test of the samples has shown that their strength changed from 0.187 to 1.650 MPa and their elasticity modulus changes from 1.69 to 8.15 MPa. The microhardness of the samples changes in the range 220–265 MPa and the average microhardness of medial femoral head cuts is 240 MPa. The elemental composition of medial femoral head cuts is represented by basic Ca, P, O, Na and Mg elements as well as by Sn, S, Fe, Cr, and C in microamounts. The atomic Ca to P ratio for bone tissue is 1.55. It is revealed that pores of the upper part of the femoral head have a more regular shape and in the lower part they are more elongated along the cut and occupy a larger volume. The lower part of the femoral head has a higher porosity (39 and 33%) than the upper part (34 and 30%). The total porosity of all samples does not exceed 37%.« less

What energy functions can be minimized via graph cuts?

PubMed

Kolmogorov, Vladimir; Zabih, Ramin

2004-02-01

In the last few years, several new algorithms based on graph cuts have been developed to solve energy minimization problems in computer vision. Each of these techniques constructs a graph such that the minimum cut on the graph also minimizes the energy. Yet, because these graph constructions are complex and highly specific to a particular energy function, graph cuts have seen limited application to date. In this paper, we give a characterization of the energy functions that can be minimized by graph cuts. Our results are restricted to functions of binary variables. However, our work generalizes many previous constructions and is easily applicable to vision problems that involve large numbers of labels, such as stereo, motion, image restoration, and scene reconstruction. We give a precise characterization of what energy functions can be minimized using graph cuts, among the energy functions that can be written as a sum of terms containing three or fewer binary variables. We also provide a general-purpose construction to minimize such an energy function. Finally, we give a necessary condition for any energy function of binary variables to be minimized by graph cuts. Researchers who are considering the use of graph cuts to optimize a particular energy function can use our results to determine if this is possible and then follow our construction to create the appropriate graph. A software implementation is freely available.

Study on fibre laser machining quality of plain woven CFRP laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Maojun; Li, Shuo; Yang, Xujing; Zhang, Yi; Liang, Zhichao

2018-03-01

Laser cutting is suitable for large-scale and high-efficiency production with relatively high cutting speed, while machining of CFRP composite using lasers is challenging with severe thermal damage due to different material properties and sensitivity to heat. In this paper, surface morphology of cutting plain woven carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) by fibre laser and the influence of cutting parameters on machined quality were investigated. A full factorial experimental design was employed involving three variable factors, which included laser pulse frequency at three levels together with laser power and cutting speed at two levels. Heat-affected zone (HAZ), kerf depth and kerf angle were quantified to understand the interactions with cutting parameters. Observations of machined surface were analysed relating to various damages using optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which included HAZ, matrix recession, fibre protruding, striations, fibre-end swelling, collapses, cavities and delamination. Based on ANOVA analysis, it was found that both cutting speed and laser power were significant factors for HAZ and kerf depth, while laser power was the only significant factor for kerf angle. Besides, HAZ and the kerf depth showed similar sensitivity to the pulse energy and energy per unit length, which was opposite for kerf angle. This paper presented the feasibility and experimental results of cutting CFRP laminates using fibre laser, which is possibly the efficient and high-quality process to promote the development of CFRPs.

Litmus paper helps detect potential pancreatoenterostomy leakage.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, K; Chijiwa, K; Shimizu, S; Yokohata, K; Tanaka, M

1998-03-01

Leakage of pancreatoenterostomy remains as a serious and fatal complication after pancreatectomy. Several risk factors have been reported, ie, normal pancreatic parenchyma, small pancreatic duct, a large amount of intraoperative blood loss, management of the cut surface of the pancreas, and the presence of preoperative jaundice. Transected pancreatic ductules on the cut surface of the pancreas that are not drained into the main pancreatic duct after pancreatectomy are one of the risks. The pancreatic juice is alkaline and turns red litmus to blue. In order to detect the transected pancreatic ductules on the cut surface of the pancreas, red litmus paper is applied to the cutting surface of the pancreas after stimulation of secretin. Nondrained, transected pancreatic ductules on the cut surface of the pancreas can be detected as blue spots on the red litmus paper. The corresponding areas to the blue spots can be transfixed with sutures to close the nondrained and transected pancreatic ductules. Litmus paper can be expected to detect pancreatoenterostomy leakage after pancreatectomy.

The impact of cattle and goats grazing on vegetation in oak stands of varying coppicing age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papachristou, Thomas G.; Platis, Panayiotis D.

2011-01-01

The effects of cattle and goats grazing on oak shoot growth and herbaceous vegetation in three oak forest stands with different coppicing age (1, 4 and 7 yrs after the clear cutting) were investigated. In April 1997, an experimental area was chosen with three forest stands, which were clear cut in 1996 (CL1996), 1993 (CL1993), and 1990 (CL1990). All stands were grazed by cattle and goats after they were clear cut. In each forest stand, five 10 m × 10 m paired plots were located, which represented grazed and protected patches. Herbage biomass within protected and grazed plots was measured four times each year (spring: May-June, summer: July-August, autumn: September-October, and winter: November-December). Behavioural observations on grazing animals were conducted in the same periods. In both protected and open plots the height and basal diameter of all oak shoots on 5 preselected stumps were measured at the end of five growing periods from 1997 to 2001. All forest stands carried a similar amount of available herbage (averaged over forest stands and growing season, 2614 kg/ha). Grazing animals removed on average 1057 kg/ha throughout the growing period. Cattle mainly consumed herbage (97% of bites) while goats consumed a mixture of oak browse (41% bites), herbaceous species (34% bites), and other woody species browse (25% bites). The height, diameter and volume of oak shoots were affected by grazing. The three forest stands had similar shoot heights in the protected plots in 2001 after 5 years of grazing protection. The volume of oak shoots of the grazed plots were 146.7 cm3 for CL1996, 232.9 cm3 for CL1993, and 239.1 cm3 for CL1990 in 2001 (i.e. 5, 8, and 11 years grazing after the clear cuttings, respectively). The protected plots carried greater volumes of oak shoots, CL1996: 496.0 cm3 (few months grazing before protection), CL1993: 690.0 cm3 (4 years grazing before protection), and CL1990: 344.0 cm3 (7 years grazing before protection). In conclusion, almost half of the herbaceous vegetation was removed through grazing but it had no positive effect on the growth rate of oak shoots. It seems that goats, which selected almost half of their diet from oak shoots, are responsible for that relative negative growth of shoots. However, cattle grazed only herbs and may therefore control herbaceous vegetation.

Computational Short-cutting the Big Data Classification Bottleneck: Using the MODIS Land Cover Product to Derive a Consistent 30 m Landsat Land Cover Product of the Conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Roy, D. P.

2016-12-01

Classification is a fundamental process in remote sensing used to relate pixel values to land cover classes present on the surface. The state of the practice for large area land cover classification is to classify satellite time series metrics with a supervised (i.e., training data dependent) non-parametric classifier. Classification accuracy generally increases with training set size. However, training data collection is expensive and the optimal training distribution over large areas is unknown. The MODIS 500 m land cover product is available globally on an annual basis and so provides a potentially very large source of land cover training data. A novel methodology to classify large volume Landsat data using high quality training data derived automatically from the MODIS land cover product is demonstrated for all of the Conterminous United States (CONUS). The known misclassification accuracy of the MODIS land cover product and the scale difference between the 500 m MODIS and 30 m Landsat data are accommodated for by a novel MODIS product filtering, Landsat pixel selection, and iterative training approach to balance the proportion of local and CONUS training data used. Three years of global Web-enabled Landsat data (WELD) data for all of the CONUS are classified using a random forest classifier and the results assessed using random forest `out-of-bag' training samples. The global WELD data are corrected to surface nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance and are defined in 158 × 158 km tiles in the same projection and nested to the MODIS land cover products. This reduces the need to pre-process the considerable Landsat data volume (more than 14,000 Landsat 5 and 7 scenes per year over the CONUS covering 11,000 million 30 m pixels). The methodology is implemented in a parallel manner on WELD tile by tile basis but provides a wall-to-wall seamless 30 m land cover product. Detailed tile and CONUS results are presented and the potential for global production using the recently available global WELD products are discussed.